OverDrive - OverDrive - April 15, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: April 15, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Michael DiStefano for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joins to discuss Maple Leafs looking for the Atlantic Division title, Ivan Demidov's craze in Montreal and Darnell Nurse's cross-check on Quinton Byfield. They go around the sports world in the latest edition of Confirm or Deny and Nico Harrison's perspective on Luka Doncic's trade to the Lakers.

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This is a party where everyone is invited. The Earth Day Party Podcast on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Our Two Overdrive continues powered by FanDuel. We didn't get into it yesterday, but this Bill Belichick and his girlfriend out on the field is insane. I can't believe what that guy used to be and what he is up to with this new girlfriend. Yeah, it is definitely a direction switch here for Bill Belichick.

Like what could his girlfriend possibly be doing on the football field? Well, here's the amazing thing is that because he works for a public institution, his emails are open to the public if the media requests them because it's a state-run operation. So in other words, the state is paying for it, taxpayers are paying for it. So what has come out of this guy's emails is that Bill Belichick has asked for his girlfriend to be cc'd on anything that is sent his way. And his girlfriend is kind of running the operation in terms of like how he's being perceived online and you know Belichick I guess is worried about his perception and

what the university is willing to accept in terms of what people are writing in via Twitter and Instagram and all these different public accounts and it is pretty wild to see Belichick who is now running the show at North Carolina and yes his girlfriend I don't know what her job is I don't know what the role is well she's not employed I don't believe by the by the school well do you just sent us a note here Dove Kleinman on Twitter that she is now as a new role with the UNC football team as the chief operating officer of Belichick productions Wow the CEO of the team apparently okay as of now yeah this is Bella check

productions is he have some media company I have no idea I may maybe he created something just to you know have a have a role for her or what. I don't know the backstory, but I do think this story is going to develop over time. Once we get into games and play, because here's the thing about Belichick, you're getting paid a lot of money and there's a lot of boosters and this is a completely different world. You're not in the NFL anymore. Yeah, you got a win and this in North Carolina is not some like powerhouse football factory So what is Belichick gonna bring? What is he gonna do if he's just there to kind of ride off into the sunset and why would bring in his kids?

And I don't quite understand it is strange that bill Belichick like the Marty Brodeur to st Louis at the end where it was like why why did you need to do? Yeah, it doesn't really it doesn't make sense the lineage of Bill Belichick. Like why are you at North Carolina? Like it just doesn't make any sense. No, I don't well there's like his dad didn't his dad coach at North Carolina So it's maybe there's man if it was like Notre Dame or Alabama or or who knows just some heavy hitter team where it's like. Yeah exactly. I'm going to Notre Dame and I'm gonna bring them back to the promised land. That's trying to win a national championship. Makes sense. You're at North Carolina. Not gonna happen. But there's also you know a certain amount of people that are skeptical that he'll stay. That if he gets lured back into the NFL next year, he'll jump and he'll be out of there.

Like he'll go down for a year, he'll do what he's gonna do. I wouldn't shut up the program. Maybe his kid takes over for him and he's like, I'm going, I'm going back to the NFL or I'm gonna shut it down. It's too much. Cause now it's like recruiting and a lot of reasons, a lot of the reasons why college coaches are getting out

of it is because it's too much work. Yeah. Like in the NFL, you gotta work during the season and there's things you're doing during the off season for sure, but in college football, you are recruiting constantly. And now more than ever. Now there's transfer portal.

With big money and transfer portal, it never stops in college football. No. And it's very difficult to compete as well because if you don't have the money to pay for players, you're in big trouble and that is what's become very clear and collegiate sports like players are like I want I want to get paid I don't care that you're built Belichick I want money if I'm gonna come play for you and like North Carolina has always been a basketball school Mm-hmm, right like that's that's Jordan Alma Jordan's alma mater. So like there's money going in into the basketball program.

I don't know how much money is going into North Carolina's football program. I don't have an answer for you. Mr. It's Not Peanut is one of those guys. They would have some money and Belichick's not going there to work with a hundred grand. Like he's got a budget, but you're right. I don't think it's as big as the powerhouse schools. No. Like I don't think they're competing with Michigan and Ohio State and, you know, schools

like that. But yeah, it is a strange scene with Belichick, man. It's just a it's a it's a very different vibe. Very different vibe. Very, very different. Confirm and deny in about 25 minutes the Leafs are in Buffalo tonight. What did you say earlier? You're trying to end the it's the worst saying in pro sports, especially from this neck of the woods.

The phrase is the leafiest thing you could do. Trying to come to an end. Trying to kill it. Let's put an end to it. Let's kill that saying and it starts tonight with a win in Buffalo, clinch the division, bring us the battle of Ontario, games on TSN4, here's Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst. Do you have faith that that saying will come to an end starting tonight? Uh, yes. A little more convincing. The thing is, guys, one, Buffalo has played surprisingly well lately at home. Not on the road, but at home.

I'm like 13 or 15 at home, including seven in a row. So we saw last night, like a desperate team with everyone to play for doesn't always get it done like Montreal against Chicago. So yes, I believe in Toronto, they're the better team. They found a way this past weekend to be gutsy and find ways to win games even if they weren't their best. I just don't think there's going to be gutsy and find ways to win games even if they weren't their best. I just don't think there's gonna be like a cakewalk, even though the pro Leaf fans, the atmosphere, all of it,

I think it's gonna be a tough game. Yeah, and it is one that, again, they can control their own destiny and the point that we're making with like the Leafiest way of throwing things away is, you know, you go into a game like tonight where probably Tampa beats Florida and all you got to do is take care of your own business just like Montreal could have done last night they couldn't do it even

the way you even the way leafiest sounds it's horrible yeah it's cringy negative connotations it's very uncomfortable but they own it like they've created it and you know you're not gonna kill it to officially tonight ultimately that's gonna come in the playoffs but they've been playing really well, Johnny. Like they're one of the 11, two and one in the last 14 games I believe it is and, you know, dealing with some injuries, but they're, they're kind of peaking. They just had themselves a really good weekend.

And yes, it's not going to be easy. I'm curious to see how many Leaf fans are going to be in attendance tonight, but just judging by the streets, there's plenty. Like just driving in here tonight and just judging by the streets a yeah plenty I just driving in here tonight and I get overrun with blue and white on the streets of the streets of Buffalo so I expect it to be like 50-50 split almost okay so that that is a big boost because I think Leaf fans are gonna freak out once it becomes official that we have the Battle of Ontario and I'm curious like

being around the team in some capacity the way you are, Johnny, do you sense that these players, do they have any understanding of the history? You were a part of it, you played in the Battle of Ontario? I don't, no. I mean, Max, Max the only one, because Dad was, you know, right in the thick of it all. In fact, Ottawa would probably have a greater sense of it from Toronto's side, because they got Travis behind the bench, right? And he would have been right in the middle of it all. In fact, Ottawa would probably have a greater sense of it from Toronto's side, because they got Travis behind the bench, and he would have been right in the middle of it as well. But it was so long ago.

A lot of these guys were barely even alive. And so I don't think this group is particularly interested in who they have to play. Like, I don't, you know, they may appreciate it being cool that it'll be the Battle of Ontario and I guess they'll watch the old clips, but I think they're pretty focused on the challenge and the daunting challenge it will be to do what they haven't been able to do. So, focus much more inward than outward. Like, we'll be excited, it's gonna be amazing.

Back and forth, between the two cities, the fan bases, of all of the week rates if it were to happen but i don't get the sense that these belief players are particularly caring about that and certainly not too well versed in the history of it watching this team all year it seems like one bad period in the lines of

change there's a different philosophy marner with matthews to bars neelander all of it. But do you think Domi going up with Tavares and Nylander could be something that would be like, we're going to ride this out into the playoffs? I mean, it could, oh. They've been searching for the sixth guy for the entire season. Has Bobby McMahon dropped off that much where he doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt? I kind of thought he got to a point where it was like that was his spot. No points in nine games.

Shots have gone down, scoring chance gone down, goals against have gone up. I don't know how long you wait for him to get it going. The problem I think with McMahon, and I think this is where he's so different than Max. Bobby McMahon is a straight line player who wants to puck, to skate fast and to shoot. And you have two guys on the ice who both are, well, Neil Adder wants to puck all the time and I think that can be an issue sometimes for Bobby McMahon because he doesn't get it as much. And Tavares needs the puck with service from his wingers in

the slot area. That's where he's amazing and he doesn't get that service. That's not to suggest Bob McMahon's not a good player, not an effective player. It's just that stylistically, I don't know if it was a brilliant fit. So Max going there, you know, defensively becomes a concern because that line, as good as they've been offensively, haven't always been on the right side of things for you know chances shots goals against but with the puck it makes more sense for max to play in the wing with those two then to bobby mcmahon but then it just goes our third line center is going to be what holmberg and the fourth line is going

to be uh laudan like is that is that are you comfortable with the third line and the fourth line looking like that further down the roster? then that's probably part of the equation is whether max starts to play off and whatever you think oh Of max patch already because he is the other wild card that we sort of forgotten he would be the guy that could maybe play in that role as the sixth guy and Contribute enough to spread the offer don't elsewhere but i don't know even though for so long i don't know if they feel comfortable dubbing the game one

johnny ron milestone watch tonight to the least and when the atlantic which they've only done twice since they last time they won the stanley cup one of which the bubble year matthews and get goal four hundred marter can get to a 100 points the first time in his career. Kovaris two away from 40 and Nies one away from 30. How many of these do you think we see tonight? Okay well and even a little asterisk like the bubble year was not, was that the Atlantic or is that the

Canadian? It was the Canadian division so yeah. He only won once. Even the Atlantic. The last time they won it I I played for the Leafs. Right? Oh, whoa. That's how long ago it's been. So it's been a minute. I think they get in. I think Mitch gets a hundred. Austin, four hundred maybe. And that's all I'll give you.

I don't know. Matty Nye's won in JT2. That might be asking for too much. So three of the five will probably get done tonight. All right, so you got to win tonight. Marner getting a point and you got Matthews. Okay, yeah I can live with that. I have the game going like tight, maybe overtime. It might be a close game but they'll get enough. All they need is a point, right? They could lose in overtime and they still win the division. Yeah, that's right Yep and and that's the thing about last night like we started the show talking about the Habs and how the the Demidoff story was

an amazing story and it turned into be a great distraction because the focus was more on him other than the fact that they choked away a point against Chicago and they had a two-nothing lead. Like you you have to win that game last night if you're Montreal and now they're just gonna make their lives that much more more difficult and they got to watch Columbus and Philly tonight and they're still in the driver's seat and I feel good about them getting in but what was your reaction to the whole scene last night at the Bell Center? Well one I tuned in like everyone else and give Montreal fans credit. Like they know how to rise to an occasion, eh? Like the fact that they were sold out for warmup,

standing ovation for rookie lap, chanting his name whenever he touched the ice, whether he had the puck or not. I'm like, this is how you welcome someone to the NHL. And then of course he was, like he looked outrageously good, like brilliant with the puck. I don't want to overstate it It's just one game at Chicago or whatever, but In not a smooth plays he has the way he skates

And this is his first game. He's still jet lagged I don't know if he can speak english like you know, I mean like this wait till he gets comfortable But I I wonder haze if at the root of your question He looked so great Because he was new. He was able to play freely because there's no stress on him. He hasn't dealt with six months of anxiety trying to get to a finish line.

He didn't jump in the race with 10 yards left. Like, whatever happens, happens. Whereas the rest of the team, almost for the first time all year, the whole year they've sort of been overachieving, playing with house money. Isn't this a good story? Aren't they ahead of the program of the schedule?

And then now, now it's like you now you have something to lose. Like you could screw it up and be and lose what you've earned to this point. And they look tight. The team sort of generally looked a little bit tight, a little bit flat, because I think the stress of the moment, as opposed to Demidoffop it was just dancing around having a good time. You want to talk about backing your way in, I think Montreal would be delighted, delighted to see Columbus not winning regulation. They don't want to try, I guess Carolina, they got Carolina I think

it's tomorrow. They want no of carolina having to get a point you look a lot about playing great so and they'd be happy if they could uh... we've got a way in with the term point dropped or regulation non-waves i'm not a clock to think i'm you don't care how there's no emphasis on no we're going to do it ourselves exactly don't know if you had an hour and a half i'll take in the back door whatever it is a good i don't got No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, goals per game? What's the level of concern right now out in Wash for the way things have been going? Probably pretty high in that nothing has gone wrong all year long. The whole year has just

unfolded beautifully from the way they played to the additions that they've made to Ovi's Chase, to the success of it. All of it has just been a great celebration of hockey in Washington and not just Ovi. But Ovi sort of masked how they weren't playing quite as well the last couple of weeks. And they haven't had a lot of adversity. And the one thing, oh, we'll love this, but like Wash was shooting, after I don't even look at it lately, but after 60 games, they were shooting at a higher level

than any other team had ever shot, a shooter percentage, in the last 20 years. Like, are they that good? Is the system that great? Are the goals, like Schubert said, in the last 20 years. Like, are they that good? Is the system that great? Are the goals, like, that felt like it had to regulate. And you're just, I would be worried if I'm a Washington fan that maybe that's what's happening. That they're playing, you know, not as well,

but also some of these things are regressing back to a normal level. And if it does, Washington is not nearly sort of the dominant force that they appeared to be through 65 games. With Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst. So last night it got a little bit ugly in the Kings-Oyler's game and the Oilers were not playing really anyone last night. And this is what Philip Deno had to say about the Oilers lineup and the way that the game

played out? I think they just have their B squad and trying to hurt us so that's pretty much the message tonight. That's what I'm thinking. The play by Darnell Nurse, that's not a hockey play. The cross-check to the head of Bifield who hasn't returned, we hope he's okay. When you saw that happen, what's going through your mind when you see something like that happen on the ice? I just said about their game plan Tryna hurt us. So it's like a Denny Lemieux type of

But You know like Corey Perry after the game wasn't happy with it Perry's on he's doing his thing these days, right? Reacting to everything he's kind of being the spokesman of the team with McDavid not playing and dry subtle But I think then always was right. Uh, but how would you feel about that kind of commentary if you're on the oilers? I would, okay, first I would, even though I think we can all take a step back and say, yeah, that's right. Like that would barely be an exhibition game lineup that they played last night. They're their top five, six, seven players not playing.

So the B squad lineup while, would also piss me off. Once I am Hayes, as an example, we're playing, I was with Tampa, we're not a good team, we're playing in Montreal, we beat them. And Dries Briesbaugh, who turns out to be a nice guy, but at the time I'm like, shut the up, because he sat up the game. Top of that effect, I can't believe we lost that team,

that team barely belongs in the NHL, or something to that effect. And we're all like, well, that may be true. We may be in last place. Like you take such great offense as an athlete, as a competitor to anything like that. Uh, so I get the reaction, the B-squad reaction, even though it's probably true. I also think the idea, like they never would have said in the room, right? They would have said, listen guys, we're not going to have our best lineup,

but let's make sure to take our pound of flush they wouldn't have had to say it but it was sort of be understood like we're gonna make this game physical we're gonna make it nasty yeah and if we want to take a run at someone because we're losing the game whatever that's that's okay that was the thought process Johnny we might go down tonight but we better we better take a truck with us yeah that's it that's it and and again he's probably right but no one wants to say it. And as far as I don't know if you guys, I don't want to diminish it with dumb,

darn ill-nourished, he should get fined or whatever. He didn't club byfield that hard the second time. He just sort of like leaned on them. Yeah. He's not missing playoff games. No, I was going to say like, it looked bad and it was intentional and things were getting chippy at the time. So maybe he's got to get fined or something or maybe they suspended the last game whatever But it wasn't I would watch that and he like it wasn't a violent act which would warrant severe discipline So yes, it was not great, but it wasn't I've seen worse. Yes Exactly, you've seen worse frequently Yeah

I could see them the gratuitous last game of the year suspension just to kind of settled things down before the series starts that's not going to do anything because nurses can be playing a game yet like the series is going to be crazy and i'm i'm fearful i'm worried about it and i'm very worried for everything you know what there might be before i was stuck with them and then they write the ship and now they've wronged the ship

But at home is such a massively important player for them. There is no replacing him Remember when he arrived two years ago They went on that what 22 and three run as a season because he just sets everything up on their back end And he works so well with Bouchard and you take him out and then, you know, Dreisel hasn't played in a while. McDavid's on 99 points. He obviously doesn't care since he's just resting and rather than try to get his hundredth point, um, Kane hasn't played all year. Hyman's missed him, you know, the last 10 days as well.

Like even as healthy, it would have been close to a toss up with you're going up against the best home team in the league with home ice You take all these guys either out of the lineup or at a you know somewhat Injured state. I mean, I think LA should be the favorite and they will be given the situations. Yeah yet on Fandel It's still Edmonton. Yeah, I think that's really yeah a slight favorite a slight favorite That's the power favorite over L.A. minus 128, I believe. But that's that's the power of McDavid and Drysettel.

Yeah, that's what it is. And the history of it. Yes. And the history. It's got a battle of Ontario vibe back in the day where it didn't matter what what the Kings were doing or what the Ottawa Senators were doing or who was playing for the Leafs, the Leafs won. And I'm thinking that that's the expectation here is Edmonton will find a way to make this work, but they don't know like who's playing in net, Eckholm's out, he's not playing. So who's in net, you don't have your best defenseman,

Dry Settle's banged up. Maybe he's 90%, 95%, I don't know, but he's banged up. Other guys are not having career years. It just doesn't, it doesn't feel good at all. Like it doesn't feel positive for the Edmonton Oilers. Yeah. They're just slower and smaller. Thanks. Like you take out Fogel, McLeod who's here tonight in Buffalo, had 50 points in Buffalo. Fogel had what, 23 goals.

Holloway we've talked a lot about. Goldberg we've talked a lot about. These are significant players that played on their third and fourth line last year and they've you know they don't have most both our players available to them and again that i am spandering and that's why they're not sure the i c he thought you they're not sure either but i would expect him to have

the play that's a boost if he can keep up like again he has played in the year so like what here's a question for you. Evander Kane or Gabriel Lannisgog who makes more of an impact in the first round? Kane. Kane? Just be, I'm just going by time, man. Lannisgog's played a couple of games.

He hit a couple of points in the American League, but looked pretty good. I'm with Olo. Like, I think, without understanding what the sort of intangible edition of Lannisgog might do with leadership and all that stuff. Um, you know, I think Kane, if he's healthy, he's younger, he's gonna be faster. He's gonna be closer to what his optimum, like if Lannis got comes back, even if he comes back, is he going to be what 80 70 60, which still might be good enough to play. Where the pain comes back,

he'll be closer to whatever a hundred percent is for him. If he's It's fine with him though, I think Kane would probably have a chance and You know if Evander Kane comes back He's playing, he's gonna play with a good player. Like he's not gonna be on the checking line Whereas Landis Dogg might be on the fourth line if he comes back. Yes, still a remarkable story, man Yeah, amazing. I tuned into American League highlights to see what happened. I was that interested. So it tells you all you need to know I know it's amazing. It's a truly an amazing amazing story Alright, Johnny leaf sabers tonight. It's a big one Battle of Ontario could be established in about four hours

If they win are they hanging a banner? They can't oh I wouldn't put it past them a division. Division banners? Those go up in the Raptors? Those go up in the summer. Those are going up. It's not going up game one of the playoffs. You're on that for a minute because I don't know if that's okay. It shouldn't go up but I think it might go up. I think there's Raptors division. Is that division banner up? I don't think the north divisions up. Now you can have maybe one or a division banner that if it's like division winner a just put the years you like sixteen of the year that happened yeah i like that class you know

i thought of an individual banner free time happens but it's like every subsequent year yet at another year to that's right yeah that's the one how old and actual banner yet right that. That, okay, there's your suggestion. MLSC, make that work. Suggestion box, we'll put it in there. Perfect, thank you, Johnny. All right, boys, have a good night. Mike Johnson joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline,

drive the built-in Canada fuel-efficient, fun to drive Toyota RAV4 gas or hybrid models available. Visit mapletoyota.com. Look that up, Dougie, if they have have like I'm sure the Raptors have won they got them up in the banner I know like individual years or like Johnny said like I believe wanted an old 407 in 2017 2018 I don't know I you know I just why not pop a banner on we're talking about Landis Gogh Colorado better hope that he he can get back to being a useful piece that contract will be an anchor how many years does he have left he still has after this season three more years

left at seven million yeah but doesn't don't they get relief if the guy just retires yes exactly exactly and he won't retire He'll go on long-term. I like if you can't play or it doesn't work. I can't play anymore But you're right. I mean, what are you gonna do though? The guy's clearly he's happy to your plane He could have done this already. That's amazing. I'm in three years. The guy's been grinding. Yeah his credit and he's back All right. We got leaf sabers tonight on TSM radio and on TSN for All right, we got Leafs Sabres tonight on TSN Radio and on TSN4. Make a good one tonight. Could be banner night for the Leafs. You remember the saying that we're getting rid of day by day, we're chiseling away at

it. The leafiest thing ever of no more. Yep, no more of it. Leafiest thing ever. Oh yeah, there it is. See, they do do the division champs. They add to the years whenever they win it. Not individual ones. They'll do an Eastern Conference champ and a championship

banner but they'll add to the years so that'll the Leafs will do that if they win the division we'll have a little divisional banner up there I like it and I appreciate it all right we'll catch on the panel tonight we got an hour left conformer than I coming up and Steve Phillips on what's up with the J's offense what can we expect out of them tonight his take on one so those comments last night as well just after six o'clock overdrive continues tsn ten fifty and on tsn four i can either confirm or deny that uh... that this is in fact a signal

and and it's been my honor and a privilege to serve as a to Toronto in exchange for the rights to Tuca Arras. It's been my honor and a privilege to serve as the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club. It's time for confirm or deny. Do you regret giving all those gentlemen the no trades or no movement clauses? I can either confirm or deny that.

I can't confirm or deny that. All right, confirm or deny. Statements are made. We either confirm them or we deny them. Very simple stuff. Very simple stuff. Love it. And there's a lot to get to here including I'm seeing something on Pat McAfee's feed that Rich Paul was on there earlier I guess with him. Oh? We might have to get that audio and play it about the big three area era in Miami and how now they're trying to change history

and the way it's defined and the way it's... I mean this is LeBron. So I'm just reading the clip. I'd rather play it, we'll get to it. But what I read was that Rich Paul, who represents LeBron, is suggesting it wasn't really a big three era. It was a big two with depth, with the elite depth. In other words, it was LeBron and D Wade

and Chris Bosh wasn't really a part of the big three, which to me- Hall of Famer. A's in the Hall of Fame, B, he jumped first. Like he went first and then LeBron went through his whole scheme. But also like it's so disrespectful to Chris Bosch, who was a really, really good player. Like you said, he's in the

Hall of Fame. Outrageous. But this is such a blatant LeBron. Like now it's- So why are we spinning this 10 years later? My guess- What's the point of this? It's always about LeBron and Jordan. And Jordan had Pippen and you could argue Rodman but Rodman was not a big three he was more elite depth that's what it feels like to me revisionist history or trying to update the debate and I hope nobody falls for it because the idea that that wasn't a big three is absurd Chris Bosh in 2010 was seven year was in the prime of his career in a Hall of Fame career. He was a 2010 stud that did fit in well because he had to take a back seat.

There's no denying that, that it was LeBron first, then Wade, then Bosch. But that's like the big three in Boston. I would say Ray Allen was the third guy. But it was still a big three. Yes, it was Paul Pearson, KG, one and two, and then Ray Allen. But third guy, but he was still a big three. Yes, it was Paul Pearson KG one and two and then Ray Allen, but Allen played a massive role in that. No one's looking back and saying, actually it was Paul Pearson KG and elite depth. No.

Like that's just... I just don't know why... ...suggest that Chris Bosh was not a serious player. Well, 10 years later, that's what kind of irks me is why we're revisiting this. There's just no sense to it in my opinion. Yeah, well, I can tell you what my guess is, it's always because of LeBron doesn't get enough love and LeBron is getting propped up and look at LeBron's teammates who he's had throughout his career. But there's enough, like that one year in Cleveland, it was the first year Kyrie got hurt and then he dragged that team all the way through and I think they end up losing to Golden State in six.

Like he dragged that ragtag bunch like you can sit there and still say look at it. He went to eight straight finals. You don't have to sit here and clown on Chris Bosch and be like, yeah, you know, that's the thing that we're gonna sit here and kind of pick apart. And is that next Kevin Love is gonna play that role? Like when you look back at the Cavs teams, was it actually LeBron and Kyrie? Like why stop at Bosch? Like how about Kevin Love?

You know, and I don't know who their third best player would have been in LA when they won in the bubble. It was him and Davis. M-A-D. I don't remember who that was. Might have been in LA when they won in the bubble. It was him and Davis. M-A-D. I don't remember who that was. Might have been just the twos. That you can make the argument. Yes, there you go.

And now you got Luca. Like Austin Reeves is clearly not a big three. Again, he's not the equivalent of what Bosch is or what Kevin Love was. No. Like he is clearly an elite depth third option with the Lakers. Yes, it is LeBron and Luca. But yeah, that to me is unsettling because even though Bosch left the Raptors high and dry, he went down there. And Chris is a good guy that has always handled the pressure really, really well. And I think he understood his role in that. We have it this is Rich Paul okay here we go Rich Paul and Pat McAfee

earlier this afternoon. All right there you go I couldn't quite hear all of it in here but I'll trust the the quotes that I saw are accurate and anyway this will be a story now Rich Paul why why is it will be and now tomorrow all over ESPN it's gonna be was Chris Bosh actually a part of the big three or was he just an elite depth player and what does it mean for the legacy of LeBron and what does it mean for LeBron versus my MBA is always bonkers yeah like we're right but the plaster started the plan is tonight yeah are we talking about that get it go yes fifteen years ago makes no sense

yeah nobody cares fifteen years ago they started in Miami fifteen LeBron is playing in the playoffs later this week for a very good Lakers team anyway confirmed that are you ready to get let's get into it here else brother all right in a caps versus Canadian series which I still believe will happen, I think the Habs are going to punch their ticket, last night stung a little bit, but I think they're going to get there and they will play Washington. Yvonne Demidov will create more buzz than Alex Ovechkin. Oh, deny.

Deny. It's still Alex Ovechkin here. We're still talking about the number one goal scorer of all time. Like I get it, there's a lot of hype right now with Demidov, but like it's got to be Ovi, you know? That just seems like you're you're a prisoner of the moment with Demidov. Oh, I am undoubtedly a prisoner of the moment, but I'm also well aware of the difference between the Montreal Hockey Market and the Washington Hockey Market. Oh, I get that, but. And that's how you create buzz is where you play.

Yes. And that's my thing. Can overcome all of that. Yes, he can. We witnessed that a couple of weeks ago. He should be larger than life. He is larger than life. Absolutely. In terms of who he is and what he's done. But like anything he does in the playoffs is just a bonus now. Now that he's caught Gretzky, his legacy is secured.

Anything he does now is a bonus. That said,. Now that he's Kogretsky, his legacy is secured, anything he does now is a bonus. That said, you're the one seed you're expected to win. They will be huge favorites against the Habs. They should win that series and he will have to factor into that victory. If they lose, he's going to take heat. He should. He's the captain of a team that could choke away a series that they should win. But I'm actually going to confirm this because really because of Montreal. That's what I'm

talking about. Like Demidov in the playoffs making his playoff debut. If he performs, and listen, he's got to be careful because the playoffs is a different beast. Last night defensively I don't know if he's like, I don't know how much St. Louis is even going to play. They were playing Chicago. I understand that. They're playing Chicago I understand they're playing Chicago I understand that I'm a prisoner in a moment I am a prisoner of the moment but I just feel like Oh Ovi popped a week ago ten years ago like that was the ultimate Ovechkin I can't believe it he's Donny past Gretzky all of the oxygen was directed towards him ever since that moment Washington's been pushed completely aside now that will it'll change once you get back to the playoffs. When you're in the

Stanley Cup playoffs you're gonna have your moment, you're gonna have your spotlight. I guess I'm saying from a Canadian perspective, obviously in Washington, I'm sure on ESPN, TNT and all that, it's gonna be OV and it should be. Of course it should be. I'm saying because this kid is playing for the Habs, now it's a different world in Montreal. Can I spin it back to you with a little confirmed or deny? Yes, confirmed or deny Ivan demidoff makes more It's more action than Lane Hudson Who has that could counteract like if you're talking all Hudson then you're right a demidoff's not so I think you're right

How did you other making his playoff debut listen Suzuki was there in 21 yes but it was not feeling coffee I made it they was a rookie just come out of college yeah but it was the Leafs and over time yes and it was it was they went to the cup final that year so they gained a ton of experience there was a lot to it but the last few years it feels like a reset for the whole organization for sure like it feels like Suzuki's walking into a new era here in coffee so there's gonna be a lot of excitement that will be spread throughout the lineup presuming they make it I think Hudson you make a good point because Hudson's going to

play he's gonna play a ton of minutes oh yeah like you're gonna dance with you know the girl you brought to the dance you know she she he is going to play a ton demidov come playoff time they may not play in like twenty minutes a night that's what i mean that you have a lead the third period in the may skip some shifts that is a hundred percent valid but uh... i don't know i'm kind of a common one i think it was a lot of the demidov hype

there but i think it wanes off okay that's what i think confirmed that i've latamir guer jr. has more pressure to succeed than any other Toronto athlete. It's so tough like I mean there's a lot of pressure on these Leafs because they haven't quite gotten over that hump so as a team I think there's a lot of pressure but no one's making 500 million dollars and I think that's where the pressure really is Gonna come so I I'm going to I'm gonna confirm it I think there's more pressure on Vladimir now than there would be on a Marner or a Matthews or a Nylander just simply because the guy's making half a billion dollars. Mm-hmm that comes with expectation

Yes, and I think long-term that is likely going to be the case. I'm gonna deny it because of the moment, again prisoner of the moment. The playoffs begin for the Leafs in less than a week. There is nothing like playoff pressure in Toronto when it comes to the Maple Leafs, especially with their top dogs, and I would counter. 500 million dollars is absurd. We've never seen anything even close to it in this city he's not the highest paid player in the league Austin Matthews is the highest paid player in

the NHL and I think the pressure that's my number one guy there there shouldn't be more pressure on Vlad E even though he signed this deal that doesn't kick in until next year. Vladdy's got a lot of pressure. He's got to perform, he's got to be better, he's got to play a big, big role in this team succeeding. He has to. We saw the presser yesterday. The reason they've committed to him is so that he will be a main piece in a World Series winning team. He's got to play that role. Matthews has been here for nine years. Matthews is the face of the most popular team, the most storied team in the city. Yeah. The captain, the highest paid player on the team, highest paid player in the league. He's got to perform. He's got to perform. Unquestioned. As much as 500, I understand it. I I get it and we'll get there

For me, it's Vladimir still he's still behind at least Matthews if not Matthews Marner Maybe Nylander but Doug doesn't that kind of like when you look at almost like the demedove Hudson thing when there's Three guys to shoulder the blame you can kind of point to three different people that share it we're Vladimir I mean, that's one guy. Yes, that, that's failure for the Blue Jays if he does absolutely nothing going forward. Yeah and you're right in terms of like the other guys also it's about team success and and that's what the real the pressure comes comes from and obviously that is going to apply to Vladi but we're 17 games into the year and when you get paid that kind of money in a sport

where the individual, you gotta just do your own thing. Right, like you're up there on your own. Yeah, exactly. Like you gotta be a good teammate and you gotta defensively be sound and you gotta run the bases properly and you gotta pick your teammates. There's elements of the sport that are team related,

but in baseball really it is, have you hit home runs? Do you slug? How do you control the strike zone? Are you a guy that is striking fear in the opponent? And guys in the dugout aren't gonna help you in that. No. So from his standpoint, it is more like he's got pressure to individually put up numbers to justify things.

But I think with the Leafs being where they are right now if they clench the division if it's the Battle of Ontario it's still Matthew's at the forefront. All right I'll concede on that one. Okay. I'll concede. All right confirmed and I continuing here what else do I have I've got this one for you Rory McIlerel confirmed that i rory mackerel will win at least one more major this season this season three more in the tank

for rory he's riding a high right now leaving a gust of national in a green jacket confirm it feeling good confirm monkeys office back that's what i think i think the pressure of that it's off his back he's playing some great golf i'll confirm i think rory can win himself one more okay i have a difficult time getting there after eleven years of saying what is

happening with this guy you know i mean and he's already he's already had a year that he would sign off on forever i was one of our families won the players and he's won the masters he could not finished if you finished outside the top 10 every tournament he played the rest of the year he wouldn't care. If you told him I'll give you the Masters on its own he would take. Probably. Masters with the players and Pebble Beach he'd say where do I sign up? So I am, I am curious to see, you know, does he ride a high to the point where he's

like all right I'm putting my feet up for a while or does this make him really kind of choke down and realize I can do this and I've done it now and I'm going to keep shutting people up? That's what I like to see. A real fork in the road. I want to see the ladder. I want to see him say, get me to Quail Hollow for the PGA and I'm going to torch this place. Well, he was supposed to be like the next guy, right? Like back Tiger when Tiger was going through his thing. It's okay who can golf turn to you can get to 10 12 15

majors right and it started off very well the guy was unbelievable early in his career and then he went on that dry spell and it all came to a close this past weekend and I just think now with all that kind of pressure off his back he can go out there when one more tournament just to be like I have achieved what I was set out to do. It took me a while right took him a while to get that done but if he can win two majors this year and get the Masters get that checked off the bucket list yeah I mean your PJ player of the year you're probably gonna win the FedEx then you're going into the Ryder Cup on American soil at Bethpage Black in New York it's going to be incredible. I'm going to confirm it because I want to confirm it. I know that's a cop out I want to believe in that and I think their courses that set up very well

for him to compete. I expect that he'll make the cut and be in the running it's just there's other guys too like Scheffler is going to be in it, Shroffley is going to get it together here, DeChambeau is going to be in a lot of ways going to get it together here uh... to shambles going to get it together he's going to be in the hot we get to the u.s. open that has been a bit of a hollow he's going to be in it uh... so this top competition there's no guarantees but uh... it's amazing how his reputation is changed like that like i have time last week it's like i don't know what mac or i don't know if

he's ever going to win or what are we gonna think of when we think of McElroy we'll think of him throwing away majors. Sunday at about 11 a.m. you're thinking that. Yeah like what's this guy gonna do? And then again at 1228 it just kept going again and going. And he choked it on 18 and it's like oh my god he's gonna do this again. It just kept going and going. But he did it. But he did it. He did it but he did it he did and that's like you'll do it again he's okay you but you sold me on this Steve Phillips in about 20 minutes Nico Harrison your boy the GM of the Mavs had a very very unique press

conference it wasn't even a press conference there's a roundtable today we'll tell you about that and continue to look ahead to leaf sabers tonight the Jays of course playing the Braves down at the Dome. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on the TSN app. All right, today's best bets are powered by Fandual. Make your picks and assemble a same game parlay in seconds on the Fandual Sportsbook app. Alist Brother, do you have like a bonanza parlay that you want to play right now?

I do and we talked about a little earlier how tonight is Milestone Watch. How about a little milestone parlay? I love it. Maple Leafs they win tonight they win the division so let's go. Lease money line. Austin Matthews needs one more goal to hit 400 on his career. Austin Matthews anytime goal. Mitch Marner needs one point to hit a hundred points for the first time. Add in Mitch Marner points. So lease money Matthew's goal Marner one plus point that pays plus 288 Oh, I love that parlay Would you call it the milestone parlay milestone parlay? All right, and it's powered by Fandor alive same game parlay's are now available for every NHL game on the Fandor sportsbook app

Please play responsibly 19 plus physically located in Ontario the Fandol Sportsbook app, please play responsibly 19 plus, physically located in Ontario. So Nico Harrison, your boy, the GM of the Dallas Mavericks in one of the more gutless plays in history, for the first time since the Luca trade, had a roundtable with select members of the media in Dallas, where there were were no cameras allowed and no recording devices allowed. So in other words this guy basically was like let's go back to the 1940s or the 1800s and you can bring in a pad of paper and a pen and you can write down some quotes. Newspaper guys. Yes, basically it's newspaper guys. It's like he was just at Augusta and he said I love this no cell phones we're gonna bring this to my pressers and to me it just doesn't I

understand he's under attack like he is he is and right one he's a man in Dallas for trading Luca like I'm sorry he ruined the franchise how they didn't perceive or understand what the reaction was gonna be or project what the reaction is gonna be is completely tone- tone deaf and crazy and delusional how you didn't know people were going to lose it and never trust you again. No. But it has been constant and it didn't help that Luke had just rolled through town and put 45 on the board and the Lakers slapped them around. That was not helpful. But I'm sorry if you're the GM of the club you got to just get up and do your pressers. You can't run from it for the rest of your life.

It's his job to do that, Hayes. your life It's his job to do that Hayes Yeah It's his job to do that and it's his job to come out and I fully Expect him to still sit here and defend his decision. It was only a couple of months ago that he made it I mean, I guess based on how the season went he can sit there and say well, you know I suppose it was a bad move. You can't say that yet 15 years down the line and a tell-all book. I guarantee you he's gonna say the biggest regret of my career was trading Luca I guarantee you're calling that shot

15 years from now and that guy's all done and he's chilling in Galveston. Maybe he is going to regret that decision or The tell-all is gonna be the owner forced me to do it. He'll buckle and blame somebody else You know where the president said or whatever, but I I hear you and it's very it's it's gonna fall on deaf ears Whatever his explanation is gonna be sent because he was saying today like defense wins championships, which is what he said right after the deal But he's really committed to that that he's like I'm telling you when we win you're gonna understand and he used other analogies in in in the sport in terms of different traits that do not hold water to this one like

they're they're completely on different different levels there's no parallels between what he had been comparing earlier today but the idea that you put for stipulations and there's a part of me that is surprised the media in Dallas didn't say we don't accept those terms like collectively we don't accept those terms if you want to talk with us if you want to have a media press conference you have to have microphones and cameras like it's just it's it's crazy that this guy sir Bay is like yeah I'm yeah yeah and they got a got a playing game yeah you know

and it's almost like he knows we're not going anywhere here I got to get out of here disappear do my media behind closed doors and I'll see you next September but this story is not going away and if a Lakers and Luka go on a run if Luka drags them to a finals and wins one that's it it's over like Dal he'll just never be able to ever, ever, ever recover. No. And there's a part of me that kind of wants to see that happen. I want to see that happen.

Yeah, that'd be kind of crazy. Alright, final half hour coming up. The pregame's starting up soon. Bonesy and Ralphie with the call tonight. Steve Phillips will join us into the next hour. Teen Upleaf Sabres Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on TSN 2. Loud and proud. An all-new digital radio station from coast to coast. Made in Canada. Played in Canada. On the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca. It's gonna get loud.