OverDrive - Masters on the Maple Leafs receiving boos, Tavares' injury concerns and Keefe's return to Toronto

Episode Date: January 15, 2025

TSN Maple Leafs Reporter Mark Masters joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Maple Leafs, the booing from the fans in defeat against Dallas, John Tavares' injury at practice, Jake McCabe's stance on the blue line, Sheldon Keefe's return to Toronto, Craig Berube's coaching views and more.

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more chances to win details that i are radio dot c a here's mark masters are are made believe reporter mark uh... the group the booze last night like how how many are we talking like is it that significant if you're leaving the building would you even of known that it was happening and really and not going uh... it was fit

i thought it was louder on saturday which may when they can't have a route your crowd they got they got shut out in that game but i didn't noticeable into the point where they were players were getting asked about it after the game and they weren't saying like what are you talking about in here they they heard it

uh... so it was at least noticeable to them for sure certainly resonated in that way and the reaction i mean it that's kind of been the role that i feel like the media the fans have been playing this week is reacting to postgame commentary that's what this week is defined by mitch marner on saturday and you know brew bay after the game last night, Willie today. What do you make of how the Leafs, you know, as a whole are kind of approaching the way the fans are

reacting to their recent play? Yeah, I think the fan reaction is just a lot of familiar things, right? You know, a dip in play, the power play struggling, the scoring going away in the middle of the season, kind of the dog days, not putting together a chance to grab hold of the division as you guys were talking about. In terms of the players, I mean, I think they're probably looking at it. And in terms of the system that Rubais got them playing, which is, obviously they want to be really tight defensively, they don't feel like they're giving up a lot. you know they've reiterated today that you know challenges have not been going their way

Rubais pushing them to make their own luck here but from the player perspective from the team perspective they don't think these last couple of games have been as bad as maybe it's looked at times as maybe the score is locked as maybe as some of the fans think and the fans are just kind of sitting there and saying man it looks like a similar movie that we've seen in the past so I think that's where you're seeing some of the fans think and the fans are just kind of sitting there and saying, man, it looks like a similar movie that we've seen in the past. So I think that's where you're seeing some of the frustration creep in. Mark, what about some of the injuries? We saw John Tavares limp off. Obviously, we're looking for an update maybe tomorrow. But even a guy like Stolar, any type of news,

is there light at the end of the tunnel for a guy like stole our city any type of news is he is he knows their light at the end of the tunnel for a guy like that okay so to our here that was a bit of a scary moment or you know neil and are called it scary he was that he was scared to see that because you know to our to the usually leave like i can recall to our leaving a practice like that uh... and just the way his legs kind of split with that awkward collision with chris and of

didn't did not look great will will be see. We'll get an update tomorrow. It happened right at the end of practice, so we didn't get a chance to see how they're going to adjust the lines or anything like that if Savars misses time. So, fingers crossed on that. From Jake McCabe, full participant today, gated on a regular pair with Chris Tanev. He said afterwards he's good to go. And he said it will be a coach's decision. Barube says that they'll see how he's feeling in the morning. You imagine they'll be pretty

careful considering this is the second similar type injury in a row for him. As for Stolar, I haven't seen him on the ice, but I did see him on the glass right before practice just watching the practice. So nothing really big or development on the Stolar's front there. Mark, I haven't really heard a coach or a player talk about this, but I think it's a factor. Obviously, you don't want to bring up excuses, but they've played a ton of hockey. Do you think fatigue is kind of set in here? Even watching them play, it's like they don't really have a ton of juice.

They don't have that second chance offensive opportunities because it just seems like they have no gas. Yeah I mean we're in the dog days here and that's, Barubei was talking about that today he said it's a second and third effort league and we haven't had those second and third efforts and it's tough this time of year. He talked about life and energy being missing on Saturday. I mean if any team should have been tired on Saturday it should have been the Canucks who had played the night before and not been able to travel in until the day of the game

arriving at 2 o'clock to their hotel according to Rick Tauke. And maybe that was part of the booze that we heard on Saturday as the fans knew the storyline they knew the Canucks had lost form in a row, had been struggling and they come in there and shut out the Leafs on a Saturday night. So I'm sure that maybe plays into the Saturday crowd at least. But yeah, they've looked a little fatigued at times for sure. I mean that's just the nature of the schedule. And every team I think is grinding through their own tough hardships in the schedule just with the Four Nations this year. So I don't know if you want to make it too much of an excuse. It just might be the reality of it on some nights for the Leafs this season with mark Masters or Maple Leaf reporter Leafs Devils tomorrow

We're looking forward to Seeing Sheldon Keefe. I know you missed him down in Jersey because you were doing the world juniors at that point What what's your first question for Keith tomorrow? Yeah I was remember Sheldon was on your show and you guys were talking about how he was gonna see me and I was yelling At my radio, but yeah, they know I'm on my way to ottawa and then i ended up uh... watching watching interview with clara hanna from from pierce in while delayed trying to get out all but uh... what's my first question for sheldon i think just being back in the building

like right like they played the least white but come back obviously in i think that so that will be a an dynamic. I imagine they're going to recognize him on the scoreboard. I mean, you know, he had a good run. He's the winning est head coach in regular season history for the Leafs and he brought an AHL title to the city with the Toronto Marlies and he's a local product from Branson. You know, he went out on a classy note with that video. I the record i think given that our warm ovation

i think i'll get it i think i'll get a nice cheer uh... to tomorrow night it if they if they do that uh... so i just kind of curious where the mind that walking into that building tomorrow being you know i what did he say to have time is the best gopening the league that beat him with uh... with solar so i will see who the least are tomorrow uh... and i'll be curious to see how they finally uh... we're how you want

to keep the play cuz they haven't been able to solve the least two games masters and all the interviews you did with keith did he ever say to you before you like started rolling like i'm in no for this today don't even think about asking us about things or like i'm hungover and i don't want to deal with you so just make this quick. No never it was always pretty similar there wasn't a lot of small talk there's not a

lot of small talk with with Borube either Babcock was like mind games all the time right like he'd come out and say are you gonna screw this one up today or what's going on and if it wasn't the shoes it was why I left my wife in the cattle car on a plate like it was always something with him. He'd always have something to say before the interview started. So Sheldon was straight up pretty much. I usually take my cues from the guy you're going to interview to see what kind of the mood they're in, but it was always pretty straightforward.

And I think he always, that's what we appreciated in Toronto, is he always kind of was, he felt like as a local guy guy he wanted to really the fan base know what was going on so uh... i appreciate that but there was no he was never like let's just get this over with or anything like that i actually think you kind of like that to talk it out uh... a lot of the time that was just my sense of them here yeah he was always willing to talk for the most part

wasn't it like sheldon you know and and i think he's handled his exit very very well like it the video we shot he said it today is like you know i'd i'd i didn't get the job done we didn't get the job done changes happen it's easier for him to say that because he got right back on the saddle and he's got a good team in new jersey and you know a good set up there listening at a long run between the marley's in the maple leaves how many how many first-time coaches in the NHL get thrown

into the NHL with the Maple Leafs as their first job? That was a big opportunity for him and he certainly seized it in terms of handling himself, in terms of the way that the team played at times, certainly through the regular season. He he's on record it's he's the guy one uh... one one around the last one before it was pack went like he he was a coach of the team here that actually won around yeah i think and appreciate like they could tell how badly he wanted it in how you know you could be when he had frustrated after games like

i can only that like i i let's just say i think his reaction after a lot like saturday against the connoucks or even last night I think would have been different than Craig Borubey. You know Sheldon was a little hot when he got to the podium there I don't think we've seen that really from Borubey much this year. He's been pretty balanced when he's come come out to the podium. Anyway he got Keith in trouble you know a few times in Toronto but I think the fans appreciated that they sensed how badly he wanted, how frustrated he was at times.

And I think he handled it well, you're right. It's not an easy spot to get thrown into. You come in, you're a guy who's a Stanley Cup winning coach, a couple gold medals, you come in, the expectations are high right off the bat. You're unproven at that level. You have all these big personalities and stars in the league. I think just going around and talking to people in the league,

you know, there's a sentiment that he handled everything really, really well and obviously he's off to a good start in New Jersey. So we'll see where things go, the Leafs and the Devils are pretty close kind of in the standings here and we'll see if Keith can find a way to get his team a victory tomorrow night. I thought he handled things really well. And especially down the stretch last year, I thought he was more honest. He shot from the hip. He just seemed like he was more comfortable in his own skin and realized it was all or

nothing and I'm just going to speak my mind. Where I wanted to go, Masters, is the difference between Mitch Marner and Chris Tanev's interviews. I don't know if you were front row to them and right in the mix there, but what do you make of, I guess, even differing opinions of how the players viewed certain games? And what's your reaction when you're in the scrum to that? Yeah, well, Marder was the first one to talk to us and just the way he said it, you know, we talked about the booze coming and I wondered if that kind of influenced him and obviously he was coming off the minus six in Raleigh and I'm sure, you know,

minus six kind of jumps off the page. I don't think he was quite as bad as minus six would suggest in that game against the Hurricanes, but you're coming off that performance, probably took some heat, probably sensed that, and then the team loses by shut-out, you get boot off the ice in that game, and you're sitting there thinking, guys, we're in first place, it's not as bad. So that was his, and Tanev, that's just kind of, those are just the two personalities, right? That's kind of how Marner is, and Tanev is kind of like that after a bad loss. That's what he said a couple of times. He just calls it the way he sees it.

They're coming from different backgrounds, of course. One's a hard-nosed defensive, the other's a top-line winger. It is jarring, I will say that, when you're going through the scrums and you kind of sit down afterwards, you're like, how does it seem feel about this game and i you know the it was usually don't hear that they talked about being disconnected on the item there was a bit of a disconnected felt like

off the item of in the strong afterwards felt uh... yeah it did they did pop for a lot of it in the media were kind of look at each other after the the media bill wrapped up into that was that was interesting the mark masters uh... mark i want you to put your tennis hat on here for a moment because the Australian Open of course is underway, right? The first slam of the year and a few Canadians still making their way through. Leila, big comeback victory last night, she's through and Chapo's still kicking around and uh... dental medvedev is one of the great you know on court quotes and the guy

he basically just shoot from the head he said this i believe it was yesterday and i'm curious if you can attest to this is the lifestyle of like high end players on that to her is what medvedev had to say about beating his opponent yesterday these kids coming through

they did they'll be much ready on back from the start i mean not every match because i was his matches and you see this level so i was surprised yeah i mean uh... he plays like this every match slight can be good money girls uh... he plays like this every match if he doesn't then he's not going to have it maybe maybe maybe not in tennis he's going to make it otherwise

but yeah I wish he can play like this every match. Money girls casino is that how you live when you're covering tennis or what Mark? Yeah I mean not, but it sounds like a very interesting, fun life there. Isn't Medvedev great? He's an easy guy to cheer for. Awesome. Just because of the, you know, he's a great personality, you know, on the court. So that's, yeah, he's, he's must like, must watch a lot of times and must listen to when he's in the news conference room or on the court. Like that's yeah, I haven't heard.

You know what? That is not my certainly not during him. Maybe Nick Curio. I think Nick Curio's once talked about winning a tournament in Acapulco and being out every night during that week. Did you see him the other day? He was just standing at the baseline and he was just back handing shots and he was between the legs. He is outrageous that guy yeah yeah he's at home down there

too right like it's just yeah very very relaxed but yeah yeah we'll see what comes of it mark all right man enjoy yourself enjoy it say hi to Sheldon for us tomorrow night as well and we'll do it again soon I was wondering if you had a message for Jonas we're sitting beside each other here at the least practice well i say my messages i see johnson off at the state of things i say my messages when he's on the show yeah

exactly what are you guys playing down there any cool names that you guys have a good job we're not we're not playing battleship we're not playing trivia we're sitting with uh... we're very looking very soft here with a big war heater despite that okay as we type clackity clack away here try to make sense of the latest uh... coming to going to your butt yeah we are we're at reminiscing about team course the in the days were

together on the on the tribute beat yeah you think we need a rematch ready to get any time you're ready man all i will will bring it back we we started crystal of the belts of the caret was he came in but they cheat so that they don't clearly cheer were ready anytime and i know what he does friday you have to do a party friday let's go here on friday jonah yeah should we get back together that would be the radio event of the year uh... really when they handle up to

go to a path probably not uh... yeah i listen friday i think the practice That would be the radio event of the year. Can they handle us is what Jonas asks. Probably not. Yeah, listen, Friday I think they'll practice. They're flying to Montreal so we'll be here but I'd scoot down. Okay, let's figure this out. Listen, I don't want to force you guys that you sound very uncomfortable. It's only if you really want to engage. Let's set this up. Let's set up a date that works for everybody.

I don't want any excuses. Okay, alright. Team Corsi versus Team White Test is coming back. I cannot wait for that. It's going to be outstanding. Alright, Mark, say hi to Jonas, I guess. Forget Sheldon Keefe. Say hi to Jonas for us and we'll do it again soon. Alright, thanks, guys. There's Mark Masters, our Maple Leaf reporter.