OverDrive - Jovanovski on the Panthers' playoff positioning, the potential matchup and the success in Florida

Episode Date: April 8, 2025

Panthers Analyst and Former NHLer Ed Jovanovski joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Panthers, the team jockeying for position in the Atlantic Division, the possible matchups for the group, the journey towards another Stanley Cup, Anthony Stolarz's track in Toronto, Brad Marchand's role in Florida and more.

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Ed Jovanovsky, are you cool with sharing the billboard, 95 draft with the O-Dog? It's 94 draft. 94, my apologies. My apologies. Yeah, it just, it packs another year on our age, but yeah, 94 draft. Okay. 90 months ago. You were in it, it passed another year on our age, but yeah, a 94 draft. Okay.

90 months ago. You were in it. You couldn't have corrected me. It was your draft. You had me convinced it was the 95 draft. I was like, yeah, it was the 95 draft. Yeah, well. But it was 94 in Hartford.

There you go. Anyway, good catching up with you. Like we're, this is a big one for Toronto. Like the Leafs just continue to try to plug towards the top of the division. I'm curious what your viewpoint of the Panthers are right now, Ed, in terms of what matters to them the rest of the regular season. Well, according to the coach, I think just getting better in the health department. I think there's a handful of guys who saw last game in Detroit, saw a few guys. Looks like a few guys are back coming in the line up here

today. I really, to be honest with you, I really think that it doesn't matter who they play. You know, I think getting their game, it hasn't been the stretch for the guys having a very difficult time finding the backs and nets. But playing solid in other areas, you just can't finish off things. But I think in these last stretch of games, just getting your game right and for the chips ball is what you're going to see in the first round. Eddie, do you think it's some kind of a blessing in disguise?

Not that you ever want to see what happened to Ekblad or Kachuk being injured, but just you mentioned resting a couple guys lately, but for a team that's been to back-to-back finals, it could be a blessing these guys just not having the load on them and just being rested before the playoff starts? Yeah, I mean, like you all i i think if you look at uh... if you look at mac you you know being out with their victory and then with eckie with his

unfortunate thing that went down there i i think when you look at him you know he played a lot of minutes five to twenty seven and and a hard minute. Uh, and he's seen top lines and he's done it for years. And then you look at, you know, the other guys, I mean, Reinhardt, you know, with the four nations, Bennett with the four nations, you know, playing a lot of hockey. So I think if you have the ability to, you know, sit some guys and, and, and I think the coach preface,

listen, we're getting these guys right. It's not a rest thing. Works hand in hand, but I think getting their health right is the most important thing. And I think heading into the playoffs, yeah, you wanna feel good about your game and not only that, you gotta have some energy and the team's played a lot of hockey over the last

few years, so I think any time you can give some guys a little of breather I think the coach is gonna do so. With Ed Jovanski ahead of Leafs Panthers tonight down in Florida you've seen the Leafs a lot obviously you saw them a couple years in the playoffs a couple years ago in the playoffs when Panthers beat them in five and the Leafs are trying to get over that hump and try to do something different this year in the playoffs. How would you assess the way they're built and the way they're playing today compared to what you've seen out of this group the last two or three years? I think the big thing is bringing a chief in.

I think he's done a wonderful job there. I think paying attention to the other side of the puck on the defensive side of things I think it's really helped them and being that stabilizer back then McCabe solid defensively you know you got to keep the puck out of your net I think the goalie situation has been been really good Stolle's been you know excellent there It seems like they're gonna run with him And I think they're star players. I think when you when you want to win championships I think you got to be responsible on the other side of the puck And I think that has been driven home to these star players

and usually you'd have Toronto trying to win a five, six, six goal game, five goal game where, you know, I think the mindset is winning two, one, three, two games that has gone a long way for him this year. It just, you look to translate that into the playoffs for him. Well, you got to watch Anthony Stoller, as you just mentioned, having a great year, you know, when he was out in Florida. Like, did you expect that he was going to blossom into this this if given a chance to be a starter for a team? Well that's it. I think you're just getting the opportunity. I think we all know the workload that Bob carries here and I think every any time that that

Stoli played he was excellent, you know, and you hear the guys talk, well you see him in practice, he's always there taking the extra shots. He has the number two guys. So I think it was fitting for him, you know, winning a cup here, having that confidence behind him, and now going into a situation in Toronto where it was kind of up in the air for the goalie situation. So I think him, you know, taking that and running with it,

unfortunately, got hurt early on this year because he was playing great, up to that and he's higher again. So it's good to see he's a great kid. And a lot of pressure on the goaltenders in Toronto. There always is. There always is. But I'm curious too, to get your thoughts on this, because after the game the other day, put up a shutout and his teammates keep coming out. I remember Mitch Marner was saying how St Stolar is the most vocal goaltender that he's ever played with and you know you played a long time in the league I'm curious get your thoughts on how you think that might help his teammates and players and if you had experience with goalies who were vocal versus non.

Well I think it's a huge difference I think anytime going back for a puck and hearing another of boys uh... complicated things but you obviously have the team and recognize what's going on with you know your partner go tender trying to sort things out for yourself i'm i played all kind of a little bit of work for all your that they were both and there's that don't shut up i prefer the one that don't shut up with your left plastered along the glass going back for a buck. Eddie we've talked

about the you know the Leafs and who the Florida Panthers are playing tonight if there was an option of Ottawa, Tampa or the Maple Leafs who do you like if you gave some of the players some truth to them who do you think they would want to play in the first round? Well that's a a time I mean, it's kind of been asked not quite a bit I think when I said it earlier on I really think the Panthers really don't care You look how campus playing right now and their power play their agenda but it's and but I think I honestly think and I'm gonna take the Truth out of the coach saying they just want to get their game right

and the players are saying it too. I think just, it really doesn't matter to them. I think you got to get through all these good teams to win it. So I think they're gonna do their best just to play their best hockey here moving forward and see where the chips play. With that Joe Vanoski, what have you made of Brad Marshann

and the way he has kind of found his way into the dressing room and into the lineup? Like how comfortable does he look as a Florida Panthers? Well I think it's taken a little bit. I think we're gonna kind of pick apart that here today on our show. You know it's kind of been a kind of that moving part. We're trying to find somewhere where where March is gonna fit in. I think there hasn't been kind of everyone in a lineup to really kind of look at things. So coaches kind of move them kind of everywhere. But I think it's been six, seven games now. I think you know you like to see him kind of find the back of the net. He was brought in here to provide offense and that leadership.

So I think these real next games again are really big for him to start feeling it. I know he's done so much in this game and he's won and he's been that ultimate pro. But you like to see him find the back of the net. But overall, I mean, talking to the guys and being that he's fitted nicely. He likes the group and I think it gives them another opportunity here to play off success. Leeds Panthers tonight down in Florida. Should be a fun one. Enjoy the game. Thank you for doing this. All right guys, anytime. There's that Jovanovsky. All new, all Canadian.

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