OverDrive - Johnston on the Maple Leafs' tandem decisions, Matthews' abilities to lead and the close playoff pursuit

Episode Date: March 24, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the standings race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Sheldon Keefe calling out Johnathan Kovacevic, Morgan Rielly's tough season, the Maple Leafs' tandem decisions, Auston Matthews' ability to lead the team and more.

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Made in Canada, played in Canada. On the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca. Here's Chris Johnston, our TSN hockey insider. Would you concur with that CJ? The Habs and where they're at, most fun for any fan going right now. Vancouver, clearly number seven in terms of the Canadian teams and their fan experience

yeah i think i'm with him i have uh... just because you're right i mean that what is no expectations there it's all by it's all good they're coming back another lock the game on saturday but they they rally back in that one you know it's it's it's all bonus for them and and. And even if you're in Winnipeg right now, I'm sure there's lots of excitement about the Jets. You're probably a little nervous.

You're looking at St. Louis roaring into the bottom playoff spot and thinking, oh no, are we gonna catch a hot team in round one? Could this go down in flames? I think naturally, even when you're a fan of a good team, we're just talking fancy, we're not talking GMs or anything. There's that inclination to expect or be concerned about the worst thing happening and so there's nothing bad that can happen in Montreal because they're already on house money at this point in the season

yeah it's pretty incredible like those comebacks you mentioned Colorado they did it on Long Island I think on Thursday last week and you know we do here. CJ, I'm sure you're doing the same thing, like the jockeying for position between Montreal, the Rangers, the Islanders, Columbus. Do you have a read, do you have one team in particular that sticks out that you think has the best chance of holding on and getting that second wild card? Oh, you know what?

I feel pretty good about the Canadians at this point in time You know the Rangers and stiff had such a weird season. I don't know I don't have any read there what's gonna happen all along I've sort of thought they were gonna find their way in just on talent on on what they've been on their goaltender But you know the fact that that they're at this point now They played a couple more games and a lot of the teams you just mentioned, I just think they're in a tough spot. So I think that Montreal finds a way to hold on. What'll be interesting to me and can the Devils

hang on obviously with the injuries they've had? They've got a cushion as we're sitting here now, might even seem a little crazy to bring them into the conversation. But there are only six points up on the Rangers, there's seven points up on the Islanders you know in the same division of course and so you know is there a world where the devil slide back to the pack and then they're part of you know what we're looking at either for that last spot in the Metro or one of the wild card spots. I think it's possible

just because of the you know being down Hughes and Hamilton is pretty tough if you start right there and so this is shaping up to be honest to be a much better playoff race in both conferences than we've seen in the last couple of years. CJ, what do you think the response would be if Keefe did that in Toronto? Do you think Hayes would be flown into Sports Center on a chopper to react to that or what? I guess you guys would have had to prepare for the show because it would have just been three hours of that right to me uh... looking at it from every angle we look we we've got something

maybe not push exactly that button but obviously you know we we've been here for five years with the maple leaf sheet and he he runs hot after losses especially can be an emotional guy and for whatever reason that tripped his wire, that question. No, it was the guy that tripped his wire. Yeah, I mean, and with also the questioner though, kind of threw him under the bus, I don't think on purpose, but by saying, oh, the player said this, because the way I read

Keith's reaction, honestly, is he's saying like, I don't care what the player says, I want to see him do it. It's not about what he says. That's how I kind of interpreted that but it you know, it was pretty Yeah, it was it was an awkward moment the press room you could tell there's that silence and then he just exited Yeah, that was good stuff though, man That was good TV when you sense that though, like are you running right from the scrum? Right into the coach's office or to the next and saying like hey this guy

just said that because I didn't think it was outrageous comments I actually we talked about in the last hour like Kova Sevick was just trying to me say the company lines and kind of you know almost the cliches it was Keith that kind of went over the top but are you if you sense that that might be hitting a nerve do you actually like present it for the coach and Maybe hope for a reaction that way. Is that how you would handle a scrum? Honestly, I would only do it if I thought the player or the coach depending which one had said something that was like truly revelatory or controversial In this case, I'm with you. I think it was a pretty mundane statement. It's obviously there was a little bit more I think it's just about

the player or the way it was phrased that got Sheldon to respond the way he did. You know I'll give you the long long time ago example but when I was covering the Leafs on a daily basis and there was kind of an ongoing James Reimer is he going to be the goaltender for the Leafs heading into the playoffs and Randy Carlisle after loss in Detroit said he was just okay tonight. And then, you know, we didn't go in the room. I don't know if it was me or one of my colleagues and said to James Rimer, Randy said you were just okay. And he goes, just okay. I thought I was great.

Oh, we remember that. Yeah. So there are times, there are times when I would, would it use that, I guess, you know, because it was kind of a notable quote at that time from the coach. But let's be honest, I mean, most of the times what anyone says after a game, you know, it's a lot of it is just sort of cliche and I wouldn't be repeating it in a question. With Chris Johnston, our TSN hockey insider, Morgan Riley is a guy, we haven't really talked about his play today. We've talked about it consistently throughout the year he's having a down year I mean

he's really he struggled to put up numbers he's he's getting beat on Pox he's had defensive breakdowns yet Carlos here now and Carlo is is I think stepping up pretty well I mean he started to settle in yeah he settled in he hit the ground running Scott Lawton's a bit of a different story and Lawton you know still trying to find his footing here in Toronto But how much confidence do you sense within the coaches room or within the organization that come playoff time Morgan Riley? Will elevate his play and be the guy that they expect him to be Well, I think there's some level of confidence there

I mean obviously I'm with you it's been up and down for Morgan at times this season and you know look he's been like everyone else. It's a new coaching staff. He's been deployed differently. He's not seeing the same power play time as he once did. Certainly not making excuses for him but I think that that has to be factored in as part of the adjustment he's gone through. You know obviously part of what the coaching staff has done too is move players around. They add Karl up the deadline in terms of who he's playing with. And I think, you know, having this blue line, I do think is a source of confidence. So for the team, when, you know, when everything's going well, you've now got Carl O'Reilly,

OEL, Dan Ave, the Cabe. I mean, this is a this is probably the best blue line on paper anyway. The Leafs have had in, I would say this era, you know, since they've had the strong guys up front. And so, you know, they expect Riley to be a big part of that. But, you know, what we get come playoff time, I think it'll be interesting. That's really what this last stretch of games is for not just for Morgan, but for whether it's Scott Lawton or anyone else that might not be totally pleased with where their game is at. I mean as much as the standings are focal point I think it's about each player dialing into to playing you know his best you know before getting to that time of year. I don't think you can expect it to just start you know come April 19th or 20th so you know I think's been a, an adjustment feeling out period a little bit for Morgan, the coaching staff, but, but I, I don't think anyone's totally, you know,

losing their mind just yet. There's a feeling you can get there. Yeah, there's still time left and we've had a, you know, a lot of talk about the goal tending tandem here down the stretch. You've got 12 games left. Um, you know, in your mind, will you be fishing around for stories as to where craig beruber is leaning for his game one starters that kind of like week out before the playoffs yeah i think it's going to be a decision much closer to playoff scene let's face it between joseph won't have to be stores no one's really grab

upholding the job here in the last couple weeks i mean uh... if you take it back to you know to those guys' numbers since even the Four Nations break ended, the end of February, there's kind of worse segments both individually of the season. So there's been individually, there's obviously been some good games in there.

O'Larr has got to win, gets to Rangers after a couple of losses. Woll had that great outing against Colorado last week I mean there's small encouraging signs but I don't think that the information has led you to one option or the other at this point so you know I really think the Leafs coaching staff is gonna you know that the schedule A just demands that you know they still got a bunch of back to backs and things you're going out West now after the game tomorrow so I think they're gonna still play both guys pretty close evenly and then make that determination by whose Gives them the most confidence who's played the best when it gets, you know closer to mid-april CJ and the organization

Who do you think's got the most riding on what happens in the next month like? last 10 15 games here first round of the playoffs like If you were directing your camera like if there was some kind of loss or something, like where would you direct the cameraman to go to? Who would you want to hear from first? Like who's got the most riding on what's coming up? You mean players or people off-site? All of it, all of it. Well, I mean I would start with everyone who doesn't have a contract for next season, so

that, you know, that starts in in the president suite with Brendan Shanahan, but also includes John Tavares, who's put in seven years here now and obviously was hoping to win a cup here and still has a chance to do that, but doesn't know what next year holds. Mitch Marner would probably be a little further down the line. But I mean, the stakes are high for everybody. I mean, it's impossible to get around the fact that you guys have probably run out of ways to talk about it.

I've run out of ways to write about it, you know, when I'm doing my day job. There's been no team in NHL history that's had as much regular season success as this group. And at the same time, as much lack of postseason success. And so, you know, I don't know what's gonna, I don't, you know, who knows whether that arrives this spring. If it doesn't't, you have to think the consequences and just kind of where everybody's

at the cycle that it's going to be. I know we've said this before, but I really do believe there'd be some significant changes if this group falls short between now and next year. I mean, some of them potentially brought on by those individuals who, you know, have the right to leave, too. So, you know, I I'd start with, you start with the guys like Tavares and Shanahan. I mean, they stand out just because both have put a lot into this. Brendan's been here since before, since that last era where things were pretty ugly when he took over. And obviously he's believed in these core guys and he's been a big reason why they've stuck with them and the GMs that have worked with them and such.

So, you know, I think that the stakes are at their highest for people like that, just because, you know, we don't know what they'll be, if next March we'll be talking about a Leaf team heading for the playoffs with them still here. All right, CJ, I'm with you on that. I mean, in terms of like the Shanahan element and him not having a contract in the future,

like that does seem pretty significant. It does. But JT Marner, I mean, it's interesting that that the captain and the highest paid player is not at the forefront of an answer like that, though. Like I see where you're coming from in terms of reporting in terms of looking at it like, okay, literally what's at stake, because it may affect your future. Austin Matthews will be a Leaf next year. Right. But like when does it because when like I've said this for years when you think of Edmonton it's like McDavid's got to do it like he's got to be the guy. Right. You know like Sid had to do it and McKinnon had to do it. Why do we not look at Austin or maybe

we do like do we look at Austin the same way? Like doesn't doesn't he have to win? Urgency like not even call why is that though i don't know why is austin who is one of the five best players in the world when he's healthy not expected to be the guy that has the most on the line and the most pressure to be the guy that drags this team

every other all-time great player at some point has that responsibility why does it feel like Matthews doesn't necessarily you know bear that responsibility well I mean it might be a little on me for the way I answer the question no I understand but I think he does I think he does bear that responsibility you know I guess I just was thinking more about you know this this could be that could go one way or another for some of the people I mentioned at the top or as I'm with you I think Matthews is back by the way but look at this hasn't been his best season The health is at the forefront of the reason for that

But you know he wants to be considered with those guys and you know he knows more than anything I could say here That that it's he's got to show up. I mean the truth is if you look back at that four nations game I mean if he scores in overtime if you look back at that Four Nations game, I mean, if he scores in overtime, like he would have had his moment there. I know that's a coulda, woulda, shoulda, but he played great in that game, picked up a couple points. Like, I think he understands, I'm sure he's feeling a little bit of that same pressure that McDavid's talked about, that you just see these years going by and you realize,

you know, I'm not a kid anymore and you don't know what the opportunities are gonna look like going forward I mean he's still got tons of runway on his career I would think but you know I think once it starts he'll he'll be pretty close to the top of that list too. Okay CJ, we'll leave it there buddy thank you for this we'll do it again soon. Alright boys have a good one. Chris Johnston our TSN hockey insider. in the Digital radio station from coast to coast. Made in Canada, played in Canada. On the free iHeart Radio app and at iHeartRadio.ca. It's gonna get loud.