OverDrive - LeBrun on the Maple Leafs' approach to win, the Avalanche' tying opportunity and the Canadiens' team outlook

Episode Date: May 1, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Maple Leafs' series-clinching mentality and the stars looking for a big game, the Avalanche seek to extend the series, the Canadiens' positive outlook following the defeat against the Capitals and more.

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I just got a bunch of texts from different people I know who are at the game. We said way less blue right now from what they're seeing there than compared to game four. So, you know, it looks like the fans have reclaimed their building. But yeah, the fact that the auto was back in this series, I think, we'll we'll pit in their stomach too in this. But you know, I was no one I was going to do this hit. I've been thinking about this today.

I don't know what you guys think. But you know, part of why I think the drama is so heightened is because it was three nothing. And I know that's captain obvious, but my point is three overtime games of the series. And if you change the sequence of events and give Ottawa an earlier win, and give the Leafs maybe the last overtime game, like two-one and then three-two, and yeah, the Leafs are a better team than three out of five.

I don't think we're where we are right now. It's the fact that it was three-nothing and the Senators are trying to pull off the reverse sweep combined with the playoff demons of the leash has has has led to a heightened sense of panic i think it'll be patient but again it's easy could have been to one after game three you know that they some play and so that's i don't know the hockey god originally fans but i think that's what that's what we're we are right now in

terms of all the areaia that I could sense from a couple of time zones away here. Yeah. So Pierre, if you want to single out maybe one guy on each team that you would circle tonight that either would be your X Factor or have an opportunity to maybe be a legendary for your organization, for your team, Is it just the obvious it's Brady and it's Matthews or you you're looking deeper than that? Yeah, it is Matthews for sure for the least. And because I think that it just the criticism again that him and Marner have taken

the last few days. You know, he's it's his first year as captain. I think this is where you plant your flag. Remember his first NHL game, four goals in that building. I think tonight you plant your flag if you're 34 and say enough of this. So I expect a big game from him. You know, I think for the Senators, I'm going to go away from Brady just because he's done so much here in this series. And I'm going to give you you Stu Sliv because I think that for the Senators to tie this series I think they're gonna have to do a little more at five on five than I'm looking at him so that'd be the guy for Ottawa for me. With Pierre LeBrun our TSN hockey

insider you're in Colorado for game six tonight it pretty incredible. Noodles and I were doing a little mini Jerry's last hour on how many of these series make it to Saturday because they're all scheduled to play game seven on Saturday. Yeah. That would include Colorado Dallas, Leafs-Sends tonight, Minnesota Vegas, and then LA and Edmonton. Do you want to give us a prediction on how many of these series make it to game seven? I? Think two of them go to seven and I think my theory is one of them You know I have two flights booked

one to go home the more ones go to Dallas, and I think there's a 75% chance I'm going to Dallas because Anything that would make my life easier never happens is my experience I've been I've been gone since April 18th and I've had a couple of kids. I can't wait to see you get it home, but no, I think it's going seven. This is exactly the series that I thought I would get, so I really wanted to come out here. I think the winner of this series in the West could go on to the cup final. I really do and I just think Colorado's Gonna tie this tonight and give us more of what we saw in game four here on home ice when they really destroyed Dallas And then that'll set up a game seven, but I will say this

There's there's this is an interesting last 24 hours here in Denver I mean, this is a Colorado team that was the most aggressive of any playoff team in the league in terms of remaking their roster over the last eight months. They put a lot of their chips in the middle here and there's a chance that if not tonight, maybe Saturday that they lose out the first round, which will put them in a position where they will have won one playoff series since winning the cup in 22. And I got to tell you, I remember leaving the building in Tampa in June 22 after this core won their first cup. I remember turning to someone and saying, this is like,

like hold on to your, to your hat here. Cause this team's about to go multiple on us here with this core. I just remember thinking they're the next Tampa, they're the next Chicago. This team is going to win three cups in six years. It's just, you know, Lannis Gogg, Ranton and McKinnon, McCarr, Yatushkin, I just felt they were opening a door that year. And there's all kinds of reasons why it hasn't happened. I mean, we know about Lannis Gogg being gone for years and Yatushkin not

finishing back to back playoff years and what you went through You know, Ranton has been traded now. There's all kinds of reasons But if I put you back in time with you guys I'm sure you had some more thoughts about this team here in Denver And so if they lose tonight, especially tonight at home where they lost in game six last year to the same Dallas team It's gonna be some interesting questions being asked I think about a team that on paper we keep looking at saying all right this is the year and it hasn't happened in a while here so I'm really looking forward to seeing how they respond to that kind of pressure tonight.

I agree I think you know we in the last hour the four o'clock hour story, we were talking about Tampa and just running up against a Florida team. And same type of thing, Kuturov not scoring in his last 15 playoff games, Vasilevsky not being good in his playoff last three, I guess, playoffs. Lots of question marks in Tampa. And if Colorado loses tonight,, same type of questions when you're looking at it.

When you have such, you know, some of the best players on the planet to build around, it's unfortunate that you run up some of these Stanley Cup potential, you know, contenders are out in the first round. The last couple games, Pierre, in that series have kind of been blowout wins, you know, when you look at it. It lopsided to, you know, lopsided last game where the goalie gets pulled, the previous one lopsided where the goalie gets pulled. Do you feel, do you get a sense that maybe this is just going to be a tighter game, more of a, you know, a 3-2 type of battle, maybe some overtime

or something like that? Oh, don't you be saying that overtime work when I have to write a post game column here, Noodle. Don't be doing that to me. Listen, I left the studio at 1 whatever, 1.40, what it was last night, after a late for some reason, Winnipeg St. Louis game started at 9 whatever. It felt like it started at midnight, whatever it was. But yes, I don't want to jinx it. No, I do think it's going to be back to that because that's what we had in the series until four and five when each team collaborated each other.

And the two goalie pulls, by the way, I'm sure you know this given that you're part of the fraternity, but they weren't, that was not performance based. The coach in each case is one of them to get a break for the next game and given the score. Yeah, I think we're going back to a close game. You know, there's a couple of things here. Miro Hitzkinen skated again today for Dallas, but Pete DeVore said he was not a go for tonight. It's been sort of a common thought among a lot of us here coming to the series that the Stars were just going to break the glass in case of urgency. So I think they were always going to try and put him back

in there once their season was on the line themselves and and it hasn't been yet. They're up three two so I think at the start of the loose tonight and at home I think you might potentially see he's getting on on Saturday and in the meantime Jason Robertson was updated to go from week to week to day to day by Pete DeBoer today and so this is the other thing that's interesting to me, it reminds me a lot of Edmonton. Dallas and Edmonton, the parallels are unreal which is just give us enough time on the calendar to somehow get through this first round and then watch out. It feels so similar for Dallas and Edmonton because

in both cases, in the Oilers lost win in game five and then the Stars lost win in game five. See the board call it their best performance in five weeks. And we know that the Oilers felt the same way about their win in LA. Watch out. I mean, don't give these teams too much rope with the pedigree they have. And if the Stars can somehow get to the second round without having needed to bring back Miro Iscad academia, holy smokes.

I mean, I gotta say that path looks pretty good for them. But again, I think we're going to seven in this series. With Pierre Lebrun, we couldn't get to six for the Montreal Canadiens. They couldn't get past Washington last night. They've had a remarkable season, but I'm curious to see what the reaction to this series will be because they would not be, if they do go down this road, would not be the first team to look at a scenario like the one we just witnessed and say, we need way more size,

we need toughness, we can't allow the opponent like Washington to bully us. But that might deviate from their plan you know in terms of building and bringing in kids and how they draft and how they develop. I guess what I'm going to ask you or what I am asking you Pierre is do you think that five game series against Washington changes how they build starting this summer in Montreal? I don't think it will. I think the idea that Kenny Hughes and Jeff Gordon had about their next step here with this team is still what they're going to look at, Brian. And yeah, they were definitely physically intimidated in that series, but I don't think that's the reason

they lost. They lost because they were the inferior team. And that's fine, eight against one. Their number one need, and it also was glaring in that series, is they need a second line center. And they were mostly a one line team, five on five in that series. A really good top line, of course, led by Suzuki. But they need to go find another top six center in his mid-20s, and that's going to be the priority for Kent Hughes, I think, in that front office.

Easier said than done, because by the way, it's also a big need for Vancouver Canucks, same type of player, big need for the Calgary Flames. So going to find that player is going to be difficult, all of which is why it's still perplexing to me that the Sabres found it necessary to trade Dillon Cousins at the trade deadline, not wait till it's summerins at the trade deadline. I'll wait till it's summer, by the way, because I think that there could have been an unbelievable auction for Dillon Cousins if the Sabres were still intent on moving them, but good for Ottawa for jumping ahead of the train on that one. But no, I think the Habs' needs will stay the same,

Brian. I think one of the concerns I would have if I were to have is how much younger they're going to get because Yola Armia is at UFA, Christian Dvorak is at UFA, David Savard just retired. There's a chance they were already the youngest team to make the playoffs. They could be even younger come opening night next fall. Yeah, and I mean when you get a taste of playoffs like that and you can look at your team and really do a ground assessment and that's one thing that I think Montreal got a little taste of is some of these young guys pushed through. I think Layton Hudson is a star in the making and Montembeau, missing him, I didn't think

– how do you pronounce this? Is it Dobush? Yeah, I'm not sure his name, but I didn't think it's unfair to ask him to stand on his head. I think Montembaugh is their guy and the injury really hurt them. But it's a positive in Montreal if you ask me because you can see what needs to be done now to get the team to the next level and you can address it through free agency and you've got some currency to do that.

And there's some big decisions. The biggest one, I'll just put a bow on Montreal up here, Patrick Laine. Like he's a really, really polarizing guy. We discussed him at length yesterday. He's got another year on his deal at 8.7 but healthy not healthy scratch but but benched and then injury or I don't know what's going on there but his is he a guy that could get pushed out or they're gonna maybe be patient with him for another year. I mean listen I don't think the market the reality is I don't think there's not much

of a market for him at that salary although he has a year left on his deal he really became a power play player only for them. I mean, he was a liability defensively, five on five, great attitude, I'm told, and everything else, but it's just his skill set has eroded. And the interesting thing is you got a real glimpse of the immediate future with Lainey out. It was Demidov that went and took his place on the first powerplay. And suddenly you had, you know, a a Caulfield one timer on one side and

then the Demidoff one timer on the other side. That was pretty interesting for Montreal to look at in the future. So I actually I don't even know what line he does best. I don't even know if that's secure when you look at what Demidoff looked on that fireplace. So some interesting decisions there with him as well for sure. I agree. And you mentioned the goaltending, don't forget Fowler. Yeah. Back on the road here from Montreal. I mean, there's so much to honestly to be excited about. I think if you're an Aps fan, if you can really back up and look at the big picture

over the next decade, I think they're going to be one of the teams vying for being one of the best teams in the East if they continue to get it right with each move. But I said this in my tweet last night, growth is not always linear in this league. And the tough part for that market is just because you made the playoffs this year and things kind of fell into place for you, it doesn't automatically mean that you're automatically in next year. And that doesn't mean that the plan isn't going the right way if that happens, but I think cab fans better understand the reality of just getting in this year way ahead of

time and yet nothing's given for next year given how young this team is. And I don't know if that marketplace would stomach that too well if they don't get back in next year No, that is very true man. They got a taste of it as well And they are there they probably would want to fast-forward all the way to next October Let's get going again if you're in Montreal Alright Pierre good luck with those two flight plans. We'll see where you end up landing I I expected seven when I when I got into this series. I'm Zen. Don't worry

I'll be fine if Colorado wins tonight. All good. All right, man. Enjoy it. Thank you Alright guys, thanks. Pierre Lebruner, TSN hockey insider This may I heart radio celebrates Asian Heritage Month Discover powerful stories of vibrant cultures, and unforgettable music. Kiss me. From inspiring podcasts to playlists that span East, South, Southeast, and West Asian artists. We're honoring the voices shaping our world.

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