OverDrive - OverDrive - January 13, 2025 - Hour 1

Episode Date: January 13, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys discuss the Maple Leafs' defeat to the Canucks, the team's performance in the matchup and the NFL playoffs matchups in the Wild Card round. They give their views on Mitch Marner's comments on the game against the Canucks, the team's declining power play, how the team can find consistent scoring and the Blue Jays signing Jeff Hoffman to the team.

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off and running, TSN 1050 on the TSN app, your home smart speaker and up on TSN for Brian Haseo, Doug Jeff O'Neill, Jamie Noodles, McClennan. What's going on? What's going on? Actually, I should address something. Okay, what do you have for us? Go ahead. I was in a slight meeting yesterday, like literally a 10 minute, you know, little stop

and chat with somebody in Ottawa. I came out and 57 texts were in the group text. That's the sit noodles. I'm coming up with a new podcast with JP and Luke and we've just got to get some different guests. Don't forget Joe from the Bridge. He's the biggest supporter. Oh yeah, he'll be covering the Leafs.

He'll be covering the Leafs for our new podcast because these donkeys have just tried to make up rules. Nobody knows the rules. Doogie is clearly out to lunch with the rules and now we've got a riveting one-to-one scorecard after one weekend. I think we're burying the lead how pathetic our picks were this weekend. Like it was pathetic between Collectively the four of us in both teams like we hit on a couple of totals that's it and there was mass confusion on that because You know doogie is in the business of communication and I don't think communication was applied here when it came to how the rules Were actually gonna play out

Think about this think about this and how pathetic it was Our great NFL former player was begging and clinging to life for that one little nibblet point He was like we get one we got one I know and I'm like this is how bad it is when our guy is saying We got one. Luke Wilson has a Super Bowl ring in his house and he's texting demanding that you get a point for a total or he's going to quit the show. It was insane. Insanity.

That group chat was insanity. And of course, I just tried to light a little fire. I'm like, what is going on, gentlemen? And then both sides are like, these guys are idiots. These guys are idiots. Like it was unbelievable. My phone, you know what, like I say, sometimes you literally just put it down and then you pick it up and you're like, I can't believe I've got 84 messages. It was 80 like it was 80 messages. We were all like sitting on it was a live chat. Like we were all staring at our phones, waiting for the next guy to come over the top and then you went over the top and then Al's

brother was in there weaseling around off the cruise and it does bring up an interesting question because I ran into this a couple of weeks ago where I was on a chat with I think my wife and I want to say my brother-in-law and I was driving at the time and I was included in it and the two of them had been texting 45 times and I got to the end of it. I said, guys, I'm not going back. Like I'm not going to go back and read what's happening. I'm just going to give you a thumbs up or I texted him separately or saw him I think

over Christmas and said, just for the record, I have no idea what you were texting because I missed the whole thing. And once you get too deep into it, I'm not going back to find out how this thing started. You know what I mean? Like you turn your phone off or jump on a flight, you get off and you miss 85 chat, 85 texts from a group. You're not going back to figure out what happened. You're out.

You just got to accept that you missed it. I'll leave the conversation before I go back. You're famous for leaving the conversation too. Doogie, I was texting, we had a chat because we have a million different chats going right? Like when we're all on, when noodles, when you're on the road and someone else comes in, Jonas, Fescheck, then there's an Al's brother, then there's one with JP, there's one with Joe from the Bridge, and I had been texting into the abyss about something for a while and finally I asked Doogie, I go

what do you think oh is like where's Oh at with this and he goes oh he left the chat like weeks ago. I didn't even know you were gone. I had been texting again into the abyss so like oh maybe we should think of this maybe we should do that and Dougie's like oh he's gone man he left a long time ago. Well the most recent one I left is because joe from the bridge if we're going to air out laundry he wants to know our location at nine forty five in the morning i had no way i have to rid myself of that information so that's reasonable that is that is a reasonable excuse to leave you can contact me individually approximately three p m

not at nine forty five coming in hot i'm just like there's no need for this one right now here do it yeah right here i were all on and we don't know what's happening there just outing each other right now really are all for on a monday as one of those days i i got a say back to the football picks i warned you about your boy out in LA man with the Chargers Justin Herbert Yeah, Justin Herbert, that's gay, and I'm worried about your boy Jordan. Love. Oh my he was horrendous

Here's the thing with horrendous. He has that performance against the Eagles How many more are you gonna give him before like how many years are you gonna watch him? To say can this guy do it like you give him one more year well here's the problem though they've already paid him that's what hurt that's what's so scarring here is he held out of camp and said I'm not showing up until you pay me and they said fine we'll pay you and they're paying him fifty five million dollars for the next three years. He's one of the three or four highest paid quarterbacks in the game. Justin Herbert's right there with them.

So he had them over a barrel and they they buckled and they said fine we're going to pay you and listen he had a really good second half last year great playoff game in Dallas really good three quarters in in San Francisco last year. This year was a step back period end of story for Jordan Love. Now he did have a lot of injuries including opening night in Brazil when they played Philly on that Friday night. He seemingly was hurt all year. Their wide receivers were a mess for the most part all season including yesterday. I think you got to equate for some injuries, equate for a lack of help in terms of the wide receivers but this guy cannot throw accurate balls down the field.

That's the issue. Jordan Love, he can dink and doink all night. You want something out of the flat, I can give that to you. Josh Jacobs, run a wheel route, I'll hit you. Anything down the field, this guy is basically Rex Grossman right now. Like it's a mess. Part of the question is, Hayes,

this is like Danny Dimesimes plus plus where it's like it when you get to the part where like we really like this guy but he's not going to get us over the well i'm gonna give it another year i'm gonna give it another year i'm gonna allow them to try to to get a true number one wide receiver i'm gonna give me your hopefully of health and then beyond that if if you can't do it next year like take a step on that same'm not saying win a Super Bowl, they're still a really young team. They might be the youngest team in the league, Green Bay. Like they're one of the youngest teams.

But I'll give it another year where he needs to take a step forward if he doesn't, you know, check in with me this time next season. What are they going to do though, Brian? Like, you know, he is a good young quarterback. They moved Rod. Could you imagine if they decided to like keep Rogers through all of this? Like they, there, there is a, there's a progression there with green Bay. I think you should give it more than a year. A yes, cause he's still young and let's see if this team turns the corner and he can do it. What sucks for a lot of these players, you're judged on one game. That's it. Like one game. You's it game you know you know look at these Washington commanders but you know like I mean that was a great game last night finally we got a good game the fifth and final game of the weekend the other games were blowouts and really some

ugly bad football and you know we got another one tonight Rams Vikings and a Hazenboro on the clock Alice brother and I have no idea what we're doing. We'll find a way to pick something tonight. We'll try to pick a total and go up 2-1 going into next week. Oh, that's our hope. Yeah, riveting stuff. We can be 2-1 going into next weekend. But what I took out of the weekend, and we'll get into it with Luke in an hour, is Detroit,

Kansas City are cackling right now Absolutely cackling and for me, it's Detroit Kansas City Baltimore Buffalo Philly like those are your five teams that can win and I'm not as Bullish on Philly anymore because I thought Jalen hurts really struggled. I didn't think he looked great It feels like there's three AFC teams and the Lions, you know Like that's kind of what it feels like I think Detroit is gonna go to a Super Bowl and we'll see who they end up playing I you know Philly maybe maybe if he gets in rhythm hurts Did me miss the previous two games, maybe they can win without them being spectacular. We'll see but

It's a short X Factor man Because he can either he can either turn it around and get hot and turn into the guy that took him to the last Super Bowl or they fizzle out. That's it and maybe it's as simple as hey, like you look at who they're gonna play they're gonna play the winner of the game tonight maybe just don't turn the ball over you can still get to an NFC championship game then you go to Detroit and Saquon Barkley has a remarkable night maybe you punch a ticket it just he's got to be better than he was yesterday for them to win a Super Bowl Can they get you can they win another game or two with him playing like that? Probably or possibly can they win a Super Bowl?

I don't believe that so he's got a prove he can be better So there's a lot on the NFL will get to today, you know coaching carousel continues to get Steph Curry in town tonight We'll get to that And the Leafs are playing Dallas tomorrow Matt Dushane who's leading the Stars and Points is gonna join us in the 6 p.m. hour good Halliburton boy Matt Duchenne so catch up with Matt Duchenne later as the Leafs prepare for a game tomorrow night and you see Stephen Lorenz practicing with Matthews and Marner today down at practice I have no idea what the thought process on that I

listen Lorenz has been a he's been good for them good for him he's had a good start he loves the Leafs what is what are they thinking is gonna happen here yeah what's gonna happen yes nice was practicing with Tavares and Nylander so I don't unless he was just stepping in for patch already or they wanted to get a look at practice i don't know but but what are we doing here if that's the answer after two really poor games they did not play well on saturday night i mean

so you're saying that bobby mcmahon patch already and knives were on the ice but it was lorenz yes i thought black has steven lorenzo with austin matthews and mitch marner i understand listen sometimes you just mess with people on an off day like you know you're giving different looks all of that type of stuff but matthew nise has been a great fit for that top line and he's played well you're allowed a game here or there i agree i thought saturday night i, we didn't get to chat. I thought Saturday night was a trap game for the Leafs because you're reading, ah, you know, Vancouver

stuck in Carolina. They're going to, you know, they're getting in late at two o'clock. And I thought right away, I'm like, half those guys, and we've all done it, including you, Hayes and Jr. You travel on a game day day you do all of these things like you just you you'd like they landed and played hockey and that's what they did and the Leafs didn't have much jumper energy and there was no one knows that almost makes it a reverse trap game where it's like if you don't think that under Rick talk it that they're gonna land and jump out of the gate and play a solid game I'll tell you I want to take away from that game before I get into the Leafs lines is that Quinn Hughes

He is so good man good player. Yeah, you bring it up all the time He's like if that guy played in the East and had a lot more Attention like if that guy was a New York Ranger or a munch he's just unbelievable like he said he's a top He could be a top five player in the league right now Like he's top ten for sure and I know we do the TSN top 15, I don't know where he landed, he had to be in the top ten. And he won the Norris last year, it's not like this guy came out of nowhere, he's phenomenal. But it's like McDavid, McKinnon, McCarr, Hughes, Hellebuck, you know like is that-

Kuturov, guys like that. Yeah, Kuturov, Dreissel, Dreissel have been phenomenal. Matthews, but like he's in the top the top seven top seven rate on undisputed the use of the market to the next level and got became like ultra competitive and you just see the purpose he plays with that he's determined and skillful and it's like before he was just a young kid back there who could make some plays and

dangle escape but now it's like like his his purposeful shifts are like every every time he's out there man it's incredible it's terrifying and if you're a young kid like that that Hudson in Montreal I would just be watching that guy like a Hawk like how does he get his business done how does he move throughout the ice he's all he's an awesome player he's worth he's literally one of the guys where it's like I want to pay to watch that he's a ticket seller man oh yes he's in town you got to see him play and he's not physically a monster you're right Lane Hudson literally has to watch

game tape of him of how he handles his body because defensively I thought he was pretty good to winning loose buck battles and getting in in the lane you're not running anybody over which you which you are doing is just being smart. And I thought, you know, Hughes is a top tier player. I thought Pedersen defensively was unreal. He played very well defensively. I thought he played with a lot of jam the other night, which is weird because I hadn't, you know, laid eyes on that live in a while.

I watched Vancouver a few times obviously this year, more than that. But Pedersen had some determination to his game the other night. Maybe there's just all that noise around them, it's like, hey, we just got to come out and have a game. They did because they laid an egg the night before and Carolina lost 2-0. So it was kind of like, hey, late flight, all of these types of things. It all fell into place and their goalie made a couple good saves when he had to too.

That Lankton has Yeah, Lankton He's money for them. He's been very good his last two starts. He's been really really good Yeah, I mean he's been good all year No for sure and listen credit to Vancouver because it was a tough spot for them You know, yes, you've done it before in junior or in college or whatever But you're not you're not used to that in the National Hockey League You're where you you wake up in Carolina get a wait for the plane to be de-iced, you fly in, and it's a big stage.

It's hockey night in Toronto. I mean, it's a big, big game. It's one that all these guys would have circled. And listen, they scored on the first shift in the first period and the third period. That was the game, effectively. They score immediately, they set a tone immediately, and the Leafs just, they never showed any life. Like they never had, and that's really what you needed

if you're the Maple Leafs on Saturday night. That's what's gotta be so disappointing from Borube's standpoint, is really all you needed was life, was some physicality, and try to push them out of the play, and the Leafs just never, ever looked look like they had it and they never looked like they were going to find it like that one sure would score just that i think the game was over anyway but when sure would score to start the third it's like put turn the lights out

but they're not here they're not they don't have it tonight it's not i think there's one thing like that i'd never believe in like excuses but i want they'll say about them with the schedule the way it is this year i think it's just tired but i i think they're at a point where they played a lot of hockey and it's just kind of the dog days and their their kind of out of it and i thought i was coach of the team

i would be going with the john cooper philosophy right now which is there would be a lot of a lot of guys at the rake on off days well period at all because now they've been playing a crap load of played at the bottom of the be a lot of a lot of guys at the rink on off days period at all because Have they been playing a crap load of hockey? They've played a lot of hockey a lot of back-to-back a lot of back-to-back So I think they're just out of gas and sometimes when you're out of gas you're mentally not there And you have those sleepy nights where you're like I'm not with it Here's the scary part guys I looked at this like every team that is chasing Toronto

Has gone out West and done all their trips and all of that leaves have three trips out West Yeah after February their schedule gets tougher because as much as you said lots of back-to-backs and stuff They've also had a lot of games where the team has played the night before in Montreal or in Ottawa or whatever They've had some some favorable matchups to you if you look at strength of schedule there is some i was looking at it the other day because i go through western canada go through california still they haven't been in colorado vegas they haven't been

any of those who have to bend anywhere out west and ours and i was looking at it they they've got a tough schedule where they go into call it denver and then it's back here for a game and then it's back out to Calgary. They've got some travel and some adversity ahead of them from a scheduling standpoint. Not from anything else, but from a scheduling standpoint. They've still got some stuff ahead of them, but it's not until after the break. It's not until after, like we're talking, I think it's early March whenever they come back.

That's just it. Try to be re-energized, try to be really asked to try to play some solid hockey leading up to the break it your break and then it's literally probably have you saying well i go west three times after the break is going to be bonkers yeah i i i mean i i'm pretty sure i i i think they go to western canada before the break i thought they and like they do the seattle western canada and then into the four nations.

You know what? You're right. Sorry. It is Kraken, February 6th. So just you're right. Kraken, and then Maple Leafs at Canucks. Yeah. So it's sorry, I misspoke. And that's right before the break. That's you're right. That is just before the break. That is February 4th to 8th. Yeah. But they go out to California late, like end of March, they're out there.

And they come home, like down the stretch, I mean, with a lot of road games. Hey, do you remember that one time they went? They do not play a lot of home games in March and early April. Do you remember one time they went out there? It was during the, I think, Kessel-Dion years, and San Jose was stacked, LA was stacked, Anaheim

was stacked, and St. Louis was stacked. And you and I had just some kind of wager on how many points they were going to get and I said zero. They're getting zero points. And you were like, it's not possible. And they went out there and they got zero points. Zero points. Wasn't there an injury? Didn't Bernier get hurt? No. I don't know. They got spanked. Reimer had to come in in like Anaheim or something and then they stopped in Detroit on the way

home and that was the okay just okay. I think you're right. That was the end of it. That was the 18 wheeler I think. That might have been that season or the next season where they were way up like nine points in with 15 to go and they lost they missed by nine points. Something ridiculous. Something crazy like that.

And that does put into perspective like where the Leafs are. I think you might be onto something that like they've played a lot of games. It's the dog days. It's not an excuse for poor games. It's a reality. But it is a reality. Again, I look at Walnut playing like they have clearly committed to the idea that this guy needs rest and take that for whatever it's worth, but that's probably just how he's going to be defined now for the rest of his

career. Right? Is he's a rest guy because personally, I would look at that. Like if you're, if you're a, if you're a one, like a true one, you're, you're a dog. Like you're, you're, I need in the net. If he played the way he played in Carolina then off day then Saturday night then not again until Tuesday. Hellebuck's playing that game. Vasilevsky's playing that game. Bob's playing it. The question that comes on top of that is well what the hell happens in playoffs where you got to be a dog no matter what? It's a great question. Because it's every other day for two months. Can you do that?

I don't know if you can. Because... Well, that's what's required if you want to do something special. Absolutely. And that's... Listen, it's one thing to skip a start in January, not the end of the world. They didn't score. Even if you played, they weren't going to win that game.

But it is a scenario where the guy's 26 coming off a poor start, you say it all the time, Noodle's hella bucks always like, I'm gonna forget about that and play me. And they get to Saturday night and it's like, nah, he's a little tired and we wanna put Dennis in. It's like, okay. Then they're defining who he is. They're saying this guy is not capable

of being a true number one, because he's just not gonna play enough is they're not gonna put him in that situation to play and he's got it's a microcosm of the whole team maybe right now they're all over a day later and i said i was just a little what they be deciding that for him or would he say probably not the best idea to put i think there is conversations but you are looking at their schedule and saying, okay,

Vancouver, then into Dallas, then what is it? Devils. Yeah, all home games though. Yeah, you're right. Like there is no back to back. Days in between. Yeah. Like it's, I don't know.

I mean, again, that's not why they lost. It has nothing to even do with the outcome. It just, I wasn't surprised they didn't play them. the explanation was you know he's played a lot he's a little bit tired okay you know then that's if that's the way it is that's the way it is. What happens when he gets a little bit older is I get like I don't know if that's gonna get better or worse like isn't he in the prime fit years of his life where he should be like playing me every damn night. I guess that is, and maybe that's a Disney, Gordon Bombay, Mighty Ducks bogus mentality,

but there's a part of me that wanted to believe that Wall would storm in and say, I'm playing. Like, forget, I'm playing tonight. I didn't like my game the other night. We don't play until Tuesday. I'm not letting Dennis Hildeby go out there after that. Put me in. And it, you know, it didn't like my game the other night. We don't play until Tuesday. I'm not letting Dennis Hildeby go out there after that. Put me in. Yeah.

And it, you know, it didn't happen. Doesn't happen. It is just that, you know, I don't know what the schedule is. I don't know what their thought process is, but it could have easily been, hey, you're playing Thursday, you're playing Saturday, you get Sunday off, and you're playing Tuesday again like that. That's an easily spaced out schedule that doesn't overstress you considering the travel is Carolina.

Our flight at home, at home, at home, then into Montreal. That's what the schedule is right now. Correct. Exactly. I played, you know, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday in Montreal. Right. And then Monday against Tampa at home. And they got some big games coming up i mean they they do and uh... you know what will come back and we'll get into mitch marner's postgame comments and everyone reacting to what mitch

had to say and you know what what could be in store this upcoming week i had a hot take on that one okay you gotta take on that i i got a couple takes myself so we've all got some takes on this. We'll get to that coming up. Luke Wilson at five o'clock. Matt Duchesne will join us in the 6 p.m. hour ahead of the Stars in Town tomorrow night. And shout out Nick Taylor. Can't get out of the first segment without a shout out to my boy, my partner.

I sat him straight at St. George's and he's been great ever since. Any DMs? I left him alone. I will send him a DM maybe in the break. Just saying. Part C, great job. straight at st george's and a great ass sense any d i i left them alone i will send him a d m maybe in the break just saying part c great job great job that i get sick attention man is to easy pride tiger was that's precisely what that was yesterday after he missed that was worry at pinehurst the two pots he missed on fourteen and fifteen or four four three fours

any missed a lot but he's done like's going to pack his bags and fly home. Guy Eagles 18 and then gets up and down in miraculous fashion. This pot here takes some stones because somebody right before him missed that. Yes. And he jammed it right in the center of the cup. And to get up and down twice like that, that's the beauty of kind of match play where if you're away like that, like there's some people I golf with who always say like get in first, you can win it. And as soon as she put that chip tight,

it went, Atchie Feria was like, man, I gotta get this putt close now. And he jimmied it and he three jacked it and the guy won. It was an incredible theater, man. It was pure match play, man. Atchie Feria, the underpants when he when he chipped that to it To a kick-in he absolutely was he he was nervous man

Soiled himself he soiled himself and he jimmied his first putt and he choked away the last one. That's exactly tailored but I was scared when Nikki was over it because Hicks that was like this guy's missed a couple earlier. I'm like why did you even bring that up? Like just make it it's almost like I wanted him to talk me into it being a routine tap-in but he made it a routine tap-in. Absolutely he did. No he's a machine when he's in contention he's a he's a machine Nick Taylor. All right we'll get into Marner's comments from the other night. They mean anything what does it mean for the future? What does it mean for the game tomorrow night? But Dallas in town, Overdrive continues.

TSN 1050 and on TSN 4. All right, Overdrive continues powered by FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. Luke Wilson in studio in half an hour. Brad True Living speaking today to the media. We got a couple of clips we'll get to momentarily. But the Leafs lost three-nothing to Vancouver on Saturday was not wasn't a very lively game for the Leafs you know

if you had a ticket I was talking to a buddy who was down there on Saturday is like man I was jacked for that game it was brutal dude it was yeah it's in the dictionary for dog day of season like kind of sleepy stinker like that's what it was yeah it was not good it was not the fun and it was a direct vancouver fan your car fan was great obviously but purely fan in your attendance uh... not necessarily that's how the majority of people i think so i'd yet here's what mitch marner had to say about beliefs and and their plan saturday

night when he spoke with the media after the game i like that i mean i thought it was well. I really did. You know, I think just the last couple games we've been giving up plays of teams that aren't missing on them. So, you know, I thought we were good five man tight and in our zone. I thought we went to the neutral zone as a unit. I think when we didn't do that, that's when breakdowns happened and they had a lot of offense off it and that's something that we talked about that we need to be better at and you know, we'll look at it going forward and fix it. All right.

Well, if you're gonna play that one, you got to play Chris Tanev's. All right, we've got Tanev's too. Here, we'll compare and contrast, okay? Compare and contrast. Here's Chris Tanev after the game. Not good enough, so they outworked us, outcompeted us, and that's why they won. chris tan of after the game market now so network does uh... who compete with some of the other one uh... so there's a bunch of a different layers of the senate

there there's so many different layers to this where i think for mitch sometimes when your players talented as him you might get a bunch of touches and you might do some things as an individual you You get off the ice and you're like, man, I was probably pretty good tonight. And when you get asked the question, you somehow mentally can loop your own individual game into what you saw out there. And I give him credit almost where he was like, because sometimes you need to watch the tape again, because sometimes your assessment is we weren't that bad, we couldn't get a save and we couldn't score. but overall it wasn't horrible.

But there's the other angle where it's like that's what they got to get out of where they get happy with themselves and they're easily satisfied and they'll lose a playoff series and John Tavares will talk about execution and it's always, but some will say that's what they need to get out of where do you want to go with it i mean it's whatever you want but it's completely different than what is the defenseman said yeah and i and i think my assessment was word pan of his that i i do think it speaks to the game that mitch plays mitch is not alive we player he's not a physical player he's not a guy that

feeds off energy. So I think what you're saying there has some merit to it. I think Mitch Marner's game is smarts and IQ. He rarely has a bad one where you're like, God, did he stink? Exactly. And I think that's, although I would say in Carolina, you know, it wasn't good.

That doesn't help either. The fact that the game before he was a minus six. And here's at the root of all this is Mitch this fan base is very uncomfortable with kind of what's been happening this year which is they're actually winning a lot which they've done a lot in the regular season but they're leading their division they're on pace maybe to win the conference they're competing for a president's trophy and it's been relatively smooth and quiet yes you've had an injury to matthews and he hasn't had the same year

that he usually has you have a lot of stars fans i think it's uncomfortable for fans and i think the one player in this is more proof of it that draws out a reaction and generally it's a vitriolic reaction. It's an emotional reaction. It's a triggering comment from one guy and it's always Mitch Marner. And what this is is they've lost two games in a row, not played great. Mitch hasn't been great himself and he says something and

this happens I'd say two or three times a year. I have said this for years. Mitch Marner is not comfortable with the media. Not his thing. He doesn't... I honestly don't think he's thinking it through. I think it's a pretty accurate and honest assessment from his standpoint. I don't think he's lying. I don't believe this was some game plan. I'm gonna say this to get the wolves off us. I don't think that's what he was thinking, but it was such an easy layup for him to say what Tanev said. and then it's just gone and no one pays attention to anything and the game's gone and you move on to Dallas but he went the opposite way which leads to the reaction that we have from the city

which draws out how polarizing that he is in this city like Mitch Marner is separate from the other guys because he's a local guy because of the way he plays the way he speaks and generally it is when they lose although I will say Austin's not much better Matthews isn't Matthews the other night in Carolina was minus six and he's like that didn't really go our way that was kind of his his read too so I think it's not like Austin's mr. rah rah you know that was brutal that was awful we owe it to our fans people should get a refund we stunk tonight It's just it's easy to play that and Mitch never seems to pick up on that cue Those two guys that you just mentioned they are not gonna talk to the fan base or us or anybody

Not in their DNA. They would not like a guy with a mustache a guy with a mustache says You know what we sucked and we got to be better. They're not gonna talk to you like a guy with a mustache says, you know what, we sucked and we got to be better. They're not going to talk to you like a guy with a mustache. So that's just the way it's going to be. Not how they think, not how they operate. You know what though, when I hear comments like that, I think of Conor Hellebuck. Remember Hellebuck's year in presser where he gave up six or seven and he goes, yeah, you guys aren't going to believe this, but I felt great against Colorado and people are like, what?

You know, like, like I, Hello Buck, I always joke because he can give up seven. He'll come right out and go, yeah, I felt great. Yeah, I just didn't go for me tonight. And I know certain guys are different in the media and Brian, I think you hit the nail on the head. Like I think with Mitch, I also think there is a defense mechanism in this market. Like he, he has been a little bit, I don't know what the word is, not standoffish.

I think media to him is secondary. He doesn't really care to do the media, but he has to. He has to do it so he speaks. He's a superstar, right? Yeah. Never been comfortable with it. No, but that's, when I look at it, I think he feels, because Tanev just shoots from the hip.

We were no good, we can be better, that's it. I think if Mitch says that, what it does is it's, he's like a, because he's such a lightning rod, because he's a superstar, it almost puts a bullseye on you going, okay, we better watch Marner's play. Where he's had a great season this year, so I think he just. But Knudos, there's so many, and I don't, we always say we don't want guys to toss out cliches but there was so many comments that would

keep the flies off more than that one right there yeah i were tired hockey team we look like it we played like it in the next two days we need one thing to refresh your brains and that's rest and that's all we need it well i can't not what keeps the flies off doesn't it again mariner i would say two or three times a year and it's it's always when the fan base has their back up against the wall And that's what Saturday night was right because it's it's a Vancouver team coming off a back-to-back

Who hasn't been playing well that flew in that day and all yeah, and it was an effort night, right? It wasn't an execution night. It was an effort night for the Leafs and they didn't have it and that comment comes out. It's generally after the playoffs, say, you know, I don't have any regrets, you know, stuff like that. It's like, really, man? Like, but he's been here nine years. Again, Austin's no different. I got to continue to hammer that home. Austin Matthews is not a good quote. He's not good with the media, he's not comfortable with it, he's not a rah-rah guy, he's not a rocky four type, you know, dialogue guy. That's not who he is, that's not what he is, and Mitch is no different. The thing is Marner is in the firing line more for a number of different reasons. I think again because he's a local guy, I think because of the contract, that's also hanging over, right? A lot of Leaf fans have put that aside through 44 games

because he's been great and the Leafs have been great. But I think a lot of Leaf fans were waiting for something so they can come back out and say, see, I knew it, I knew it, this is what it is and this is why it's not gonna change. And I just, and I would use Tanev as an example. Tanev is in the good graces of every Leaf fan right now. Now he said, I think his assessment was accurate or the way I saw it, and he said the right thing

quote unquote from a PR standpoint for people to give him a round of applause. I will say this though, if Tanev said the exact same thing Marner said, no one would have paid attention to it. No one would have said a word about it. No one would say, oh, here we go, Chris Tanev accepting that kind of stuff. It's a Marner issue. And it's, it's been very quiet this year through 44 games, but it is a ticking time bomb. If he says the wrong thing, if he plays poorly, well, that's the other thing. It's coming in the playoffs too. Well, get a hold of yourself people. We're talking about a team that's in first place actually they've been great who sticker games and all the sudden he makes one comment that you don't take a liking to it up

uh... i said the other night of the panel i think this guy is one of the tops in the league for heart trophy said i think the top ten this year the way he's been grass and i'll be a little not so with this, let's just give our head a shake. Well, that's the history though, right? Christ sake. I get it. The history is the history, man.

Like that, that's the, and what you're seeing is a lot of people that, that don't trust the team, don't, you know, have been hearing people say they look different, they feel different, they sound different. People have been going in their caves saying, give me one opportunity to come out swinging. And he stepped in it on Saturday night because he gave them the opportunity to come out and say see I told you so Don't trust it. Don't believe it. So that's what happened the other night. I guess in a candid moment though if you put Marner and Tannin in the same room ago guys whose answer was right? What was it like would they both have the same answer like that's that's the, like, because Tana was, like, not good enough, outworked,

all of that type of stuff. And Marner's like, I thought we played very well. Like, can two of them, can both be right? I didn't see that the other night. I didn't see, like, the chances, the high danger chances were 11 to 5 for the Leafs. The Leafs had 11 chances on Lankton and Vancouver had 5 high danger chances. That was it. Like they didn't give, the Leafs didn't give up much. It was kind of a dog game but Vancouver scored on their opportunities and the Leafs didn't. And what were they 0 for 3 on the power play? Well the power play is a disaster.

Did you ever think with that amount of skill that we'd be even at this point with that power play? And I've been telling you guys for two years now, you've got to create some kind of disturbance before you get to skill stuff. There has to be shot and then rebound and get to it. But for those guys, they need to literally go out and hammer some beers one night with a napkin and a sharpie and figure it out because come playoff time, they're going to need that power play to be dialed in.

I think they're trying. I don't know if you guys saw this the other night. Matthew's tried to slide into that dry sidle backhand. Did you see that in the bumper? Well, he was in the bumper the other night. He put his back towards, I think it was Tavares, and you know how Dreisetta will put his back to McDavid and you pass it to his back end and he turns

and fires from the bumper position. Matthews tried it. I think they're trying lots of things and looking at other power plays throughout the league going what's working, what's not working. It's crazy how you can pay these guys $10 to $12, $13 million a year. I always go back to that Tampa power play. How many times would you see Kucherov, as soon as he got the puck, he would just sweep

one like a missile an inch off the ice just at the goalie's feet. And then after that, it was just chaos because Nick Paul was in front, and they would scramble and get the rebound. And then it would go back to Ed Kucharoff, and then he'd have penalty killers moving. And that's when he would make a kill shot to Braden Point or the bumper or Stamkos through the seam.

But it would always start off with just some kind of missile at the feet, and it would be scrambling all over and bouncing all over And then they went for the kill shot after that they didn't start with the kill shot So if they wanted a theme moving forward it would be don't start with the kill play right off the bat Because that's just not the way it works Well, the the other thing too is we don't know the nature of Matthew's injury, but when he scored 70, we'll call it 69, he was a dangerous one-timer. He was dangerous every time.

Which player? He's not as dangerous. Boston. Boston Matthews. Yeah. Well, how many times have you seen William Nylander, who's got an unbelievable one-timer, be set up for a one-timer? How many?

Not many. Not as much. He has had the one-timer through the scene, but you're right, not as much. Where my point being is if Matthews was at 100%, I think he shoots, he's shooting a lot more and they're getting the puck to him at that time. I think they work away from him right now, which more speaks to maybe the nature of his injury or him not being comfortable enough to get it away the way he likes it. I think there's too much movement, there's too much thinking going on, and there's too many fantasy plays being drawn up. It's like, Ovi stands, he does not move.

Alex Ovechkin does not move, and he's going to be the greatest goal scorer of all time. And he scares the hell out of everyone just standing there. Opens up everything standing in one spot. Like just put guys in dangerous positions and there's too much movement, too much, I don't know, it's crazy that we're even having the conversation. Yeah, they're 19th in the league in power play percentage and they were on the ice early today practicing it. They're trying to figure it out Mark Savard welcome to the market like everyone everyone has their eyes set on Mark Savard right he was hired to effectively run the power play and he's trying to figure it out but they're not gonna get away from taking

all these guys off the power play again like that they've they just won't do that they won't move two or three of them you know all of the players that are good player with all like with all due respect to Mark Savard with players this good like they should like you should literally do in the first practice with savvy you should be skating around saying sad like we we pretty much know what we're doing here pal yeah you just kind of give us some guidelines like we got this but now it's turned in morphed into it's got a life of its own and sooner or later what's gonna happen is someone's gonna

get their feelings really hurt they're gonna be taken off it because they just can't watch it anymore I'm shocked it hasn't got to that point right now I've heard now Edmonton you know historically has had the best power play in the last three years I think in the history since they started tracking it. And Glenn Gullitzen runs that. And I've talked to Glenn at length. I used to work with him in Calgary. And there's a lot of creativity on it.

But obviously having McDavid and Dry Cytl doesn't... Noodles. Dry Cytl, the same thing. He almost stands in the corner and he's a danger there because he can roof it under the crossbar From the corner blue shard stands at the top Hyman's in front of the net and 97 skates around a hundred miles an hour. You can't stop them That's their power play But my point being is you know dry sidles got to be able to execute from that one timer

Now he does a lot of goals last year from that down low position. He's not able to do that right now, going back to the nature potentially of his injury, because he's not shooting as much as we've seen as far as the dangerous shots. Well, yeah, I mean, you can tell. Yeah, he's laboring, and Four Nations is rapidly approaching, and Brad Treeliving spoke on that today. Austin and where he's going with that the pursuit of another centerman come back and get into the tree-living comments Luke Wilson in studio and 15 overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN for ten minutes we get to our something to chew

on brought to you by Boston Pizza asking who had the worst weekend there's a lot of potential options in the NFL we we're gonna game tonight rams vikings out in uh... is it in l a r i guess it's in phoenix yet in arizona they move that came there is on a uh... to get to that with luke brad true living speaking today will get to that audio

this afternoon on their their pursuit of a center austin matthews in the four nations face off uh... see the jays made a signing on friday night and uh... the guys arms gonna fall off is gonna fail a physical it's insane it's a bit concerning so jeff hoffman who who was a draft pick of the jay-z trade in the tool of whiskey deal last couple years been a leap open arm in philly really good friday night news

breaks three-year deal 33 million bunch of options can get them up to like 39 million total and then it comes out 40 million dollar deal in Atlanta with the Braves failed physical 38 million dollar deal somewhere else Baltimore yeah physical yeah so it turns out he had an agreement with the Orioles and they looked at his shoulder and said actually that's it that's a no for us, no dice. And now Mark Bowman, who covers the Braves,

is reporting, per a source, that Hoffman had basically a deal nixed with the Braves after their medical staff looked at him and said, this isn't gonna work for us. Yeah, and I'm sure they didn't see a pimple on his shoulder. No. Like this is, just an example of when that snowball gets going and it's going downhill man you just you can't stop it and the Jays they need help in the bullpen that has been very overlooked

there's so much focus on how much people are pissed off with Shapiro and Atkins the fascination with Vlad in his future which i understand gotta get some pop in the lineup understand that bullpen was horrendous last year absolute disaster plays out is i saw gary roberts anybody that would tell them any medical fill you stop playing hockey can this guy showed up down in carolina and some doctors said your plan hockey

and i played hockey for ten more years well yeah listen i mean the jays they've got their doctors to and and i'm resuming they went through everything and they saw whatever they saw and said it's all good you know so at this at this point it just it's an example of how nothing is going right and this should be a positive

yes it's not a you know Juan Soto signing or Corbin I don't think everybody's like why the hell with the Atlanta Braves and the Baltimore Orioles say no thanks we cannot sign you and all the sudden the Jays doctor I don't know man I it's just like a first drop it's like Samson off he just shows up and he wheels into Toronto I was like we got our number one goalie and I always said do you think the Capitals are a bunch of dummies down there that they just said this guy's awesome we're gonna let him walk wrong that that is the concern that they've

signed you know Yanni Hoffman paw here and the guy is just never gonna play and... Yanni Hoffman-Pau. That is a bit of a concern. I want that to stick. Yanni Hoffman-Pau and tell this guy, throw smoke in the spring and makes it through a season. But it does seem far-fetched that he'll get through three years without some sort of an issue. But he's going to close for them. Like that's the plan, right?

Because Romano went the other way jordan romano went to philly and i'll happens up here in toronto i think the plan is that often often to close game something that he hasn't really done much in philly but they just need something to go their way yeah i don't know if it is a positive year they got a got romano at a discount a number of what you think that i think so no the devil you know would have been easier than the devil you don't?

Yeah. I mean, I think that's what it comes down to. They didn't qualify him, and then I think Atkins went on the record immediately saying they still had interest in keeping him. And then maybe Romano said, you know what guys, I've had enough. I'm out. I don't know. Maybe Philly.

Listen, Philly's a really good team. They're a playoff team every year. Maybe there was something enticing of the idea of going down there and pitching in October. Dude, speaking of Philly, have you seen Bryce Harper lately? This guy's making banana bread on Twitter and posting vids of his banana breads in his coffees and stuff. And I keep watching these videos and I'm like why does bryce harper who's been all-time great

wanna post himself making banana bread it's domesticated to see join himself is it this time i've seen a lot like some snapshots of them but i didn't know what he was doing but this guy is made a full video of like of alo for banana bread now we dials it off and okay i'll be scared all these ingredients he's using it i'm like why are you doing this man i don't get it maybe he's an influencer now and i guess it's like prices got all the money in the world and he wants to hit

golf balls over his garage yet like give guys a hundred grand if they hit a whole one that happened last week agonized they are given a hundred grand you know one of the next hour to get it all one of my kids this place harper was like this is a this is the guy this is the coffee i make and he's like i'd use oatmeal can i'm like i don't care what you use in your coffee man good for him and can i have to write it i don't mind that they are one of the

bacon bacon with uh... i make a bright overnight or brice overnight oats. That's my specialty. I make that okay Well post it online. You don't have that you should have the stones to step up and post that online tonight I don't shoot a video and post it easy. I'll tell you what you owe us. I'm gonna have a It's coming up and I'll video the whole thing. We need it. Hour two up next. Luke Wilson and what Brad Trilving had to say earlier today in hour two. Overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN 4. You've been listening to Overdrive, powered by FanDuel.

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