OverDrive - LeBrun on Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off win against Sweden, Crosby's notable performance and Marner's massive goal

Episode Date: February 13, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun joined OverDrive to discuss his headlines around the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, Sidney Crosby's incredible performance and his injury status with the Penguins, Canada looking to add a defenseman to the team, the goaltending in the country, Mitch Marner's massive goal, Finland's mentality in the tournament and more.

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A message from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association. TSN hockey insider Pierre Lebrun. Bonjour, Pierre. Ça va? Oui, ça va bien. Game two tonight. That's right.

Let's go. So as Noodles mentioned, the conversations that Crosby was having leading into the tournament with Kyle Dubas, who is part of Canada's management group, just how healthy do you think Crosby is at this moment, Pierre? Well, obviously, we've had to remember single day pretty much since he got here. But you know, he said he was good to go, he was good to go. I don't think he's on a percent.

As dynamic as he was last night, and that was really something to have three primary assists in that game, he didn't shoot the puck a whole lot. So listen, he's grinding it out, playing through whatever he still has. But he was not going to be denied being here and being the captain of this team because it means so much to him. And, you know, I think being in the arena last night and seeing the way the Bell Center crowd just poured affection on him is something I'll probably never forget. But I think what really hits home is how much it seemed to have touched Sidney Crosby. You know, he was really moved after the game. And, you know, he's usually

the enemy in the Penguin's Jersey when he comes here and I think what you saw last night I think was a couple things that's reaction from the crowd knowing that he almost missed this event that he's gutting this out but also recognition of everything he has done wearing the Team Canada jersey dating back to the Golden Goal. So I don't think what we saw last night is something you're going to see very often in the game in terms of the kind of universal love that a player got for what he's done internationally.

It was spectacular. And the other Team Canada players we talked to both last night and today were in awe of what they witnessed and Mark Stone was saying when I retire that will be a night that I will look back to and talk to people about. So we were talking before you came on, I just wanted your take on this. Do you think it's a bit of an awkward conversation you have to have with Kyle Dubas? And I mean, Kyle Dubas would have to have known everything of Sidney Crosby coming into this tournament because he's his general manager, but he's also in management for the Canadian team. And you know, he doesn't

play in those last couple games and he's a little bit banged up. You know, are those conversations where, you know, Sid Sydney and him have candid conversations saying hey We know where we are in the standings, but we also know how valuable you are to team Canada So it's it almost I feel like maybe I'm wrong does it put Kyle in a bad spot as to hey You know you can't play for Pittsburgh But you can play for Canada type of thing and he's on both sides of the fence type of Well, you know if you want to talk about awkward You know Mike Sullivan has joked with us since he got here about

Removing himself from that from that conversation pretty soon a pretty soon last week because he's a team USA coach Exactly, I think what that coach's also the team USA head coach. So he immediately, when he realized what was going on last week, he let Kyle Dubas handle all that is what he told us, Mike Sullivan. But listen, Sydney was also very clear on the first day of practice here on Monday to explain that at the end of the day, you know, he had to really go through the medical process and the Penguin's doctors to bring himself through to this point where he's cleared. It's not like he just woke up one day and said, yeah, I'm banged up, but I'm going

because, you know, I'm Captain Canada did he did have to follow the protocols, but at the end of the day, I think it still falls in a gray area where Again like you know every every media Availability he's done here since Monday You know, he's not taking his hands out of his city he's hidden his hands away you know I want to say a whole lot more but you know he's not a hundred percent but he's at a level where he feels clearly that it can't get any worse and that he can't hurt team Canada and that he won't hurt the rest of the season. Um, and I'll just mention the elephant in the room, but the penguins also aren't really going anywhere after the break.

I mean, you know, Crosby would hate if I mentioned that because he's the ultimate gamer and he cares about that franchise a lot, but you know, what Quinn Hughes had to weigh with the Connox sitting eighth in the West is different than where the Penguins are headed at East to be fair. So Pierre a big story emerging last night was the injury to Shay Theodore suffered a wrist injury he's done and it sounds according to Chris Johnson on Twitter I'm sure you're well aware of the situation that the Canadians have called Thomas Harley to Boston as its standby D in case of emergency. What can you tell us about that situation?

Yeah, it's been a long day for team Canada because I think you know, I think what team Canada would like is for You know for that player to be able to be part of things once everyone joins up in Boston on Sunday. But last I checked a few hours ago, the league has maintained that Canada's seventh D can be in Boston but can't practice or even be with the team really.

It's a bit odd, but the bottom line is the league has told teams that unless they go down below 6D they can't have an official injury replacement and a player be part of things in terms of practice and to be added to the lineup. So I think it's been a bit frustrating for Team Canada. I think they've tried to work the process today and push back and see you know if they can have the player join and be part of things, but It doesn't appear so at the moment

So we know we'll see we'll see what tomorrow brings I guess where you at with the goaltending I mean I was waiting. I don't Where are you at with the goaltending? I mean, I was waiting. I don't know if you had the liner already written. When Bennington gives up a couple, and all of a sudden it's 3-3. And if they lose in overtime, did you have something like crease crisis in Canada? What did we have?

And then all of a sudden, Bennington makes some amazing saves in overtime and they win. So where are you at and what was the consensus in the building and afterwards of Bennington and how he was able to be resilient? Yeah, well, we should be asking you that. But I feel like most people who were in the building had them anywhere from a B to a B-. I think right in that gray area where some people might go to Aiden Hill for Saturday night, but other people are like a wins a win.

And also the fact that he made a couple of nice saves in overtime, which were timely. I mean listen, it's delicate whenever John Cooper's asked about this, but he's been asked about his goal-tunning numerous times since Monday. John Cooper's already done about six media availability since Monday, and he's been asked about this a lot. And he's then surrounded by being very consistent in his answer, which is that, you know, the team in front of him is part of the equation. And what Team Canada has, you know, where they've come from on this, whether they go

to Binghamton or Hill or how they picked their goalies is that they never intended for this event to be about the goalie saving the day. They built this team and believed internally that the success of their team would not be based on that discussion, but rather the fact that they would minimize the kind of great age that their goaltending would face and that would sort of reduce the equation for their goalie to have to save the day. That's where they're coming from.

And to be fair, if you go back to Sochi in 2014, I remember Kerry Price yawning in the middle of a gold medal game against Sweden. And the media, and I'm serious, and he admitted to it one day, but it's just part of, that doesn't mean he was bored, it's just probably part of his adrenaline and whatever. But Kerry Price was terrific in Sochi,

but really didn't have, he was not overexerted. And because Canada played at such a high level and controls so much of the puck that, you know, the goalie wasn't part of the story either way. That's what they hope they can accomplish here. I just don't know if they'll be able to pull that off the same way they did 11 years ago. I think that as you saw when Sweden pushed last night, I think Canada's in one here. They may still win this all, although they gave up a point to the Stannings last night for not winning in regulation. But I just don't think this is as dominant a roster through and

through as what they had in Vancouver and Sochi in the 2016 World Cup, which is all the more the reason, by the way, that, and I've asked Cooper about this, and I think so far he's resisted, but I would use the longer TV timeout that exists in this event, there's an extra 30 seconds on every TV timeout, I'd be getting, you know, McDavid Crosby, McKinnon, you know, his four or five best players, I'd be rolling them over the boards more often than not

and making them be the difference in this event because I think they need a top heavy approach to win this. Pierre Lebrun, TSN Hockey Insider, our guest here on Hour 3 of Overdrive Canada, USA Saturday night. You talk about Canada's best players. Mitch Marner scores the OT winner and you won't be surprised to hear, Pierre, there's been a lot of discourse about Marner in the City of Toronto since. People wondering what that goal could mean for him and translate for him into the National Hockey League, perhaps the postseason for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

John Cooper wasn't taking the bait, basically said Mitch Marner is an incredible player, this does nothing for his confidence, he oozes confidence. What's your take on that question? Yeah, I mean Phil, he hasn't scored, you know, to me that, I mean how many bigger goals has he scored in his career than that one, right? I mean, you know, that was a huge moment for Mitch Marner and he should relish it because it was spectacular and I thought he was very good all night and good on him, but it also juxtaposes the playoff struggles of the Leafs.

I mean, listen, if you want to live in a Mark Masters Leafs bubble, you know, one of Marner, Matthews or William Nylander will have had one of their biggest moments in their career by the end of this event. One of those three teams, all due respect to Finland with all their injuries on the defense, but one of those three Leafs is winning this all and that will be one of the great moments of their career between those three guys. So that's just the reality of it and hopefully for whoever that is, they use that experience and bring that into the playoffs for the Leafs this spring. But

I think what John Cooper and other team Canada players have said here last few days is they feel that you know, but some of the criticism Mitch Marner has had come in his way living and playing in the Toronto bubble is somewhat unfair. So you've heard a lot of team Canada players kind of come to his defense and that was even before last night's overtime goal. So now where does you know Team Canada go and also my I guess my thought process too does Finland have a chance on anything because you know all we've been talking about is Canada, USA you know we saw what Sweden was able to almost do last night. Is it just Team Finland because you're looking at that defensive core and saying I'm sorry you're not even

close or are we you know kind of sleeping on a country or in a team that has a lot of talent up front you know with the Barkovs and the Lines and Aho are we sleeping on them and ranting in that they could maybe surprise the world here and be a lot more competitive than we think. Well no one has gotten used to surprising people in the international hockey. You know, the chance to cover a lot of international hockey in the last 30 years. Finland is the poster boy for gotcha. You slept on us, we gotcha.

That's who they are and they talk about that a lot here this week that they love the fact Everyone's already down the mouth Right because of their blue line injuries, but I also think you have to be realistic I mean losing me your race kid in particular is just not the equivalent to kind of losing my car like like you just don't replace me or he's coming and To the point where you know Finland is rolling out five boards on their first power play unit tonight against us. They, that's where the trust level hits with a lot of their D options. I mean, they, they're going to have Barkov play the quarterback position at the

top of the power play. He says he's comfortable doing that, but it's, it's still, you know, actions speak louder than words. It tells you how the Spanish coaches are concerned as well about their injuries on the defense. Having said that, I know the sort of unofficial game plan within the Spanish ranks is to just try and survive a five on five against a deeper, more talented U.S. team tonight and strike on special teams if they get a power play opportunity. You know, it's really the reason Patrick Leinig made that team. There was internal debate, I think, in the Finnish management rank about whether or not

to take Leinig just because he's missed so much hockey the last couple of years. But his ability on the power play to make a difference in the game is why he's on there. So they're hoping to capitalize on the power play, try to survive five on five. Alexander Barkov is going to be matched up, I think, a ton against Matthews. But the other part of the equation, Essel Lendell, who's sort of locked man standing to some degree, but him and Mikola from Florida, they're going to play a ton on the back end because they have to. And they're the two I think will match up against Matthews.

So that's the matchup. I think that you should never count out the ability that Finland has to come together under their flag and surprise people. But I will also say that I truly believe this in saying this, you know, I've had the honor of covering best on best in every event dating back to Salt Lake City in 02 This is the best US team ever assembled in hockey history This is the most talented US team I've ever seen Having Dylan Larkin on the fourth line winning

It should be all you need to know about how deep USA is. It'll be fun tonight USA Finland. I know you'll be in attendance Pierre, enjoy that and we'll talk to you again next week. On my way there right now, right on, right on. Beautiful, alright. Thank you for the time. That's Pierre Lebrun, TSN Hockey Insider.