OverDrive - OverDrive - December 1, 2025 - Hour 2 - Luke Willson/Patrick Maroon

Episode Date: December 1, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN NFL Analyst Luke Willson joins to discuss the Bills' massive win against the Steelers, the Cowboys and Chiefs' playoff chances and Monday Night Football picks. Former NHL Player Patrick Maroon joins to discuss the Stanley Cup experience, the winning mentality and the favourites in the league and Bryan hands out his FanDuel Best Bets.

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Brian Hays, the O'Dog, Jeff O'Neill, Jamie Noodles McLennan. We're up on TSN4, obviously streaming live, on YouTube, live on TSN's YouTube channel. We've got Luke Wilson coming up here in a moment, Monday night or tonight. Luke and Noodles will have the pick. I'm sure Al's brother is sitting at home and cursing the O-Dog. But like I said, you saw a... situation this weekend where lane kiffin was treated with respect i have not been given that opportunity or luxury you guys are pigs okay all right lane kiffin 91 million like college coaches

it's crazy they get fully guaranteed contracts wherever they go and they can well i don't know about that brian kelly apparently was trying to come up with some kind of settlement to get his money back when he got By the way, one of the funniest things, the last coach at LSU when they hired Brian Kelly, and he went down there and started talking with an accent when he got introduced at a basketball game was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in sports. A southern accent. A southern. He was like, how are you all?

People were like, what the hell? It's like, dude, you're from Maine. Yes. What are you talking about? You don't have that accent. Man, that was some great stuff. Yeah, it was. To think that he was going to get away with that one.

Flamed out, didn't work out so well for him, but yeah, Kiffin jumps ship and gets, I think, seven years, $91 million, and just a huge budget, you know, and like LSU is a great school, great history, SEC, so was Ole Miss, but it's just crazy, man. Like we said earlier, Wild West, players are the portal, players leaving, players getting paid, coaches getting paid, coaches leaving before the playoffs even start. Yeah, yeah. It's just bedlam down there. There is bedlam. See, the one consistent thing, and it even ties to what we're doing here, there's bedlam, but it's always on one side. And it's tied to one person that has really caused some chaos. You guys are in chaos.

Even though you're in a commanding lead, what is it, plus ten? Yep, still plus ten. But there is some concerns. And we've allowed a fox into the hen house. I think that's what it is. You know, there's uncertainty. If it gets the single digits, then we got something to think. If you smell what the rock is cooking.

There he is. Noodles. How are you? No, don't do it. Don't do it. Oh, Doc. Just scratching my head. Just scratching my head.

I love it. See, he was instinctually was going to hand out a pro athlete salute. I just, what I try to do is support Luke Wilson. We want consistency. Yeah. We want to feel good about ourselves, and I prop them up. And, you know, now there's chaos on the other side. Luke, you should have seen how the show started.

There was infighting. I can imagine. He was calling them losers already. When you get swept on a Sunday like that, and I do have a statement from, just so you guys know, Sunday morning, noodles and myself, we got together, we said, hey, man, we got, how do we make this thing work? Yeah. And we thought, we need a team owner.

So with no further ado, we've got a quick statement. statement I'd like you from our new team owner that I thought was really the catalyst of how we started this Sunday by sweeping. Please, doogie, please. Hello, the Overdrive listeners and Overdrive hosts. It's me,

Jay On Right, that's right, in the flesh. And I'm finally making my first appearance on the Overdrive show, and it's in a rather unexpected way I can imagine for some of you, because I am the new team owner. of Noodleson.

That's right. I'm the Carly Ursay Gordon of Overdrive. I'll be overseeing everything. I'll be on the sidelines. I'll be pacing. I'll be taking notes. The key to our team is accountability. And with team president, Jamie Noodles

McLennan and the brilliant mind of Luke Wilson, former National Football League tight end, beloved Canada's tight end. LaSalle, Ontario. I believe in my guy's ability. to make this comeback. No more floating bag.

Things are changing around here, ladies and gentlemen. This guy's a fraud. A floating bag. That's me. They called me a floating bag last week. Lane Kiffin. Laine Kiffin. And I'm legitimately concerned you're a mole

and you've been sent over here to destroy Al's brother or not. I would never ever do that. That's exactly what a mole would say. That's exactly what you would say. Yeah, exactly what you would say. This is Watergate 2.0, man. We're dying. Look, you don't listen to me anyway.

I've given you two out of three right picks. I agree. We gave you a platform the first game. I blew that one. I blew it. Yes, exactly. And then the next one, you abstained. You said, I don't know.

You guys go ahead, which really threw us off. Like, what the hell's wrong with this guy? And then you started sending text after picks we're in. It's complete chaos over you. You and the other guy with this stupid information. You made your picks, and I politely said underneath, by the way, my picks for those games would have been this. I'm getting it out of the way, so when you lose, you could apologize. Never happened.

Jay Arroy, man, that stash still looks great. Obviously, you shaved, Luke, but is Jay keeping the stash? What will we find out tonight? We'll find out tonight. First up, that's an ugly board right there. Oh, my goodness. But all I know is that we went 3-0 on Sundays, and we got an opportunity. team prez, noodles.

We have an opportunity to bring this to single digits, and we've got to take advantage. We've got to take advantage tonight. Well, you know what? My concern is, listen, all signs point towards the Pat's covering, but I'm not sure. I've got to be honest. You know, they have, what, two starting O linemen out.

Giants have Jackson dart back, but they cover 7.5. Brian Burns having 13 sacks and how Drake May has been sacked a lot. I'm concerned about it. this guy. What do you got a whiteboard in front of you? I mean, running the whole operation here. I'll be honest with you, Noodles. I was on the fence. I was on the fence tonight and I was leaning pads, but I think you make some great points there, two offensive linemen out. Wow. Brian Burns is 13 sacks. We might see the guy who's struggled this year has been Abdul Carter. Maybe he finally gets one in prime time.

Dart back? Is the line seven and a half, Doogie? Seven. Seven, I believe, doogie. Doogie's giving me out of seven and a half. Oh, now it's miraculously up to seven and a half. Noodles, I think you are on the verge of making the greatest pick in overdrive history right now. Tell me you want to lock in the Giants at seven and a half. Let's do it. Oh, I feel like, listen, I'm doing. Dude, that's a stupidest pick of the year.

This is when things turn. Well, I am. Maybe. This is what he does noodles. He gets creative and he starts, I don't know, man. He does his own ayahuasca retreat in his basement. And I don't know where that would come from. Trust the process, noodles. That's all I write.

Like, in our notes, I always tell them, listen, Jay Onright is an unbelievable owner. Unbelievable. He allows the manager to manage. It allows the coach to coach. And all I do is I write, you guys are yelling and screaming and swearing at each other in the group text. And what do I write? Just trust the process. That's it.

Let's relax. Now we go. All of these types of things. So I believe, Luke, you're on to something. So let's, the Giants is that what you're telling us? Seven and a half, right? We got the half, doogie. Lock it in, lock it in.

I can't believe what I'm hearing and what I'm seeing. Jay Onright and Noodles and Luke, all you guys seem actually very connected. We're just trying to allow people to just do their job. That's it. Noodles, I'm going to be honest with you, though, if the Giants cover this on the road in New England, and I'm excited, I think it's, I would say it's up there at the best pick-in-overdrive history. Dude, do you understand that New England is going to absolutely squash them?

I don't understand that. I think New England will win, but seven and a half points. I think that the Giants are going to cover. It's an MVP game tonight for Drake May, isn't it? Like prime time late in the season? It feels like a big statement for him. You look at a few of the things here, boys. Drake May, I do think, is obviously in the MVP conversation.

I believe he's been sacked, though, the third most times of anyone in the NFL right now, and you've got your starting left tackle and you're starting left guard out. Now you look at the numbers here on the giant side. They are the worst run defense total yards in the NFL. Well, if we're going to have a little muck, ground kind of type game, that means big, long drives, chew up the clock.

I could see this thing. Giants being down 12, Jackson Darts in there, the boat a buck 45 left, goes in, gets a garbage tutty, and noodles is back there, kicking his feet up, maybe smoking a sick at the crib, And I told these idiots.

I told them. I'm just, I've, there's a lot of information out there. I sifted through it, and I tried to just relax and trust the process. Luke brings great information. He thinks outside the box, and I want to support him in the process. And Jay, Jay is signed off on it. You guys are a three-headed monster. Let me ask you this now, boys, if we get to nine, what's the, what's the vibe in your locker room?

Hayes, how you feeling? Oh, dude, it's Dude, he's crushed. He hates my guy. There is a... Like, hashtag, now we go back on waivers. Yeah, this guy is. I'll tell you what.

Give me my own... I told you, I want to form a super team with J.P. and Dugie, but you won't let me. Give me five wins with J.P. and Dugie, and we're a super team. All right. We'll get through tonight and we'll see. We'll reestablish that. If it's plus sign tomorrow, you give me five wins. J.P., Jugee, and Joe from the bridge.

Lane, you got it, man. You want to fly LSU. Plastic bag, haze, whatever it called, flying bag. Floating bag. Floating bag, haze. That must have hit a nerve. The floating bag, I heard that. Wherever the wind goes, eh?

Just the floating bag. Just in a Walmart parking lot, wide open space, and tons of wind. Just a floating around. Well, in terms of floating around, you know, let's get into what happened yesterday. Let's begin with the bills. How big of a win was that? Like, how much did they need that win yesterday? Needed it, especially because the way this is shaping out, you look at the Texans,

and this is crazy if you look at the whole AFC South right now, like they all kind of play each other, and I expect them to kind of beat up on each other, but I think everyone there probably gets 10 wins in that division. So, you know, I'll say, let's start with what they did on the field. I get that Pittsburgh has had some issues this year. But walking into that stadium on a cold, extremely windy night, without your two starting tackles, who in my opinion are two of the best tackles in the game,

Dionne Dawkins and Spencer Brown, and running for the most yards ever in Pittsburgh since 1975, and it was Cook, it was Josh Allen, it was Ray Davis. I mean, they pushed these boys. around so I thought that was really impressive really impressive and then on the other side Buffalo's run defense has been very very poor this year and they bottled up everything that was coming their way I think 58 total rush yards and a game that was close until the fourth quarter I think you're leaving if you're on that

Buffalo team front office coaching staff you're leaving Pittsburgh feeling pretty good about yourself well what about on the other side of it where Tomlin is starting to hear it from the crowd like starting to get booed and yeah I don't want to say he deserves it, Hayes, but look at the results. Like this guy, I know he gets them in, and I know he demands this, and he demands that, but the results aren't there come playoff time. They aren't. I agree.

Parts, excuse me, O'Dog, what's tough about that? Oh, yeah. Floating. Friday and stuff. You almost had me at parts. You almost had me at parts. What's crazy is Buffalo slips up, you know, excuse me, Baltimore slips up earlier in the week. against C. on Thursday.

And I'm sitting there thinking, like, what an opportunity for Pittsburgh. You got Buffalo at home. You find a way to win this game. Buffalo's banged up on defense. They've been all year. They're banged up on their offensive line. Like, you've got to come out here, win this game.

You're back in the driver's seat in your division. You know, you now control your own destiny. You can potentially have a home playoff game. And you come out here and have one of the worst, defensively the worst rush to performance arguably ever in the history of Pittsburgh and offensively

they looked like the bad news bears I mean all we needed was Billy Bob Thornton on the sideline instead of Arthur Smith and we would have been all set so you want to point the finger at Tomlin I mean at the end of the day he's got to be accountable for what happened on the field and they were atrocious

and there's just no other way around it and the craziest thing for me still is the D.K. Metcalf situation. I know it's on a big topic. But how is this guy not getting 10, 12, 14 targets with him and Aaron Rogers? Aaron's a go-ball guy. D.K. is a go-ball guy. Aaron loves throwing slants. D.K., I played with the men numerous years. His two best things are his slants and his go-balls. What is going on with that relationship?

I'll tell you, guys, that was an awful performance by Pittsburgh. Yeah. And yet, they can still win the division, get into the playoffs. what's crazy now and it's funny but I was looking at this whole thing if you would have told me at the beginning of the year that the AFC the 1-2-3 seed at this point would be New England Denver Jacksonville I would have said you're out of your mind and then if you would have told me that the AFC South

is the best division in the AFC I would have said you are nuts as well and it is like it just flat out is I don't know He's coming back to Earth rapidly. They are, I'll give you that, but they're still a very good team. And the Texans look, that defense looks outstanding. No one wants to play them. Nobody wants to.

Is there ever a scenario where they would go to Danny Dimes and say you've turned into a pumpkin and your Danny Times again? The problem is, O Dog, they don't have another guy to go to. Like, do they go to Richardson? He doesn't fix the problem. So what is that guy? He's a cast off. He's done now.

he's like the dude and Sam Fran that they just gassed and said, we're getting rid of you? Who was that guy, Hayes? Mack Jones, you mean? Tray Lance? No, back at, yeah, Tray Lance. Tray Lance. You know, I do think that's probably his current journey.

You know, I don't really know where he would land at this point, especially given the fact that, you know, they would have given him a lot. Like, it becomes those things where you have a narrative formed about you, where it's like, well, he couldn't have beat out, you know, Daniel Jones? And he quit on his team Yeah Like is this the guy We want to coach up

I don't I think there'll be a lot of coaches That say no to that That option so Well you know we talked about it last hour The idea that I think you make a case For like 10 or 12 teams

Still winning the Super Bowl You know Or like being in contention And yes the Rams are probably The best team in the league And they've been very good Seahawks been very good You know

There's other teams Packers I think made a big statement there. There's teams on both sides of the conference, but I don't see like an all-time great team playing right now. No, there's a lot of questions. You know, you go to that NFC. I still believe the Rams are the best team in the NFC,

but Philly right now, a lot of questions, back-to-back losses, and the offense looks, don't even get me started with that operation. My head's going to explode. And then you kind of go down the list here, what's kind of nuts is that on Thursday, in my opinion, now statistically, they won't be, but Thursday's

matchup between Detroit and Dallas is basically one of the teams is going to be eliminated. That's just how it is. I mean, I look at the NFC right now, and I think maybe 10 gets to the 7th seed, but in reality, I think there is a strong chance.

11 wins will be the 7th seed. You know, I do believe that you're going to see the Bears and the Packers get to 11 wins. I do think that'll happen. I think that all three teams in the NFC West all get to 11 wins. So, you know, you do that.

And then all of a sudden it's like, there's your three wild cards. Speaking of a wild card, though, the one team that can kind of, you know, thread this needle is the Dallas Cowboys. They got to win out, but I mean, there is a path. There is. Kind of wild. After Thursday, they have a soft schedule. Soft schedule. Very soft schedule.

They played well. That game's in Detroit, though, is it not? It is in Detroit, and I look at that thing, Alman Rae, St. Brown. It's what I would say, too, and it's not going to be our pick, so I am helping you guys out a little bit. Even though it's a Thursday game, it's not a short week. You know, both teams played on Thanksgiving,

so they're going to have a full prep weekend. Everybody on both those buildings are going to basically realize this is it. We've got to win this game to keep our hopes and dreams alive. I know we've got to talk about the Monday nighter, but I cannot wait for that Thursday nighter. And I don't think Alman Ross St. Brown is going to play. We'll see. But that's a big loss.

And LaPorte is out already. Those are two main weapons. Like what the Packers did, easier said than done. Yeah. Was if you can shut him down, then it changes everything. Like he's... I'll say this, though, Hayes, this kind of seems like... Again, to me, I'm like, I'm wildly excited for Thursday.

It seems like a Dan Campbell moment, though. You know, this is kind of the exact moment Dan Campbell's built for. When everybody's banged up, you know, it looks like they're done and Dan Campbell comes out here, gives some crazy raw, raw speech probably today, talks with their future, how much it means everybody, what it means the city of Detroit. That building at Ford Field is rocking and all of a sudden out of nowhere, Jared Gough throws for 320, Jamir Gibbs goes for a buck 50 and Montgomery's got two short yard of touchdowns and the Cowboys are done. I'm saying that is still a possibility. I wouldn't be shocked. This is a moving and shaking week.

You've got that game. You've got Packers, Bears on Sunday. That's effectively for the division. Texans Chiefs? Texans Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens as well. Like, they're both six and six. What an iconic football week upcoming. Yeah.

I mean, it's, there's just, there's swings basically everywhere. And even the bills are at home, but they're playing the Bengals off a long week in Burroughs back, and he looked good. This is the thing. I think Buffalo has learned, you know, they had that big win against KC, a few weeks back and then you have the bad loss the next week, kind of negates it. And it's unfortunate, but Burrow is back where the big win on the road against Pittsburgh yesterday, you know, it gets negated if you lose to Cincinnati. And Cincinnati is probably looking at this thing saying, hey, especially given the fact that everybody lost and they beat Baltimore and Pittsburgh

loss, we can get back in this thing. They're going to be right back in it. One of those you said Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Someone's got to lose. Someone's got to lose that. that game, and if they can be Buffalo, they're now crawling their way up there. I don't want him. Oh, I mean, Luke. Let's be careful here. I was watching Mahomes on the bench, and he was just staring off to space last week. And you just look like, are they out of gas?

Or what is there? Why are they in the position that they're in? You know, I think for Mahomes, and I saw the exact look, is it's frustrating and it's strange for me to watch it because Mahomes is playing really well and they're doing a lot of just dumb things I believe they had 10 penalties for 119 yards like historically an Andy Reid coach team

is not a penalized let's call it stupid football team so in a game where they had a lead early you know you come out and you spot Dallas 119 yards in penalties there were some bad drops out there and then of course it went back their old line got banged up in that game

and they were down and all of a sudden it became like we can't protect Mahomes and the guy played out of his mind like I think it was overshadowed with how great Dak Prescott and Pickens and Lammore but my goodness he played well

and it's just like if you're walking off the field and you're Patrick Mahomes what more do you need to do seriously what more do you need to do and I could see why I was looking off into space because there's another team where like they got to win out and I think the hardest matchup they have

is this week as well they do play the Chargers but it is at home later on and then they have a couple softballs in there I think they're at Tennessee and at the last week of year they're at Las Vegas which that operation right now

oh my goodness but then there's their home versus Denver so like they play three two division games and the Texans but all three of them are at home but they have no room for error. They cannot lose again. Can't lose again.

Partsy, before we get you out of here, Luke, I have to ask you about Lane Kiffin and the college scene. Yeah, yeah, I love that. I love that. Like, it was a crazy scene, but the question I have is, why didn't Old Miss pay the guy? Like, why didn't Old Miss go out to him and say,

whatever you're getting offered, we're going to match it, so why don't you just stay? Why didn't that happen? So it was funny because, speaking of Jay On right, I had this conversation, as overtime was going last night, we're sitting on the desk and I'm talking about it. And I go, what's weird for me is a lot of times when people look at these things, they just look at the contract.

But what I do, and I'm sure you guys talk about this in the hockey world as well, is I also look where they're going. So if he's in Mississippi and anyone who's from Mississippi, they take no offense to this, but I think to myself, like Mississippi is probably not the most desirable place to live. but neither is Baton Rouge. I've been to Baton Rouge, and if you go to Tiger Land when you're 18, or let's call it 21,

okay, it's electric. But outside of that, it's not the greatest place on planet Earth. If Kiffin was going to Miami, I get like, okay, maybe he wants a little more, you know, social life. So to me, Mississippi or Louisiana, there's not like a stark, crazy lifestyle difference. Why move to LSU? Like you're the sixth seed right now or whatever?

we'll see when the rankings come out tomorrow. You're in the college playoffs. You've been there. Your family's been there. Did you just not like Mississippi? Even at this point of his life, is an extra schmill or two schmill really?

I don't know what the deal was apples to apples. But I believe that he's got, like the rumor is they're giving him 25 million to set his roster. Well, that's what is the big difference. They just have so much money, not even to pay him.

but in NIL money, which quite honestly, I think that college football is broken. It's an absolute sham at this point with this transfer portal. And when I was playing in it, I'll tell you guys a quick one. Like after my, I think my redshirt sophomore year, they had this list. It was like the John Mackey Awards list, which was the best tight end in the nation. And I made the mid-season list. I remember sitting there as an idiot because I was 20 being like, well, if I'm in the top 14 guys in the mid-season, season list. I must be one of the best 14

tight ends in the country. So I sent Rich Rodriguez, I didn't know the guy, and all of Michigan, all of my tape. And I'm like, yo, I will sit out a year to come play at Michigan. Didn't hear a peep for Michigan and finished up a rice. But I look back on it

and I think to myself, that would have been the dumbest thing I could have ever done. I was 20 years old. I got no idea what I'm talking about. You know, I just see. You didn't get ratted out and somebody found out. That too. And it's like, you Nowadays, a guy like me, and I was talking to, actually I got a friend at Tulane, and it's like, we'll come in here and we'll develop a star on our team. And then all of a sudden, Ohio State will be like, yo, we'll pay you a quarter million bucks to come be a backup.

And when you're 21 years old, you're taking that all day. And it's funny because we all talked about a college athlete should be paid. College athletes should be paid. And I get that argument. But this is what we have now, where Lane Kiffin goes and leaves a team. that is a top six team in the country takes his whole staff with them and now the college playoff is going to have

old miss in it that got a coach from yesterday? Like, it's an utter comedy. The timing of it all is it's insane. Shambles and that's always happened, but it's ridiculous. And we'll see, I'm rude for Ole Miss now.

I hope they, you know, do some damage in the playoffs. Kind of like Team Nootelson, you know? Possibly. Kind of like Team Nudson. You guys are on the Giants, big developments, today. Jay Onright is the owner of the team. Now he's got, man, he's got a spot. You heard it. It's about accountability.

You guys are taking the points that Giants tonight in New England. What a night it's going to be. Ask clown play. Good luck. Good luck tonight. See you later in the week. Noodles. There it is. Pro-athletes salute.

Thank you, Luke. There he is. Luke Wilson. One third of noodles. son. All right, Pat Maroon coming up, and something to chew on as well. Best bets later in the hour. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on TSN4. Something to chew on brought you by Boston Pizza's NFL game day menu. Stop by your local BP for $7 touchdown pines, dialed in shareables,

and weekly prizing up for grabs. Football games are better at BP, and it's obviously a football night tonight. The NFL Monday night. We've been asking people after Brad Marchand was talking about the Leafs and pumping the tires of the Leafs mentality. that they're comfortable through 25 games, and they'll be going to the playoffs, and they know they can make it to the playoffs.

Who is the biggest villain in Toronto sports? Marchand versus the field, and we've been asking people to write in, and there's actually been some great answers. And a lot of it's old-school, Kerry Fraser, J-FJ, so I'm not sure that it applies anymore. Well, I can neither confirm or deny that.

Yoshi Yamamoto, although, you know, you've got to just give credit where it's due. The guy was unbelievable in the World Series. Yeah, but that's not a villain. That's the guy who played amazing. Exactly, yeah. Like the villain... Still a villain, though, just from performance.

Otani, does that count? Because he flew down at Dunedin and left their hat at the airport and claimed it was still in his garage. Of course. That's a villain. Someone tweeting in saying, game sevens. That's stings, but it's a pretty good one.

It is a pretty good one, game sevens. But, yeah, the Leafs are in Florida tomorrow, and Florida is trying to play or trying to get to a fourth straight cup final something our next guest did. Won the first three and played in four straight, man. Three rings, obviously the one in St. Louis in 19, and then back to back in Tampa. And then they got back to the cup final in 21, 22.

Here he is, longtime in each other, cup winner. Here's Pat Maroon joining us. How are you, Pat? Good, how are you guys? We're doing very well. That's four straight years. cup final. Like if someone in Florida called you right now and said, how do we

possibly pull this? How do we keep our body upright for that? What would what would you say to them? I mean, geez, it's hard to keep your body maintained, but the biggest thing, all in those cup runs is staying healthy and, you know, it's all about luck too, you know,

having the guys that your main guys, your key guys, staying healthy. But, you know, obviously down the fourth cup there, cup run pointer was out Shirelli was out we have some key guys out so eventually your body's

going to take a toll when you play over 300 games in three years so Pat are you were there ups and downs during those seasons where obviously you go through stretches where maybe the team isn't playing very well but was there always a belief

in that dressing room that you could get back there or were there times that you guys had to have like closed door meetings and say, hey, let's get our act together type of thing. Yeah, we had closed doors meetings for sure. I think that's just playing the right way. And there's a reason why we went to three Stanley Cups in a row for, you know, the team we had, obviously, the skill set and the guys up front with Cooch Stammer Point.

And, you know, you can just name a list of guys, Cologne Plot. I mean, there's key players for us. But I think, you know, you're going to go through some lowest through the season. where you've got to get your, you know, get a kick in ass once in a while from the coach or from, you know, the team itself and the leadership group. They're like, hey, listen, like, we have a good team to go back to the Sanctum finals. Like, what's not getting away from what got us there to last two years. So I think just some of that voice in and understanding, you know, differently, you know,

we had Hagel and Paul for the third run. So bringing those guys in, let them learn the culture and understand how we play the right. way and bringing them on board. And so, I mean, just having those meetings are always good. With Patrick Maroon. So your first cup, Pat, was obviously in 18, 19 with the Blues. And that was when, you know, early January, famously everyone continues to reference it, St. Louis, like, dead last in the West or maybe even in the league.

And then Binnington comes up and Burubay gets hired. And, you know, obviously Craig is up here in Toronto and the least are not off to the greatest start. um can you take us back in the room like at that point when everything started chugging for you guys you know in the second half of the season and you talk about belief and culture and all that um was it was there anything in particular that you had to tell yourselves that made you believe you could actually get to the finish line because it's one of the great turnarounds in nchel history yeah i mean i think culture is a huge thing um in my opinion

i think it starts in the locker making sure everyone's feeling good you're hanging out and you have that belief system in the room, and I think when Barubi came in, he was, he basically took the standings off the wall. I was like, listen, if you guys don't want to play the right way and play hard, then you guys are just going to keep fighting this for a long time. And I think

he sent the message clear, loud and clear for us. Like, listen, we're not the fanciest team. We don't have any big hitters, but we have the type of team that can wear teams down throughout the course of a playoff run and throughout the season. So to me, like,

what do you guys want to do with it, right? And, you know, we did have O'Reilly. We had Schenner, we had Teresanko, we did have some stars, you know. But I think at the end of the day, you know, Petrolandreau, but the end of the day when Bitter came in, you know, not saying Jake Allen didn't do well, he did an amazing job. But when he came in, he kind of helped us, you know, re-empt our team and kind of, you know, make that second and third save.

And Jake Allen was a huge piece of that, too, you know. but I think with Ruby he just got the message clear to us and if you don't want to play the right way you'll just sit up sitting in the stands and watch so to me that was a good message

because we had the makeup of the team we had the heaviness of the team and just putting it all together we had the off-ice stuff going we were all close we had a closest team and in my opinion it was just you know

figuring it all nice and we end up doing that we've heard Chief talk about playing the right way because he's been kind of harping on it because of the least struggles recently. Can you kind of take us behind the curtain until what he actually means by that? Because I'm sure some people listening are like, why is the coach always saying that these guys need to play the right way

or else it's going to be painful? Like, what does the right way mean to you? Well, to me, it's like are your stars willing to play the right way? Are they willing to live to fight another day at your own blue line? Or they live to fight another day at, you know, the far blue line in the ozone? Are you willing to, you know, chip pox into an area where your line-making goal get it? Are you willing to grind teams down and not just open teams and open plays in the middle and chasing offense?

Like, are you willing to play the right way? I think that's what he means by that. Like, diving deep into that. Like, to me, it's a simple way of playing, you know? And if you look at Cooch in the playoffs, I think is dump rate in and the playoffs is probably like 75%, you know? You know, are your star players willing to make an adjustment for your team? So it's a trickle down effect, if that makes sense. Because if you're third and fourth lines, you're just, you know, making skill plays east-west all the way through,

then they're going to do it, right? Are you willing to sacrifice a shift or three shifts? Are you willing to sacrifice a game when you're up, you know, 2-1 with 10 minutes in the game, 10 minutes in third period to dump it in or chip it out, right? Are you willing to make that play? You know, like, or you live, you know, that's this team management. That's this team gamemanship for me. And it's the difference between, you know, the teams that have been winning.

Like, look at the Florida, for example. All they do is hard rim at get it back and they just wear you down, you know. They're willing to sacrifice just a little bit in the D zone and chip it out and have those guys skate onto it. then, you know, then hard-rim it. You know, I think that's just the way to play. And listen, like, do they have stars on the team? Yeah.

But do they have the McKenons or the Kuturoffs or the Matthews? No, they don't. But all those guys are buying in and wanted to play the right way. And that's why they've had success the last three years. And obviously Tampa, St. Louis. And we can talk about Colorado, but, you know, they played the right way, too. They were willing to sacrifice. So it's a matter of, like, are you willing to buy in?

or you're just willing just to put your, go out there, throw your sticks on the ice and say, screw it, I'm all by myself. With Patrick Maroon, you know, you mentioned Colorado. They've lost once this year. You know, everyone's starting to talk about, like, what this could look like, like Boston a few years ago when I think they had 134 points or something crazy like that. Is it that many, Hayes? Yeah, it was a lot, man.

There was a lot of points. Like, they'd never lost. They won, like, 65 games or something, 63 games. Jesus. You know, you look at Colorado and how good they are and Dallas has been really good. You know, do you see a clear, are they like a clear cut cup favorite for you, Pat? Or is it too early to really even determine that? I mean, it's all too early.

Like, I mean, look at the East standings right now. I think the bottom team is like five points out of a playoff spot. So, like, we don't even know people peak at different times. People, you know, teams peak at the beginning of the year. kind of take a dip, right? Like with Minnesota, they peak all the way through, I don't know, same end of Christmas, and then they had that big downfall going into the playoffs.

You know, so teams peak at different times throughout the year. Fortunately, I know you guys, Toronto's like, they're not, they're struggling, but what are they, three points out of a playoff spot, not even, five points. Like, it's not like they're grinding right now, and we can talk about the

Thanksgiving, if no one's in a playoffs on Thanksgiving, they're not going to make it, but I think it's changed over time. It's like 75%, you know, don't make it, you know. So again, but to me, I mean, obviously Colorado is a team probably to beat right now just the way they're playing, but you never know. I mean, Tampa's on a seven-game win streak right now. Florida's, you know, starting to win again, and they're struggling. So it's like, you know, teams are going to peak at different times, you know, some teams peak after Christmas, some teams peak before Christmas. So there's a lot of good teams right now

everyone's good right now and that's our league has taken the next step I mean look at the San Jose's right now and the Chicago's of the world look where they were last year there's no there's no easy game anymore and you can look back from years four or five years ago yeah you can go into

you know I don't know I'm trying to think of a team like a Chicago and you know you're going to win now there's no easy game on the on the schedule anymore and I think people need to realize that, you know. So to me, I think teams are going to start peaking at different times of the year. And Colorado, yeah, favorite. I had Vegas, but Vegas, you know, they're starting to pick it up.

But it's a different animal, though, when you get down to the nitty-gritty of it, in my opinion, you know, March and April, you know, I think it's just, to me, that's when hockey really starts to take off. Absolutely, especially with the Olympics this year. I'm sure there's a lot of focus on that, making the team getting there and surviving, and then post-Olympic break, it's just going to be a race. Yeah, it's going to be crazy.

For sure. So I just, you know, after, obviously after the Olympics, you know, that's when the ice starts getting smaller. It shrinks a little bit. It's harder. It's harder to score goals. you know teams are you know trying to make the playoffs they're fighting for their lives you know like that's when the games are starting to get tough and everyone's at peak form at that time too

well pat it's been great catching up with you man we appreciate you doing this and uh we'll catch up again down the road thanks so much yay thank you and all the best of the least i have i have good belief in bruby he'll get them back okay that's what people want to hear up here positive thoughts that's what we're looking for positive vibes it's okay all right it's only it's only it's only december first boy okay we're chugging along towards the playoffs appreciate it pat thank you see yeah there's pat maroon there's another guy who the leaf fans that we're just lunatics i guess uh it's brad marshon pat maroon maroon would be high in the list of just like villains in this town because it was you know it's time with the the lightning it was

just go go go with the leaves all the time like scrums and chirp remember him on the bench and going at guys and we're coming after you and he's not you want a cup with brouba he's going to have that connection with him forever sure i don't know how i just have to think back like am i missing something have they played extremely well and have deserved way better he's not played well they haven't played well they haven't played well and and what it is it's a different experience for people who don't track the leaves every day that's the thing because they look around the league and they go oh well you know, Florida Panthers are doing that same type of thing.

You look around, Edmonton's been up and down. You know, you look at all these teams that were, you know, deemed really good teams, and they're going, they're not playing well. There's also, Jamie, the American influence where they look at the Nashville predators and they're like, how come nobody's freaking out in Nashville? It's just lose, lose, lose, and kind of go about your business. It's because people care a little bit differently here. You're right, but Nashville didn't, you know, have a hundred,

eight points last year or whatever it was like you you know you look at it there are expectations and you're right regardless of whether you like it or not it's noisy in toronto because it's the biggest hockey market on the planet that's just that that's not me just saying that it's the truth montreal is one of them there are you know loud markets in canada uh rangers fans would take exception to that because they're an original six but what i'm saying is the the fan base can get loud about it and they're allowed to be loud about it because they're watching a team

yes they had a complete effort on Saturday night and you hope that that springs boards into something but right now in your first 25 games you could probably count on one hand where they've played a full 60 minutes and you go that's what that team looks like or what we believe it should look like so you only talk about

oh you say it all the time you only talk about what's in front of you we're not making things up you're going okay I think this team is better than they're showing and they haven't been able to show it yet well yeah it's interesting you know his definition of buying in and he right he prefaced it by saying the stars are obviously the ones that have to set the tone and that's what baruba is pushing for and i know willie's name is going to come up in austin by the way it's also the thing that's held them back in the playoffs it's exactly the reason yeah well he mentioned kuturov dumping it in and florida dumping it

in like right was that a backhanded shot at willy and probably the way they've played and the way that you know they've and again a lot of it was coaching as well like with keith and how he wanted things done and i think morgan riley's got a set of way better tone like he's a star player too he's been here the longest you know if yes you want willie to do it and austin to do it if morgan riley continues to defend around the net the way he's defending you're never winning like he's your number one defenseman now he's your he's your highest paid defenseman longest standing leave you know they were up third period they were up 5-2 he was up at

the blue line for some reason you know it's like Morgan come on man you know what I mean like I made a point of like I jotted that down over the weekend I'm like it can't just be Willie in Austin and Morgan Riley has to play way better in terms of buying in details all of them like Jake McCabe does as well Well, like, sure, but like Philippe Myers, there's a limit on it. You know, Troy Stetcher's been good, good for him, keep going. But like, if Morgan Riley doesn't defend way better, how are they all getting out of us? There was a play in Washington, Brian, where Strom dumped the puck in against Riley and OEL, and he just went by them both and stripped them of the puck and went to the net and made a pass and it was in the, or got it to OVie and then there was a pass and Bavilliers scored.

It's like, that can't happen. No. Yeah, that was a really, there was three. or four people on that play. Like, you're right. That was Tavares, too, was right there. Like, that was, and Riley was right there on the back door and didn't take that pass away. But there was, there was three or four on that goal alone, on that Bavillier goal.

And that was, at that point, you guys, I don't know how you were feeling. Watching that game, I'm like, Washington's now. They're losing in reg. Yeah, like you felt that coming, right? Like, you felt that coming. And see how to go. Best bet's coming up, and again, hockey games tonight, football game tonight. We'll get to that and wrap up a busy afternoon overdrive continues.

TSN 1050 and up on YouTube live. Something to chew on brought to you by Boston Pizza's NFL game day menu. Stop by your local BP for $7 touchdown pints, dialed in shareables, and weekly prizing up for grabs. Football game days are better at BP. All right, best bets powered by Fandole, make your picks and assemble a same game parlay and seconds on the Fandole Sportsbook app. The spread, I don't love the spread tonight.

I know you guys are on the Giants. I can reason with that, but I'm going to play the under. I just feel like, you know, the weather, it's cold, windy, a night game, December. I think it's going to be the under tonight, and I am going to parlay that with your boy, Brian Burns, recording a sack tonight. Burns records a sack. Parlay that with the under. There's your best bets.

Powered by Fanduel, the overdrive, same game parlay available on the fan. dual sports book app please play responsibly 19 plus physically located in ontario all right well what an afternoon it's been what an afternoon it's been the infighting i i i'm concerned about you guys yeah gotta just come together as a group we'll see what happens tonight maybe there's a super team formed as of tomorrow we'll see see what uh see what happens watch out you got to give me five wins our new it's an expansion fee. Oh, you guys are being gifted wins before you?

Dude, you can't start us at zero. If we're going to pay the expansion fee, the super team of myself, Joe from the bridge, J.P., and Doogie, we got to have five wins to be competitive. Okay, we can talk that over. The problem is, Dugge is supposed to be the commissioner,

and now of a sudden the guy's playing. I mean, it's backwards. He's got to be left out. He has to be... Okay, it's just me, J.P., and Joe from the bridge. Okay. All right. Doogie's the commissioner.

and we'll see if he allows for that. Least Panthers tomorrow. We'll get to that. We've got games in the NHL tonight, NBA, NFL. It's going to be great. Tiger Woods speaking tomorrow morning. Sure, there'll be something coming out of that. Can't wait for it.

All right. Thanks to everyone behind the scenes for helping out. We appreciate it. Everyone for tuning in today, TV, radio, podcast, web, and up on YouTube live on TSN's YouTube channel. We're out of here, enjoy your evenings. Enjoy the games tonight. We're back tomorrow at.

Hazie, you're not a flying bag. You're a dirtbag. 4 p.m. Well, chat then. IHart Radio, everything holiday, all in one place. From 24-7 Christmas music to the stories behind the Christmas hits with Drew Savage. Listen to the podcast on the free IHart Radio app, your destination for all things Christmas. Merry Christmas.

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