OverDrive - Maroon on the Lightning's team mindset, the series against the Canadiens and Hagel's performance

Episode Date: April 22, 2026

Stanley Cup Champion and Longtime NHL player Patrick Maroon joined OverDrive to discuss the Lightning and Canadiens' series, the physicality in the series, Brandon Hagel leading the way, Scott Sabourin's hit on Josh Anderson, the Canadiens matching up to the Lightning, the Panthers' outlook after missing the playoffs and more.

And a guy who's familiar with what's going on. Down in Tampa was a former lightning player, Cup winner, back on Overdrive. Here's Pat Maroon. How you doing, Pat? Doing better now that I got to beat O'Dog's ass in Tampa and golf. Look at this rat snake. What a rat snake.

You know what, Hayes? You didn't hear that. We didn't hear that, Pat. We didn't hear that story. All right here. Details. No, Hayes. Hayes.

Haysie. You got some. Him and his buddy Brando. Hey, this guy's got something in common with you, because you guys both, you get all these shots in a golf match, and it's amazing how the holes you get the shots on, you turn into Ernie L.S. In your prime, it's amazing how that happens. You're both rat snakes. This guy, the most important hole in a day, he makes this putt, and he's like, yeah, I got a shot.

Four for three, Patty Maroon. Four for three. no i i ended on 17 it wasn't even a stroke hole for me i just said i'll just stick it from the bunker and there you go birdie so it's all i love it these two can't handle the heat either man i know brando he would go into a shell on the back nine on that match i know exactly how that played they played great my uh i had a great partner named clit and uh he is a stick and let's just say i was his back was a little heavy, but I made the shots that were important,

and we were ham and egg, and that's all that maddened. I love it. That's all you need to do, man. It's not how. It's how many, and you win more than them. You're going home with the cash.

So we were discussing the Sabarin Anderson hit at the end of the game there, and I saw your tweet, and he was to say it led to a lot of reaction online. I think you're aware of that. Anderson has been running rough shot all over this series

through two games, and he is he's a wanted man saverin challenged him earlier in the game he wouldn't take it you're okay with sabarin getting them or at least you thought or i think you believe tampa would kill that penalty because it was on anderson take us through the kind of thought process of the team dynamic and sabran anderson etc so i think one i think people kind of miss kind of when they read that treat they're thinking like oh anderson but i think Anderson's been one of the best players from both teams. One, just watching the series, he's kind of changed the momentum for the Montreal Canadians and what him and Jack I have been doing, I think

they've been doing a really good job. Anderson looks unbelievable. I think their fourth line has been playing very good hockey, and I think Anderson's been very noticeable, not only just on the forecheck, but he's going after skill. He's making his presence notice, and he's been a hard task for Tampa Bay. And listen, when you look at Sabrin, and I think Sabrin knows this too, that's a bad tradeoff. You know, you have a guy that's going to can change a series, which in Josh Anderson can change a series, which he has. Game one, he comes out on the forecheck. He scores that nice goal. He makes that big hit on Dasu. You know, he's making his physical presence notice. And in the second game, he makes his physical presence notice again. It scores a big time goal.

So it was just a matter of time just getting to him. And I think Sabrin, you know, he's not playing a lot. He knows his role. He's a great locker. A guy is great for that bench. He knows his situation he's in. Maybe with two minutes left, you don't take that dumb penalty, but to me, I think that changed the momentum of the game. The TK. was a lot better, a lot sharper. People

woke up on the bench, and in overtime, 5-on-5, they couldn't get past a neutral zone, Montreal. They were a completely different team, Tampa. And that's all because of one player. That's how much he meant to that team, Josh Anderson, which he ended up doing

coming back. I'm glad he came back and overtime, but he's been a problem for Tampa and a big problem. And I think it just had someone had to do something. And I'm glad Sab stepped

up because I know he's not playing a lot. You know, he's been a huge piece for Tampa this year. He's been a huge addition for the locker and his presence, making the team feel a little bit bigger on the bench. So, you know, I'm sure he was probably feeling it in the penalty box, but I think the guys knew the situation

he was trying to do. I'm sure he was sweating bullets. He's probably like, I'm never playing a playoff game ever again. But it worked out. And like Coop said, he goes, I can't control, you know, every minute of the game. You know, he's like, in 58 minutes of the game, I can't control what Sabrin does. right so eventually he's going to snap and I thought it I thought it I thought it played into Tampa's favor Patty what is the code for I know you want to be intense and you want to show the

other team you're going to play for keeps with the scrums and the punch in the guys in the face does that just go on the whole series like does it ever come to an end where it's like you can't take the risk of the ref taking one guy taking a shot or is that like it's just going to go on and on as long as these guys want to keep doing it It's a bit, I don't know how you guys feel. It's been a bit frustrating watching it a bit because it's been a lot of hugging and grabbing and no one doing anything besides here. When Perry said, screw it, I'm going to fight Carrier and just start throwing haymakers and then Gensel started doing this stuff. So I think at the end of the day, I think, you know, the rest will probably come in and say something.

I'm assuming the league will come in and say, hey, if you guys continue to do this, we're going to have to just take one. you know, we're going to let you guys do this, whatever you want, but if it continues and continues to happen, then eventually they're going to say, I'm going to take one, not just two. So that maybe we'll stop it a little bit, but, I mean, you've got to love this stuff. It amps everything up, it amps the series up.

You know, Hagle eventually challenged up Koski there, and that was huge. Two elite players going at it, and the magnitude that place erupted, when Hagle, you know, obviously you guys know what happened in that fight, but it's two good teams going out of right now. You know, you've got to give Montreal credit. They are playing a very mature game.

They're the youngest team in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and they look like a very mature team right now. Patty, just a quick follow-up on the two teams. Tampa, I don't know if you agree with this or not, and I know they tied up the series. They haven't looked like they've gotten to their complete game yet. I don't know if you agree with that assessment. Is that more just on their end happen to pick it up,

or do you give tons of credit to the HABs who have played reasonably well and for a young kind of team with not a ton of playoff experience? I think they really want to try to challenge to take the next step. Absolutely. I think you hit it. I don't think you've got to give Montreal credit the way they're playing. I think there's a stat out there. they're number one in forecheck and puck recoveries.

So for how skilled they are. Are you an analytics guy now? Oh, no, sometimes I do my homework, O'Dok. But I think that just goes to show you what Marty's, you know, obviously they have skill, but they're doing stuff. They're forcing penalties. They're forcing Tampa to take penalties in their offensive zone, 200 feet from their net because they're playing sound hockey.

They're playing great hockey. They're breaking the puck out. They're getting on the forecheck. They're doing on the little things that playoff hockey needs. Tampa has not gotten to their game, but again, they're a veteran savvy team, and they know what it takes. That was a very gutsy win. They're going to take that win all day.

Game two, they'll take that win, and that's what veteran teams do. They find a way. Kooch kind of broke through last night. Brendan Hagle's been probably arguably the best player on Tampa so far, he's been the one driving the bus. He's the one dragging everyone into the fight with them. He's waiting for the passengers. There's been a few passengers right now, and I think they know that.

But again, a veteran team playing against a young team, they can gut those wins out, and those are the teams that find a way. So, Patty, we were talking before you came on about maybe what Tampa's trying to do a little bit. The last couple of years, they've gone up against Florida, and Florida's just bullied their way through. And you can kind of see maybe is that lessons learned or is that maybe more what they would like to do to a younger, more inexperienced team in Montreal? Because it seems like there has been scrums, there has been that physicality and a lot of it has been initiated by Tampa players. And you're wondering, okay, are they going to kind of drag them into a street fight and see if Montreal will push back?

But it just seems like they want to play. We know what Tampa is capable from a skill. standpoint, but now they're pushing back the physical part. You think that's because of the scar tissue from playing the Panthers the last couple of years? Yeah, Jamie, I think you've got to remember those years we won.

We did the same thing Florida did. We bullied teams. We bullied them out of the rink. We did that, and I think when you try to get back to that team and they added some great pieces with Gorgensen and Holmberg's obviously a big part of that, finding that third line with Coleman, Goodrow, and

Gord, you know, I think that's the missing ingredient is just trying to find guys. And I love what Coop did. If you can play a guy like Sabrin to make their team feel a little bit bigger. And I think Montreal has done a really good job. And I'm basing this back off of game, the last game of, not the last game of season, the last meeting they met in Montreal. Anderson took some runs at Cooch. Then Carlisle stepped in.

And so he kind of set that tone the last game of the year. So they kind of knew what they were doing. They're basically saying Montreal was saying, hey, you're not going to, like you said, you're not going to bully us around. We got a guy, Jack guy. We got Anderson. We got some good guys that will step up to the fight too. So I think they kind of set that tone in Montreal and the Bell Center, the last meeting they had.

And I think Tampa maybe could have probably got the edge on that. But I think this has been a kind of a fair fight, in my opinion, on both sides. Like, who's, you know, I think it comes down to special teams and the bullying, like, Tampa has the weapons with like, you know, Haggy kind of drags guys in the fight. You know, Pears is obviously Corey Perry. You got Sabs. You got Lilleberg on the back end. You got some big guys like, you know, Radish isn't afraid. You know, you got some Gordo.

You got some guys. But, you know, there's a bullion. But I think they're kind of matching that what they're trying to bring too. So I think it's on both ends, the end of the day, when I'm looking at that, you've got to be a little bit smarter, though, than the other team, in my opinion, because this is going to go to distance. So you don't want to keep putting Montreal on the power play and keep trying to do, you know, taking, you know, uncharacteristic penalties, and then find your way, you know,

it's going to be a special team series. And that's how I look at it right now. It's a who's going to win the special teams because five on five, both teams really haven't found their groove. my opinion, you guys correct me if I'm wrong. With Patrick Maroon, what's your projection on Florida next year? Presuming they're healthy,

maybe Bob returns, do you think they just reinsert themselves back into the Eastern Conference? Absolutely. I mean, if they have Kachuk and Barkoff this year, I think it's a completely different animal, right? You know, they're missing two big pieces and Seth

Jones went down early. You know, you're missing some key players, guys that kind of leaders in the locker room, captains, assistant captains, guys that kind of drag people into the fight. So I don't see Florida missing the playoffs next year by any means. They're a very good team.

And, you know, if Bob does come back, I'm assuming if he doesn't, I'm assuming every three-agent goalie's probably going to be like, I want to go to Florida. If there's any out there right now. So I don't think their windows closing any time soon. I think it's just going to be like the lightning.

you know it's always going to be open Bill Zito and Julian Breiswold are always going to find a way to keep that window open to give their team the best chance to win a Stanley Cup great catching up with you, Pat. We appreciate you doing this and well next time we get you on more deep

maybe we get Clint. Was it Clint? That's your guy. Just hang up the phone with this loser. Hang on the phone with this loser. No, no, no, no. No. See, he gets so mad. Yeah. He gets so much. mad the strokes he i i i didn't even get any good stroke holes i was doubling my

we're having a bad connection we're having a bad connection here you know you know yeah i love it oh god i love it thanks for doing this we appreciate it we'll do it again soon thanks guys you got absolutely there's a cup winner patrick maroon the newest tracks let's go new music and the next big thing always on the new music first your first place to hear it I want to play it twice. I'm playing now. I heart new music. Your digital station for brand new drops, fresh vines, and tomorrow's bangers.

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