OverDrive - Lindsay on the Panthers looking to claw back, Bobrovsky's redemption chase and the players under the microscope

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

Panthers Analyst Bill Lindsay joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines of the Maple Leafs and Panthers' matchup, how Florida could revamp their style of play, Sergei Bobrovsky looking for a turnaround, the defensive structure in the game, Sam Bennett playing through the noise, the standout players in need of a large game and more.

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Visit a Virgin Plus store or virginplus.ca for details. Here's Panthers radio analyst Bill Lindsay back on overdrive. Bill, do you feel a role reversal here from what we saw two years ago? I mean it was Florida that walked into Toronto and knocked them around and took a 2-0 lead back to Florida and the rest was history. Do you sense that we could see something similar tonight where everyone thinks Panthers are a lock? Do you think

the Leafs have a chance to get them tonight. Yeah of course Toronto does the way they've played. They played exceptionally well the first couple of games that is well within the realm of possibilities. The Panthers come out they're gonna have to play their the best game of the series. They were pretty good in game number two. They had a lot of opportunities, controlled their zone time but again it got obliterated off the rush with some bad decisions and Nylander continues to be explosive and that's already given credit for changing his game around and just thumping everything in sight now producing offensively and Matthews has been able to take away Barkov which is

unheard of and we'll see if Paul Maurice kind of maybe gets Barkov out there against that Nylander line as much as possible into arson trying to contain them and maybe free them up more offensively but watching Auston Matthews play the two goals and still has a point of game but the defensive side of Auston Matthews is what's really really really impressed me so far with the Leafs. It's a different Leaf team. Panthers need the best game to beat them. So Billy, you talked about the Leafs strengths and what they're capable of doing here. They look a little different. Obviously, they've had success. What are you seeing from Florida?

Is it as simple as the goaltender needs to make a couple extra saves to you? Because I don't think Bob's had his a game in the first two for sure yeah noodles that happened for sure if you look back the first game was not good at all from any aspect from sir gave a rosky okay game number two until the fourth goal by mitch marr which came at a critical time he scored it even it up seventeen seconds later and he comes stumbling across and not able to make that say so sir sir gave a rosky

has to stand up at the rest of, if you look through the analytics of that game, the Panthers had over six and a half minutes of offensive zone possession time compared to around two 50, I believe for the Leafs, uh, slot chance. You didn't hit the net. You had slot chances, inner slot chances you dominated in that category. So you had that part of your DNA into your game is just when it led to it, you could see the speed of the Leafs with bad reads in the middle of the ice Which the Panthers are normally great at is control and speed

They got some bad reads and the rushes kill them and it comes back the other way if they have to be able to control That speed through the neutral zone If that is done and you eliminate the three don't use and the two on ones and the quick strike ability of the Leafs and you Control the game like you did in the offensive end, those same kind of numbers, there's a good chance that you could come away with a victory. But the Marger for error now becomes really slim as far as the goal-tenning goes, as far as how you play up front with a two-nothing lead. This is a 99 percenter if you look at it with teams coming back you fall into about a 1% category Of being able to come back from three to nothing

So this is a 99 percent game that the Panthers need have if they sure those things up they have a possibility We're Bill Lindsay and you mentioned, you know, maybe Maurice will look at the Nylander line is the one that you need to attack Defensively to try to slow them down because you know Barkov and reinhardt are both up for the salki it's such a brilliant defensive line but with that in mind if they go that route you know everything you just said bill about austin matthews is also very accurate he and barkov are very similar in terms of

like just their their their details and how how much they check and how strong they're big guys like they're both monsters uh... but if if that happens you know if marie's thinks okay i gotta find a way to stop me lander would you anticipate matthews you know taking advantage of that in other words you know how much of the discussion around the panthers is you know he's a good matthews is sleeping giant so to speak offensively right now yeah the way the third line for us

and former eastern call them there not our third line but a marshall lulz reenan and londell of every time the touch the ice had been terrific and londell and lulz reenan they think defense first and that really cognizant to that part of the game with brad marshand he's one of the best defensive wingers in in the history of the game really understanding understanding, but he also wants to push offensively. The way that they didn't roll on offensively, keeping the puck down in the zone and sometimes a good offense is the best defense, maybe there is a chance that you see that line matched up against Matthews more than we have,

we've seen because that's been the best line for the Panthers. And if you're looking at it, it's a very well structured defensive line with the understanding of what they have to do yes Matthews can exploit anyone at any time but those three players are really really good across the board and you touched on them we'll see all the matchups play out but does it that's that's going to be critical here in this game I still believe that you're going to see that foursling Eclad match up as much well that's going to be critical here in this game. I still believe that you're going to see that Forsling-Ecklad match up as much as possible out there against Matthews.

Seth Jones and Mikola will line up probably still going against that Nylander line. Also, the Leafs have done something really good, Billy, as far as they've changed their defensive structure as far as the guys they deploy back there now you bring in Carlo you bring in 10 have you bring in Oliver Ekman Larson so there's some big bodies who defend very well they also block a lot of shots in your experience when you've got a team that that is that dedicated to shot blocking getting in the lanes where the Panthers have to do different? Or what any team that faces teams like that, that you know, blocks out, try and build their defense

from the inside out and block a lot of shots. What's the key there? Is it just getting shots through? Is it, you know, changing sides? What do you make of it? I would spread out the D a little bit wider. So the shooting lanes become a little bit harder to contend. I would spread out my defensemen little bit wider so the shooting lanes become a little bit harder to contend.

I would spread out my defensemen from blue line to blue line, those far up cross-ice passes and then just trying to get it from there. But if you talked about that, Jamie, you're right, because the Panthers love those plays low to high and get shots and get screens in front. And you're not getting shots through. And this defensive core for the Leafs has been the biggest addition that I've seen from this team in the past. The ability but also the seven goals that they've combined for and they're not only

defending but they're also contributing at the offensive end. But when you're seeing those type of plays now you have to start to force the bank it off the ball maybe get down low just find any other way and maybe cycle it in the slot. And also, if you're those defensemen that aren't getting pucks through, you have to start looking at the winger and noticing, okay, do I got a chance? Because the Panthers are really good with their F3, their third forward high. So I'm a defenseman, swing the third forward up high as much as possible.

And now I tell my defensemen, start looking at gaps, start charging, looking down, get through the middle of that slot That was the one change that I would maybe make is that you need more rotation Not with the puck but with your players and your defensemen in the offensive end zone So you can cause some confusion defensively With Bill Lindsey NHL Network analyst for the Panthers analyst game three tonight right here on TSM radio puck drop in about an hour network analyst for the panthers analyst game three tonight right here at us on radio puck drop in about an hour uh... game one was the same bad

story here in toronto i mean i know you're aware of it bill it was it was something else mad people were going nuts on sam and he's he's a ontario guy he's he's uh... you know from a couple years of a couple hours outside of the city i'd know he's he's got family and friends that would be massively fans and i I don't know if that's the reason he played the way he played in game two, but he was not himself, man. He did not bring really anything to the table.

And I'm- Go ahead. Go ahead. You didn't finish your- Well, I was going to ask you, do you think that comes to an end? Does it automatically, the real Sam Bennett returns tonight? Or do you think he was affected an end? Does it automatically, the real Sam Bennett returns tonight or do you think he was affected not only by Stoller's but by the reaction in the city and the way everyone kind of freaked out on him after game one? Yeah, I don't believe so but Sam Bennett has to play that way.

He's the one energizer up front that brings everyone into the fight with that kind of play and it is a nasty style. And to shrug it off, I don't know if Paul Maurice had a conversation with him, but he has to play on the edge and he has to, he has to go out there. And for my personal view, he was, he was on the power play, taking the puck to the net. He tried to score a goal and he was looking for the rebound down around and see where the puck was and eventually spotted it.

I don't even know if he was aware where Solars was at that situation. So the noise around it, but Sam Bennett isn't usually a player that gets affected by that kind of stuff very much because it's happened a lot in the past. We had an incident last year with Marciennes, one of our teammates here, where he drilled him in the head and then there was noise around Boston for that

and it didn't affect him for the rest of that series. So maybe I would just chalk it up that just wasn't his best game but they need him to play with that kind of energy and that kind of fight and the Panthers have to throw that around all game. They want this game in the trenches. You saw the middle of the ice kind of opened up in this series And it has to be board battles board battles board battles board battles consistently for 60 minutes If the panthers are thinking of what they want to do against toronto Billy is there a few guys that you would circle on that roster to say, you know that guy needs more

And we just talked about probosky like, you know, I didn't think out of the nine goals he's allowed, I think four of them he would want back like they're not great goals in both games total. But is there a few other guys that you could circle and say, geez, he's not at his game or either he looks banged up or you know, that type of stuff because you know, we just talked about Bennett maybe not having his best game. Matthew Kachuck has not been overly dominant or playing the way that he can. Sam Reinhardt, Verhege, those guys are difference makers that have been quite quiet. Yes, they have. I'll go with Barbrocki. I'm going up front too. I'm going with Barkov, your captain. I'm looking at Barkov and Reinhardt. You guys are goal scorers. Some of the two best. You cannot, you have to have, if you don't even score,

but you have to be the one that forces the issue. You cannot be taken away and taken out of the game defensively. So I would, those are, those two can be ramped up. Evan Rodriguez was a stud for us last year and had that hit and then got dropped down to the fourth line but he game number one for him Evan Rodriguez did not look like the same for he's got a skate better got a move and Number three on that list that I'm looking for that's been magical all season had it down I mean magical for us every time he's been in the playoffs is Carter Verhege And he'd come in and had a lot of good looks good opportunities Has to have to hit the net has to be able to score for us. So bark off in that second line

Yeah, I have to have more an impact up front for the Panthers have to be able to put more pressure and score some goals from Top players top players. Yes, but from Boboska basketball the top guns for the Panthers have to be better well we'll see what comes of it we're chugging towards you know puck drop tonight and you know one of the the storylines that I think Leaf fans are focused on and hoping for is that you know it's tough for a team like Florida has played more hockey than anyone else in the last two years To keep getting up off the mat, you know Is there any concern down there bill that you know, it's just you're running out of fumes

That it's just been so so many games so tough now you've won your cup You know and the Leafs are just so hungry and they're there they don't have anything You know, they don't have anything compared to what Florida's had You know if that's the case case what would that look like tonight but they would look tired it would look like they don't have energy but if you see the post-ap from the Panthers and they're skating and they're kind of going after this game then it's going to be okay i don't believe that's a problem you can draw back into the

the first Stanley Cup run where we lost to Vegas in the first round. We're playing a historically great team in the Boston Bruins and we are down 3-1. The odds of us going back into that series and winning probably are minuscule at best. You end up winning that series in game seven. There is a strength in that dressing room and a belief. We'll see what happens. That's where Toronto's trying to get to. We've been there. It's going to be an incredible game to watch because Toronto's trying to take

away what we've had and get to a, get to a real serious situation for them. So I would expect for them to come out kind of just knowing with all the pressure that the Leafs have that they're going to put their best foot forward. And we'll see if the Panthers are they're going to put their best foot forward and we'll see. If the Panthers are able to answer and play their best game of the series, then it's right back to square one and you're right back into the playoffs. So this is a monumental, huge game between these two teams. It's going to be a blast.

Enjoy it tonight, Bill. Thank you for doing this. All right. Thank you guys. Appreciate it. There's Bill Lindsay of the NHL Network and the Pan shaping our world. Listen now on the free I Heart Radio app. And at I Heart Radio dot C.A.