OverDrive - OverDrive - April 29, 2025 - Hour 3

Episode Date: April 29, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes and Jamie McLennan for Hour 3 on OverDrive! TSN Maple Leafs Reporter Mark Masters joins to discuss the Maple Leafs' matchup against the Senators, the approach in an elimination game and the stars in the game. They also dive into the biggest headlines from the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Hayes hands his FanDuel Bets Bets.

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Join today and be part of something amazing. Final hour overdrive continues. Powered by FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line of the final score. Brian Hayes, Jamie Noodles, McClennan. We've got Mark Masters coming up from the rink. Game five tonight, Leafs-Sends. And you know

obviously we anticipate both teams coming out flying we anticipate a good crowd tonight. I think a rowdy crowd but possibly some nervous energy if Ottawa scores first I think the first goal is so important tonight. What has been throughout the series you look at it and you know the Leafs playing with the lead is a lot different than the Leafs maybe having to get one, but they were down 2-0 and found a way to get right back into it. So it's, you know, I don't know if it was Ottawa sitting back or the Leafs just kind of cranking it up. I mean it was in great individual plays as well, that nice play was amazing.

Yeah, really the Ekman-Larsen was unreal. Yeah, that was a beautiful pass. And you know, we all talk about the pass, but I actually thought the shot was amazing from Ekman-Larson. That was kind of, it was in his wheelhouse, but he was leaning back like, it was a tough to get that off. Tough to shot, and then he was able to elevate it.

And if you look at it, Allmar got across, but it went right underneath his glove. Like it was actually, you know, in his mind he's trying to elevate it. Like he had to kind of like bunt it. It was in his wheelhouse, but he didn't, it wasn't like, hey, a big one-timer. Do you see him?

Like look at, one knee down, gotta elevate it. And it was just a perfectly place. And that's the one thing, if you had outside of everything else I did not have on my bingo card five goals from defensemen from the lowest scoring defensive core in the league this year well in in three of them are from Ekman Larson in Benoit right guy now Ekman Larson has been a perennial 20 year old man when he was in Arizona.

That was 10 years ago. You're right. You could turn the clock back. But, like, I'm just, you know, Morgan Reilly had a great start. You know, Benoit, like, Benoit all of a sudden... The Benoit story, the overtime Benoit stories are the most out-of-this-world stories. And that's another reason why you want to just, if you're the Maple Leafs and you get through this,

those are the kind of stories that last a long, long time. Like the people will remember, because those are ones that I think the average fan can connect to. You can't connect to Austin Matthews, like you love it if you're a fan, but a guy like Benoit, you're like, man, he just shot it on net and it went in and it's unbelievable and he

was shocked and he couldn't believe it and he never scores right you know he says after the game the last time he scored a big goal was in Pee-wee like those are just great quotes and a great story at home defenseman yes within the series and you're right like offense from the defense like Morgan Riley has supplied a lot of it yeah has been very very significant and that's including a power play that's been read hot with five forwards right did you can't get any contributions from a defenseman in terms of the power play

right they're not even out there yeah unless it's the second unit uh... so i i think special teams clearly is going to factor in tonight that's something i'm sure craig berube's been focused on the last two days yeah you gotta win that because you did it so well the first three games. Yeah. Got to get the power play going and you got to kill. Yeah. You got to do it and I think the Leafs are probably looking at the rest thinking, okay,

game one broke their way and then Travis Green and everyone in Ottawa freaked out and yelled and screamed and then it broke Ottawa's game. Right. Wait, now again, Ottawa would say a four-minute major buddy high stick them in Drew blood and overtime like it is what it is you take a high stick right in front of the ref 200 feet from your own goalie you're gonna pay a price yeah but it has not favored the Maple Leafs the last three games terms of I think it's panel these there I think so I'm not saying it's a storyline necessarily right and

in large part in game two and three because the Leafs won who cares at that point but I would think Arubi and the Leafs have probably been leaning on the league the last couple of days too and say all right you know he put eye on us like I'm sure they weren't happy about the Zub and Tavares thing going on called and they shouldn't be out. It's a missed call yeah but I mean like I say there's I think there's there's missed calls like I think the biggest thing is calls you call that impact the game. And that's where I think the refs have done a pretty good job. When you watch other series, it's like, okay, like you watch that Florida Tampa series,

there's a penalty every shift. There's literally a penalty every shift. This hasn't been, I don't know, correct me if I'm wrong, but that should have been a penalty. No doubt. Yeah. Zubon Tavares was a missed call. That was not, I have people saying, well, that's the same as Zach Blatt on, on him. No, I don't, I don't agree with that. Not even close. But here's, here's what I would say. This hasn't been a contentious, ugly battle. No, not in the least. Like, which you see other series where their scrums there's

it's not fights but there's intensity after every whistle this one just as it had it now again i i admitted when this first all came about i wasn't privy to the battle of ontario cuz i was still in the league i wasn't really paying attention you'd see it on the news and all of that. You lived it. Those seem to have like,

bad or piss and vinegar. There were villains, like multiple villains on both teams. There was people going, you know, fights and jumping in the benches, like all these types of things. This hasn't had that. No, honestly, I don't know who the villain is

for either team. Like I don't know who Ottawa would look at and say, man, I hate that guy. Like, you know, obviously I hate Austin Matthews. The only closest guy would be Pontus Holmberg. Possibly Pontus Holmberg. And that's that's probably a perfect example of it, because Holmberg's just out there playing and trying to play hard and with some physicality and all that. But it's not chirping.

It's not stick work. It's not really anything. And on the other side, it's Nick Cousins. Yeah, you know, but he even started the series playing in the late was even the lineup game one But it is it it has I would say Ridley Greg has the possibility to be that guy Yes, and has played that role to an extent at times in this series Yeah, but even Brady Kuchuck's not a guy like Matthew I said the other day Matthew you hate right you look at Matthew Kuchuck If you're a fan of Tampa or Toronto or Boston like I hate that guy yeah Brady you're like I respect that guy like he plays tough but he plays respectful he's within the lines

yeah that's they're just he's a guy that could be a difference maker if he decided I'm gonna play like my brother yes because that scares that scares you. Right, because he physically... Like Matthew will fight and he's tough, but guys are like, I'll take you on. Right. Brady, who, if he starts taking advantage of people, you're like, this is trouble. Right, because there's only a few guys on the other side that can... That can keep up with him. ...handle that. Yes.

All right, game five tonight. Let's head down to Scotiabank. Here's Mark Masters, our TSN reporter. Mark, how would you answer that in terms of you know the villain if you're if you're looking at it through the lens of the may believes who do you think they hate the most if there is anybody playing for autowatts and finding probably really great that they didn't have to the flat shot into the

empty that last season and then going after still are the way they did that he did they really don't like him crashing into so are there and it feels like that the kind of guy that if there's if there's one guy that's emerging in camp yeah and that guy he he likes that i think reagan appreciates that role wants to play that role but he's a young guy uh...

as for the maple leaves in their approach tonight what you've been around this team every single day for years, how would you have described the mood around the team the last couple of days coming off the loss of game four, going into game five? Yeah, I think they've been pretty calm and pretty confident still. I don't sense like any playoff demons coming out

around the group right now. We spoke to Austin Matthews down here this morning. I thought he was in great spirits. I was actually pretty impressed with Mitch Marner yesterday. You know, he was asked, you know, about the collapse in 2021. He didn't get defensive, just spoke about being in the moment. So as much as you can take away from that, I feel like they're in a good mind state. The demons aren't out yet. I'm looking at the start of this game. They started really well in game one and game two, got out to lead and Craig Brubay highlighted that as an important factor tonight, something they've

done well at home where they've won nine straight games and that will tell us a lot how they start this game. Because I think in these closed out games they've lost, they've come out a little tentative, looked a little nervous. If they can come out and just kind of look like they're confident, grab hold of this game early, that will tell us a lot. But from just the last couple days, even right after the game in game four in Ottawa, it's felt like they are still in control, very calm, still in a good spot. Who's your X factor tonight?

I'm really interested in Stolarz, because if you look at his safe percentage in every game of the series, it's declined from game one to two to three to four. He'll be starting a fifth straight game tonight. It's the first time that's happened this season. And I'm just I'm wondering, I'm wondering how he's going to deal with the workload. He's never really experienced this. Obviously, that last loss snaps in 11 games, winning streak for him. So he hasn't had to bounce back from a loss in a while. So I'm really curious with him, because the last game is the first time it really felt like Ottawa won the gold-tending battle. It's the reason why they won the game, of course. And if Storrs comes back to earth a little bit and all much stronger, that really

does change the dynamic and the theory. With Mark Masters ahead of Game 5 tonight tonight leave sense uh... when you discuss the long-standing players and the importance of them having a big night tonight to you separate austin matthews from the core four or do you just

look at the all the whole group uh... in terms of you know the expectation and maybe the pressure to to have a night? Yeah, I find it hard to separate guys just because Matthew is playing with Marter. So they both have to raise each other up, or if one of them is playing well, he can get the other guy in. So they're trying to end it together, and those two guys now of course have Matthew Nyes, who is quickly emerging as part of the core. And then on the other line you've got John Tomaroff and Willie Nylander playing together,

and then they're all together on the power play, which has been very good in this series until game four. So I find it hard to really pick out one or the other when it comes to the Corps four guys that needing a step up. It kind of felt like a package deal with those guys. And that's how they're built. It's like if one of them is down, the other guys will come through. The last game it was the John Savarisiam Nylander line that was really good and got him back in that game. I didn't think Matthews and Marner had it, really. I know Matthew and I had that great individual play,

but I did not think that line was particularly good. And now it's up to them to respond. And I don't think they've had like a game where it's been like the top line game. So maybe that's tonight. And that would go a long way to kind of changing the narrative and making it feel a lot different here if Matthews and Marner together got it done tonight. You look at Lena Salmark as basically the biggest X factor for Ottawa?

I do. I mean, goaltending is so much of everything and he just looked, he just did not inspire a lot of confidence early in this series. And finally he seems to have settled settled into it. And yeah, because the Sends have no chance of coming back unless Lina Solmarch is excellent the rest of this way. Like he cannot let in a softball early in this game. He looks really shaky in Toronto in games one and two. Finally, you know, we'll see what that win does for him.

He snapped a six game losing streak in the playoffs last last game. So let's see what that does for him but yeah he's a big he's a big talking point in the next it's really start with him any chance they have start with and getting it together looking good uh... with mark masters so i i guess it's not a surprise that no lineup changes but max patch already is going to get a game at home tonight

uh... they've they went with robertson obviously the first couple of games uh... any surprise on your end that that brew bears gonna stick with i guess what's been working yet in the particular like this is kind of been him right home doesn't really like to change the condition of an app he doesn't like to make up a a wedding line even though we did make that change robertson coming out that ready going in for game three i didn't think that maybe thatioretty would get, you know, maybe you go to Robertson, he's been

so good coming off of a scratch and like scoring immediately. Maybe you could do that to create a spark. But you know, at home you can control the matchups a bit more and you can protect that Domey line a bit better. Patioretty did lead the team with 12 hits in the last two games since he came in. So, you know, he spoke today about how, you know, he knew it was going to be tougher in the second game. The adrenaline carried him in the first game and the three months almost layoff. That's tough to play two games like that, two overtime games. So the two day break should help him. I know he's got his kids coming to the game tonight.

They haven't seen a lot of them this season. They haven't been in Toronto. So I know he's pretty fired up to put on a show for family tonight. Yeah as you should be I mean it's a cool moment. You know we were both down there you and I Mark for the first two games I thought the Game Ops did a great job but the crowd was really good Game One in particular was amazing I know some of the players were asked about it today anticipating it you know the roof to pop off I'm curious what you read on that situation could be this evening yeah you know next only yesterday was talking about how the fans

they need a fan like they did it didn't feel like a factor and actually promise about today that he didn't you know i feel like the senators handled it very well the atmosphere in game one in particular without the the first playoff game for a lot of those senators players himself included you know often at least has called out the fans earlier this season, right? He's not, I don't think he's the kind of guy to just offer, you know, random thoughts and just, you know, lip service to the fans. And he said that it was excellent in games one and two,

and he expected to be rowdier and louder tonight. So that's the captain's message to the fans. And yeah, I think it could be like, listen like listen this organization this franchise has not clinched a series on home ice since 2004 I was looking at the numbers they've only had four of those games those closed out opportunities in front of a full building so most of it has either been obviously we had the COVID era at empty building or on the road some of these closed out games. So fans have been wanting this moment, a chance to celebrate with the team, celebrate a playoff series win. It's been forever. I think that the team realizes that. It's all there for them tonight and they want the fans to be part of it. I expect it to be

a really good atmosphere tonight. All right, Mark. I'll see you down there, buddy. Good stuff. Thank you for doing this. See you soon. There he is Mark Masters live from Scotiabank Arena. If the rain doesn't stop you. Sounds like there is a massive storm that is directly over our studio right now. Power cutting out all hell breaking loose. Yeah. Lights coming out. Although if the power goes out then I can go right down to the game right? True. Like maybe that would be a benefit for everybody. If I can get down to the game in hand or not no fanny pack tonight

No, that was a that was only for the seats. It's the one-off. Hey, there's a one-off It had it had to coordinate with the suit. Yeah, and I'm not in the seats. That's true. Yeah, I'm in the seats fanny pack. I'll own it You have to write the world You'll have to wrestle Jim Taddy for the ice cream. Was there ice cream and pizza up there? There was pizza game 2. I don't know where they keep that ice cream.

I've seen guys eat it but I don't even know where it is. I feel like it's in a mini-fridge there. I think it's too dangerous, man. You're wearing a suit, I'm doing stuff post-game. You get after an Oreo sandwich or something it drops you your toast Yes, it's not gonna bringing another suit into the game So as someone with experience working up in the gondola, it is a mini fridge that they put next to the pizza warmer I'm focused on the pizza. That's probably why I just try like this like JP

I worked there for almost three years doing stuff for the station So and and you can verify that Jim Taddy would build a wall around it I worked there for almost three years doing stuff for the station. And you can verify that Jim Taddy would build a wall around it, correct? I was there when Taddy got the tap on the shoulder from an NHL official employee saying, hey, Taddy, pizza's here. Really? So he has so much clout down there, the NHL employs somebody to let him know when food arrives.

I don't know if that's the full position that they have, but it is part of the job, I think. Yeah, no, I've seen the tab man do work, but I haven't seen JP do work. How do you sneak in there, JP? Do you stop, drop, and roll by the ice cream fridge? Usually I was able to get one by Tati. He would sneak an extra one for me. I might gamble and try one tonight.

The ice cream or the pizza? Both. You can do it, I mean it's- Although by the time I get down there, the pizza will be gone. Shrapnel. There's no way pizza's gonna be around. Yeah, it'll be shrapnel for sure.

There might be ice cream. So if you see me after the game with ice cream just everywhere- Go sit with your buddy Jonas and tell him that we were- I'm gonna sit, listen, I love Jonas. Jonas, your friend of mine, you guys owe him an apology. I think his analysis of Vasilevsky. I handed him an apology after I was sharp with my tongue

and I was joking tongue and cheek, but I just said. Came at me too, I mean, you guys were harsh. You guys were harsh earlier. It just, I want context to everything. That's the biggest thing. Like if it's just a straight shot, gotta be better. Then I understand it. Like there was, like the Hellebuck one is interesting

because I went through all 12 goals that he allowed in St. Louis. There's some that are certainly you're like, you need to be better on that. He stops the puck behind the net, gives it away, they jam it in. Like that's on him. There's a screenshot, Kevin Sawyer came on our show yesterday and said

he stops at a hundred percent of the time this year doesn't come up with that safe i get that it within the screen was farther out it was brandon tannif that was way out so he he picks up the puck late but then there's some just some really awful plays by their players in front of them

and like you said he's usually a guy doesn't matter what's in front of him. And like you said, he's usually a guy, it doesn't matter what's in front of him, like he makes that save because he's got our Hellebuck, he's having a great season. Hasn't come up with that. I'm fascinated to see what happens tomorrow. Now I'm, I've openly admitted this, I've been wrong on a lot of things here in the playoffs so far. I thought Tampa was going to tie it last night, look like it, and then all of a sudden, 11

seconds, it's over. Right? You know, I just, I can't figure out who's going to win in last night to look like it and then all of a sudden 11 seconds. It's over right? You know I just I can't figure out who's going to win in that Edmonton series. You know I That's the beauty of that is they are those games are two games within a game You're going God is LA dominating them, and then you're like why is Edmonton is just tilted the ice and LA can't get out of their own way. Well I said yesterday the pie chart, if you've been watching that series, 50% of the time you look at Edmonton and say that's a lottery team. They're not, yeah, what are they doing out there?

30% of the time you're like wow this is okay, it's a good series, both teams are kind of alive and then 20% of the time you look at Edmonton and say they're going to win 16 straight games and win the Stanley Cup Like no one can compete with that. Yeah, it's it's just a wild but here's my thing on like even even hella buck because I think what what I Have a difficult time with is a everyone's gonna make mistakes, right? Obviously you want to reduce your mistakes, but the sport is high-flying

everyone's going to make mistakes. Obviously you want to reduce your mistakes, but the sport is high flying. You're going to give up high danger chances. Every single team does it. The best defensive team in the league is going to give up five or six where you're like, okay, there's a breakaway. There's a shot in the slot. There's a two on one.

There's a rebound back door. It just, it's the nature of the sport. It's going to happen. Also, you look at the breakdowns. I, and I don't know this specifically, but how many of those were happening during the season that you didn't focus on because Hellbuck made the stop? Yeah, you just didn't notice it.

And that's the thing. And I guess that's where I come at it with him and even with some other guys, where is it more egregious in the playoffs? Absolutely. Should it happen to that extent? No, it shouldn't. Can they rectify it? Yes, and they better but it probably happened at times during the

season two and he made the stop and you're like oh who cares about that guy came right down Broadway hell about stopped it yeah so you know when he doesn't stop it is it is it unfair to blame him solely of course it is right but he was it was and he set the standard. Exactly. Because he was doing it before when they were breaking it down. He'd save their ass every time. And you're like, well, okay, this is why they won the president's trophy. And are you moving the goalpost? Not you specifically talking to general conversation where it's like, well, yeah, but wait a minute, what about this and that? I'm like, yeah, but that was happening

before he just stopped. It just just yeah you're right like so and and on a Tuesday in November exactly nobody's paying attention. People in New York and Florida and Toronto are watching the whole game right they're just saying man you see what that guy did last night unbelievable. And the stakes are so much higher St. Louis is playing like you've now played the same team four times in a row you're starting to pick up things and go, geez, we scored because we got traffic. We scored because we got our shots through. You know, we, we were able to do expose. Like I said, I was,

we were talking about yesterday, Luke Shen looked his age the other night. Yes. And I was saying like on the road, you, you can't get, you can't shelter somebody it's like go play you get trapped out or whatever they didn't lose because Luke Shin. The point being though there is factors that you can manipulate in a certain game where you control that last that last change the you know find an extra shift for somebody. Montgomery's done a really good job. Now Arne Hill got, I don't know if you watched his, he was chippy on his post-game media the other day. Like I'm not going to tell you, but we did something in the first period. The first 18 minutes of that game, Winnipeg was awesome. And then they gave up a goal late in that first period and it was like a house of cards It just fell apart and then you were like here we go again It was 1-1 after the first and Winnipeg held that every analytic every territorial advantage

But the but period 2 and 3 was gone like they Winnipeg was out to lunch Well, and this year what separated them from years past was their ability to score. Yeah, their special teams. Yes. And when that starts to fall off, and yes, you're without Elers and yes, already is going to play and that's that's significant because he's a big, he's a big, big time player for them. But if you know, it's if you can't score goals, right? You know, they do. You can't win. No, you got it. You need a combination of all of it. I mean, that's the last team standing. You're going to look at it and say they did everything right. Yeah, that's the way it goes. They scored, they special

teams, they stayed healthy, they got some bounces and the goalie was great. Yeah, I guess the same formula every single year. And that's what makes the Stanley Cup playoffs so great. I think this year, It's the same formula every single year. And that's what makes the Stanley Cup playoffs so great. I think this year, maybe more so than any other year, maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's just Florida's at the end and they win and you're like, yeah, you know what? They are the best team and that's the way it played out. But it does feel like 10 days in,

it's very difficult to predict. Like it's very difficult to predict what that cup final is gonna look like. Well, like it could be a combination of so many different teams. I mean, we have not talked about much the Minnesota Wild or, you know, yes, we've got Vegas, too, too, but they feel like they've got them on the road. Well, like now Vegas could get it together and and win in six. But there's just like I think what we've noticed

if you look at every series outside of Carolina New Jersey which isn't your century's not in her yes yeah but it there is some unique story lines now what are the I guess the only unique stare storyline for the Leafs in Ottawa the Battle of Ontario in the leafs have a history in close out games that they haven't been able to do it yet. Outside of that, there's not really, like I mentioned before, there hasn't been a suspension,

there hasn't been fights, there hasn't been, there's been physicality, there's been, you know, but it hasn't been over the top crazy. Yeah. Well, and I think a lot of that. I don't see that happening tonight. I don't think it's gonna change because I don't think the Leafs, I don't think they want it to change.

No. And they go Ottawa now is, you have their backup against the wall, you can't do that now. No, you can't take a five minute age. You can't take stupid penalties. Yeah, you're not, you're not, because the Leafs have done a very good job

because of the way game one played out. Yeah. Establishing, you know, we're not we're not going to get sucked in. Right. We're not going to do it. Like at the end of the game, game one, Ottawa was trying. Yeah, like David Perron was skating around and God debt was skating around. And you know, they were trying, they were trying to go the Leafs into something, take a piece like the investment and the Leafs wouldn't do it. Yeah, you know, and why would you? You're up six, two in that game. You're on home ice. The building's going crazy. Just get out. Yeah. And they got out. Um, it might be different if it was

two, two might be different if Ottawa came back in one game, two, then all of a sudden, maybe the whole complexion of the series has changed. And maybe that happens as we move on. I don't know, depending on how tonight plays out. I forgot we haven't even mentioned this Washington That's my real a great series even though it's three. I think it's been fantastic Yes, and just let alone you know the Wilson Anderson like we were laughing about it yesterday like that that Transaction they all got fined right like there wasn't a yeah number one lot of it was for the grand Yes, the players can only get fined so much the teams got fined, right? Like there wasn't a number one, 25 grand. Yes, the players can only get fined so much. The teams got fined.

But it was, without it being a bench clearing brawl, that was like modern day bench clearing. Everyone's there and those two are wrestling through the bench. That's been a high emotion series. And I mean, watching it from through the TV that building is just the bell center is a it's an incredible scene man it really it meets the expectation and the reputation yes you know like and if you haven't been there maybe it's difficult to

understand but very few things in life like actually meet expectation and that's not an insult, that's actually I think a credit to how much hype comes with it. I would use my example of when I went to Augusta last year, it didn't exceed expectations, it met them and they were as they were at the ceiling. You can't exceed that, it's the same thing with a Bell Center, it's got the rep as the best place. And then you go it and you're like, go to it. Yeah, this is what it is. It's not overly hyped. It's not inaccurate. It's just a hundred percent on the nose. The way that they react, how loud it is. It's a bigger building in terms of capacity. It holds more people.

It's an incredible place. And that would be very disappointing if it ends tomorrow night because you know, I have an inclination to believe that it will. I think the third period the other night was back breaking. Like the Habs, they had that game. It's just like LA had that game. Washington scored with like three minutes left. Yeah, well it was kind of bang bang and then remember they pulled the goalie and they had possession and Hudson. Anyway, I mean it just got away from them and next thing remember they pulled the goalie and they had possession and Hudson yeah

Anyway, I mean it just got away from them and next thing you know you're down 3-1 Well, there's four three one series on the rights on the east Do you think any of them come back to push seven not necessarily win? But do you think any of those series go seven I? Want to say yes But I wouldn't be able to tell you who because I feel like it's like maybe the law of averages Maybe there's one team that pushes seven and I can say well me I could make a case for Tampa Yes, just because how strong they are. Yep, but I just

Yeah, maybe the law of averages and that's still being lean. That's 25. I'm saying one and four. That's 25% It could be zero. But yeah, I mean Emily Kaplan said it what six o'clock she was like you start doubting teams are you go okay this thinking you got a read on something there's an injury or a bad penalty one night or something like you can't well it's 3-1 like you you win the next game right you always say somebody's got to be almost got to be up or down three two but like that's I can, I can see, I can see some teams making it 3-2,

and then maybe 3-3, like, I still think it's one and four. I want game sevens, I love game sevens. I know, but I think it's one and four, I really do. And I can't tell you, I refuse to commit, and it's not because I'm being a dink about it, I couldn't tell you who's gonna be. It feels like either the battle of Florida or battle of Ontario, feels that way. Because, because you know the Habs have been in their games.

Habs have had chances. They lost in overtime game one. They've they they have not you know the other night the score was a little bit misleading that got away from them. They had a lead in the third period. The Habs the Habs could I just feel like why I think they're a bit oh they're outmatched there. Yeah.

And Caroline I just feel like is that feels like a formality personally, but yeah I I think the Tampa like those games are tight and I don't know You don't know who's healthy and who's not like Hegel's not gonna play game five No, he's not and that lad probably will get suspended, correct? Yeah, we haven't seen anything yet on it and come but it did we not say that I thought I read today he was having a hearing yes he is having a hearing I believe he's having a phone hearing which would suggest he probably gets a game and the Mika law like he got it but he got a fine that's not that he's not getting anything on that looks for that

like that was it sure yeah exactly looks but that was 2,500 bucks and you're on the board Ergenson's he took his helmet off and he had a welt on his... That was dangerous, man. That was a dangerous play and a very... Like that could have easily been a suspension and people could totally reason with that. You know, I've always found this, and I said this, I did the Winnipeg Jets game the other day against St. Louis, I find it's tough, maybe, correct me if you're wrong, do you have a lot of emotion even as a fan watching an afternoon game? It's a weird experience.

So I'm watching Winnipeg and St. Louis play, don't you feel it's a tough, like even as a fan, but as a player, bringing that level up to 100, like through the roof, where you're coming out of your skin, it's like it's 1 10 in the afternoon. There's sun like getting through the concourse. I just, I've always found like afternoon games as a player were weird games.

There was sleepy games. There was, not lead changes, but there was momentum changes because one team's awake, other teams asleep right doing that in the playoffs and against a hated rival like that's why I'm getting hit at 105 p.m. you know you got out of bed at 9 a.m. and you got up and you went right to the rink and you ate and like and hey you're playing like I just I hate and again maybe this is all TV this is all I get it I hate the afternoon game, this is all TV, this is all, I get it. I hate the afternoon game. I hear ya.

Well you don't have to worry about it during the week. A dreaded playoff, like these two are hated rivals. Tampa and Florida. There could be game sevens during the day on the weekend. Three o'clock, game seven. Like these teams all playing tonight, you could have, you know, any combination. If there's multiple games, one of them's at three o'clock right anyway all right best bets coming up later in the hour game five we're chugging towards it we've got the Jays

in action tonight the Scepters in action downtown tonight we got three other Stanley Cup playoff games we got NBA playoff games overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN 2 all right best bets bad but then the later in the hour game five tonight leasing action or there's an action blue jays in action tonight we did confirm that i earlier probably a new record we only get to two of them right limited to confirm the nice started arguing that's why i think we have a yeah we started our matter i don't know what we're doing

has disappointing but we have more the bank you want me to fire off a few more? Yes, let's do it. Okay, let's continue with Confirmer tonight. If Florida, the Florida Panthers wins another Stanley Cup, they will surpass the Tampa dynasty as the best team of the 2020s. What did Tampa do? They won two and went to three cup finals and they had a 62 win season in 19 I guess. And Florida would have won two and been to a final two. Yes. I don't know if you say that.

Basically who's better? Who would be the team of the 20s? Because it's going to be one of those two teams. Like you can't imagine someone's going to run off two or three the rest of the 20s because it's gonna be one of those two teams I can't imagine someone's gonna run off you know two or three of the the rest of the decade. Did Tampa beat Florida in those runs? I believe so. Because that's what's interesting Florida to get through has beaten Tampa. Yes they did so Tampa did in 21-22 they beat Florida to get to a cup final. Man, that's a coin toss. It's really,

the only thing I would say is maybe I'd lean Florida and here's why. Didn't Tampa win back to back? There was a COVID like, yes, they wanted like 10 months. They had a COVID bubble. It was like a shortened, yes, like, hey, you're going to have a shortened season, and then you're going to full season right after, but with weird timing. Remember that the season didn't start.

So in a calendar year, they almost won two cups type of thing like that. So there was the same team, but just short, and you just squashed it together. Yeah. And no fans in the bubble is a weird kind of scene. Yeah. I don't know the bubbles weird kind of scene. Yeah. I don't know if that should be held against them.

I don't think it should be held against anybody for that. But it just feels a little bit different as to, because I remember we were, you know, in the bubble, it was weird. And then hockey started up right again, it felt like, because the league was trying to get back on schedule. And they brought the same team back. It was like, hey, we just won, we'll win again. Like, whereas Florida finals grinded game seven last year, and if they grind again,

yeah, I don't know. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think it's a confirm because of what you just said. But I will say this, I think in the long term, because they both have great players, big personalities. I just feel like Tampa has guys that stick out in terms of history more. Like as great as Bob is, Vasilevsky to me has kind of set the bar. He might be a Mount Rushmore type of guy. Yes, exactly. And when you consider what he did in those playoff runs, now Bob has been phenomenal. Maybe the best hockey he played was actually when they lost the cup final right Vegas what he did taken over in the first round

How he played against the Leafs? You know Barkov's unbelievable, but I look at Kucherov. I look at Stamkos. I look at Hedman. I look at Cooper, right? You know, I just I feel like the bigger Yeah personalities and and that's you know It might sound strange because you have Matthew Kachuk and Paul Maurice is an incredible speaker. Ryan Hard, you know and Bartlett. Yeah but there's something about the Tampa guys like Stamkos and Kucherov and

Point and Headman and Vasilevsky and Cooper. That's like a to me feels a little like a step above it. Star power, like a superstar power It's more of a coin flip. That's really what it is. Which is amazing and a test. And again, Florida's got to get there to even continue this conversation. Exactly. Because Tampa did it. But I remember having that conversation like which dynasty is better, the Tampa one or the Blackhawks one or the Penguins one or the Kings. And I think Tampa for me was probably at the top because of what they did in consecutive years and how difficult that is. In Florida, you know, they might find a way to do it again.

Yeah, it's incredible. It is. It's incredible. And they found a formula. And the one thing that Florida has been really, I think very uniquely qualified about, like they've been aggressive. Now maybe they saw the Echblad thing come in and it's like we need to grab Seth Jones.

Because that trade seemed to happen out of nowhere and it didn't make sense. And then all of a sudden it made sense. But if you look at the right side of their D, like that Jones has had a resurgence. I always thought he was a nice player, that he didn't look very good in Chicago, bad environment. He didn't look good in Columbus. To me, there was, I don't know, to me, he looks like a hell of a player, which he is,

and you place him in that environment, he just seems like he's been a perfect fit. He gets asked, he's paid a lot, got a big contract in Chicago, but he's not asked to be the man in Florida, which is always significant. That's why Brad Marshand doing what he's doing. Phil Kessel, when he went to Pittsburgh,

it's different when you are isolated in a market like Chicago where it's like, well, we stink and you better get us out of it. Right. Look what you're getting paid. And then you go down to Florida and Echblad comes back and now he's probably going to leave again. But Jones doesn't have to play 25 minutes or 26 minutes. He's going to fit in likely as a second parent guy. Right. You've got, you know, you got foresting down there. You got Mekala down there.

You've got other guys on the left side. Schmidt scores every game effectively and And it's just it's a great balance They do they have a Jones just fits in man Like they're they're such a good team and if they get through Tampa and if the Leafs get through Ottawa like it's the ultimate test They will be because of what the Panthers represent because you know what you know how they're gonna play Like this we've been talking about Ottawa has not it has not been a punch in the face fest because of what the Panthers represent, because you know how they're gonna play. Like this, we've been talking about Ottawa,

it has not been a punch in the face fest, it has not been nasty, it has not been elbows to the, there's been some examples, but Florida is going to come in, if they play the Leafs, and they are game one, they are going to be rowdy. They do that for fun. Yes.

Like they do that, like that's their- Elbows and forearms and sticks and scrums. What they do is they take a piece of you. Like, and, and, you know, Paul Maurice, when you go back after them winning the cup last year, and you saw some of the behind the scenes, you know, the NHL would release footage of the coach Maurice talking, like,

take a piece, take a piece of this guy like they took a piece of Edmonton every game regardless and then by game seven Edmonton didn't have much left like they you know McDavid wasn't his dominant like there were just they shrunk the ice. Mabroski made a couple great saves he made the one save you know I think with five minutes left to kind of a sprawling save on Hyman was right on the back door and RNH was there. But it wasn't like they gave up 20 chances a night

and they shrunk that game and Edmonton just didn't have anything left. And Florida just wears you down, like they hit you, they're in you, like they expend a lot of energy but they get a lot of energy out of the other team. Yes, they do. Well, they drag you into it and you prepare for it and they have that reputation so you're bracing for it right and listen if you're the maple leaves if you're Carolina if you're Washington any team that's up three one like obviously you're trying

to close out a series as quickly as you possibly can. I don't think Washington and Carolina would look at each other and think, I need as much rest and preparation as the Leafs would look at Florida and say, we want to get this done quicker so we get out of it healthy. Because every game you play, you're offering up more opportunity for injury, for suspension, for anything. You look at the Leafs have blocked I 90 shots or something like that Like yeah, it gets hit by the puck five times a game, you know, like after you knives remembering

Yeah, like it's game one elbow or yeah, I was the back of the hand. Yeah, but you're right like teams are having players that are fighting through stuff because it's now that's what led me to believe about Matthews didn't skate again yesterday you're like okay well maybe he's he's gone tonight on a soft spot but he's playing you know all right we'll come back with our best bets powered by FanDuel and again tee up the game one last time before we see how it all plays out game five tonight leave sends Oilers in action tonight as well.

Overdrive continues, TSN 1050 and on TSN 2. All right, today's best bets are powered by Fandol. Make your picks and assemble the same game parlay in seconds on the Fandol Sportsbook app. I'm going Austin Matthews anytime goal scorer tonight. He's got to get one tonight. We can talk about all the details in the game,

you know, checking properly, taking on different assignments, winning draws, killing penalties, all of that is important. You're the best goal scorer in the world. You're the captain. You're the leader. You got to score in a game like tonight. It's long overdue. He's got won this series. He's got two in his last, I think 14 playoff games. You got to score. You're expected to score. I got Matthews and I got dry sidle tonight because he scores every single game. I'm going to parlay the two-pan plus $3.95.

Pretty good cash. I like it. I like it. Today's Best Bets powered by FanDuel live same game parlays are now available for every Stanley Cup playoff game on the FanDuel Sportsbook app. Please play responsibly. 19 plus physically located in Ontario. All right.

What are you thinking tonight? Because we got four games to get other games going on to uh... nissan and beg and look out and listen the obvious one is toronto on what's your front of our eyes yet and edmonton l a tonight yeah i can't figure out like and tick like l a is going to learn something and they're already they're already saying

the right things out there were not to sit back we're gonna go out of all the evidence but i'm just gonna They're already saying the right things out there. We're not going to sit back. We're going to go at it. I'll believe that when I see it. But Edmonton's going to go, we can't be sleepwalking for 30 minutes and try and rush back into these games. It's a bad formula for them to try and win. So I'm going to park that. Minnesota Vegas, like I know it's not the sexiest matchup. I can't count this Minnesota team out I

just they deserve that level of expectation yes now Vegas has the pedigree I don't think Aiden Hill's been at his best Jack Eichel has he has not played well no he's not I saw the stone injury the other day there's been a lot but in the end to me I think that Minnesota Vegas game that's the one I've circled and go I got Vegas tonight you got Vegas winning that? That's in Vegas yes back in Vegas game five I got Vegas I just think they've just got more pedigree and the certain guys that are gonna play better. They're gonna step up too. Yeah we'll see we'll have it all broken down tomorrow. There's a

there's a kid from saint albert bret howden was a nice player was a number of kids kicking around yeah national hockey yeah but he's a he's a good young players and a long-term deal there and really good value so we'll see how that's a bret howe well just i'm i'm thinking you know the top of my head outside of it

on what game like who could have a unique night okay let's look at that if Brett Houghton hits it tomorrow St. Albert Alberta representing tonight yeah all right boys thanks everyone behind the scenes for helping out we appreciate it everyone for tuning in today tv radio podcast web we appreciate that we're out of here enjoy your evenings enjoy the games tonight we're back tomorrow at 4pm. We'll chat then. fashion to getting a prescription to spend time in nature. Plus we hear from David Suzuki. This is a party where everyone is invited. The Earth Day Party Podcast on the iHeart Radio app or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.