OverDrive - OverDrive - February 7, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: February 7, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Michael DiStefano for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joins to discuss Anthony Stolarz's notable return with the Maple Leafs, Sidney Crosby's injury outlook and the 4 Nations Face-Off impact. They also discuss the Phoenix Open's tournament, Tiger Woods playing at the Genesis Invitational and Al's Brother gives his rankings on the Canadian teams most likely to win the Stanley Cup.

Breaking story from Alpine News Network. Sam had aspirations of opening a clothing boutique. She called Alpine Credits and was sent a speedy superhero to help with a business loan. Super speed doesn't translate to radio, but when our hero runs, she sounds like this. Ah, I'm proved. If you ran at the speed of light, you'd sound funny too.

Own your home, need a loan? Alpine Credits can help. Al. Alpine credits where homeowners get approved. Just for license 12-616. Hour two overdrive continues powered by FanDuel bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. Brian Hazy, O-Dog, Jeff O'Neil, Michael DiStefano, also known as Al's brother, here with us this afternoon. We're gonna have picks in about an hour Luke Wilson will join us From the Super Bowl Mike Johnson coming up here in a moment You remember when Mike Johnson walked in from the Sports Center set and he first laid eyes on Al's brother And he had his ear buds in yeah, that was Johnny's ear buds in his ears

That was the walk that was your introduction ever the world. Yeah. You'd never been on the show really before or anything. I was just hidden the hole. There was no viz of me. Mm-hmm. And then I came in to do a Jerry's cuz I don't Johnny was out doing a hit or something and he came in. I remember it vividly too. Like I was kind of in a bind. No one gave me any cans or nothing and I'm sitting like oh, oh I got to be able to hear it's Jerry's right like you got to hear what the G so I just chucked them in my ears and didn't think twice about it and then yeah Johnny comes in he's like are those mine yeah they were his they are oh he was very happy to see you he just say after keep them don't worry about it he threw them

in the garbage he tossed those things in the garbage it is got incinerated I mean it is kind of tough like the the earlobe things like you don't really want anyone else using those you know what I mean like I kind of get where he's going with that where I don't blame the guy at all for that. Yeah it's all good but that was uh that was your introduction to the world basically into this show. We had we had had you on like he said before kind of voiceover and stuff but Johnny's coming up here in a moment and yeah we'll see what he says about that Leaf game last night he was calling and I guess there's uh was it Dragg's last night saying Braden Shen is a guy that could be available all of a sudden and maybe St. Louis is looking to make some moves and maybe Jordan Kairou could be available and

I don't know like St. Louis, they kind of lost the plot. Like it's Vancouver and Calgary, and St. Louis has kind of dropped off a little bit. And they still have potential to get in. But they've just been a middling team now for a couple of years. What makes you wonder why, when Armie was looking at Jimmy Montz,

he was like, when I'm hungry, I want a steak dinner, I eat. Yeah. It's yeah, it's like For what why were you so hungry with that guy available when you guys are kind of? They are what they are like they've proven that they won't All the sudden just climbing up and being a contender so yeah I don't know. I think that's a really weird place to be in pro sports because Where's it gonna get you ultimately probably not very far and i don't know either get in and get pumped or you're just gonna mess and you miss out on lottery picks

you want to be brutal like you want to be in last place you could do that was not very fun so you want to give your fans a little bit of excitement but just as far as actually competing and being real deal You're not you're not that no They're not like Utah has passed st. Louis now in terms of points And there are eight points out of the playoffs like it's basically done. They played more games than anybody else, too They played 55 games. Yeah, so a team like Utah with all due respect to Utah

They're not trying to sound like Okay, let me hear it. No disrespect to Arizona. When they pass it, you're probably like, maybe it's not our year. No, it's over. Johnny's got the numbers on passing teams and making it with the... Like, it just doesn't happen. No, it doesn't happen.

In St. Louis, there's a Raptor connection there. They both won in 2019. both had never won before. Then both were competitive for a while. Both of their coaches left. Now they're just kind of at the bottom and trying to figure out exactly where you're going. And the Raptors, I guess, acknowledged that in the last year, like we gotta go in a different direction.

Maybe that's what St. Louis is about to do. But Braden Shen is 33, still got a couple years left on his deal. He's got a no trade clause. Doug Armstrong the GM would have to convince him to go but he's a compelling compelling piece man like he's he's a really good player he fit pretty well in Toronto and the guy behind the bench knows him very well so what would this is the old who would say no like what kind of package would the Leafs have to put together to get Braden Shen and how how far are you

willing to go in order to acquire him because again I think he would check multiple boxes and that is he's got term left on his deal. It's not a rental I think he's got two years left at 6.5 million. You don't even know because everybody's fascinated and it's big talk amongst us, right? Maple Leafs, but when other teams are looking at the Maple Leafs Like if you were st. Louis overdrive, who would you be saying? Yeah, I'd love to pluck that guy off that roster It's not Pontus Holmberg. It's not Nick Robertson. No, probably not even mitten right now. So what is overdrive st Louis saying man, I'd love to pluck that well now I want to be at the top of the list, obviously robertson now probably not even mitten right now so what is overdrive saint louis saint man

i'd love to pluck that well cal and get the top of the list obviously yet it is it is it is that you never know yeah and i i also think you gotta be a reasonable terms of exactly what the prices for bradyn shen because you know he's he's a he's a good player he's a winner and he'd if he's your third-line center i think you're very happy with that but he's not a guy that's going to put up like massive point production. No. But he brings a lot of intangibles, he brings toughness, he's obviously won a Stanley Cup, he meshes very well with your coach, there's a lot of value in that, he's got 11 goals on the season, 30 points in 55 games.

and he's got 11 goals on the season, 30 points in 55 games. Yeah, I think Easton Cowan picks, that's probably what you're talking about. And if you're gonna move off a guy like that, who's your best prospect, it can't be a rental. And that's what makes Braden Shen unique here is it's not a rental. You're getting him for this year and two more, which- The age worry you though, at 33.

Yes, and it probably should yeah it probably should here's Mike Johnson our TSN hockey analyst joining us here in the Maple Toyota hotline what do you make a Braden Shinn and his possible fit in Toronto if it got to that point yeah I think he'd be pretty good let's be honest like all the concerns are valid normal under one have them, you know, is he's played a hard game. Where's his game going to go right now? But if you think that he's going to be playing behind Austin Matthews for the duration of his career or that contract in Toronto, um, he won't be cast with

those kind of things, probably John Tobaros will be around, make an interchange depending on how things are going. Um, yeah. And I think, you know, you're looking for 20 goals and 45 points, something like that, like as a two, three line center, that's something you can finally get behind. And I'm sure it would cost a lot because of his resume and his accomplishments, but as far as just fit, like I was sitting there a lot of days, Hayley, and with Marner returning to line up,

and they were kind of shuffling the lines around, and McMahon playing well, and I was trying to sit in there with Masters Nation, we were trying to figure out like how to best optimize the Leafs lineup. Because if you put Knives and Marner with Matthews, and you put Nylander and McMahon with Tobaros, those are probably the six best boards right now available to them.

If you put them all in the same top six, then you're left with a third line. Who's on the third line? In the playoffs, who's in your third line? And you're going to count on Yarnpott coming back, because Max Dolby is not probably ideally a third line kind of player. Is it going to be Robertson? Who's going to be the centerman? It's not Holmberg.

Like you basically kneel the entire third line, depending on what you think about Max Dolby in that role, which is part of the reason why they put Dolby on the first line yesterday, because if it worked the way it went yesterday, Domi's on the first line, Mar's on the second, McMahon's on the third, you get Yarbrough back. Now you're sort of just one player short, one third line center,

one Braden Shen, one whatever, Yanny Gord, whoever it might be, and then you sort of have all your lines line up. And then I think that's part of the discussion. Like if it's, if you're gonna have a Third line with Max Omiya, you almost need three new players. It's initially dynamic

I think they're trying to maximize what they have and the talent available to them and not have that many needs but certainly no matter which way you cut it I Think to optimize their lineup They need a third line center and matches tried to try to do it at best he could not as preferred or best position and i think if they got it at the brock nelson uh...

charlie poehle uh... bring shan whoever like it done change the complex in the team pretty significantly what is it cost of jodi we mentioned a lot of any of the show that were sick of talking to joe from the bridge about his trade possibilities It's nice to have you on Brayden Shen, what would st. Louis say if you give us that you can have Brayden Shen? I bet he gave my first round pick That's it I Think a lot of people sign up for that

But I mean sounds like they want a little bit more excited dragon was on the morning show today says that they call i the prior note it's a first round pick i'm signing up that all day from toronto yeah i mean i i don't i don't know what they determine the contract not make them significantly more valuable uh... more the fact that you take a contract off their books that they probably get rid of about for the gate the value of the control.

I don't know, first round pick and give me, you have a first round pick and whoever, whoever you choose is the third best prospect in this organization. So anyone but Cowherner Minton, take that guy. And or Nick Robertson if you like. I mean, I don't just toss names around, but you know, if you like Nick Robertson, if you think you have something there, I don't just toss names around, but if you like Nick Robertson, if you think you have something there, first rounder and some other relatively significant piece not named Coward or Minton, I don't think that's out of the question. I don't think that's a homorism Toronto look at things. Maybe a first and a second or first and a third, whatever it is. Something like that, to me, would seem reasonable for a guy like Brandon Shen given how good

he is, but also the fact that he's he's got three more years at six and a half million dollars on a you know declining asset as far as just because of the age and everything else I don't think that's another question for the Toronto Maple Leafs or any team in the league to kind of offer up a package like that. Yeah which that kind of sounds like the Ryan O'Reilly package like basically what they gave up to get him was like a first and a another pick maybe a first and a second But he was expiring so like it's an interesting question in terms of the value like do the Leafs I would think the Leafs would value a guy with term

But to your point the contract is right like yeah value you turn it about it is a good value deal right value brady shen a ten million dollars a term of the terrible situation so depend would you think of the six five and the president to take a cap could be a son of it then it gets then then it starts get spicy then you got to pay more for that but that could be worth something for the leaves and then then you look at him and you know cable he's made available now but you look at him and you look, okay, well, he's maybe available now, but you look at, you know, if you think Brock Nelson is going to be there, if the Islanders turn that direction, there's

probably Coraline, probably Zach or, you know, different players like that that have term. Um, you know, then you can also take your pick. Um, Ryan O'Reilly, I don't, maybe you can try to course Nashville to get him back. Maybe it's a bigger trade to O'Reilly and Luke Shen Like I think that would be you know those would fit some pretty important foals right now like this is the thing they're exploring and And I think everyone is sort of just feeling each other out as to what the demand might be and then what the players Who would be getting traded if they have protection think about these things things. Johnny, I mean, you talked about Max Domi. Now he, you know, he doesn't really have a full fit on this roster. Like, are you convinced that the Leafs want to try and make it work with Domi?

Because if you're bringing in these players, I mean, with the cap where it's at with the Leafs, our money's got to go out somehow. Like, would that be a name that you try and move around to try and open up that space? Sure, Amy. But I mean I mean I don't think, you know, Max only with three more years that just under four million dollars and what did he have? Three goals? Yeah. You know, I don't know if that's going to be an incentivizing move. I mean, Max had good moments, Max had been a good player, but the way he's played so

far this year, I don't think adding him to a deal is gonna make the deal more palatable to the team acquiring him. So yeah, I don't think it goes down that road. I think Max is gonna be on the team, and it's on Max and the team to find a squad that gets him playing or he's a contributor. Yeah, I think especially if you're talking about teams

that are looking to tank or rebuild or shed money a contributor. Yeah, I think especially if you're talking about teams that are looking to tank or rebuild or shed money exactly Domi does not exactly he's not going to be a compelling piece there but he's got to find a role here like they've invested in him they've paid him he's got to find a role and I guess that's Borube's job as well to figure that out. But what's kind of incredible is like the logjam now in the wings, you know, we, I don't love the idea of Domi up the middle of the ice, especially come playoff time, but with Knies and McMahon playing the way that they've been playing, it's really balanced out both wings.

You know, like obviously it's always been Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Marner, and clearly the right wing is still tilted in terms of supremacy and talent and production but Nyes and McMahon are giving Barubei options and they're both scoring at a very very solid rate and They play a very meat potatoes game that I think allows You know you to breathe a little bit easier than maybe we thought they would at the start of the year Yeah, and and I think there is something that like the idea of you know courses for courses like I think both Nyes McMahon play a style that works with what Craig Borubey does. Maybe more

than Max Omi plays a style. Max Omi is very much a rush player and wants to create offensive chances in space and those guys are more straight line players as you mentioned front net guys and the only and the one consideration I have and I sort of like try to articulate this during the games hard to get out there quickly, but Bobby McMahon has it's just been an incredible story. I think yesterday his goal I think I said it was his 30th goal in the last 76 games. He's played That's crazy for a guy that started that run on a day where he was supposed to be scratched and he got a hat trick on just for Valentine's Day last year.

That's right. And I almost wonder if he is so like uniquely valuable on the third line. Obviously he's playing better than whoever, you know, Pacioretty or Dolby or whoever else they might put in the top six. But McMahon has a little bit of William Neal and a rhythm in that he doesn't need sort of other people to help him score. He doesn't need a whole system and infrastructure and support. He's a straight line, blazing speed, heavy shooting player. And on the third line where you get the best matchups on a team, because you're

not, you know, you're not checking the other team's top guys and the other team's top guys are not checking you defense and otherwise like he can do things with Holmberg in the middle and Robertson on the wing who are not really facilitators it's just that's not what they do and not that he's lost but like you can almost maximize your roster by not playing him with Tavares. Even though he's clearly the sixth best forward on the team. Like Phil Kessel and Pittsburgh, again, not the same kind of player, but the idea of Phil, they won the cup, he's a third line winger, right?

With Carl Hagelin. And I think that kind of idea where he's so good in that third line role that you can put a lesser player in the second line because McMahon and his talent and the way they sort of work in the third line I again trying to optimize what they have it seems to make right now more sense and if you could ever get a Shen or a Koi like a quality centerman to play in the third line then you put McMahon and that guy as a duo on the third line and it's the team looks really pretty good down the middle. Your fourth line could be, you know, Lorenz and Camp and whoever, yard croakers, like really reliable guys.

And then, you know, you're onto something. I think you sort of like how that looks. Yeah. And this is how, these are all the conversations we're going to have between now and March 7th. And you know, this road trip, it's amazing how they're streaking right now Johnny like three wins three losses three wins three losses like they're six and six I believe in the last 12 but I think the most significant probably footnote of the of this trip is that Stolar's return

last night and played as well as he did and he looked really comfortable he was tested he was up for it. What did you see in his game that gives you comfort that they waited long enough, he's ready to go and how would you handle tomorrow night? Would you go back to him? Would you go to Joseph Wall? What would you do in Vancouver tomorrow? No, no, no, you gotta go to Wall.

Okay, first off, he was awesome. And it was funny being around the team and sort of talking to the coach and talking to Solars and stuff. And he's been cleared physically for 10 days but it's not like oh a wager we could go in rusty not feeling quite right not being quite sharp and we're not going to hurt our team right like i can get through a game and not be very good but not be absolutely brutal and cost myself a team and so get it in get

it out couple One times on the PP punch a guy in the face Interested yeah, that's it. That's it. That's it But for him he's like I just don't I'm not seeing it right. I'm not feeling it right even though he was healthy he's like I don't feel good don't feel confident and I guess their patience was Well justified and that he wanted to make sure he was good sharp and he was really really sharp But I mean the first couple of shots he looked a little a little lost like he the first one hit him

They didn't where it went the second one hit a post but after that He was locked right in and we showed some clips in the game where he was moving on that knee explosive hard physical kind of goalt sending and he had no problem. So brilliant that he's back. Brilliant for him that he's back before the break because now he doesn't have to think about what I'm gonna be like coming out of the break. He knows he's good but I don't think there's any way he plays tomorrow. Like no way at all. It's gonna be Wohl who's played well, he's sharper, let Solars enjoy his first game back in his body to

recover and we'll get tomorrow and then I think they almost they might go almost like Boston Bruins style like they might almost rotate this they split them split the remaining stretch and whoever plays better I guess will be the starter come playoff time but I would expect them basically to play each half of the remaining game which is a great luxury for Toronto to have. Johnny, it looks like Crosby won't play tonight though against the Rangers, the first game that he's gonna miss since 2022. It's been a recurring theme for you to play Jerry's, a little mini Jerry's on the show the last couple of weeks. What are your Jerry's percentages?

He's gonna be playing for Team Canada next week at the uh... for nations if not who do you think they tab is replacement so i'm going to pay me very real quick without knowing how it is doing uh... i think it is who are you know i'm not allowed not allowed it's a hard to say that it's a very little small and i don't approve okay although fifty one forty nine he does not like i like it

slightly more likely doesn't play with it and i think any player was not healthy enough to play their last game is not helping up when that's right whether it's quite used or city cross the private in mitch marter or whatever you can't plan on it friday or saturday night that you can't play on Friday or Saturday night, then you can't be in practice Monday. Unless it's a flu, unless it's like an illness,

unless it's a sickness, not an injury. And if he, you know, Sid, he's a competitor, he doesn't want to ever miss games, he certainly doesn't want to miss this tournament, he wants to represent Canada, he wants to play in the Olympics one more time, I'm sure, he was happy to as a captain. He's a really important player for that team. So if he doesn't play this weekend then I don't think he plays. Although I saw Kips with him passing the puck. He didn't shoot it but he was

skating and passing it crisply. So I don't know exactly what's going on with him but I'm saying yeah if he doesn't play then he won't play in the four nations as far as who gets picked to replace him. Oh, is it Zach Hyman or Mark Scheisley? Is it one of those two guys? Probably. Depending on how John Cooper, how he envisions the lineup. Like, think about this tournament. There's only two days of practice

and three games, maybe four. So there's no time for experimentation. Cooper has in his mind what the line's gonna look like. And they're probably gonna look like that most of the tournament because there's not enough time to fiddle with it. So would you say Hyman with the built in chemistry and does that shuffle what you anticipated being your first line with McDavid?

Or, I mean you can't deny how Mark Shackels played this year. He's been incredible. It's absolutely so good. Do you go in that direction? Probably one of those two guys, I guess, would be my hunch. Yeah, and it would suck for Sid because really, you look at where Pittsburgh is right now, like the rest of the way, you wonder how much he's going to play. Like, we don't even know what the injury is and we we don't know what the you know projection is in terms of how much time you could miss uh... and without knowing all that it's really difficult to compare in contrast but i do like we have chris pronger on earlier this week

and prongs was talking about steve eismann in 02 and what he was playing through just to get ready to play in the olympic games and i just think if this was the o we'd be like Sid's going. Sid will find a way to get there you can glue him together but for the four nations he's not going to do it and it's just what it'll be one more bullet of like what is this tournament going to be worth in terms of the conversation afterwards right in terms of legacy building and, right? In terms of legacy building.

And I think it's going to be a fun tournament. I'm curious what it's going to look like. I'm preparing for this to be better than whatever the All-Star weekend was ever going to be. But generally speaking, when you get to big moments like this and big platforms, like we live in a media world now where everything's about legacy building, everything's about chasing the goat. Like if Canada wins, what is that worth in your opinion Johnny? Or if the Americans win or whatever? You know for individual players, the best players. What's it worth for McDavid's resume? What's it worth for Matthew's resume? Does that pop up on the plaque? Yeah, is it a Hall of Fame? Is it a mention in the Hall of Fame speech? 100% it is. You think it is? 100% I think it is.

Okay. Because there's been nothing else available in its place. It's not like, oh, we won a World Cup. Yeah, but how do you do the Olympics? There's been no Olympics, right? Like, there hasn't been an alternative. So this is all they got. And it's best on best in whatever the format, whatever the teams, whoever's in it.

You know, I think it's probably more important for North American players than winning a world championship. Right? Yeah, yeah I would say so. Fun for Europeans, but for a North American player, would it be equivalent of like sort of World Junior success? I mean, something like that? I don't think it's nothing until we get into a bigger rhythm of World Cups, Olympics, World Cup, Olympics and then I think once we get in

that rhythm and they expand the format which I think they're gonna announce like next week at the at this tournament when you get to eight teams or whatever it is then it becomes another thing that the top players want to have accomplished and want to have won. So yeah, I mean, it's not the be all end all, we all understand it's a bit quirky, it's a bit new, but I think once they get like, maybe you guys are too young, I mean it seriously, but like remember the 96 World Cup, you guys would have been, you know, you know, early teens maybe. And I don't remember, like I was in college when that happened,

I went to watch like the 87 Canada Cup, which was like a little all time race, I went to watch the 91 Canada Cup for what? Where at Lindaros was like 17 and putting all the sandals up through the glass at Mabley's Gardens. I don't remember the 96 World Cup having the sort of buzz that the Canada Cubs had had. And yet now in the folklore of hockey, that tournament has been huge for

American hockey, for the American guys who want it, for putting in USA hockey on a map for Brett Hall and all those guys, the Kajaks and Garret, that Modeno, that generation, like that turned into a massive moment historically for those players and the game i'm, not saying this four nations is going to be like that but If it plays out the way it could then I think we will be talking about it And if it plays out the way it might as well Then we will be like that wasn't what we wanted to be

I think it really will depend on the quality of the game and sort of the emotional commitment of the guys playing in it If they play like like like it's game seven, then we'll think it's really important if they play like it's not Then we won't yeah, the players will determine it You know, it's just like the all-star game you want the all-star game the matter You got to try like you got to put that that effort forth and it's gonna be very easy To pick up like if they care or not, like we're gonna know that Dangerous compared to the author game because it's gonna be be very easy to pick up like if they care or not like we're gonna know that immediately. Dangerous though. Dangerous compared to the all-star game because it's gonna be so much better like. Of course it will be. In any capacity it'll be remotely like the all-star game like a guy won't back check or we won't block a shot like that's not it at all like they're gonna be fully invested

trying to win when they're out there. I think I think that's likely the case but it's it's on the perimeters where like you're going like if you don't block the shot if there's you know if you don't finish the check if you don't back check like who wants to be that guy though Brian like embarrass themselves. I don't know man I hope that doesn't happen I hope that doesn't happen but let's say the third game of the tournament where both teams are out of it you think they're going all out in that game?

I don't know. That might be different. Might be different. But I want to know, does Sam Bennett, Sneaky Elbow, Macklechuk in the head? That's what I'm saying. Macklechuk, the low log, Barktoff. Like I'm serious. Like this is the difference.

Their teammates today and their teammates three days after they're done but in those moments are they willing to put their club allegiances not only like on the back burner but like at risk like I'm sorry I'm gonna have to take a run at you in a very physical potentially dirty way because this is what I need to do to win this game not considering what that might mean well you know well well Mitch Marner low bridge Austin Matthews? If that's what it takes to win a game. I don't, and we chuckle, but what if he did? And would you be like, yes?

Or would you be like, no? This is the sort of, this is the dilemma more than anything, especially when it happens this time of the year as opposed to in August where there's such a long runway before the playoffs start, that you can kind of put any impact in this tournament in the back burner because it won't probably impact the playoffs. Well I think you hit on something important like referencing the 96 World Cup the reason I don't think it it means as much up here is because Canada didn't win it you know the

Americans won it so I think. People talk like Canada won that thing they did it everyone was like ah it was so awesome the hockey was crazy they lost won that thing. They didn't. Everyone was like, ah, it was so awesome. The hockey was crazy. They lost to the US. They lost, and that was the great generation of American players. And I think if that's gonna be applicable here, I think what I would take out of your argument is only the Americans are really gonna use this

as a true accomplishment, where if they win it it Americans will be loud, hockey fans in the states will be loud. I think if Canada wins it, it'll be awesome but you better win the Olympics. You've won a million Canada Cubs, you win the Olympics every single year, you win, you know, that I do think that is likely the reaction. In the states it's huge. If Canada wins, it's okay, that's great. Like, cool tournament, but not going to be something compared to anything else we've done on the international stage.

But the Americans just don't have the same reference points. They have the World Cup in 96 and nothing else. In terms of... Yeah, well, it's in 80. Like, what? I guess 80, you're right. That one's a very significant one, of course. But also different context, amateurs, and

we're talking best on best. Never won a Canada Cup, never won gold at the Olympics. Yeah, I think you're absolutely right. The only caveat to that is that the best players in Canada, who are the three best players in Canada? McDavid, McKinnon, McCarr. McDavid, McKinnon, McCarr. None of them have won anything for Canada before.

I'm best on best. So for them, I get like society speaking, we're like, yeah, that's good. We won, we're once again, the best that we knew we were. Don't worry about those world juniors, whatever. And, but like the big ones really next year. But for those players, I do think we're 0-1 against USA when it matters most. They don't have a track record. We can claim it as a country, but the players playing this can't tell them anything.

They've been robbed of the opportunity because of all the situations that we know about. So I do think it will resonate more heavily, positive or negative, for the players involved because it's their first time for so many of them all right johnny enjoy the super bowl on sunday and uh... we'll do it again soon thank you for those have you made your pick yet hey now we're doing our picks in half an hour al's brother and i are on the clock in half an hour you got johnny you got a pattern with you know plus one and a half i think the line play is the

difference i think one get the done i'd kind of agree i mean he goes myself but that's not our pet they're gonna be picking the spread on also be picking the spread out for the night in the total for two hours a piece very important detail okay i'll see if i'll turn it back to our care is there please do well thank you john i'd like mike johnson joining soon the Maple Toyota Hotline. Count on Maple Toyota for the right

winter tire package for your Toyota. Trade in your old tires, buy a new set and get $40 back. Visit mapletoyota.com. Okay. Yeah, Four Nations man. Rapidly approaching too right? Super Bowl Four Nations coming up. We had a hole in one on... Wow, Johnny thinks Sid's playing. It doesn't sound like it. And listen listen something's going on there like if he's not playing and he's not shooting the puck or anything like he's got a real injury well it's funny because we had this conversation here in this market with Matthews and now we've we now that Martin has come back that conversations gone but it was like if he's not playing like there's no way he's playing for

Canada I wonder if that conversations a little different in Pittsburgh because it's there's not competitive where it's let Sid do what he's got to do if he's got to get healthy like if he needs to miss a game to get healthy for Canada for the four nations like maybe they're more okay with that because they're not going I think there's validity to that I also you know listen Pittsburgh's probably in a position where they should be tanking you know, listen, Pittsburgh's probably in a position where they should be tanking. You know, it's like maybe keeping Sid out of the lineup

is actually a smart play because they're like, they're eight points out of the playoffs. It's over. Pittsburgh, it's done, it's over. And it actually may be smart to be like, stay out of this and actually load management so you can possibly play for canada i don't think sits wired that way but

he he may be willing to buy into that as well but i gotta take a night off here so i can play next week they're closer to the basement of the east and a wild card spot right now there are only four points up on buffalo and and for us always the strap on a row for the server buffalo is yet buffaloes on fire and i just don't understand like i get it he wanted to stay there and try to win one more cup button they're

going to miss again and i count as you say now let's go get a next year you're you're gonna be worse next to that's the whole thing they're getting worse every single year yeah like every year't want to see him go down like that It'll be just dreadful Jump on the bandwagon, dude. I said this last November or whatever I was like get him out like get him out and It's science, but it's get him out as soon as they started losing in the first round

Yeah, like they won back-to-back cups and then they got pumped in the first round a couple times. That's same thing in Chicago, same thing in Pitt. That's when the dream's over, man. Yeah absolutely. Unless you can incorporate some kind of Dallas where they have younger players that are coming up and Crosby and Malkin and LaTang are like secondary guys. But they don't have that. Washington's kind of rebuilt on the fly a little bit and uh... like they

know i mean go but it's not that they just had guys come i mean they did have i guess dylan strom is a nice pick up a couple years ago that's flourishing but that i like to protest kid carmen michaels played really well but they also went inside and trade for the right guys i think i wanted to get more correct a record record score of options been unbelievable and that for them charlie lindgren they brought in a year ago a managerial work great coaching work dot story like that's all around great executive work in behind the bench with those guys who are kyle's got in a

that was not on that it's it's not going to be easy man is not going to be seen all the notes it's it's call he resigned for no move, no trade, nothing's gonna happen until he decides I don't wanna do this anymore, and who knows if he ever will. We have a hole in one at the waste management on 16.

16. Dunked. Well we gotta try to play that if we can, and we'll track what's going on out there. And again, get to our picks with Luke in about a half an hour dear hazy be in about an hour overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN for mail it in Friday is brought to you by Boston pizza Canada's favorite sports

bar enjoy $15 lunch at BP where you get an entree a side and a drink and you'll get it all in 20 minutes or less a fast lunch doesn't have to be fast food see you for a $15 fast lunch at your local Boston pizza. Talking about the intensity of the upcoming Four Nations, there was a documentary on one of the dream teams with Kobe and LeBron and he was like, he was like, did first play the game, he's like, set this play up and I'm going to absolutely pile dry, pile Gasol into the ground and everyone was like, really? You want to do that

was like yeah let's let's run it and he did it just to show me is like i'm not screwing around here was his teammate yeah one multiple titles man and what the the oh wait redeem team is that what that was whatever whatever after that is power got there that was probably twenty twelve maybe elf this power got traded there in a way that think to the Lakers but that was him saying that's what I think

of this event and I'm not screwing around I love that mentality and that ultimately does end up happening right it's not that does get awkward when you get back but hey someone's gonna win and you're all competitive and that that you don't want to see guys get hurt or anything silly like that, but That's it. If Sam Bennett can line up Matthew Kachuk you got to throw the hit if you're in it to win it you're throwing the hit and Kachuk's probably gonna do the same thing to you, you know using those two as an example Melodin Friday brought to you by Boston Pizza Canada's favorite sports bar

Enjoy $15 lunch at BP where you get an entree a side and a drink and you'll get it all in 20 minutes or less a fast lunch doesn't have to be fast food see you for a $15 fast lunch your local Boston pizza Al's brothers gonna have a list for us momentarily we do have a hole-in-one at 16 at the waste management Emiliano Grillo where they dunk and a great reaction too right like any home and one on tour is always gonna be a great reaction but this guy goes nuts it's always a little bit awkward like the playing partner is he into it is he willing to go crazy with you but it did happen they both did the the hug in the

air the caddies are going nuts the the weather's beautiful just looks amazing it's great dude there's only one hole in one that will top anyone that ever happens on that hole. Where's that? Tiger Woods at that hole. Oh yeah. Right when he first started out on tour, he played this event and he hits the ball and the announcer goes, if he makes this, this place is going to go nuts. And he makes it and they were throwing toilet paper like

he was right Tiger Woods was raising the roof it was insane. It was amazing. Did he win that tournament? Was that his first win on tour? No his first win on tour was in Milwaukee. No sorry his first win his first start was in Milwaukee. I think his first win might have been in vegas yeah i don't remember i i remember that horn one i was a famous one in ninety six i guess and i was early in his career yeah and i think they didn't even have the stadium set up like they do now but i don't know that's what i don't understand like tiger never plays can he

not just sneak out to the waste management in my crank that tournament way up by playing one time? Well, he's playing next week, right? He committed to the Genesis. It is his tournament. He does host it, but he is playing. He'll be playing, and it's an elevated event.

No cut, I don't think. Or does Tiger put his top 70 make it, and there's like 10 guys that will get cut? Are we done? That'll be interesting, because he's always hated the no cuts. Right right and it's torrey pines those always love that course are we done hyping it like maybe can make a comeback like me or is that going to be i don't conversation next week i think he's he deserves the respect of the attention and the hype of him playing

but expect like look at who is going up against like shephers on fire today's back in the honeunies t8 dude He's tiger woods man. Yeah He was looking like he was gonna miss the cut and ended up the round yesterday minus two only I Swear, he's the only guy in the world that could have pulled a minus two out of that Yeah, did he go that out of the bunker yesterday? I think it was coming down the drill that home from the bunker and then on 15 which is a I think it was coming down the stretch. He drilled it home from the bunker and then on 15, which is a jargantuan hole for mere

mortals, he had driver four iron to 10 feet and drills an eagle. It's like that he's one under and then he clips away one more and it's like, that's just how good he is, man. Anyone else? Well, the guy he played with did it. Max Holme finished up five over. That's right. Holme is in a bad place right now.

Shoot, he is. Bad place. But there's a lot of Canadian flags up there too Adam Hadwin's eight under he had a great day today Nick Taylor's t20 at five under on the tournament he's four under today Adam Svensson seven under and I think he's through his rounds so there's a lot

of Canadian content down there it's gonna be a great great weekend to see what happens and yes Scottie Shepard's out there doing his thing. All right we'll come back else brother you have a power ranking of the seven Canadian teams based on who you think can win the Stanley Cup. Yes most to least likely to win the Stanley Cup this season. I love it. So this is not who's playing the best as of today, this is a projection for who can win the Stanley

Cup. We're going to come back and Al's brother's going old school. We haven't done this in quite some time. And Al's brother, Canadian team power ranking. We'll get to that. Luke's coming up. Pick's coming up in 20 minutes. Dear Hazy B in 45. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 in on TSN 4. Melodin Friday is brought to you by Boston Pizza, Canada's favorite sports bar. Enjoy $15 lunch at BP where you get an entree, for week calls right now for one six eight seven zero ten fifty four one six eight seven zero ten fifty the first caller through with the correct location wins a pair of tickets to see leaf sharks March third where have you been all week else brother I was down at st. Lawrence market St. Lawrence market I don't think I've ever been there no good spot it's good sign to one I'm not like my wife's

a downtown person I've been to Kensington Market. Yeah, never st. Lawrence market. You gotta get there man. It's the one of the coolest places Oh, yeah. Yeah and like as someone who appreciates a good board or two you can get yourself set up there They have tons of the best. He's is olives the best Show we did down there that one time if you consider that to be the st Lawrence market then I have been there but that's the did we do a show at st. Lawrence market one When did we do that dude? It was a long time ago, man We did a show down there. I don't know inside that big building. Yeah, they got those female bacon So I got great like chicken parm's down there. They got great sandwiches. It's a phenomenal

spot. Phenomenal. You can't you got to get down there. Al's brother, you're taking a break now for the next two weeks, but you'll be back out again soon with more leaf tickets brought to you by McAlpine Ford in Aurora, our family, the Ford family and you. All right. Seven Canadian teams. How are we ranking these based on who can win the Stanley Cup yeah all right take us I guess from seven down to one okay brother take it away we'll start off obviously I think it makes a lot of sense for the Montreal Canadians to come in at number seven I mean they had their nice little run around Christmas time good story line they came back he was scoring all the

time that since dried up really ever since the 7-3 drop into Toronto it's gone downhill from there there three and seven cents they're allowing 4.1 goals per game it's not a good situation now and they're gonna start moving some pieces they got no shower they're not wearing no no no shot to win a sign like a over next on my list I have the Calgary Flames coming in at number six and they've been a good story. The fact that they're in a playoff race kind of surprised me compared to what I thought they were going to be. But ultimately I still don't see them as a team that's ready to compete for a Stanley Cup that

might sneak into a playoff spot. I like the moves they made last week, Brigadon Frost and Farah B adding a little bit more depth to their team but ultimately i'm just not sold that they're going to be able to compete with that bag is is a colorado arguments here calgary at six who do you have a five the ottawa senator coming on a lot of number five you know i i i'm offended by that offended you believe the ottawa senators can win a stanley company that uh... i'd just think they're in a positive cycle right now in your

action like taking a massive skydump on it and i don't appreciate lenis all marker favoritism back in feeling pretty good great looks like that's the problem i think in ottawa is they rely way too much on goaltending when they don't get it they don't win any games well there's a lot of teams are-fifth in the league in scoring a five on five thirty-fifth in the nhs right now it's not a good recipe for success alright you got a lot of five and i really have

who do you have it for tells you before the vancouver canada coming in at number you have them ahead of all the water to surprise and considering how like tumultuous their season has been. But they moved on from the situation, right? JT Miller's gone. I think you could get addition by subtraction. Hopefully you get Elias Pedersen back into the fold. I think the team that's been underachievement, they made it to the second round, took Edmonton to seven games last year with Archer's Shelovs as their goaltenders. Well, have you told Demko that he's supposed to be playing better recently? Has Elias Petitkin actually got the message? I'm glad you asked about Thatcher Demko. He's figured something out the last couple weeks.

Last four games, 9.52 save percentage in a shutout in his last four games. He's starting to come alive. They won 2-1 last night I think in overtime. 2-1 last night against the Sharks. That's a big reason for why I believe they have a chance to at least be contenders. I don't think they're necessarily in cup contention, but I think that they'll be contenders. Vancouver at four, who do you have at three? This is where it gets spicy. This is where it gets spicy, but I've got the Toronto Maple Leafs coming in at number three. I think the Leafs come in at number three, and it may be one of those, I got to see it to believe it, but look, this team hasn't had playoff success. So how can I sit here and say, yep,

this is going to be the year they do it. The Goaltending has been great. Stowellers came back last night, picked up right where he left off. Joseph Walls played well. The defense is much better. I think when you look at the team right now on February, I would say the seventh, this may be one of the best Leafs teams we've had at this point we'll see what happens at the deadline but I got them at number three right now because the two I just have more belief okay so let's get to number two then who do you have Winnipeg or Edmonton the Winnipeg Jets I got a number two best in the league this year at number two best team in the league but similar to Toronto they fade in the playoffs yes they do fade in the

playoffs i mean you look at it carter helbert's been arguably the best colt under on the planet the last two three years but they get to the playoffs is last two seasons to innate with an eight seventy five c percentage i'd just i need to see it to believe it every year we buy in when it takes got the roster top the bottom and they flame out in the playoffs

so they don't deserve much more many more props than the Leafs. No they're no different than the Leafs. There's a Western Leafs. No different than the Leafs. Which leaves Connor McDavid's Edmonds and Oilers up in the top spot and I truly believe there's a team that was one game away from one of you Stanley Cup a year ago that little taste they got in their mouth I think that is going to become more rabid and rabid as we get closer to April. Those two, Leon, Connor, they're going to absolutely go beast mode come playoff time. I think they're going to get back to a Stanley Cup. And just like Sid did years ago when he lost in his first cup final, came back the next year, figured out this is what didn't work

this what we have to do went ahead won the following so you're saying that i wanted to tell the club that's your call right now okay yeah i can argue that meant to be a one the spread the wealthy look at the middle the ice it's mcdavid dry settle nugent hopkins henry why is there one flight of four

and you know defensively darn all nurses has been better this year there's always question marks about Skinner always going to be but I think that's reasonable I'm you know I might put Ottawa ahead of Vancouver just because it feels like there's dark clouds in Vancouver right now but other than that I think he probably hit it Al's brother good list all right there it is Al's brother's power rankings for Canadian teams most likely to win the Stanley Cup. Final hour for the week coming up, overdrive continues. TSN 1050N on the TSN app.