OverDrive - Masters on the mood from the optional skate, Matthews approach to Game 5, and the potential lineup changes

Episode Date: May 14, 2025

TSN Leafs reporter joins the show to discuss the mood from the optional skate today. Masters talked about Matthews approach to Game 5 and potential lineup changes.

. with vip weekend passes and camping plus $500 cash to spend on merch. Don't call it a phase. Enter daily at iHerbRadio.ca Let's head down to the rink. Here's Mark Masters, our TSN Maple Leaf reporter. Kind of atmosphere you're expecting tonight, Mark. Yeah, I mean a great one. Similar to games one and two.

I think, you know, obviously it's incumbent on the leaf to get off to a good start tonight to trying capitalize on that because it's One of those games where if they they don't look good off the hop you can certainly imagine it getting a little tense or nervous Around here, so obviously it's gonna be great to start this game, and let's see where it goes from there Masters any roster changes you anticipate Yeah, we're expecting David camp robertson to come in uh... it sounds like all bird and your growth would be the odd man out

you know warm-ups about to start till we get final uh... confirmation on that shortly but uh... that's what we're expecting to believe side and then on the florida side we already know uh... and then rodriguez is out yes for both this drug in for them. So if if that is the case like Yarncrook has been playing on the right side kills some penalties but if Holmberg comes out he'll play center he'll play the wing like Camp is predominantly a centerman do you see what happens here does Lawton stay in the middle of the ice does Domi stay in the middle of the

ice what do you think they're gonna do if Camp goes in? Yeah I think Camp would go in the middle because that's where we've seen him consistently lot and goes out to the left wing maybe and Lorenz stays on goes to the right goes to the right side there maybe and then you know you see Domi between Bobby McMahon and Nick Robertson and that line has been really good you know at times for the late at least to get that line and i get to be i can't tell you know be a very offensively dangerous line and obviously with the last page in my advantage at home pre-grouping to make sure that they're you know it's not that he can

that they're not caught it in in top situations and kind of shelter that group as much as possible mark you're around the team a lot what was the mood uh... this morning i know it's optional, but did you get a sense from the guy's calmness or a little bit of nerves or what did you make? Yeah, I think pretty calm, all things considered. I think they're in a good space. Two days

off probably helped them a little bit more than if it had just been ding-bang, boom, coming off of the long travel day from Florida. So yeah, I mean, I liked it. We heard from John Tavares, we heard from Jake McKay this morning. Craig Brubay is always pretty much the same. So it seems like they're in the right frame of mind to use Brubay's words heading into this really, really important game to say the least. In terms of focusing more on two players that we've talked about a lot the last couple of days, that would matthewson marner you know it noodles asked about the whole team and and the way that they're

feeling how would you define the general mood attitude approach to what is a massive game tonight for mitch marner and austin matthews in particular yeah i mean that uses is harder to read at times but what we know is that the acknowledged it'd be that he's feeling snake-bitten, that he needs to bear down more on his chances. That's about as good as it gets with Austin Matthews to let you know where he's at.

He's acknowledging that he's got to do a little bit more. Mitch Marner yesterday asked him about his game and he gave a one-word answer which was fine. Then I followed up and just said, what can you do to get some more shots? Two games without a shot. And he went into just talking about how he's oftentimes looking to shoot for six and you know, the guy, you know, the Panthers have done a good job blocking shots. Yeah, I think that you've seen from Matthews, you know, and understanding that there's more there and from Marner, you know, I think he's

down, he knows that there's another level and it'll from Marner, you know, I think he's down, he knows that there's another level and it'll be intriguing because, you know, they won the matchup against Alexander Barkov's line at home in the first two games of the series. Of course, Marner scored the game winner in game two and set up the game winner in game one by Matthew Nyes on that breakaway. And then they go to Florida and you think, you know,

suddenly they're playing the Anton Lundell line and you think it might be easier, but it wasn't the case. So it goes back to Barkov tonight for whatever reason that's helped the Leaf, and we'll see if going up against a pair of selfie trophy nominees in Barkov and Reinhardt can help Matthew Zermarner elevate in this one. Joseph Wallace has spoken pretty much every day. What do you make of his demeanor? And really there's a lot of pressure on him to help try and deliver a huge win here on home

ice. I mean that was such an important performance for him in game four just to bounce back after a leaky one in game three obviously his mom was in the building siblings really special in game four even without the win to perform well in that in that moment and just get back on track, get his confidence kind of going here. Again, just like Stolarz, he's not used to all these games in a row, high leverage pressure games in a row, fifth straight game here tonight, fourth straight start. He hasn't done that since Stolarz was out with the injury early in the year.

So there's a lot being asked of him. I thought he responded well. I thought he was really relaxed in his media session yesterday talking about how it could be nervous a little bit of fear of the good thing you know i need to carry into your plane for something big though i think you've been a good part of hopefully here the lead to get in he can build on what he did in game four because i was the biggest part of it with mark masters least anthus game five right here on TSM radio it sounds as if

Kampf and Robertson are out there for warm-ups and Holmberg and Yarncrook are not. So there's our answer. Those two going in, those two coming out. We keep talking about big moments, legacy moments, and how this is exciting. This is a great opportunity for all these players. The big moment for Craigreg berube as well uh... you know his his his coaching careers obviously got the copies on a great job this year they won the division that rarely happens with this team

you know he's compared to the likes of pat quinn and pat burns and others in terms of his demeanor his approach are you surprised at all that he decided to change the lineup and if so how much more change might you expect you all that he decided to change the lineup and if so how much more change might you expect you think it could lead to to matthew zimarner being split up at times could neil and her get shifts with different lines what do you expect to see out of

craig berube this evening well that's the question is that it doesn't start well here that the deal we thought couple of ships were met with the murderers but up and down in florida at the start of the third period in game four. And the question is, if things don't start well, you know, when does he do that, right? He's got to get these guys going. And he's had their, listen, he's pushed the right button for most of this season. He's kept everyone calm.

You know, he's kind of found a way to make jokes, make light of things when, you know When he's asked about William Nylander, he'll quickly say, this guy doesn't listen to me, he's not listening to anything, I leave him alone. So he seems to have a good pulse of things. And I'm with you, this might be their best shot right now for Craig Broomby. It's your first year, the message is fresh. If you win this series, you're the favorite

in the Eastern Finals. It's all kind of laid out there. If you can push the right buttons down the stretch in this series, again, these are moments where this is why he was brought in. When you talk, we always talk about the top four. Is there anybody that you would circle that would say unsuspecting that you would want to see a big game out of? And, you know, is that Bobby McMahon? Is it somebody somebody like that is it Max Domi? He's something out of the bottom six anyone to step up I mean

again you know I mentioned Domi, McMahon, Robertson, that line it's been good it's been good at times offensively especially Ken Robertson who's scored in three different games where he's come off a healthy scratch do it again, Ken McMahon snapped this crazy 21 game drought without a goal for a couple of healthy spread do it again can make man's napkin crazy twenty one game throw without a ball for twenty goals for that you know i was interested in it this morning almost always hate so i wonder is trying to change something there trying to change his walk in some way he's got to be in a tent so much

remembering the only playoff rookie on the team and it hasn't been an easy transition so if they could get something out of the bottom six, anything, anyone, a Scott Latten moment, a Steven Lorenz moment, something, David Camp, his first game since April 2nd, if they could just get something from the bottom six that will go such a long way to alleviating the pressure. So obviously you can talk about the big boys

and they got it produced, but if they could just get something, because you know the Anton Lundell line, Brad Marchand, they're gonna be coming tonight. They were really good in Toronto in the first two games. At least just, they need something out of their bottom six. Yep, that's exactly it. Well, we're gonna find out.

Puck dropping about a half an hour. I'll see you down there, Mark. Save my seat, please. Save my seat, I'm on my way down. It doesn't even say your name, it just says reserve. So, it's there. I like that. Okay.

Who's reserved? The photojournalists kind of want to get there. I'm like no no no. No no no. I'm saving it for you. Thank you. Put your jacket up, do something. Have Jonas sit there for a while. Do something. Please. I'm on my way. We will protect it. We have it ready for you when you get here. Thank you, Masters. Appreciate it. We'll see you tonight. Thank you, buddy. Yep. Introducing Brian Adams Radio on iHeartRadio. 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.

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