OverDrive - OverDrive - April 17, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: April 17, 2025

Join Aaron Korolnek, Jeff O'Neill and Dave Feschuk for Hour 2 on OverDrive! The guys are joined by TSN Hockey analyst Frank Corrado as we continue our breakdown of the Battle of Ontario. We were also joined by former Leafs assistant coach and former Senators head coach Paul MacLean as we compare the difference in situations between Ottawa and Toronto.

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It's the second hour of Overdrive here on TSN2. You're listening on TSN 1050, the iHeart radio app, Aaron Kuralnik, Theodog Jeff O'Neil, Dave Festchuk. And I was thinking, on Jeff O'Neill, Dave Festchuk, and I was thinking when Mario Lemieux came out before the first game of the Four Nations and got that Bell Centre just electrified, who the Toronto Maple Leafs could bring out before Sunday's game against the Ottawa Centres? Only one name that I came up with, Frank Curato. That is not- That's outrageous. That is insane comment. What I said about AK's list, I'm taking it all back. corralo that is not so cool that is insane comments i said i don't think it was a little bit of a case listen that comment or not

at all poorly i was the least to get the blood juicing into the building i bring out darcy taller and shane course and gary roberts the three of them to drop the part of the great idea and say and and get the crowd going to bring you the finger on the way back in that's the way to do it get those three guys out there to walk and drop the puck for the playoffs

and then when you get to Ottawa they could throw a big z and Chris Neil and Chris Phillips and get their goons out there and it's just that's kind of building up the excitement towards it i think that'd be a fantastic thing to do so you know i correct you like rato with those guys are you him me not none of us johnson none of us coli akka bow though coli alka you know what our seat on car she and korsan tied on my own gary robert had a lot of that rice to drop the box you know what else the least need to do for this little playoff run just for the boys like in the room The video coaches which they're good at this kind of stuff

They need to put together a little three four minute montage of the Leafs Beating up on the sends back in the day battle of Ontario little motivation before every game or to start the series at least Well, it's funny because you consider the respect of concerns in the fan bases Leaf fans are always concerned Oh, everyone's so quiet in the building and there won't be the energy. Meanwhile in Ottawa all they're concerned about is, oh my god, Leaf fans are gonna buy all the tickets and they're gonna dominate the arena. So it's really funny how they're getting in there no matter what. However that they try, like they're gonna go on Facebook market. I don't know how they're gonna find these tickets.

Facebook marketplace, yeah. Seriously, like you know they're trying to put restrictions on certain people? They're going into that building no matter what. Money talks. There's black market stuff happening, man. There's all kinds of stuff going on. Yeah, and I saw Ann Lauer was on TSN 1200, our sister station in Ottawa talking about oh, we got a lot of plans in place to limit Leaf fans, make sure the season ticket holders get their hands on it.

Well, dude, what kind of? What do you think the season ticket holders are gonna do, oh? In this economy, they're gonna sell the tickets for double the price to Leaf fans who are gonna come in there and be louder than the Sens fans. No kidding. If I'm a Sens fan and I could watch at home and be just as happy, I'll just float it out there online saying... On Facebook Marketplace?

Whatever. I don't know how people solve that kind of stuff. Back in the day, my dad had tickets to a Leaf game and he's like, listen, we've been to a couple games this year. We can sell our tickets. We could get a Jetonei table you want to do that I said yeah let's do it we got the Giottoni table I'll never forget this game it was I think it was a st. Louis Blues game Leafs were up five nothing

they lost six five in overtime I remember that yeah we had the wrong table for 15 years after that's a better question yeah for the for the non Italian you still you still have it at the house for it no it's gone that's Sorry, what is a Gittoni taste? That's a better question. For the non-Italian food ball. You still have it at the house, Frank? No, it's gone. It's gone. That's very sad. A lot of good times, though.

So Frank Carratto is with us here on Overdrive. It's hour two, and we've been talking a lot about the Battle of Ontario and why Toronto should be optimistic heading into this matchup. The reasons are obvious. I think for Ottawa, I think the reasons are pretty obvious as well as far as what Toronto hasn't done in post seasons to date. When it comes to this battle of Ontario, Frank, what are you circling? And we'll get to the big Leafs-Red Wings game tonight on TSM4. Sure, I'm sure we will. But as far as looking ahead to

Sunday night, what's the number one storyline that you were focusing on for both sides? I mean it's always the big guys. I don't think you can bury the lead. It's the big guys of Toronto versus the big guys for Ottawa. And what does playoff Brady Kachuk look like and feel like and how does that factor into the series? Is it exactly what Matthew Kachuk did for the Florida Panthers? Like is he going to go over the edge? Is he going to get a little too excited? Can the Leafs maybe take advantage of that? But I think you go big guys versus big guys and then you start to do all the other auxiliary matchups after that. Like in Ottawa, I think you go big guys versus big guys and then you start to do all the other auxiliary matchups after that. Like in Ottawa, I think they talk about their third line a lot with Pinto, Greg and Amadio saying that's a line that can really match up well against anyone in the league and they feel comfortable with that.

And so now if you have two lines that can eat up time against the Matthews line, what does that do for Toronto? Like how does that, you know, go against Toronto? But those, like, I think those conversations are all secondary to, can the big boys in Toronto have a series where they take it over and Ottawa is saying we just don't have an answer for it? And can the Ottawa guys, can Stutsela do the same thing? Can Chuck do the same thing? I think Stutsela has the chance to be like this version of Daniel Alfredson, where he's got that that pest factor, like he's a little bit of an rat agitator type game and he's exactly he's got the skill to go with it so there's there's a number of things really well AK was making the point that the guy with the most to gain in this series well two guys in this series with the most to gain from playing well on Canadian

teams would be Kachak and Marner. And I mean, we talk about Kachak, he's never played in the playoffs, he's 25 years old, he's been in the league an awful long time, never been there. Start with him, how much A, does the inexperience factor concern you and B, how much does he concern you if you're Craig Barube game-playing as a Maple Leaf coach? The inexperience thing wouldn't worry me from the Senators point of view on Brady. Like this guy's, he's been built for playoff hockey, he's watched his brother do it like firsthand. Like he's been there, he's been in the buildings, he's been shotgunning beers with with people

in the stands watching this happen. So like he's he's well versed in what it takes and I think if you're Toronto like it's just you're dealing with another Kachak another guy who's comfortable playing in uncomfortable situations and being confrontational with your best guys and like that's something that as much as power play success has eluded them scoring multiple goals in games has eluded them like they're not overly comfortable in those types of confrontational situations so that's gonna have to shut him down too you're gonna have to deal with them I said it in the four nations dothie I'm like you're not gonna out-Kachuk the Kachuks like you're not gonna go out there and out punch them in the face and

out be more pissed off than that you're just gonna have to handle it and how you're gonna do that that's for them to decide but you're not gonna know how it's you know how it's there it's gonna be decided it's can Matthews and Marner push back enough where it's not like they're getting dragged into it but they're not looking like they surrendered you know what I mean like there's there's a difference there and Matthews and Marner their response to Brady Kachuk is we want you to play in your own end. Yeah. Because then you can't run around and drill people through the boards and you're gonna watch us skate circles around and do our thing and that's gonna

be our response because we're not gonna run you through the boards and we're not gonna do those types of things but their answer is we will cycle the pants off you in your own zone if we have the puck all night and that's gonna be a give and take and fascinating to watch. I guarantee there's going to be a game where Toronto's up. It could be big, could not be big, could be a couple goals, but it's out of reach and it's late in a game and I guarantee Brady does something towards the end of that game to send a message like we're not going away quietly and we're coming right back at you.

I think that's the attitude, the mindset that a Kachuk has and we've seen seen it from Matthew. We're gonna see it from Brady in the playoffs. Toronto has to answer that. Here's the question though, Frankie. When you look at the way the Leafs have been playing lately, we've been talking about Stolarz. He's been an absolute stud, 8-0 with three shutouts and all the rest of it. The save percentage is through the roof. The goal is saved above, expected is through the roof. Cycling them to death, that's not what the Leafs have been doing lately. They have not really been controlling the run of play. Like they've been backstopped by some incredible goal-tenning, some pretty good defensive play, and some timely scoring. Do you think they have it in them to

dominate the offensive zone when they haven't really been doing that of late? I do. And I think you also have to look at what Ottawa has been doing the last little while. For the whole season, they had built a foundation of being a really good defensive team, right? Clogging things up. That was what Travis Green really instilled in them. He had to teach them how to check. He did, but the last 15 or so games, they've kind of slipped and they've been masked by really good goaltending.

So I think if you're looking at it's almost like both teams are fighting the same thing here as far as like getting back to really what is and can be the foundation the bedrock for those teams with Ottawa it's being a good defensive team and for Toronto yes it's good being a good defensive team but it's also being able to overwhelm you offensively with guys that should be hard to shut down. Ken Hitchcock talked about it when we had him on. He always talks about it. We've had him on a few times. And it's not the sexiest thing, but it's going to be a factor in the series. Who can check better?

Because he talks about it. If you can't check your hat, you're not going to win any playoff series. I don't care how talented you are. If you cannot check, and that just doesn't mean running people through the boards or a little stick check here and there. It's just checking, being on top of the puck and eliminating people and not giving up odd man rushes. If you can't do it on a consistent basis, you're not winning squad. End of story. As much as I didn't like the guy, like Babcock had a good way of framing it, he called it

getting skin. So it's like someone's near you, you just get a little skin on the way by. And it's like you have that in your head over the course of a game and you're like, oh, someone's near you, you just get a little skin on the way by. And it's like, you have that in your head over the course of a game and you're like, oh, someone's near me, I just gotta get some skin on him. And then it goes away from thinking, I gotta run someone, or I gotta stick check. It's just like, I just gotta get in your way a little bit. And you do that over the course of the night, and you find guys can get frustrated with that kind of stuff.

That's Frank Corrado in studio with us here on overdrive Kuralnik O'Neil and fast Chuck Leafs red wings game 82 tonight on TSM for Frankie You and oh will be on the panel Oh told us of some stories earlier about game 82's meaningless game 82's in his playing career What do you remember about playing in games that don't necessarily have much importance beyond? about playing in games that don't necessarily have much importance beyond getting the 60 minutes in? So game 80, I have a few game 82s under my belt. The one I was ecstatic because I was going to get the NHLPA like health insurance for the summer. So that was huge, right? Like you get to bill all the massage, all the Cairo, nothing comes out of pocket. But that was a situation where it was like one game 82, we were going into the playoffs We're ready to play San Jose and we had just clinched the division

We ended up getting swept in the first round by San Jose next year missed the playoffs game 82 is just like try and have a good game to finish off the season and then in Toronto a game 82 where we were picking Matthews and that kind of just had the feel of like Let's just get this thing over with but if you're a team like that that's getting ready for the playoffs you just want to get through it healthy you just want to get it through it unscathed like I don't think it's a big X's and O's night it's not a big like storylines night it's just you got to get through it and and make sure everyone's okay on the other side of it. We will see Max Domey playing on the

second line with John Tavares and William Nealer. It's the same lineup for the Leafs tonight as it was on Tuesday when they clinched the Atlantic division, but there's still some question marks with regards to who will be in the game one lineup on Sunday. Sounds like David Camp will be ready to go per Craig Barube. Max Patch ready, I think he's ready to go as well.

What do you think the Leafs lineup ultimately looks like on Sunday night? It's a good question, man, because I feel think the Leafs lineup ultimately looks like on Sunday night? It's a good question man, because I feel like the Leafs lineup this year, and it's been like this in the past, a lot of guys that you could move around the lineup, like not definitively saying like, this is your position. A lot of guys you can move around Frank, but you'd like some consistency as well. Yeah, but things don't go well, you might want to make an adjustment, but man, it would be nice for some consistency as well. Yeah, but things don't go well you might want to make an adjustment, but man it would be nice for some consistency. We just never get that with this team though because even a guy like Scott Lawton when he came in we were like if he's not a third center then what is he?

Like that's exactly what he's supposed to be and he's rarely played that position in this lineup. So it still it still has the makings of a lineup that you're going to move some things around but I think where you can give maybe a little bit of an advantage to Ottawa over Toronto in this series, I don't think there's many places, but like that third line identity line, which that plays into some team success, come playoff time, I think they have that,

where it's like those guys are those guys no matter what, and Toronto, it could be one of six guys could be there at any given point when their lineups all said and done where are you on patch already like he hasn't played since February there's every indication he's been skating a lot and you get the sense that Greg Marube's got a real soft spot for him because he can bring some skin he can he can take a piece and I never thought I'd say that about him fast where Max patch already I've watched him play his whole career and i've there has been times where in the playoffs i'm like physicality he's kind of

disappearing a little bit but there was times this year where he was absolutely mangling guys on the floor check like just and i never seen him do that his ornery man he was yeah so if he could be healthy and he can bring that you want to talk about a guy that i want in the lineup and I think he will be if he's healthy come Sunday night. He might play with Tavares and Nylander. I don't know where he's going to go but you just get that engine fired up and get in in the four-check and he was destroying guys. You know what it is with Patch Ready 2? It's like you're trying to milk it for all it's worth right now. There's no like long-term vision in mind. It's like we brought you here for this right here in

the here and now. So we're going to put you back in. We'll see if it works. That's what all their mentality should be. I realize that. Like what the hell is there to lose? No, I know. I know. I get that. But like that's... Are you saving it for something? No, no, no. They're all going to have same thing but like you're just you're trying to milk the last little bit out of that guy's career and see if it can help you in the playoffs. That's why he's here. Yeah but I mean I wonder

though like you know it's nice to think he can do it but he is 36 years old he's coming off you know two major Achilles injuries. He hasn't been able to stay in the lineup for the entirety of the season and had some fits and starts. As good as he's been at times, like is it realistic to think he can just jump on this heightened intensity of a playoff series and just fit right in? I think if you're asking for like fourth line minutes, 10 minutes a night, I think he could. Like I think he could. And like those are the conversations you're going to have.

Like is Nick Robertson doing that for you? Or is patch already doing that for you and in a series against Ottawa that could be physical and chippy And you just want to know that you got like your your big burly guys around with you Maybe you'll see if he can give you the ten minutes and just go out there and crash and bang and maybe he pots one in That's that's a big moment, too You never know you did a lot of haves games this year, and I want to get your take on one player. I was watching them last night and you scored a goal, and I watched them since the Four Nations and I'm like, that guy's not just a good, solid two-way player anymore, that

guy's a stud and a superstar, and that's your captain, Nick Suzuki. I think he's kind of come into a level where you just can't say enough about his game. Stays out for the full two minutes on the power play, he's a two-way player, he comes up big, he's just a stud, there's no other way to describe him. He is, man. And you know what? So we had Kent Hughes on our last regional game of the year.

Muddy and I interviewed him and we asked him about Suzuki and we were totally expecting like this is just the softball answer was gonna talk about how good he is and what a great captain and he goes you know at the start of the season he goes that was the most, I'm paraphrasing right, but like unimpressed I've been with him and I had to have a meeting with him and told him basically like I'm the captain of the Nick Suzuki fan club But this is nowhere near like the level that that you can play at and you know that as well And then what happened Nick Suzuki like turned it on to a level that like he never has before but you're right He's not just a two-way guy. He's very skilled. He's very poised never too high never too low makes players around him better

I mean, they swept the season series against Florida this year, and like him and his line outplayed the Barkov line quite significantly. I mean, that's pretty impressive in itself. He's the real deal, man. It's not flashy. It's just very, very effective. I've heard people say, maybe the praise is a little too high for me at this point in this kid's career because he hasn't. I've heard people say, maybe the praise is a little too high for me at this point in this kid's career because he hasn't even done it in a class, but is he like the Patrice Bergeron in waiting

of this team? I would say that's like accurate and fair. Like it feels like that's the same kind of mold. He can do everything. Like, and his coach this year. Gotta have team success for that to happen. Yes. It doesn't feel real yet.

Yeah. During Bergeron's heyday, it was like there was the magical Sidney Crosby and these other flashy skill players that were getting it done. And Bergeron was just quietly going about it as a number one center, but he did it different. But Bergeron, or Suzuki is the same way. He's not Conor McDavid, but he does it differently, but he's got to have success doing it differently. Yeah, and keep in mind, Bergeron always had like, Kraytchi playing below him. This Suzuki has had no one play, like he's had Kirby Dock, who's been injured, and even when he's played, hasn't been to the level they kind of thought he was supposed to be at.

So he's never had like, the Crosby Malkin, or the Bergeron Kraytchi. So if he ever gets that at some point, I think the sky's the limit for him and I think he really is scratching the surface as far as how good of a player he's going to be. And he's going into a series now against the Capitals where, no doubt, Capitals are the favorite, but Montreal's got the best centreman in that series. So you have a chance when you have the best centre-man and you may have the best goalie and you might even have the best defenceman, you know, given whatever night the game shapes up to be.

Frank Corrado in studio here on Overdrive. I was looking at the odds on FanDuel. Montreal plus 210 to beat Washington. Ottawa plus 145 to beat Toronto. Which of those wagers would you be more inclined to make Frank, betting on Washington to upset or to lose to Montreal or Toronto to lose to Ottawa? Okay, I'll tell you why I'm going to say Montreal. I hope so.

Because. Because. County man. I feel like this Ovi thing, this chase for the goal record for Ovi, was such an emotionally charged thing for the Capitals, and they got it. And it was this big jubilant moment, and they had the ceremony,

and everyone took a big breath and they exhaled. And now it's been a little bit deflating for them. And I think for them, they gotta find that same juice to get up to speed at playoff intensity intensity again and Montreal's been playing in like desperation mode for two months now. I gotta give their coach some credit though. Washington Capitals, I love the coach. He's a great coach man.

I think the world of that guy and he knows the deal what's going on and he knows he's got to snap these guys out of it. Obviously a save's going to help them because they haven't been getting it for a month but... Might not get one. Whatever he's gotta do for the drop of the puck to start that series, they're gonna be dialed in. Hopefully they get some health back but I'm pretty sure that coach is gonna turn that around and say guys, the joke's over. You guys love hammering beers and that's great and everything but party's over and it's time to get down to business.

You know what else I think Washington's gonna do? I think they're gonna be to be so, someone was texting me this today, like, I think they're going to be so greasy. Like Washington's just going to have like a grease factor in that series that's going to be off the charts that I think Montreal, Montreal doesn't get pushed around. Like they have good pushback in their game, but I think Washington is going to throw that at them. Guys like, like Tom Wilson is going to lead the way. They're just, there's a grease factor there.

And there's also a lot of younger players on Montreal that don't necessarily have the playoff experience and they're more diminutive if you want to call them. I think about Hudson and Cole Caulfield and Demidoff coming over from the KHL played 10 minutes last night and I'm very curious to see how he handles this opportunity in the Stanley Cup playoffs against probably his idol in Ovechkin. You know he's got the Kahn Smythe bonus in his contract. Did you guys hear about that? 500 grand for the Kahn Smythe. Yeah, he's got the Kahn Smythe. Good luck to him. Love that. Yeah, Franky, I gotta get your take though. We're talking about the hard trophy and voting is due tomorrow You know, we're talking about hella buck goalies don't win it often

But this guy's been the most important player on the best team and he's had a hell of a year you know obviously Kutrov, O'Doggs pointed out that you know he does it all the time so maybe he gets overlooked but you know another Art Ross and then Dreisaitl 52 goals in a year where he's the only one to score 50 and he's not exactly playing with a murderer's row yeah of line mates where do you where do you lie on that debate? So I vote I voted for Dreis for Dreisaitl. I voted for Dreisaitl as my number one. I think all the things that you just laid out there with Dreisaitl and the fact that Connor McDavid has missed significant time this year and if Dreisaitl wasn't doing what he was doing, that team looks different. Like there's

a different outcome for the Oilers. Yes, yeah, like he masked a lot of stuff that happened there And I think hellebuck it's an unbelievable year for him. No doubt He's so important so elite like best goalie, but when a peg had the best power play in the NHL They're a top five scoring team in the NHL They're also like the best defensive team by a lot of different metrics in the NHL He's got something to do with that No but like even like the the amount of shots allow, like slot shots, quality chances,

like all the MJ expected, you know, stats. I think it's nonsense if people are bringing that into like just maybe just look at and say that was the best guy. He was all this garbage that's being fired. I think I think that where that where that leads me to is this. If you remove Hellebuck from the situation and you put in like a league average Goaling that that team goes from being great to probably very good where I think if you remove dry sidle from the situation in Edmonton It's it looks it looks a little more stark. Maybe at times. I don't think you're wrong about that Edmonton

I know McDavid came out and said I don't want everyone to look at us like we're this wounded dog What maybe to paraphrasing? Yeah with Mc McDavid but he said they're ready to roll he said they're ready to roll we're gonna have to wait to find out I'm fired up for that series for Edmonton and LA the Jets taking on the Blues Battle of Ontario Montreal Washington it's gonna Carolina New Jersey well how about that how about that hotly anticipated 11 p.m. Eastern start on Tuesday night between Minnesota and the Golden Knights? Fired up for that game? You gonna stay up for that one? 11 p.m. Dude I won't even sniff the drop of that puck. Not a chance.

11 p.m. puck drop in that game on Tuesday. You want to stagger? Sport Center they're probably like are you serious, Batman? We're trying to get out of here. I saw Lainer just sent out the schedule for SC. I got to see who's working Tuesday night. Yeah, that's a tough one. Frank, thanks for popping by. I think the four of us maybe play around at Caring Place this summer. Oh, dog, you in?

I can't wait. That's a great idea. All right. I love it. Fantastic. Fez, oh, Hayes Jr. Yeah, Hayes Jr. My new nickname.

I like it. I'll take it. Mr. take it if I can be in chips Mr. Chips is my nickname Frank. Yeah, you can bring the shirt at me wear that on on the TSN for the broadcast tonight for the you Got it, buddy. Thanks for popping by you're the best Frank Corrado TSN hockey analysts Leafs Red Wings tonight on TSN for for all the marbles Tune in it's gonna be a hell of a show O'Neill and Corrado and Drager and Duffy on the broadcast. Neiler, great to see you buddy. I haven't called you Neiler today. I know, it's great to hear that nickname as well.

It comes back. You do like it. You do like it. Thanks for being with us and it's great to see you. Alright pal, thanks. Alright, we'll see you on the panel. That's Jeff, O'Neill, Best Truck and I have it covered for the next 90 minutes. Overdrive on TSN2 and TSN 1050.

Overdrive continues. You're watching on TSN 2, listening on TSN 1050, the iHeart radio app. Aaron Krollnick, Dave Bestchuk for the next 90 minutes. We have Pierre Lebrun, TSN Hockey Insider calling in in about 30 minutes. We'll have Paul McLean, the former head coach of the Ottawa Senators and was in management with the Toronto Maple Leafs not long ago during Sheldon Keefe's tenure. Certainly, Paul McLean was a big part of the Toronto Maple Leafs management group. He's going to join us in a couple of minutes. I think most relevant tonight when it comes to the National Hockey League, if you're a

Leaf fan, isn't necessarily their game against the Detroit Red Wings, which you can watch on TSN four. It's more what's going on with Ottawa and Carolina because Brady Kachuk will play tonight, the final regular season game with the Sens. And I'm going to read you the quote from Travis Green talking about Brady Kachuk. He is not the kind of player that just dips his toe in the water. I don't want him going out there and just skating around. If he's going to play, he's going to play for keeps. He's going to play for real. Playing for keeps is a Jamie McClennan special right there.

He uses that term, and that's what Brady Kachuck, I suppose, is going to do in game 82 tonight. Well, we're in the load management era of pro sports, but it's good to see that the NHL is not the NBA. It's not, you know, the NFL where if you've made the playoffs you don't play anybody Yes blue jackets fans. They may they might disagree this this this evening after what happened last night between Carolina and Montreal right Slaven how and Jarvis all sitting is which I'm not opposed to at all If you have the opportunity to sick guys if you've put yourself in a position to sick guys

Down the stretch to keep them healthy for the playoffs, you absolutely should do it. And for Columbus, hey, maybe don't get shut out in Ontario on Saturday and Sunday against Toronto and Ottawa a couple of weeks ago, and you might not be put in this position. Well, exactly. And look, I mean, yeah, if guys need to rest,

they need to rest. But I mean, the whole idea that you could go out there and play sort of a half speed game or you know sort of a dip your toe in the water kind of game I I'm with green on that like I don't think it's about Brady Kichak I think it's about anybody like you've got to go if you're gonna play you got to play and you can get hurt in practice you can get hurt you know sneezing you can get hurt walking out of the shower and slipping there's a million you just got hurt kind of to over the microphone

Yeah, but I'm not the furthest thing from a professional athlete But I mean my point is like you just got a whatever will be will be you got to go out there and play You get paid to play 82 There's something to be said for staying sharp and and I see where they're coming from David camp and Oliver Ekman Larson and Jake McCabe will not play for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight against Detroit But Craig Barube did say he was fairly confident that the three will be ready to play in game one Which of course is huge news for the Toronto Maple Leafs because having McCabe and Tanev Match up against Stutzla and Giroud and Brady Kachuk Will be paramount to the Maple Leafs having success locking those guys down will be important and that

That shutdown pair has been really good for the Leafs all year and Oliver Ekman-Larson slides down to the Maple Leafs having success. Locking those guys down will be important and that that shutdown pair has been really good for the Leafs all year and Oliver Ekman Larsen slides down to the third pair where he'll probably play with Simone Benoit. So some really positive news for the Toronto Maple Leafs on the injury front and if Brady Kachuk can get through tonight's game unscathed I'm certain he'll be ready to go on Sunday night at 7 p.m. down at Scotiabank Arena. The schedule is official. It's what we've been speculating on for a long time that the Leafs will take on the Sends Sunday night at 7 p.m. down at Scotiabank Arena the schedule is official. It's what we've been speculating on for a long time that the Leafs will take on the Sends Sunday here at TSN 1050. We have games 2, 4 and 6 on the station which I know is of keen interest to our next guest.

The man who coached the Ottawa Senators was with the Toronto Maple Leafs just a couple of years ago. Thrilled to welcome back to overdrive. Longtime NHL coach, played for the Winnipeg Jets for a long time as well. Is Paul McLean back with us? What's going on Paul? Good evening. Well it's a nice sunny day here in Nova Scotia. Which means it's playoff weather. It very much is. The regular season has given us some wonderful matchups for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

There's a lot of really, like every one of them is really an interesting detail of teams and success that they've had and rivalries that are gonna be there. I think it's gonna be, right now it's set up to be one of the best playoffs, first rounds, maybe ever. But I think they say that every year, don't we? We do, we do. I mean, that's how excited we are

for the Stanley Cup playoffs, Paul. You know that. And here in Toronto, and certainly in the province of Ontario, you can imagine how excited people are for the Battle of Ontario, which is reignited for the first time in 21 years. You coached in Ottawa, you coached in Toronto, you managed in Toronto. What type of emotions do you think you'll have on Sunday night watching two of

your former teams go toe to toe? Well, it's a good thing I'm not a piece of myself, so it doesn't really challenge me either way. I'm just looking forward to watching a play with There's two teams that are, uh, you know, really coming, like a really ready for something, they're ready for something to happen, especially the Maple Leafs. They had enough of their despair over the last three or four years when they've had really good teams and not had to play a Florida team and now they get a different opponent. So I think that gets them really excited and then Ottawa back in the playoffs for the first time in a So I think that gets them really excited. And then Ottawa back in the playoffs

for the first time in a while, and that gets them all excited. And anytime there's a Kachuk involved, you know there's gonna be some action in the thing. And it's not gonna be Daniel Alphotson and Max Sandin maybe like the original battle of Ontario, but with Kachuk and Marner and Matthews, Nylander in there, I think it's I think it's gonna be an exciting series

Paul you used you used the word despair when you talked about the Maple Leafs in the playoffs and you used another d-word In a very famous clip of the Amazon all all what was it all or nothing? Yes, I was thinking all for nothing But also appropriate also appropriate, but but I was wondering I was wondering, you talked about the demons in that great coaching staff meeting about how this team has demons, they see them in their closet, they see them everywhere. If you're still around there, how are you dealing with those demons as they approach the ninth run at the playoffs of the Matthews Marner era? Well, I think now when they go to bed after the season ends tonight, and before Saturday night's first game,

there's gonna be some demons come out from under the beds again. Now they're back, they've had an outstanding season again. This time they win the Atlantic division, which is massive because they're not facing a Florida team or a Boston team that has been the center of those demons. So right away, they exercise those ones, at least for the first round.

I mean, they have to settle with those if they move on. But at least for the first round, that biggest demon is out of the way, is the opponent, and how that opponent could have been in their heads and done things to them. And now they have an opponent that's finished lower in the standings, but are they lesser than them? I mean, the statistics roll out that they're probably pretty close, but at the same time, with getting back to those demons, they have a chance now to be a little more relaxed because they're not playing one of those teams that been a big fault of those demons and I think that's a big thing for them. I think also the play of

all three of the Mitch Marner in the Four Nations Cup and the success that he had when the game was on the line and a great play that he made for Canada. The way Austin Matthews persevered and changed his role with the U.S. team, not necessarily being the go-to goal scorer guy, but being the glue guy that made everything go for them. And William Nylander doing such a great job doing what he does for the Swedish team. And those three players are what's going to drive it. I think they've had success at that four nations, who give them confidence against good players. And then they kind of showed it here at the end of the year. And some of the games, they've won

in the way they played at the end of the game. But maybe they've turned the page. But Saturday's going to be the winner count. Our guest is Paul McLean, former Ottawa Senators head coach, was an assistant here in Toronto for a couple of years as well. I am curious to know your perspective. And the subject of playoff experience is debated and discussed non-stop leading into round number one and Toronto has more experience,

maybe the Demons may be a part of it, but clearly more playoff experience. Ottawa has very little when it comes to its top guys. How much of an effect do you think this will have on the results of the series? I think experience matters. I mean it's been proven over the years experience matters and experience is not only winning, experience is also losing. I mean like the despair as we mentioned earlier that the least you've faced in the last number of years, that's a motivator. Like I don't want to feel like that again. I really don't want to feel like that again. I really don't want to feel like that again. Now, the Ottawa Senators, they have nothing but they're happy. Like, there's no despair in their team.

They made the playoffs for the first time in however long, and some of them, or maybe none of them have ever been there. So they're not really sure. Everyone says it's hard, it's hard, it's hard, but you don't know until you're actually in there and you actually get involved in it and you go through it. And all of a sudden You realize oh my god. This is like way harder than I thought It's four games of play and it's all over so like it happens very quickly, too

So that's the one thing about the experience in the playoffs gets you with it. You know, you got to do it like right now It's right now. It's right now. There's no there's no time to wait You can't say oh well, we'll do it this game in that case gotta do it right now and I think the Leafs are full of that because of the despair that they've had and I think it's a Gonna be a great motivator for them and we'll see how it turns out If you're on the Leafs coaching staff this year Paul and you've got Brady Kachuk the Ottawa captain To deal with here.

Now he's never played in the playoffs, but we know he did very well in the Four Nations. He's 25 years old, he's been in the league a long time. How do you sort of approach him? Because obviously he's gonna be a disruptor, he's gonna be physical. Is there a way you can sort of turn that against him and try to get him to go over the edge

and put himself in a bad spot? Or how do you approach a guy who brings a skill set unlike anybody else in the series? Well he's going to be a factor whether it's for his team or for your team and you're trying to want to you kind of want to make him a factor for your team if you can but it's also something that it's not a one person thing. It's a multi-person thing. And I think the bulk of it is going to fall on the defensive core of the Naples and keeping him away from the net. I mean, that's where he like from, from goal line to goal line.

Like no one's really afraid of Brady Kachak. He's not, doesn't have outstanding speed where he's going to escape by everybody or putt skills and he's going to toe drag everybody and get into his game is that space. His game is below the goal line to the front of the net and being, being involved in front of the net with the goalcander. So it's really going to be a big job of not only one pair of defensemen, I'm assuming it's going to be the McCabe and

Tannhav combination with Benoit and somebody else going out the next time, but they've got to keep him away from the net. And that's going to be a big challenge because he's a big man and he's, he's determined to get there. But if you try to do it, you just say like Chris Tannhav is going to do it. That's not going to be enough. You're going to need two, two sets, two pair of defensemen in my opinion are going to have to be there to make sure that you keep them away from the net. All the Ottawa senators swept the season series against the Maple Leafs this year.

Toronto score just three goals in three games, five games in a row. Ottawa has beaten Toronto dating back to last regular season. Does that matter at all to you? That's the playoffs now. It don't matter. I don't think it matters. To me it never matters. It's how we're playing right now. Whoever the opponent is, whether they beat us ten times or we beat them ten times.

You always have to have great respect for your opponent. Especially in the playoffs, you have to have a greater respect for your opponent. And prepare for them in even a more detailed fashion and the team that does that the best and then goes out and executes it and stays healthy and And get some bounces is who ends up winning the series at most of the time Paul you've coached the Senators and you know about the phenomena of Leaf fans invading the arena out in Kanata of Leaf fans invading the arena out in Kanata.

How do you deal with that if you're the head coach of the home team and yet it feels like it's not completely a home game when the Leaf fans really can make it a pretty balanced crowd in a lot of ways? Can that be a factor or how did you look at that? Well, I always looked at it when I was there that I would say, hey Eugene, the place is full. Speaking to the owner, Eugene Melnick.

Yeah, Eugene Melnick. I said, Eugene, the place is full. What's our complaint? But again, when you're at home and everything is blue and white, it could be a little bit, I guess it can kind of irritate you a little bit, but I tried to make it more of a motivator

that, hey, we need to play better. We need to play better to make sure that our fans buy all the tickets. So we have to be better as a team to make sure that the people in Ottawa Valley in the region that are our Ottawa fans are going to come to the game and fill the ranks. So we've got to be better. That's the motivation I've tried to use. Paul, it's a treat to catch up with you as always. We really appreciate your time tonight.

Enjoy the beautiful Nova Scotian evening ahead and hopefully we can talk to you again soon. All right guys, let's have some fun. Buckle up. All right, buckle up. That's good advice. That's Paul McLean, former coach of the Sens, was an assistant in Toronto as well. I think you could take anything from that interview, the demons under the beds, that Paul crawling out, and no Maple Leaf fan wants to hear that of course

because you would like to think that things will be different for this team with a different coach, different goaltender, three brand new defense, but at the same time, the central cast of characters, the most important players for the Toronto Maple Leafs remain the same guys that Paul referenced in that infamous, at least here in Toronto, clip about the demons, that's how they're playing with demons underneath their bed and that's why they can't come through in these big moments. Game sevens, elimination games, and we'll have to find out.

Like there's no way to really Quantify what happened over the 81 games 82nd game tonight and what it means for the playoffs the only thing that can tell us What it means for the playoffs is the playoffs and we're gonna find out Sunday night. It's reality I think it's it reminds me a lot of the McElroy at the Masters right agree like, you know You watched him play and you were you were never really sure if the demons were going to get him, if he was going to blow it or he was going to walk away with the green jacket and you couldn't be sure. I don't think he could have been sure standing over that putt to win it. There was no way he was sure it was going in that he was going to be at the champions dinner for the

rest of his life. I mean, and I think that's very much the same with the Leafs. Like we cannot, we cannot be sure these guys are going to be different. Fans can hope, they can hope, the coaching staff can hope, but until you see it, you just cannot know what's going to be true. That's it. I, again, I think their management group, I think Bradshree Living did an excellent job this year building this team. I think on the back end, they're much better. Brian Stolarz was a brilliant move. I mean, he's been way better than anyone could have possibly imagined. And now it's just incumbent on the Toronto Maple Leafs to do what they need to do to win. And again, they put themselves in a good position. They won the Atlantic

division for the first time in a very, very long time. 99, 2000, the last time they won the division, a long time ago, 25 years ago. Print out the t-shirts. Print the t-shirts, Atlantic division champion t-shirts. And you get yourself a matchup on home ice against a team in Ottawa frankly you're better than you're more talented than top to bottom but none of that really matters when the puck drops. And because they were more talented than Columbus. Exactly. More talented than the Canadians in 2021 when the Canadians were the worst team in the playoffs as measured by their regular season performance

They've arguably been there were talented to Boston last year Boston I was last legs last year and they still couldn't get past Boston. So they've been the better team They've been the favorite and they haven't been able to do it and until they do it more often It's gonna be hard to think they're anything other than what they've been Paul McLean joined us 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. Pierre Lebrun coming up in about 15 minutes and the debut of a brand new segment here on Overdrive, alliteration special, the Fess Chuck 5 at

630. What a brilliant idea. 8K's list of 4.30 was a resounding success, but I have very high hopes for the Fess Chuck 5. Hazen, O'Doggan, and Noodle's never gonna invite us back. That is not true, Dave. How dare you, how dare you. They're gonna be thrilled with the product that we put forward.

Cam doing a great job behind the glass. JP, as always, it's Overdrive, it's TSN2, TSN1050. It's Mail It In Thursday here on Overdrive. It's brought to you it's TSN2, TSN1050. It's mail it in Thursday here on overdrive. It's brought to you by Boston Pizza, Canada's favorite sports bar this playoff season. Boston Pizza planning the parade and has a new all-star playoff menu for you to enjoy for pizza, pints and puck drops. Visit your local Boston Pizza today. There is also a parade to AAA for Davis Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays off today, they'll take on Seattle tomorrow

down at the Dome, first of three. But Davis Schneider, I think, will go down as the baseball equivalent of Jeremy Lin. In that he was so incredible for like two weeks. Everyone loved him, they were calling him, babe Schneider, people had jerseys. I was down at the Jays game yesterday afternoon there's an ample number of Davis Schneider jerseys and he started the season with

one hit in 21 plate appearances this year and was sent to triple-a and I don't know if we'll ever see him again But he'll always have that series. I believe it was at Fenway Park nine hits in his first three games Wow, he was unbelievable. Yeah, and then he was okay and now he's not Well, you that's a great parallel to the Lynn sanity. What a time I remember I was there in Toronto winning. He made that shot. I was there I remember that night as well covering that game for TSN 1050s probably 11 years ago now Yeah, I'm in the documentary You could see me. Oh, I know it's very impressive a really good document

It is it is but I mean Lynn sanity maybe was a little bit longer and he was an okay player in subsequent seasons Wasn't a top five player in the league like he was for two weeks member of the yeah He's got a ring baby does have a ring, but it is incredible to think back to what Davis Schneider was in Toronto. He was beloved. He was the leadoff hitter to start the season last year and now he's lost it and maybe and we hope he gets it back. I mean it's hard not to love the guy for what he was and the story that he was. He was a draft pick somewhere in the 30th round something like that. Worked his way up to the majors. Got a really important story and a cool one at that. But I mean, I just can't hit anymore. It sucks, but it's just, it's a results-oriented business.

And for the Jays, who are inexplicably 11 and eight in spite of getting very little offense, Vlad, he does go yard yesterday for the first time, which is amazing to see. Santander's got a couple of homers. Bova shed a couple of big hits yesterday as well. But, I mean. They're getting really good pitching.

They're getting incredible pitching and if you have a bench bat like Davis Schneider who's one for 21, you're not long for the major leagues. Well, look, I mean, everybody that fell in love with the guy enough to buy his jersey in a very short span where he just emerges on the scene and when they're calling you babe, you're doing something right, right?

And so, look, there's every reason to believe he can rediscover it right like you know how it works AK you you you get into the major leagues you're an unknown that's a big advantage right they have no book on you they get the book on you they find the hole in your swing and now it's your turn to say I can cover that hole I can I can adjust to what they're throwing me and he's got to go down to Buffalo and do the analysis and figure out where the hole is and how to fill it right and look this guy's kept at it a long time to your point about and in the in the case of Jeremy Lynn it was a very similar story of a guy who persevered and persevered and was overlooked and and

Underrated and then found a way to make it happen for a short amount of time. And, you know, let's hope for Davis Schneider's sake that it is something he can rebound from because the guy does have like obvious talents. Yeah, I mean, he hits lefties well or used to anyways, but clearly not this year. Another example of this, I think about Tim Tebow. That incredible run he had with the Broncos remember? Good lose. I mean when they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers that incredible pass to Demarius Thomas who runs at 85 yards whatever it was and Tebow yeah I mean

but I guess people figure you out once there's tape out on you and you hope the same doesn't apply to someone like Easton Lucas who had a couple great starts to start the season for the Jays and then his third start he got destroyed by Atlanta and sometimes the balloon burst and they see something and something you do and maybe that's the case for Davis Schneider and hopefully that's not the case for Easton Lucas but well the the babe era is over for now with the Toronto Blue Jays and Davis Schneider. Well maybe you know some buffalo wings a little beef on wek. Yes. You know you just eat down in Western New York and you Refine yourself right and I think that's that's what he's got to do. It's a game of adjustments, man

Yeah, it always has been it's it's a game of adjustments for the best place Look at look at Juan Soto adjusting to life without Aaron Judge. Did you hear those guys? Oh, yeah We could buy out hey life ain't the same. Guess what when the best here in the world is not hitting behind you You don't see the same pitches, guess what. That's exactly it. And he will figure it out because he's far too talented not to, Juan Soto. I'm not certain the same thing applies to Davis Schneider, but we're hopeful. We're hopeful.

But all I'm saying is, even the guys at the highest level and the guys who were in the minors trying to get to the majors, they're all trying to adjust. You have to be constantly adjusting because guess what? The game's so sophisticated now, they're looking at you very closely and finding your weaknesses. That's Dave Festchuk from the Toronto Star. I'm Aaron Korolnik. We're in for Hayes Noodles and the O-Dog and we've got a massive third hour coming up here. Pierre Lebron will call in TSN Hockey Insider, the debut of the Festchuk 5 on TSN 2 and TSN 1050.

Melodyne Friday was brought to you by Boston Pizza, Canada's favorite sports and TSN 1050. In our great nation, one song at a time. This is Justin Bieber. Hi, this is Terry Clark. We are Nickelback. Made in Canada, on iHeartRadio. Rock, pop, hip hop, and when it comes to country, it's the true north all the way. 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. Canada on the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca.