OverDrive - Masters on the Maple Leafs' progressing mindset, the approach in elimination games and Matthews' huge factor

Episode Date: April 29, 2025

TSN Maple Leafs Reporter Mark Masters joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Maple Leafs, the Game 5 matchup against the Senators, the team's approach in an elimination game, Auston Matthews' importance for the group, the most significant players and more.

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Join today and be part of something amazing. All right, game five tonight. Let's head down to Scotia Bank. Here's Mark Masters, our TSN reporter. Mark, how would you answer that in terms of, you know, the villain? If you're if you're looking at it through the lens of the Maple Leafs, who do you think they hate the most if there is anybody playing for Ottawa tonight finding probably Ridley Greg just dating back to the flap shot into the empty net last season and

then going after Solars the way they did that he did they really didn't like him crashing into Solars there and just feels like that the kind of guy that if there's if there's one guy that's emerging it's him. Yeah and that guy he likes that I think Greg appreciates that role wants to play that role but he's a young guy. As for the Maple Leafs and their approach tonight what you've been around this team every single day for years how would you have described the mood around the team the last couple of days coming off the loss of game four going into game five

yeah i think they've been pretty calm and pretty confident still i don't think like any playoff demons coming out around the group right now we spoke to austin matthews down here this morning i thought he was in great spirit i was actually pretty impressed with mitch marner yesterday you know he was asked you know about the collapse in twenty 2021. He didn't get defensive, just spoke about being in the moment. So as much as you can take away from that, I feel like they're

they're in a good mind state. The demons aren't out yet. I'm looking at the start of this game. They started really well in game one and game two, got out to lead. And Craig Brube highlighted that as an important factor tonight, something they've done well at home where they've won nine straight games. And that will tell us a lot how they start this game. Because I think in these closed out games they've lost, they've come out a little tentative, looked a little nervous. If they can come out and just kind of look like they're confident, grab hold of this game early, that will tell us a lot.

But from just the last couple of days even even right after the game in game four in Ottawa it felt like they are still in control very calm still in a good spot. Who's your X Factor tonight? I'm really interested in Stolarz because if you look at his safe percentage in every game of the series it's declined from game one to two to three to four. He'll be starting a fifth straight game tonight it's the first time that's happened this season season. And I'm just, I'm wondering, I'm wondering how he's going to deal with the workload. He's never really experienced this. Obviously that last loss snapped in 11 games, winning streak for him. So he hasn't had to bounce back from a loss in a while. So I'm really curious with him because

the last game is the first time it really felt like Ottawa won the Goaltending Battle. It's the reason why they won the game of course and if Stolars comes back to earth a little bit and all much stronger that really does change the dynamic in the series. With Mark Masters ahead of game five tonight Leafs sends, when you discuss the the long-standing players and the importance of them having a big night tonight. Do you separate Austin Matthews from the core four? Or do you just look at the whole group in terms of the expectation

and maybe the pressure to have a night? Yeah, I find it hard to separate guys just because Matthews is playing with Marner. So, they both have to kind of raise each other up or if one of them's playing well, he can get the other guy in. So they're trying to end this together. And those two guys now, of course, have Matthew Nyes, who's quickly emerging as part of the core.

And then on the other line, you got John Somers, Willie Nylander playing together. And then they're all together on the power play, which has been very good in this series until game four. So I find it hard to really pick out one or the other when it comes to core four guys that needing a step up. It's kind of felt like a package deal with those guys. And that's how they're built. It's like if one of them is down, the other guys will come through. The last game, it was the John Tavaris William

Nylander line that was really good and got him back in that game. I didn't think Matthew Zamarner had it really. I that you know i had that great individual play but i did not think that line was particularly good and now it's up to them to respond and i don't think they've had like a a gamer in like the top line game so maybe that tonight and that would go a long way to kind of changing the narrative and making it feel like different here if that you can mariner

together got it done tonight you look at lena saumark is basically the biggest X factor for Ottawa? I do. I mean goaltending is so much of everything and he just looked he just did not inspire a lot of confidence early in this series and finally he seems to have settled settled into it and yeah because the Sens have no chance of coming back unless Linus Allmark is excellent the rest of this way like you cannot let in the thoughtful

early in the game with really shaking throttle games one and two finally you know what you are that we got party that the big game with the freedom of playoff uh... last uh... last game so let's see what that does for him but yeah need a big even big talking point in the new fix really start with an any chance they have start with and getting it together looking good with mark masters so i i guess it's not

a surprise that no lineup changes but max patch ready is going to get a game at home tonight uh... they've they went with robertson obviously the first couple of games uh... any surprise on your end that that brew based in a stick with i guess what's been working yet in the particular like this is kind of been him right calm doesn't really like to change the thinking that he doesn't have to do that like to make up a

away live even though we didn't make that change robertson coming out that ready going in for game three i didn't think that maybe that ready would get ideal maybe you go to robertson he's been so good uh... other strategy like scoring immediately maybe you could to Robertson, he's been so good coming off of a scratch and like scoring immediately. Maybe you could do that to create a spark. But you know, at home you can control the matchups a bit more and you can protect that

Domi line a bit better. Patrick already did lead the team with 12 hits in the last two games since he came in. So you know, he spoke today about how, you know, he knew it was going to be tougher in the second game, the adrenaline carried him in the first game and the three almost layoff, that's tough to play two games like that, two overtime games. So the two day break should help him. I know he's got his kids coming to the game tonight. They haven't seen a lot of them this season.

They haven't been in Toronto. So I know he's pretty fired up to put on a show for his family tonight. Yeah, as he should be. I mean, it's a cool moment. I've you know, we were both down there, you and I, Mark, for the first two games. I thought the game on city great job but the crowd was really good game one in particular was amazing uh... i know some of the players were asked about it today anticipating it you

know the roof the pop off from curious what you read on that situation could be this evening yeah you know next only yesterday was talking about how the fans they need a fan like they did it didn't feel like a factor and actually promise about today that he didn't you know, Max Domi, yesterday was talking about how the fans, they need the fans. Like, it didn't feel like a factor, and actually Thomas Chabot today said he did not feel like the Senators handled it very well, the atmosphere in Game 1 in particular. That was the first playoff game for a lot of those Senators players, himself included. And you know, Austin Matthews has called out the fans earlier this season, right? He's not, I don't think he's the kind of guy to just offer, you know, random thoughts and just, you know, lip service to the fans earlier this season, right? I don't think he's the kind of guy to just offer

random thoughts and just lip service to the fans. He said that it was excellent in games one and two, and he expected to be rowdier and louder tonight. So that's the captain's message to the fans. And yeah, I think it could be like, listen, this organization, this franchise, has not clinched a series on home ice since 2004. I was looking at the numbers, they've

only had four of those games, those closed out opportunities in front of a full building. So most of it has either been obviously we had the COVID era at empty building or on the road, some of these closed out games. So fans have been wanting this moment, a chance to celebrate with the team, celebrate a playoff series win. It's been forever. I think the team realizes that. It's all there for them tonight and they want the fans to be part of it. I expect it to be a really good atmosphere tonight. All right, Mark.

I'll see you down there, buddy. Good stuff. Thank you for doing this. See you soon. There he is, Mark Masters. Hey, who invited climate action to the party? We did. Hey, I'm Shannon Burns.

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