OverDrive - Masters on the Maple Leafs' clash against the Panthers, Woll's stance in net and Berube channeling his vision

Episode Date: May 7, 2025

TSN Maple Leafs Reporter Mark Masters joined OverDrive to discuss the Maple Leafs' matchup against the Panthers, Joseph Woll's stance in the crease and his significant impact, the stars under the focus, the defensive abilities on both sides, the Maple Leafs' response to Sam Bennett, Craig Berube's philosophy for the roster and more.

Introducing Brian Adams Radio on I Heart Radio. Hosted by Brian Adams himself. Join me for an insider look on a wild ride through 40 years of global rock and roll. Brian Adams Radio. Now available on the free I Heart Radio app. Or ask your smart speaker to play Brian Adams radio on iHeartRadio. I was ready to rock. Let's head down to the rink. Here's our TSM Maple Leaf reporter, Mark Masters. Mark, you've been down there every single night. What have you made of the atmosphere for the most part down at Scotiabank? Yeah, it's been good. It's been really good. The fans have been into it. They've been locked in. I think they've been reacting at the right times. I think for the most part it's been a really good vibe and I expect it to be even better tonight.

I certainly am anticipating Sam Bennett hearing it from the faithful hearing. Yeah, it's been really good. Really good so far in this playoff. You sense any nerves from Joseph Wall? Is he saying and doing the right things or what do you you know what do you make of that I don't think any nerves I mean it's funny like we don't talk to the goalies on the morning of the game days that they play and you just kind of hanging around the locker room and sharing a laugh with Matt Murray and then he was we were doing a prom with Scott Lawton and I was like what's going on over there and it was Joseph Wall kind of try to go through some cabinets right where where we

and do the interview trying to find them and pay the needed and uh... yeah i didn't like you toward about anything so i think you know what he got this before it's coming in series before you got really good number nine fifty eight percentage in the in four games of the start of the playoff

it seems like he he's in a good place from a the key i was talking about the game-offs there and them kind of scanning the crowd and stuff. Have you heard anything of Anthony Stolars and whether or not he'll be in the building tonight? And if so, would you expect them to pan to him? Because I think he'd get a huge ovation if they did. I haven't heard anything about that.

What I can tell you is he's been around the team. Yesterday morning he was back with them. Today he was in the rink. Austin Matthews mentioned seeing him. I just don't know. Obviously they haven't announced what the injury is. We're all assuming it's a concussion just based on how it played out. And I don't know if it would be good for him to be in the building with what he's feeling. We don't know anything about any sort of symptoms he's dealing with. You know, Breaux Bay, Craig Breaux Bay said he's recovering. I agree that if he's in the building and they showed him that would be a pretty electric moment, but I just don't know, you know, what the plan is there. With Mark Masters ahead of game two tonight, a big development over the last two rounds has been the

offense they've been getting from the defense, which was not something they were privy to throughout the regular season. You looked the other night obviously Riley scored, Tanev scored, McCabe had assist, Ekman-Larsen, the previous round Ekman-Larsen got on the board, Benoit got on the board. How significant do you think that turn of events has been Mark in terms of the success the Leafs have had, that they're getting goals and assists and points in general from a defense core that really didn't supply a lot during the season? Yeah, it's huge, right? Like, I don't know if the Leafs defense was playing possum all year or what, but they can't stop scoring now in this playoffs, and it takes a lot of the pressure off the big boys and

just the team in general. I don't know that was Dan Ev was asked about his goal after the game the other night and he started kind of laughing because it was such a weird knuckle puck or whatever the heck it was. But they're just putting puck to the net. I think that's a good mindset. I think we saw a lot of that in the one series they won against Tampa Bay a couple years ago. They were beating Andre Veseleski with with long shots from from far away, deflection, screen. A lot of the time in the playoffs that's what happens. So it shows that they have the right mindset and maybe they saved all their luck for the playoffs.

Whatever it is, it's definitely a very positive development for the Leafs. If there's somebody or someone or some line or some pairing that you need more from, who would it be? Well, tonight you're looking for the Scott Lawton line to respond you know if you're looking for areas to respond from game one it's the Scott Lawton line they had some trouble with the Anton Lundell line obviously not many teams are gonna have Brad Mark and a player like that on their third line with Luis Duran in and yeah and then the Lawton line had had a good run but that

was a tough one for them so looking for them to bounce back and then it's the power play 0 for 5 in game 1 I thought they had some good moments but you can't go there's not gonna be many nights to go over 5 on the power play and feel great at the end of it so I know they talked a lot about how aggressive the Panthers penalty kill is they got to move the puck faster and just operate faster when the when the Panthers are gonna to swarm around them. They worked on the power play at the morning skate today, so I expect them to be better on the power play tonight, so they get the opportunity.

With Mark Masters, on the flip side, you look at Sergey Bobrovsky did not have his A game on Monday night. I mean, he didn't look good, he didn't play well the least exposed them at least took advantage of that what what would you based on your experience and what you've seen out of bob like what what is your expectation on how he will play tonight yeah but brought he was not very good but i i think you've kind of it was the whole panthers seemed off right like i don't know what it was but they did not start very well i thought we're brought to you got better at the game went on just like the entire team

They lost 5-1 in the first game of the second round last year to Boston Boston was coming off the emotional game 7 win against Toronto. The Panthers had been off for a bit So I I don't know I don't know if that's something that with a bit of a layoff that they struggle to get up to speed with their game Sometimes but I just I expect for Rossky to be better tonight and I just expect the Panthers team to be better. They're making obviously you get Aaron Eklad back from suspension. That's a big boost. Everybody is plotted now properly on their back end. They get you know Nate Schmidt back to his proper side.

You know you move but Demetri Kul about what might have to down to the third pair that don't have to play like twenty minutes or whatever that the one thing in one so that's why i'm coming back from rossi will be better they put in a key samus david on the fourth line for a degree i think that's going to make an impact for them to i like white-topping samus kenecher in the regular keeping access and three of the two games that they played here in france so

i i i expect a much better Bobrovsky and a much better Panthers here tonight. What do you make of Craig Borubey and you know his comments even you know I know you guys in scrums have been trying to press him about you know Bennett and Retribution and all of that type of stuff and he's just basically said we need to move on from it you know what do you make of Borubey his message and and and really you know how that he's going to coach this team heading into game two well his message has been pretty consistent from the start of the playoffs right he's just been trusting discipline and

composure it's just pretty much all he said right we've been talking about Brady Kachuk and the pet and the Senators and Ridley Gregg and how he wants to seem to deal with that and And it was a bit different in the immediate aftermath of game one because remember, you know, after game one in the Senators series, we were asking about Ridley Gregg's cross check to John Samarasin. He didn't really talk about it all and he got up from the podium and said, call the league, don't talk to me. Well, he was talking about how it was a blatant elbow in his mind on Stolarz after game two.

Obviously, Samarasin wasn't hurt in that greg situation where Stolar had to go to the hospital so i'm sure that influences how the coach is feeling in that moment but for the most part berube has been pretty consistent in just talking about hey let's just be composed play our game not get involved in the stuff after the whistles and if we do that we're going to be in a good spot so very consistent from berube so what's up with you and paul marie's mark we just going at it this morning or what yet entering my larry brooks phase i guess i don't know uh...

i think you just thick of all the quite like it's been pretty much non stop for him right like this bed it solar story line i i know after the game uh... we are on the way through and we came out into the news conference room He was already going and my colleague Kevin McGrann of the Toronto Star asked him again about the Bennett hit on Stolars and so that already he was getting asked about that twice doubling up after the game And then of course it was the big talking point yesterday

You know on the off day in the series and the Panthers making Bennett available was was I think a good move by them And yeah, so I think he's just a little fed up with it but you know I don't have any problems with it I thought you know he always gives us goal that's the beauty of Paul Marie so I'm happy to stand in there and take his barbs and I thought it was good theater and I'm intrigued like he can say whatever he wants about Bennett and you know the fans won't have an influence influence in the game it probably won't but hey they're handing out like wanted posters with Bennett's face on it in the Union station yesterday so I imagine there's going to be some sort of reaction to Bennett here tonight.

Well you know he's going to get booed every time he touches the puck. Marchand is already getting booed. Is there a third like this is could Chuck hit that level? Like is there a is it possible we get a third guy? I think there might be a third guy that might be a record I don't know if there's ever been three guys getting booed by a crowd every time they touch the puck mark Are you aware of that ever happening? No, I mean there's no shortage of villains in this series That's for her and obviously Matthew Pichac

He just seems like he's just he wants to do right? Like you saw him going after Mitch Marner at the buzzer last game. I don't know what he was trying to do there, but he's always looking to stir the pot. So listen, there was that Brady's better chance that started to get, you know, heard later in the game, on game one. So the fans, there they have Pichuk on their mind,

they threw him our chance. Bennett was probably number three on the villain power rankings and now he's probably number one tonight I would think so be fascinating they might just be booing whenever the Panthers have possession of the puck tonight so because that you know just with all the different villains to line up and now who knows they're an X-lad you know if anything the Panthers are gonna be more physical and more in your face tonight after losing a morning getting a flat back though i hope that they're into it i think that would be

make for an incredible atmosphere and they've shown in the first round how they are being ready to check that they're up for it that's not a bad idea anytime florida's got the park just collectively boom just never happened yeah doesn't matter who's got the pockets it's cool accounts getting around yeah doesn't matter who's got the pockets it's cool a cough skating around and you just start booing him non-stop all right I think we might be on to something there mark all right they were they were taunting Bobrowski at times

you know the Bronx here again they their fans are making their voices heard and prayed as they should live in you know what's the first time since oh one they won the first game of the second round series it's been a while so people are getting caught up in it and it's it's awesome I already feel like we're you know like this series is already kind of reaching new levels that we didn't see in that senator series just in terms of the bad blood and just how people's emotions have been inflamed and it's fun there's no question about that it is everything we missed out on

maybe in the Battle of Ontario came alive already in game one and I anticipate it continues tonight. Enjoy it Mark, we always appreciate you doing this. My pleasure, anytime guys. There's Mark Masters, our TSM Apeleaf reporter. The biggest songs in the world. You've heard them countless times. Now learn the details of how they came to be. All your pockets in the house tonight.

Join Ruby Carr for Encore, the stories behind the songs you love. Happy birthday to you. New interviews and newly unearthed archive footage make for a fascinating weekly deep dive. Stream Encore, the stories behind the songs you love on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.