OverDrive - Masters on the Maple Leafs' clunker in Vegas, Knies' tenacious move and the deadline approach

Episode Date: March 6, 2025

TSN Maple Leafs Reporter Mark Masters joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Maple Leafs, the defeat to the Golden Knights and the rough performance, Matthew Knies' fight against Zach Whitecloud in the game, Joseph Woll looking for a turnaround, the team's trade deadline outlook and more.

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Switch to Bell PureFiber, Canada's fastest internet, awarded by UCCLA. Starting from $60 a month. Visit bell.ca for more details and to check availability internet just got better here's uh... mark masters are maple leaf reporter you survive it down there in vegas mark what's life like down there now we are we are on a an eight a m flight to denver uh... people out after the game last night or just trying to stay close to

them possible even though it today off for, you just never know what's going to happen. So we were out early, obviously would have liked to have spent a little more time in Vegas, got in late on Tuesday night, then it was all game day on Wednesday, and now we're here in the thin air of Denver getting set for the deadline. So nothing went down in Vegas, Mark? You didn't enjoy the nightlife, any of that type of behaviour? None at all.

It was all business. It was a business trip to Vegas, obviously a big broadcast for us last night. Listen, this is a grind, guys. I am exhausted. I don't know how the players are dealing with it. I know they downplayed the schedule last night. You don't want to make excuses, and we're not travelling the same way that they do, but still, this has been a crazy,

crazy schedule for the team, and you're just trying to save all the energy. We got a big show tomorrow. Yes, we absolutely do. Holy smokes, get out and enjoy yourself. Yeah, like, do you ever see, like, the traveling sales guy, like the big, tall, lanky traveling salesman that just bellies up at the hotel bar and murders beers.

That guy knows how to just allot his time and commitment to different things. Mark, I give you credit though, man. You're ready for a big day tomorrow and I appreciate the professionalism. Yeah, we're going to be on the air, what, 6.30 a.m. is my first hit here in the Mountain Time Zone. So you've got to just save the energy on a week like this. There's a time and place, right?

So I'll save it for another time, another trip. I like it. In terms of them downplaying, the players downplaying the schedule, you're right. I mean, what's a little bit conflicting is that the majority of the team just had two weeks on a beach in the Bahamas. So they just had the biggest break probably they've ever had in their career midseason. Yet it came out of the four nations with three games in three different cities over four nights and then on the road and back home and back on the road.

Like last night was a really tough game, really tough considering they played Monday at home and then 10, 22 p.m. Eastern Time puck drop in Vegas Vegas the Golden Knights waiting for them But is the next three days enough to make you believe that as of Saturday? They're coming alive again. Like how do you? Where do you draw the line on? Yes, that one was tough But does that mean the next one's gonna be tough and they got to go through California still like they don't have an easy Traveling schedule the rest of the year gotta go through California still like they don't have an easy traveling schedule the rest of the year. Yeah they got Nashville still they got a lot of

Western travel this month Austin Matthews kind of quips that they're fitting all of their Western conference trips into basically the last two months of the season certainly feels that way. They called it a wake-up call both Mitch Marner and Austin Matthews use that word I wonder if Rube maybe behind the scenes had brought it up because sometimes they echo it that they don't you know and Marner said we didn't play great we didn't like our game on Monday night at home against the San Jose Sharks even though they had a lead in the third period but that's the last place team in the league coming into your building on an eight game losing streak and you'll let

it slip away there. So there's been cracks here they've been piling up the wins but I don't think they've been all that impressive their goaltender you know Anthony Stollers in particular has been really glossing over some of the issues and helping them stay in that game in Boston win that game in New York you know and obviously in Pittsburgh on the Sunday was their goalie Joseph Wohl did not play particularly well but the other guy wasn't very good either in fact it was a little worse in Blomquist at the other end. And I actually thought last night the Leafs came out okay. They end up out shooting Vegas 16 and eight.

And I was, I'm always curious to hear what the other team's coach said. And Bruce Cassidy basically said, we got the saves in the first, they didn't. And that was basically the game. And in that schedule situation, when you fall behind three, nothing in the goalie lets in that, you know, how did backhand or you're just kind of, it's a big mountain to climb. Um, so I, I do wonder what we're going to see. I think they tend to play well in Denver, they tend to recognize the challenge of Nathan

McKinnon in the avalanche. So I'm expecting a response, especially with the two-day break to get used to this. So yeah, I'm expecting a response on Saturday night. With Mark Masters, what was it like to see the Matthew Niersiers White Cloud fight last night right off the draw to start the game Yeah, that kind of you know we had we had identified that on the broadcast for like okay Let's have that video ready. You know we know what happened earlier in the season and nice You know he didn't he wasn't upset with White Cloud when he spoke to us the first time after that you know He said listen. I got a load and I got to keep my head up

That's on me, but he was upset about it, right? He got injured, he missed time because of that hit. It did not sit well with him and I guess he had told, well Mitch Marner said he got a head up from Nice before the game, he was going to look for that. And good on him, you know, Morgan Reilly said that's a young player making a statement, if you nail me you're going to answer for it, clean or not, I'm going to come calling and I'm a big guy, I'm 6'3", you it's you know by the looks of it he knows how to fight you know right I remember back in October he pulled Ryan Reeves aside

after after practice and said give me some tips because I know I might be in that situation he said he was struck by Reeves being so calm and always having a plan and it sure looked like nice had a plan going into that fight caught white cloud off guard with a couple of those left jabs so good on him. You know the rest of the league is going to see that and he as in Riley's you know words sent a message. Where do you think Walls head's at Masters? I mean I don't know that's kind of a couple tough outings and I mean I think everyone's established that Stolarz is the guy in net but like I don't know, that's kind of a couple tough outings and I mean I think everyone's established that Stolarz is the guy in net but like I don't know do you think there was, was Barubei asked I don't know if I heard this if there was the temptation to just leave him in and

let him kind of chew on it and fix it himself? He wasn't asked about that so he was asked like why did you pull the goalie? It's the first time he's pulled a goalie this season for performance and he said it was a wake up call to the team. I followed up and just said, you know, what were you seeing from Wohl before? And he said he felt like if you asked Wohl, he probably want the first two goals back. He gave him a pass on the Jack Eichel shot, which was a nice shot. But still, you know, if that if that Houdon shot's going in you're gonna want to save.

You know, at some point you're gonna need a save, especially with Aiden Hill looking so good at the other end early in that game so we haven't spoken to Wol in a while he was requested after the game in Pittsburgh not available now they won that game so the team you know they wanted to keep the spotlight on some of the good news stories that night he was requested last night but not available they decided to make like the the guys who wore letters available to the media they do that after after bad losses So we haven't heard from him at all. It's hard to get a read on exactly how he's feeling about this because he had the one win in Chicago coming out of the break, then the illness, and you wonder if that took a bit out of him. Didn't the afternoon start on Pittsburgh can be a bit of a weird thing?

Yeah, he was on the ice. I remember the last guy on the ice Saturday at practice was Joseph Wohl, which I found odd just because usually the guy who's going to start the next day is off early. So I just wonder where his mind's at. Friday morning before the game in New York, Craig Rube said he wants someone to be the guy come playoff time and Anthony Stolars is looking really good right now. And you just wonder if that's preying on the mind of Wohl at all because it just feels like this is the time when someone's going to separate and so large is doing it and was wondering if it's a repeat of what happened on the

stretch last year earlier samson i played well took the creek and started game one so i'm curious what will probably hear from all tomorrow uh... and i i'm really interested to hear what he has to say i think we have to be mindful this uh... just wanted to point out like still ours has only played 20 the most he's ever played in a season is 28 games. He's in 23 this year so far. So I mean he is going to creep down if you give him an opportunity down the stretch he will be career high in games. I know but Noodles you know what if he's going to be the guy in the playoffs, he might as well get some practice at it.

I agree, but are you 100% he is going to be the guy. That's the thing. I think there's been pockets where Wolves played very well too. And it's just Stolarz has been more consistent, but keep in mind, he had six weeks off. Well, you played the position if the playoffs were starting tomorrow, who was usually, which one of the- Stolarz, Stolarz, right now. I mean, there's no doubt about it for me, but I'm saying Stolarz hasn't

had his market correction either. Like, you know, he's had an unbelievable season. There might be a dip of five games where he doesn't have his goods. Like that, that's the, we haven't seen anything from Anthony Stolarz where there's been a dip yet, right? He's been, he's played 23 games. He hasn't played 43 or 53 where there's been ups and downs throughout the season That's the only thing that worries for me down the stretch for him is we just don't know There's a great unknown the guy hasn't played more than 28 games in a season Schedule so tight that you got to think they're gonna rotate a lot of the way down the stretch Maybe the last few games they give the guy that they've identified a bit of a run to get in a rhythm.

But just with the way the schedule is, with all the travel, you got it like, obviously Stolars is going to start Saturday, would you go with him against Utah? You know for sure he's playing that game Thursday at home against Florida. Like that's circle, that's his former team, he's your hotter goalie. But Monday will be interesting. Do they let Stolars have a run, or do you get Woll right back in against the Utah Hockey Club, who are in a playoff race as well?

That won't be an easy game either. With Mark Masters, so you said the team flew into Colorado, so they're there, the management team was there last night, I'm presuming they're all there, Tree Living, Shanahan, everyone. What did you make of Austin Matthews' commentary yesterday about the trade deadline and upgrades and what other teams are doing? What are you anticipating?

What is your kind of spidey sense telling you could happen with the lease between now and 3 PM tomorrow? Yeah, that felt notable, the comment by Austin Matthews. A lot of guys were asked about the trade deadline yesterday and most of them stuck to the usual kind of talking points of we're focused on playing hockey and doing our jobs and the details and we're not worried we'll let management handle that but Austin Matthews, listen, he's not going to hesitate, you know, he doesn't often speak out but when he does he's comfortable in that spot and as the captain of the of the team, he came out and said, yeah, look at the spot we're in,

look at the division we're in. We'd like to see, of course we'd want to see a boost. You see other teams adding, you want to add as well. So it did feel notable and just the guys probably, obviously we're seeing the news of the Tampa Bay Traits. The Penguins were in the building getting their equipment was in the building because they're going gonna practice there today and then play Vegas on Friday.

So like we were seeing like Penguin bags leaving like Vincent Deschardin's bags, getting carried it like right past the Leaf where they're like doing their, you know, soccer warmups. And I'm sure the Leaf players were like, when are we gonna see a new bag move in or whatnot? Or maybe some of the guys are thinking, you know, will I be heading out?

So it was a bit of an uneasy kind of strange day yesterday uh... in vegas and despite he senses that they're going to do something right they got to do something you would have to think you know trail of income played it a bit when he met with us the other day uh... saturday in pittsburgh but you gotta believe something's happening ryan reeves on waivers uh... it just

you wonder if it's not going to be as big as I think a lot of Least fans would like it to be. Well, we will find out in less than 24 hours. Appreciate you doing this, Mark. We'll see you bright and early tomorrow. Yeah, any ideas on where we should do this hit? Like 630? Should I be outside?

Hotel room? Right by ball arena? We're trying to figure this out. Like what's the PF change? There's an incredible steakhouse slash peeler joint in the main drag in Denver man it's the right a Lairmore square no there's it's called shotgun Willie's it's down by the Creek Mall Cherry Creek Mall you go I used to live I lived in a hotel right across the street from shotgun Willie's that's where you have to be now you're gonna be a

shotgun Willie's that's the the entertainment establishment. Oh, that's the one that... You'll fit in beautifully there breaking down trends. That would be great. I didn't quite make it to Kahootz in Hartford, but I always like getting your guys to give you suggestions. I appreciate that. Kahootz in Hartford and Shotgun Willies. The manager's office is downstairs pop in and say hello next time you're in Hartford. Alright Mark good luck with that have fun. There's Mark Blasters. our great nation one song at a time. This is Justin Bieber. Hi, this is Terry Clark. We are Nickelback. Made in Canada on iHeartRadio. Rock, pop, hip hop, and when it comes to country,

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