OverDrive - OverDrive - April 16, 2025 - Hour 1

Episode Date: April 16, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys discuss the Battle of Ontario between the Maple Leafs and Senators, how the teams matchup against each other and Toronto clinching the Atlantic Division title. Former NHL Forward Gary Roberts on the Battle of Ontario rewind between the Maple Leafs and Senators, the success on the ice and Craig Berube's coaching mentality for the team.

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Join today and be part of something amazing. This Hour of Overdrive is powered by FanDuel. FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. All right, here we go, Overdrive off and running. TSN 1050 on the TSN app your home smart speaker and up on TSN 4 Brian Hayes, Yoduck, Jeff O'Neill, Jamie Noodles, McLennan. What's going on? What a day we're about to have. I am jacked up for this afternoon. Jacked up. Congrats Hayes, Atlantic Division champs. Congratulations on the Atlantic Division champs for the Leafies last night.

And the Blue Jays are on fire. They won today 19 strikeouts. That is a new team record for a nine inning game. And your boy, yeah, your boy was listening. He hit a home run. Man, you look happy Hayes. There's some dark... Like there was a couple weeks ago, it was like the raps got crushed the Jays got crushed the Leafs got rocked and you looked really miserable But man that look off the top you got something cooking right now Yeah, I do man I do because yet you said it Vlad he hit a moonshot to left this afternoon. They take two or three

They went another series. They're back on top of the American League East feeling very good with a day off tomorrow and we have what we wanted, the Battle of Ontario. That's what we want. I would have been fine. Toronto, Tampa would be fun. Toronto, Florida would be a lot of fun. But this is what I think we've been waiting for for a long time because I was talking with Dougie and duty to be school back in watching clips of like gary robert scoring in triple overtime and talker being a little bit of a well-being it wasn't a lot of was he ten years was barely a lot of us in around that that do you was around so he's like you have gone back to like rewatch stuff you know when steve

thomas scored a big goal back in the day i'm like all right you go and do that do you need but uh... at the same time you know you laugh about it you guys were in the nhl at that time i i was in school i was running casinos at ease and we get a chance to actually talk about the battle of ontario for the next couple weeks so i'm excited for this it's going to be great yeah i remember watching the series because I think one of the years, or no, maybe Toronto had to beat Ottawa, then the Islanders to get to us.

But I remember watching Toronto saying, man, if we get them, that is a pile of problems. Like they're, you know, the saying like that guy's a problem. Really? Like that whole team is a problem that i was the other robin i was the other way i i i broke somebody's heart yesterday was like you remember those battle of ontario i'm like now they weren't a problem in the league nobody feared either one of those teams it was detroit's league it was colorado's league it was

new jersey's like those teams i thought they were great but i i didn't playing against him i was like i didn't see them as running deep under the guy like was so rattled with me but I maybe I was wrong like what years were we talking about that were like these these were like the craziest like battles you know what I mean well I mean it was from 99 up until the lockout they played four different rounds now the Leafs won every year so Ottawa I can understand your point I mean Ottawa never got past so you know the Leafs though I was in the league I'm talking it was like yeah no I understand I get what you're saying and you're you're not wrong in retrospect

obviously I mean Colorado won cups in Detroit won cups in the Devils won cups and the Leafs never did but you know in-2000 the Leafs made it to a conference final that was the last time they won a division the Atlantic division which happened 25 years ago and then in 0-2 they ran into Carolina and they had beaten Ottawa I think in the first round that year and that's when they ran into you guys but yeah it was I mean it was a long time ago and that's the point is that now none of these players none of the executives none of the owners are the same on either side it's a it's a completely different world we're living

in now I'm looking I think it's gonna be awesome on a lot of different fronts yeah yeah it's gonna be awesome like for years Hayes the Ottawa Senators seem like they didn't have that intangible to deal with Darcy Tucker or Gary Roberts or whatever, but now they got this monster in Brady Kachak and he is going to be the guy, wouldn't you say initiating? Like he is going to be the Tucker, he is going to be the Roberts and I don't know, everybody keeps asking me, and there's not one guy because Toronto just doesn't have it, they're like,

how are they gonna deal with that guy? I'm like, you're not dealing with them, you try to contain them, but if you think you're gonna go fight them or hit for hit, they don't have a guy to go deal with that guy. Well, and that's the interesting thing about the history of this battle and what it used to be was that the roles have really reversed here because Ottawa was a team that was really good during the regular season you could

argue talent for talent they may have had more you know talented players I think Sandin was at the top of the list like Mats Mats was pretty consistently the best player in all of those series yeah but you know Alfred Sin is in the Hall of Fame Hose is in the Hall of Fame, Danny Heatley when he arrived was obviously a really really good player, Jason Spezza was a great talent and that's what the Leafs represented was they were bigger, they were bolder and they were gonna run you out of the building. Now the game has changed too right there's no clutching and grabbing anymore, you're not expected

to win one nothing or two one. But yeah, the shoe was on the other foot in terms of the Leafs and what they've done during the regular season. Yet you go into this series for Toronto and you know we expected it likely starts on Sunday. That is not written in stone. We got to see what happens in Montreal tonight. I'm sure until you know the league figures out exactly what they're gonna do with the schedule. But this is a scenario for the Leafs where I was thinking about it last night and we'll get to the game last night.

And it was a fun game, fun night. A lot of guys got what they were looking for and you know. They checked all the boxes. They checked every possible box last night. But you look over the last eight years and going into this year, the ninth year of the Matthews Marner, Nylander era. I have it on my scorecard,

I'm curious how you guys see it, as the Columbus series where they were a clear favorite, the Montreal series where they were a clear favorite, and before the series start, I would argue that they were a favorite against Florida. Now it turned out they shouldn't have been and it wasn't gonna work out that way. Does that take away from the fact

that they were the favorite going into the suit? They were the favorite going in, absolutely. Florida was the eighth seed, down 3-1, Bob got hot, they got past Boston, people were saying bring on Florida. They were the favorites. This is the fourth time they are going to be a definitive favorite in a series. And you know, they're the one seed, they're going up against the second wild card team, they're going up against a team where they're star players, they're the one seed they're going up against the second wild card team They're going up against the team where their star players their best players don't have a ton of playoff experience

So it's on a platter for you. Like if you're the Leafs You got to win this series like there's other coin flips in the past against Tampa But I'm gonna say it now before we even get there I know what you said, but I've also heard you about a month and a half ago what you were talking about I think you described it as your ultimate nightmare fuel and this is what you said my ultimate nightmare is they get the first spot and they get Ottawa and they lose the series that is your ultimate nightmare fuel you have to admit that that That will haunt you. Yes, it is. It haunts the show.

And the final episode of Overdrive will just be that, what's that stupid song we play whenever the Leafs get beat out? Hello Darkness, My Old Friend. That's the song we're supposed to play. Simon and Garfunkel. Yeah, all three hours. We're not even gonna be on the air.

That's the truth, man. It is the one thing Leaf fans have been clutching and been holding on to for the last 20 years is that the Battle of Ontario has broken the way of the Leafs every single time. And that is what will add insult to injury if it doesn't break their way. If they don't win this series, there's going to be a full referendum on the Core Four, on Shanahan, the Shanna plan plan all that kind of stuff but what will add insult to injury is it's not just that the Leafs would have lost again in the playoffs it's who they would lose to this time losing to Ottawa on their first time back in the playoffs

when you won the division and everything's broken your way and you're healthy and ready to go that's to be heartbreaking for Leafs fans. If it happens, that one will be very difficult for them to accept. There's no dancing around that. So what do you... Hayes, you were laying out, so you think it's that they're about, this is the fourth one, like it was Montreal, Columbus, Florida, and then this one, you believe that they should win as far as being favored.

Yes. I think so. Well, no, I'm saying in terms of being a i mean there's no guarantees that say you should win just being a little course i'm not it i'm not done by my daughter sitting here predicting anything what i'm telling you is the way the books would indicate it and i think with the way the market would indicate it is that they are there the clear

favorites here like and i get their history and that's where they've got to own that history, but they're the one seed playing a wild-card team and they have, you know, their best players, the best players on this in this series are on the Maple Leafs and they got to win this. That's what I'm saying. That's my point is that it's, this is closer to where they were against Montreal three years ago, four years ago, ago we know what happened in that series but you're in ottawa you tell us what you tell what what is the general attitude around the team

and the marketplace in terms of how autowall is kind of feeling about this i think they should be treating it like they're they're the underdogs that that that there's no doubt about but i don't look at it i i think they're treating it like it's a 60-40. It's not 90-10 Yeah, that's the and and that would be fair because if you look at it like you know We always talk about you know the whiteboard and all of that if you lay things out. Yeah, clearly Austin Matthews is

You know the best player or should be the best player in the series But then you look at okay who the goal to how matchup, how the D matchup, how the depth of the organization's matchup. I think that's where I think people in Ottawa are going okay this might look a little bit different or might you know might break out a little bit more even than just we'll call it a 90-10 split. So that's I think you got to play the games but you're right like in laying out I don't think there's anybody in Ottawa waking up today going, hey, you know, we're going to just handle the Maple Leafs because we beat them three

times in the regular season. I don't think that matters. But I do believe as much as I said this the other day, as much as people in Toronto wanted Ottawa based on their, you know, where they are in the standings and all that. Ottawa was wanted Toronto as well because they didn't want the Florida team. So I think it matches up well for both sides and that's, I think that's a fair assessment is everything you laid out was a fair assessment going, yeah, one team is the top of the division, the team first time in, but you got to play the games and see how it unfolds.

That's it. They're saying the same thing. The Ottawa Senators are just basically laying out what you just laid out, Hayes. Yes, they have a better record. They're going to have home ice advantage, but let's go through what this group of players in Toronto has done in the past five or six years in the playoffs, and the answer is squat. So why can't we just jump into the party and be a part of the same kind of misery for them? Because everyone else is doing it, why can't we? They have a difficult

time winning in the playoffs, so let's go through some tape, we know what the players are, it's the same cast of characters, and let's find out what they struggle with and why they don't succeed. And we're going to apply the same thing and see if we can do the same thing to them. Yes, Auston Matthews is the best player on the ice. Mitch Marner is probably second. But they got a goaltender who can absolutely go nuts in the playoffs, Mr. Pink Scarf. He can be dangerous. So they're going to just say, let's find out.

Let's ask around to our buddies around the league. What did you do against these guys? What's up with these guys? How do they play in the playoffs? It's not hard to figure out what the recipe is. Absolutely, man. Absolutely. So they're going to say the same thing. We want to be the next Columbus. We want to be Florida. We want to be whoever. The Boston Bruins, they've had a difficult time winning.

So let's go find out why. And let's, like if you remember that one game in Toronto, Ottawa played pretty stiff. Like they were, had a solid, kind of manly game where it was like, that's just one game, but that's an example. They could just look at that game and say, that's why we had success in that one. And that's what we got to bring to the table. Plus, plus, plus, because it's playoffs. Yeah, and that's, you know, you got to get through the next game, the last game, the most meaningless game of the last game, the most meaningless

game of the year for so many teams in the league. Wow, dude, those are dreadful. Yeah, you know, you got to play it. And the least played tomorrow, Ottawa plays tomorrow. You got to get through it. And then you probably, you got one eye, I'm sure, on Sunday. You probably, each team's going to have a day off on Friday. You get to the rink on Saturday, Ottawa will fly in and then it's gonna start feeling very serious and very real and yeah, listen

I I think we all can concede that we've conceded that for years that other teams are not going to be fearful of the Maple Leafs Until they give you a reason to fear them They have to do that. They have to go out there and that means winning four games. Not just three again They were up 3-1 on on the Habs They've been up 3-2 in series and haven't been able to close. So I think Ottawa will feel comfortable. I think they should feel comfortable But it is I guess again the point I was I was getting to about you know When they played Columbus when they played the Habs even when they played Florida here You get a scenario where they don't they don't have the trump card in terms of winning experience in the playoffs

but they do in terms of games played you know the words like matthews marner neil and her tomorrow's compared to stutzler could chuck batherson cousins those guys have never played a playoff game but none of the for sends i just mentioned they've never played in the playoffs and show a lot action on is another word that obviously sanderson's another one and

uh... so you know there these are these are it's gonna be interesting to see if the least big boys take advantage of that you know they show up in the impose the world because this should play out if his if you want to use you know uh use another reference from the Leafs past, that first year the Leafs got into the playoffs,

remember they played Washington, and Washington had been to the playoffs every year and kept stubbing their toe. And it was Ovechkin and Williams and Baxter and Carlson and Holtby, and it was like these guys, they had to win, they had to, the pressure was all on Washington. The Leafs were up 2-1 in that series at one point and Washington eventually put it together and so we got to figure this out.

Yeah, but it wasn't with that group, like it wasn't with that Justin Williams, like it was a different year, like they ultimately didn't get it done. That year, you're right. Yeah, that year. But they beat the Leafs. They beat the Leafs. Of course, yes, yes. They were, and then they just, I don't know, I just always say, do these guys sit and have beers or go for dinner? And I don't know, I just wonder what they talk about. Like I wonder what they talk about what's gone on in the past, if it makes them sick. I always do it at this time of year because I always think of what could be.

Because people talk about the excitement in different cities and people going to play off games. This market as far as hockey, you just saw a basketball team win a championship here in 2019. It was pretty crazy down there it would be that times ten if this team could could take it deep and get to a final like i'd just i want to see it i hear people over the me say god just one time just one time do i want to see this

yeah i'm creeping up on fifty and i'm starting to say i just want to see what i just want to see a run right now well and that's you look at again the the battle of ontario it it effectively expired in all four auto went to a cup final in oh seven and they went to a conference final in sixteen i believe it was uh... like auto walk ever like the least just kind of turn left and went their direction in auto i kept plugging along and kept

playing and performing in uh... Leafs just kind of turned left and went their direction and Ottawa kept plugging along and kept playing and performing and you're right about what the market is ready to do and I do think the Leafs are peaking at the right time. Like they won again last night, they're 12-2-1 in the last 15. Stoll-Lars is eight known as last eight stars, three shutouts with a 9.50 save percentage.

You're healthy. I think McCabe's gonna be ready. I think Ekman Larson's gonna be ready. You got home ice. Like this, it's on a platter for you. They've earned it because they won the division. You know, they had to go get it. Tampa won last night.

Like Tampa was chasing them and Florida was chasing them. Ottawa was right on their tails a month ago. But you've won the division. Marner hit 100 points. A lot of things have broken your way this year. It's been won the division, Marner hit a hundred points, a lot of things have broken your way this year. It's been a very good, very successful season and now is your opportunity to do something and to elevate and I'm excited to see how it plays out one way or the other because I think it'll be a great series. I think the two teams, I think the market place is colliding again is

something that is long overdue because it's been so long And it's gonna be nostalgic I think for a lot of leaf fans and a lot of Ottawa Senator fans and I said it a couple weeks ago I was if you're gonna win a series You can do it like you don't have to go to seven games like you if you want to go on I just mentioned going on a run You don't have to doesn't everything doesn't have to be six seven games like you could mentioned going on a run, you don't have to, everything doesn't have to be six, seven games. Like you could, you could try to flex.

It feels like it will though, right? Like doesn't it just feel like it's going to go six or seven games? I mean, that's just the way it always. I know, but it doesn't have to, like, don't you think like some teams that go on runs, like to get into a series, it's like, yeah, they kind of made work of that team. That's an option out there. I just want to throw that one out there. Ultimately, it probably will go to six or seven, but who knows?

I think you've got to focus on the task at hand. And whatever it takes to get it done, that's the way you look at it. And these leaf players are going to say the right thing and do the right thing, but in the end, they've got to work on trying to beat the Ottawa Senators. And then don't look too far ahead. The fans can look far ahead, but these players don't be looking at Tampa and Florida and going, hey, you know, we feel like worry about the task at hand. That's what you need to do.

That's what you've got an opportunity to do. You've given yourself the opportunity to do that. That's what you need to do. Fans can get excited and go, hey, let's look at Florida, let's look at Tampa and see if we can beat those teams. But you've got a team in front of you that you've got to beat first. That's the way I would treat it. Well, and I'm sure that is, I mean, it would be so stupid to put a car before a horse and

start thinking about the rest of your path or whatever if you're in that room. And that's Craig Barube's job like Get through tomorrow night and then focus on game one and take it from there and that's been their messaging it's been pretty consistent all throughout the season and I don't see any reason why that that would stop but I don't like I don't think this is a scenario where Lee fans I mean who knows you get carried away and you start thinking about different things. But I think because it's the Battle of Ontario, people are going to embrace this. It was so much fun.

Again, it's 20 years ago. You feel like an old guy, like, hey, back in my day, I'm like Feach Lamon, Monja, or whatever his name was from The Sopranos. But it was amazing theater. And if you were a Leaf fan at the time time and especially if you lived in the city at the time it was just it was basically an annual event it was amazing and uh... cast of characters on both sides have lived on forever on both teams in terms of what they did what they

represented and i get a chance to write a new new chapter right and and brady kichuck's gonna be right at the forefront of that and students will be there and you know all these different players including all mark and travis green who was a leaf during those years is now the head coach of the other team the ottawa senators uh... and you know the whole the ticket battle because you can already see it online like in ottawa the china's their heads are popping off they have no idea

how to keep lee fans out of the building did there's some that i'm sorry whatever clever thing you come up with they're gonna find a way not going to work exactly just like do a poll of the new it like don't even try go watch the tape from twenty years ago lee fans are getting in there you can't stop them they're going to get in use it i don't know if you use it as a you know motivational tactic or something, but you're not keeping them out.

If you can't do it like the regular way to buy tickets, they're going to do it on Facebook market. They're going to do it somehow, man. Like, they're going into that building somehow. And I think the biggest thing, guys, is just let it happen. Like, you know what? This market is excited for playoff hockey. Yes leaf fans are going to they travel well Regardless of wherever the leafs would be playing in the first round whether it was tampa or florida people

They made their way down there. They were there like it just Let it happen like that the excitement in the building. I don't know if we're gonna be in there at some point I would be kind of cool. I don't know if we're gonna to be in there at some point i would be kind of cool i don't know if we're going to be a knot will have to lean on the powers of beating i think about his parents to be a good boston pizza road trip we do some shows and we go to games well listen everyone's excited are you too are you too allowed to drive up here together given the last time what happened there was an

agastase all will be will be locked and loaded. I will pull into Whitby and grab my buddy and we will be. Yeah that's right the last time we were up there together was Matthew's four goals opening night. Yeah and that's kind of crazy that was nine years ago now which is just crazy when you think about it. But yeah you're right that could be it Maybe a little carpool to get up there to check out what's going on. But we gotta figure out the schedule here first because the Habs are kind of holding everything up because Columbus won again last night.

Where's your headspace at for the Habs tonight? I'm getting nervous for them, I have to be honest with you. Are they creeping into what we talked about yesterday the leafiest like is this going to be the happiest thing to kind of yeah i'm i mean it it's uh... listen they control their own destiny they get to overtime tonight they're in so i got that's all they have to do uh... in carolina is not

there they're playing their b team shout out to filip deno but it all i was not planned tonight uh... jarvis isn't playing martin ux it's all I was not playing tonight Jarvis isn't playing Martinukes not playing Slavens not playing stalls not playing like a bunch of regulars are not playing so you've got effectively an exhibition roster heading up to the Bell Center tonight for Carolina yet I would argue even this lineup is probably better than the one Chicago brought up two nights ago and they were

playing everybody for the most part, and they couldn't beat them. So control your own destiny. My thought process would be, if I'm Marty St. Louis, be as aggressive and as physical as you possibly can be, because Carolina could not care less about this game. They just want to get the hell out of there. Like they're playing Jersey at home on the weekend. This is the most meaningless game of the season for them and just push them out of the way and allow them to kind of step aside. But man, if the Habs lose tonight in reg

and then you got to watch Columbus Islanders and maybe the Wade Dublavitz is in the house you would know what that's all about oh dude I sat in my basement with my buddy watching Wade Dublavitz he was the goalie for the Islanders that stopped the Devils in a shootout right that's right that's right and you needed the Islanders not to get that second point for the Leafs to make it into the playoffs and obviously we know how that played out so yeah I don't know I think it'll be electric tonight I think it'll be very very nervous but at the same time if

you're if you're the Montreal Canadiens the old if I had a told you in September game 82 would mean something you take it every single day right like they got a chance to punch a ticket into the playoffs here all right we've got Ray Ferraro coming up Ray will join us later this afternoon. Dregs coming up as well we're going to go through the awards as we get closer to the end of the season and Gary Roberts is going to be the first battle of Ontario throwback. Rob's is coming up we'll catch up with him we'll get his take on what he's seen out of the Leafs what he can recall from the glory days back in the early 2000s and get his take on the Stanley Cup playoffs which will start in a couple of days. Overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN 4. Overdrive continues powered by FanDuel bringing

you everything from the opening line to the final score Brian Hazy, O-Dog Jeff O'Neil, Jamie Noodles, McClennan, Gary Roberts coming up here in a moment. You know it gets referenced a lot when I'm like meeting people and talking to people and we've told so many different stories on this show over the years. Yeah. But oh your golf story with Gary Roberts with him in the bunker up by the green. Someone brought that back up a couple weeks ago and... Dude it was horrifying, man. I'll never forget it. I was back in the fairway because I had to cancel a cell phone and restart a new one. I don't know, that was back in the day where I don't think there was SIM cards.

You had to call and do this type of technical stuff, okay? So he's on the green on the fringe, and I send an 8 iron up in the air and I'm like, this guy better see this. It was one of those hazy days. And then all of a sudden it's like he's watching it and I'm like, yeah, it's probably kind of a good shot and it hits them right in the eye socket and he goes down backwards into the bunker. Yeah, that's dangerous, man. Well, and then the worst part is the cart didn't, like the cart wasn't that fast,

and you're trying to rush up there. And then you're wondering where is his head space at? Like, is he pissed? Does he want to kill me? Is he flustered? There was just all kinds of emotions, like right in the eye socket. And then he's like, why didn't you say four? I'm like, I thought you saw it. I don't know. I didn't

know. Yeah, it's so it is tough when like people are up ahead and they're watching you. You assume like, do I have to call four? Like you're, you're 148 yards away. Yeah. And I launch an eight iron up in the air. I'm like, this guy's got this thing. And then he just to be done up in the air like this guy's got this thing and that he just goes to the top of the bunker and it was a mass here in here i guarantee you he still remembers it and it's a sore spot uh... yeah he he wants a piece of all he still he he's taken a number man

there's a chance he could get it at some points ask him what his recollection of that more as here's a lots of money telephone relief gary roberts gary do you remember taking an eight iron flush off the face from the old dog back in the day well first of all i think he said was a hundred eighty five yards away no other than fifty a hundred and fifty a hundred and fifty yards away and you know why is so why would i be at the green waiting for this guy? Cause he's got his gun out and he's got his watch to see how far he's going.

It took him like a half an hour to get the shot. Like I'm busy. I'm busy. I'm trying to get through my round. You know, this guy's out there taking forever. So I'm standing on the green. He doesn't even say four guys. So the very last second and I literally

it hits me right in the forehead and down I go in the bunker yeah that's not good no Rob's we were also rattled I don't know if you remember like we quit a hole later like we were just like we just need to get the hell out of here you probably hit me in the safest place possible. Right in the head and you're up. I'm fine, hit me in the head, I was good. But yeah, I do remember it, so obviously I wasn't that concussed. I was good.

I guess so, I guess so. Well, are you having flashbacks at all? I mean, now that we got the battle of Ontario right around the corner, I mean, it's, every Leaf fan alive, you know, of a certain age is like, I remember Roberts, Triple OT, I remember Tucker going into the bench, all these different stories. Can you, do you, how vividly do you remember

all those series? Well, I remember, you know, obviously 02, I remember it was, you know, a special moment for me to be at Toronto Maple Leaf. But all the series, I just think about the momentum back and forth in the series. I think about we were a high risk, high reward team, I tell people, Toronto Maple Leafs, our dear friend Pat Quinn, he allowed lots of turnovers. I wasn't an East West guy, but we had a lot of guys that liked to go East West and we

used to turn the puck over quite often. And I say it often, if it wasn't for our goaltending, I'm not sure we'd win any of those series. Rob, when you talk about the intensity of the Battle of Ontario, you look back at the fights as you mentioned, some of that stuff. What can translate into today's game? The game has changed obviously, but when you watch this Toronto Maple Leafs team that's built a little bit differently this year, an Ottawa Senators team that doesn't have a ton of experience, what translates as far as a battle of Ontario but into the playoffs now with that next level?

Well, I think the intensity. I know everybody says that games change and I hate comparing 2002 to 2025. I'm just not that guy to compare those. It's different time, different game. If you look at the Stanley Cup playoffs over the last few years, there's, there's been some incredible series, incredible intensity. Like, I really don't think that's changed. Yeah, like the skill of the game has changed. You know, your fourth line guys can all skate, all shoot. You know what I mean? I get all that, but the intensity is still there. The excitement is still there in playoff hockey. Whether you're a young guy, an old guy, we walk on the ice at

Scotia in the first game of the playoffs, Ottawa, Toronto, it's going to be electric. I mean, it's just the way it is, the history of those teams. And of course, we all know the first round of Stanley Cup playoffs is usually the toughest round. And I'm looking forward to watching. As a matter of fact, I shared tickets with three other guys and it's this year's my eight my year to get game one so i'm uh... i'm excited to be in the building for game one this time around right what was your approach for your team because if you look at the rosters of ottawa back then in toronto

uh... you guys had the intangibles you had had yourself, you had Tux and Coarse and Ty and Ottawa didn't. And I'm not saying that's why you guys won the series, but what was your approach because Ottawa was a heavily skilled team and you could almost argue that it might be flipped now where Ottawa might be saying the same thing about Toronto. What was your approach every time they touched the puck? They needed to be punished or just overly physical or what was the mindset? Well there's no doubt intimidation probably was a bigger part of the game back then. And you know I'm not going to sit here and say we won because we are tougher.

Do I think that was part of the reason? Yes I do. Do I think that's as much of a factor today? Yes, I do. Do I think that's as much of a factor today? I don't. But the intensity is still going to be there. I, you know, I'd go back to maybe we were a little tougher. I thought our goal-penning was better and that's not to put down, you know, Ottawa's goalie at the time. I don't think it's fair to put the series on him either.

But you know, Curtis Joseph and Eddie Balfour, they were big time goalies and the more shots they got, the better they played. It was a joke in the dressing room. We used to say, Hey guys, Kujo needs at least 40 shots tonight or he's terrible. They used to be a little, literally a joke in the room before the game. We would say, Holy shit guys, Eddie's way better when he gets shelved. So let's make sure we go up to two on ones, you know, the noodles knows that stuff. But that was just good dressing room talk. We used to, I used to love those conversations and Cujo Dab is still smiling

his face and he's such a good human and good guy about it. But they just played better the more work that they got. And you know, Eddie Belfort when he fell asleep was only because he didn't get enough action we had amazing goaltenders and I we all know you don't win without goaltending yes defense wins championships but your goalie has to be hot and for Toronto to win this time around they need better goaltending yeah well and that's you know going into it You got stole ours here who we believe will be the starter game one He's won his last eight starts three shutouts nine fifty save percentage, but doesn't have any playoff experience Gary as you're aware of I mean, he's never started a game in the Stanley Cup playoffs

I mean, I'm curious what you think the vibe might be or mood might be like in the room where you look at it He's red-hot. He's been unbelievable all year when he's played. He's been so good for the Leafs yet He doesn't have that playoff experience. Like how do you think his teammates could be kind of reacting to that? Well, I mean I'd be excited for I mean I know if I was him, I'm sure he is totally excited about the opportunity But this is what all these you know This is what you guys get to talk about every day is how a guy comes out his his first Stanley Cup playoff round and plays amazing and gives the team a chance to win. This is what the Stanley Cup playoffs are all about.

The parity is so close in the game that it has to be something that people don't see coming that becomes a big factor in the series. I think it's an opportunity for us to have an unbelievable playoff round. And for the Leafs, listen, I spent lots of time with Chris Taneff in the last decade. Obviously, Craig Berube and I go back a really long time. I just think their team is better this year. I think they're better ready to prepare for a playoff round. And they've been in the past years. Obviously, it's still going to come down to our Toronto's best players better than Ottawa's best players.

Right. And we had chief on last week or a couple of weeks ago and he said you need him in Toronto. So he beat the piss out of you at center. I see you know. So guys, listen to me. Listen to me. Okay? I heard all that stuff.

I sent Chief a note and I said, really? Okay, so you guys know, a quick story. He gets traded for the Gilmore trade, the big trade. He comes in, he moves into my subdivision. We get to the rink the first day and he walks up to me crying, he says, hey Gary, he says, really sorry about beating you up last week in Toronto. So I went and got the VHS tape, brought him into the coach's office. I put the tape into the machine and I hit play. I said, I just want you to watch this. And we watched the fight together. And I said, how can you tell the media and me that you

beat me up last week? How can you tell me? And he's like, I said, look how many times I hit you and look how many times you hit me. And he says, you throw pillows. I didn't feel a thing. Isn't that the best way to start a bond though? And a team, I mean, it can't beat that.

Yeah, that's how Craig Ruby and I became best pals and training partners and you know, that's what, yeah, that's why the game is so great guys. Like it's stuff like that. You just can't make that stuff up. Craig Ruby is a great person, a great human, a great coach and if anybody's gonna put the Charlemagne bleach over the top, I would count on him. If I'm going to to war I want to go to war with Craig Barube. Well it's I mean it's such a big opportunity for him and the whole team and there we're watching it now up on TSN. I was at the gardens too.

You hammered him with a few laughs Roy like you got him pretty good. It was good I know like I thought I got him I definitely thought I wanted to fight I was pretty excited after that fighting Toronto's tough guys so yeah a, I was a lightweight back then as you saw. Yeah, that was a good tilt. That was a good tilt. Good old days. Yeah. But you know, in terms of the way Barube's kind of handled the meat, I don't know him personally, noodles, you know him, you know him really well. Yeah, I played with him in Calgary.

Yeah. I mean, I haven't seen him change at all over the course of 81 games now. Like I'm guessing that doesn't surprise you Gary that you know he's very comfortable with who he is, his approach and would you expect a different kind of approach come playoff time? Like a different personality that Barube is going to show with the media on the bench? What might we expect as of game one Sunday night? Yeah and I'm sure he had lots of people in his year when he became the coach of the Leafs and how he was going to have to choose his words carefully and maybe

change a little bit. I mean, he wears his, his, you know, his passion on his sleeve. Like he is, he is who he is. Uh, as a teammate noodles, you had him as a teammate. Like he walked in the dressing room in Calgary after we won the Stanley Cup. Greg Ruby was part of our team, couple years down the road, and he walked in the room one day and he says,

"'You guys think you're all-stars? "'You guys are terrible.'" I won't say exactly what he said. "'You guys are terrible, all-stars? "'You guys are dog shit,' basically he said to us." And he was talking to Gary Suter, Al McKinnis, Mike Vernon, Joe Neuendike. It was crazy. He walked in.

This is the kind of guy that he was as a teammate. He was an amazing teammate. One of the best teammates I had, I had the most fun with. He's just one of those guys you want to play for. For me, I'm thrilled to have a history with Craig and watch him go through this process and see how he's handled himself as a Leafs coach when he does have so much passion and emotion that he's been able to kind of find a way to gauge it a little bit and maybe choose his words a little more carefully to survive

in this market. I think he's done a tremendous job. Yeah, he has. And I'm looking back on that season, that 91-92 season, that was your 53-goal season, Gary. That was the best goal scorer in the year of your career. And every once in a while on the show, we end up on like HockeyDB and looking at different stats.

And you had 53 goals, 207 penalty minutes that year like if you had like if you didn't have that many penalty minutes you might have scored 60 that year yeah well it's probably fighting chiefs battles back then you know thanks for that's a nice memory you guys. It's a nice memory for sure. Absolutely. Taking a Pro V right off the forehead and 53 goals back in the day. I know. Well I have quite a few stories about O-Dog but that's a very you guys don't have enough time in this interview for that but I miss our O-Dog training days too. We got some great stories Jeff and I but we were not going

to share all those today. Well it'll be another day. Of course we will get to those. A brand new facility opening though, O-Dog, and I put in a special second floor private executive wellness training center with an eatery so you can come all day. You can hang out, you can work out, you can do sauna, cold tub, you can eat, you can have a smoothie, you can do the NormaTex, you can do sauna cold tub. You can eat you can have a smoothie you can do the Norma tax You can you can do the Pilates So it's whenever May 15th we open bud. I'd love to have you okay. I can't wait to get there I've got myself back in shape, but it's highly unlikely. I'm gonna be there

It's in Vaughn it's on the way to your golf course, okay? You literally have to drive by it to get to golf. Okay, I love it. Alright, we're looking forward to it and I guess congrats to Sam as well. That sounds like he went in the first round. Yeah. Got to be pretty excited. Well, I'm just starting to wonder if he's my kid.

He's a high scoring right handed shot. Hey, old. Scott, your face though, I saw it. wonder if he's my kid he's a high scoring right handed shot. Scott your face though I saw it. He's high scoring and he's soft I don't know it could be old kid. Okay check him out at the at the gym at the grand opening we'll bring the two of them together up there was that May 15 he said Gary? Yeah around May 15 we you said, Gary? Yeah, around May 15th we opened. And so that's what I've been doing every day,

is helping behind the scenes, trying to make sure this facility gets open for our summer program this year. So we're pretty excited about it. Awesome, okay. Well, good luck with that. Good luck, have fun down at game one and we'll do it again down the road.

Thank you for this. Okay, good luck guys. You got it. There he is, Gary Roberts. That Roberts sent me a note one night he's like our cottages were ten minute boat ride but this one day he said I got this sled in and we're gonna do some sled sprints at this baseball diamond in Bala. And I'm like, all right, pal. That's so good. Because this guy, he had a guy in Gravenhurst tell him to put bamboo bars all over his boathouse

and just climb around and do all these weird pushups and chin ups on the... We were crawling around like monkeys in his boathouse because that's what he... that was his thing of the day. So he gets the sled in and we're going to do sled pulls. And I really don't believe that I was out anywhere in Muskoka, but I started doing the sled pulls and I start going... it's the second worst day of my life. You already know what the first one was. I get really dizzy and I see this outhouse that is just decrepit and it's old and it's dingy.

I go, Roy, I need a break. I got to go to this outhouse and take a time out. I had to go home. I was in the outhouse and I was in a cold sweat and I couldn't move and I thought I was going to die. And he just opened the door and he just shook his head and then he... This guy was an animal. Yeah. He's like, you're just... You can't keep up with Gary Roberts, man. Yeah. He just basically... I mean, I got it together the next time and then the next time,

but that first time doing the sled pulls, it was a disaster. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Disaster. Oh, man. He's an animal though. He's one of the hardest training people. I mean, he was ahead of his time in our time.

He was. He was the guy that brought in like the, it wasn't like hammer a cold beer after the game. He had the protein shakes and look, everybody does their business differently. But he was one of the guys He was all he was trailblazer man like he brought a different routine to the to the arena absolutely now there's McDavid and he kind of runs through McDavid and Stamco's and yeah, he's a He's key guy and all that fitness stuff to talk about golf. There was Greg Norman and different guys Gary Roberts is massive Well, yeah his son his son Sam, I think he played for the junior Canadians, went in

the first round for the OJF draft. Fifteenth overall, I think. Fifteenth, yeah. And Nikolai Kuhlerman's kid went in the first round as well, man. Kuhlerman's kid, I think, went to Kingston. So yeah, it's, that is pretty fun. I've seen some highlights of Robert's kid scoring. He is like big right-handed shot I love the way he describes his game to

skilled and soft Standing you know, but you're like that guy if anybody it like for anyone to not play the way he did which was a total So I was his linemate for two or three years that guy you could hear him breathing on the four check and it was like get out of the way because this guy is coming through yeah and there's going to be a loose part of what when we come back i know we got a run but see if joe from the bridge can it was an alumni game he tried to fight chris draper yeah that was the outdoor game of the mobile yeah he wanted to fight chris draper yeah that was the outdoor game at the mofield yeah he wanted to fight drapes yeah we'll find it we'll get to

it him and his brother played men's league and there i can't imagine the chaos they cause out there him and his brother greg lunatic as well ray four are coming up overdrive continues tsn 1050 and on tsn 4 all right thanks again to gary roberts for joining us it's great in the middle of things man it's a very little way he said i don't like my hockey pv like that guy that guys stole so many goals by crashing the net like i have an app in here just all the sudden his head would like he crashed by this is a guy fighting in and out like you're wanting to find out

uh... robertson draper in the outdoor game, he's hacking at them. And they're both Toronto guys. Like Gary grew up I think in Whitby, Draper's a Scarborough guy I think and they probably grew up playing against each other probably in the same team. Just amazing. But that's what we're gonna get and that's the beauty of you know like what this this next chapter of the battle of ontario the battle of florida right these are hopefully gonna be stories will talk about twenty years i can't wait to live it now this is my first time living it like i said i didn't

i didn't know anything about it twenty years ago now i get to live it i'm living in toronto i've done the ottawa games and i get to live it now it's it's be awesome it's gonna be a great series I'm gonna have to get you guys to argue against Nine gonna have to do a Hayes versus Hayes You're gonna have to give reasons why the Sens will win and maybe noodles will give reasons why the Leafs will win I like that. It's a possible I got reasons I could go Okay, we'll do that. We'll get to that. I like it. All right, we got Ray coming up and

Again, we're tracking what's going on at the Bell Center tonight big one for the Habs at home against Carolina Trying to punch their ticket the last team left to make the playoffs overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN for you've been listening to overdrive powered by FanDuel FanDuel Bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. That just happened with me, Vashi Kapelos. Candidate Asides, 2025. Stay informed with my exclusive iHeartRadio podcast, available Friday afternoon straight through till election day and beyond.

I'll have your weekly highlights and my unvarnished analysis of the campaign of a lifetime. The candidates, the quotes, the polls, and the momentum. That just happened with Vashie Capellos. Canada decides 2025. Fresh every Friday. Stream on your schedule with the free iHeart radio app.