OverDrive - OverDrive - January 26, 2026 - Hour 1 - Mark Masters

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys discuss the Maple Leafs' downhill slide, the identity of team faltering, Auston Matthews' leadership viewpoint William Nylander giving the camera a middle finger, Toronto's keys to improve the team and what has led to the skid on the roster. They also discuss the Seahawks and Patriots advancing to the Super Bowl, Sam Darnold's solid journey to Seattle, Connor McDavid's incredible performance and TSN Maple Leafs Reporter Mark Masters on the team's rough stretch.

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All right, here we go, overdrive off and running. TSN 1050 on the TSN app, your home smart speaker, up on TSC. Dan up on YouTube live on TSN's YouTube channel. Brian Hasey, O'Dog, Jeff O'Neill, Jamie Noodles, McClennon. What's going on? What's going on? If I get frustrated today, I might give you guys the finger. We're four seconds in and we're going there.

I just wanted to let you know. I might be smiling, but what it means is I'm just frustrated. frustrated and I'm going to give you the finger. I love it. That's the explanation from Willie. I'm just frustrated. He looked pretty happy up there. He looked like he was having a great time.

That's what I don't understand. Like, just come out and say, I was trying to be funny and it was stupid. Right. That's because that's what it was. Yeah, exactly. I could see myself doing something dumb like that. Like, that's 18-year-old stuff. Giving the camera a finger, like the finger?

Just come out and say, I did something stupid. Yeah, it's stupid. I apologize to the camera guy. Sorry to, like, sorry, like, just, it was stupid. I laughed out loud because I think, again, Hayes, you can speak to the masses, but I kind of laughed out loud watching it going, oh, that's not going to go over well, especially because of the way they're playing. That's the different.

Like, if they were in their 80-and-2 run, him handing out the bird, we're laughing about this. Oh, parading. Parading around the city. But this one, was it Gordon M.J. that were talking, and Gord kind of was like, Like, it was, because I was calling a game, so I didn't get it firsthand. I didn't get it. Well, what's he apologizing to Leif's Nation for? Like, that is nothing to die.

I don't get it. Well, Brian, you explained, but this is my, I think Leaf fans took it as like, this guy's giving us the bird and they've had a bad week and whatever. Is that a fair assessment? I think there's, as always, multiple interpretations. Yeah. Exactly. There's all ends of the spectrum when it comes to Leaf fans, how they react.

Right on one end, it's, you know, blasphemy, how dare you get them out. The other end, it's funny. He's a rock star. That's hilarious. Yeah. You know, in reality, it's probably like most things, somewhere in the middle. It's stupid. It's a goofy move.

It is. It's 19-year-old stuff. You know what it is? I almost looked at it the other way. It's the 30-year-old guy at the university bar trying to be cool. And you're like, dude, you're 29. Like, what are you doing? You've been in the league for 10 years.

Your dad played in the league. You're giving the finger to the camera when you're in the press box. It's just a, it's a stupid play. Who was Adam Sandler when he went back to Grace? Yeah, he's Billy Madison up there. He was Billy Madison in the press box. That's exactly what he was. Remember the first day he went back to school?

He drove up in the Trans Am with the music player and got out. I thought it was funny. I even went a step further. I thought his hands looked. tiny. They looked like carny hands. I don't know why his figure looked like an inch long. Oh, Kenny Pickett? Did he have the Kenny Pickett? I was like, I don't know. You break it down for me. That's the first thing I thought. I was like, oh my God, like he's got Carney hands. I didn't notice that, noodles. Now it's blurred out, so I guess we can't really show it. I didn't take it that seriously. I don't know who is, but you're right. It's just, it's a mistake and move on. He's a great player. He's probably pissed that he's not. playing.

No, it's not it. It's not it. It's not pissed up. No, he's not frustrated. He's not frustrated. He was being goofy. Yes. This guy doesn't get pissed off.

This guy sat up there a couple weeks ago in a tank top. Really? Billy Madison was in a tank top. He was in a tank top up there. And it's just, and this is like so far off the list of things. But I am so tired league-wide of watching. of watching guys go in the NHL arenas without a suit on. I know it's like 2006.

I didn't wear a full suit, full admission on the panel. I wore a mock neck, but it's like guys, can we not? Like the hats, the ball caps and the sweatsuits, it's like, it doesn't even seem real to me. I cannot stand it. I hate it. It's a new era. I know. Little kids still wear a shirt and tie to the rink for crying out loud.

They do, which is funny. because I remember doing that as a kid and, you know, everyone had a different viewpoint 30 years ago. It's like, well, this is stupid. It's a 10-year-old kid. Let them have fun. And I get it.

You don't have to wear it on the plane for a four-hour flight. You don't got to wear it certain places. I just think there's something about going to the game in a suit. It's the best league in the world. Like, come on. And I'm so glad that guys like Sid and McCar and McKinnon, they wear a suit to the game still. Yeah.

Well, that's what I'm going to say. Generally, the bar that we use, which is an extreme example because the guy is basically perfect. But when in doubt, you can ask that question, would Sid do that? Would Sid give the middle finger to the camera? Like there's people that wear bracelets that say, WWJD, what would Jesus do? They wear those bracelets. In hockey, it should be what would Sid do?

What would Sid do? And, you know, Sid wouldn't do that. You know, it's a silly play. And it's at the wrong time, like you pointed out, noodles. Because, you know, the fans, for the most part, are just, they're not in the mood for anything from the leaves. That's what it is. Because a week ago, we're having a laugh about it and that. But then, you know, you're critical homestand and you're not getting the points you want.

People are not wanting to see the Tom Pooleary. Right. And I think that's, you know, what this week is. unfortunately likely going to be remembered for. I thought, like, I don't believe anyone's labeled anything like gait related. Is it a middle finger gate? You know, can we own that? Maybe that's our trademark.

I think we could own that because as far as I know, no one else has tried to go there. But I look at the way the last few days have played out. And they still have 30 games, you know, before I even go on this rant, I'm going to point out, I don't think they should make any drastic decisions before the Olympic break. I've said that countless times, and I will stick. to that. They play tomorrow, then four-game road trip. Then you're going to have to figure out. And there could be some really difficult conversations that need to be had within that organization. If they go, you know, 0 for five clearly, one and four, I think, maybe two and three, you're done.

But again, it's not today, it's not tomorrow. You're a week away from making that call. But I thought there were a few things that stood out, you know, over the weekend that makes it feel as if there's just no one with their finger on the pulse. Like who's running the organization? It just feels kind of like a rudderless ship a little bit. The Stollars stuff where it's like, well, he just didn't want to start the miners. So we started him against Vegas. You know, how does Anthony Stollars make that decision?

If you feel like it's in the best interest, if you're Brad Tree Living, Craig Barube, I don't know, Keith Pelly, you say you're not just stepping in and playing against the team. say just get your ass to the minors? Obviously, they can do that. Now, maybe there's a CBA issue and if the player doesn't want to, but at some point, someone's got to step up and be the adult here and say, this is for the best interest of you and the team. I thought the Matthews running from the media stuff, embarrassing, horrible look,

for a lot of different reasons, we'll get into it. And then the Willie stuff yesterday. And then on top of it, which is actually being buried below. all this is they got pumped twice. Right. Like they got pumped by Vegas and pumped by Colorado. And now they've lost four in a row. So it feels gaitworthy.

You know, it feels like a few days where it's like this is a chapter in the book. And it's like maybe it's starting to erode. And if it is eroding and if it is going officially in the wrong direction and fast, this is a weekend and maybe this is a homestand that, will likely be the kind of signature moment of that. It certainly seems like they kind of shoveled half a pile of dirt on their head, and if they get pumped tomorrow night and they get pumped on that road trip, they can just jump in the hole and it might be over.

Right. Like for them to lose tomorrow night, I think it's, I don't know. It's very significant. I found it interesting that, I mean, you see something on Twitter report, like that Craig Baroube met with the leadership group. Like, if you need to meet with a leadership group before tomorrow's game, and I get sometimes you just want to pull guys aside and say, hey, make sure everyone's, but the idea of even doing that, knowing the circumstances of it, like.

Feels against where he would think to go with it, too, wouldn't it? Like, the way Baroube approaches things is generally, hey, it's the NHL. They've got to figure it out. Like, he's a lifer in the NHL. Craig's been in the NFL for 40 years. like this feels like a counterintuitive movement move for him to have to collect the guys and say, hey, maybe we need to have a meeting because I think his nature would be, well, they're pros and adults.

Of course they're going to act like it. But this might suggest that he can't truly rely on that. And quite frankly, I can't blame him. He's seeing something, Brian. That's probably what you're saying. Like he's seeing something that he's got to address or at least bring back to center. If, you know, they're on a road and they're in a ditch a little bit, how do you get it back on the road?

We'll have a meeting with your group. And listen, it's been a bad week. The week before, the two weeks before, we're not bad. So, like, what team are you? That's the biggest challenge. And he might have said that. You might have, you know, openly challenged the leadership group and said, what are you as a team?

What are we doing here? Well, Jamie, I think we all kind of know. I mean, other than a 10-day span, they've basically been mostly the same team all year. Like they've had a good hot, like that stretch prior, and then some other little mini-streaks. It's like, other than that, the coach has been asking them to try to get it on the tracks.

Basically the whole season. Yeah, they're 52 games in. We're 52 games in. If you're asking the team to kind of find your identity and get back to something, you've got massive trouble, especially where they are in the standings. And it just seems like, I don't know, you got the finger, you got the coach's head falling off, and then the performances, Austin Matthew just wasn't, he didn't play very well.

The Matthews stuff on Friday, and this is a classic example of where I know what's coming. Fans are going to yell at me. This is why, this is, you know, the fact that he didn't talk on the day of the biggest game of the season, Whether they wanted to admit it or not, it's just the reality. When Mitch Marner came back, Vegas on a Friday night, the whole city was a buzz, the building was a buzz. It was a big, big night. You know, they're in the entertainment business. It's a huge fight.

And you stunk and you got pumped. They were terrible. And he didn't talk before the game. He didn't talk after the game. I find it hard to believe he would not have spoken if they won. I think if they won, he probably goes out. But it's not about the media. It's not about the fans, although that's a part of it.

You know, if you're the captain of a team, especially an original six team, you talk 82 times. It's not asking that much. It's really not. Like, it's not, is it tedious? Let me just finish noodles. Go ahead. Go ahead. Because, but here's my point.

It's not as much getting the message out, although I do think it's important for him to do that. Because I do think there are some fans, not everyone, not everyone, but there are some that are like, what's, he's the guy. I want to hear what he has to say about Mitch. It's that he didn't go out. and do you know who did go out? John Tavares went out. The guy who had the sea on his jersey and they ripped it off his chest

to give it to him. So basically Austin said, I'm not dealing with that. John, you go. You go deal with that. I'm not doing it. And Scott Lotton, who's been here a year and played nine minutes. Scott's trying.

I like Lotton a lot. What the hell is he going to say? He didn't play with Marner for 15 games. He doesn't know. He doesn't know the history and all that kind of stuff. He's been in Philly his whole career. And that's the point. The messaging within the room is, I'm not doing it.

You guys go do it. And it's like, you're the captain, dude. You're the guy. Like, you've got to jump on a grenade sometimes, even though it sucks. You have to. Like, I know that, and I didn't play in the league. You guys been telling me that for 15 years. If you're going to take the pictures after breaking Sundeen's record and all that,

it's like you just got to do it on a day to day. I had to look at Matt Sundeen every day, every day. And you could tell me. the days. Yeah, yeah, sometimes it's like, do I really have to speak for these bunch of losers when the team lays an egg or whatever? But if you don't understand that and you don't want to accept the responsibility of that, then why did you take the C? Like, it's a part of the gig. Right.

Give it back to the guy who went out. Give it back to him if you want. Brian, you're right. Like, that night watching it, that's the first thing I notice is like Tavares is talking. Right. I was like, okay. To me, it's an opportunity on a lot of times. different levels.

You win games, you lose games. You're not going to have a perfect game every night. Austin Matthews could have spoke that morning or it could have spoke after the game and just said, we didn't have our stuff, you know, it would have been asked about Mitch. I think it was also an opportunity, given how things, it wasn't a great PR move, how, you would happen with Masters and how you table or whatever, but just come out and talk the other night and just say, can't wait to play against him. He's not with the organization anymore.

We're going to try and beat him. And then after the game, he didn't beat him. You know what? Didn't work our way, but we wish Mitch all the best. But we're trying to make the playoffs here. Like to me, it's a matter of fact. And the messaging is, like you just said, oh, when it's all roses and all that, front and center.

But when it's not, it's like you still have to go out there and at least, you know, own your team. And this is Austin Matthew's team as the face of the franchise. And to me, I don't know if he didn't want to do it or if he was upset. upset about losing all that type of stuff. But at the end of the day, go out and talk for five minutes and just say, listen, emotional night, didn't have it tonight. We'll chat on Saturday.

Let's not get distracted by something other here. But the fact of the matter is they're not playing, like, they're in big time trouble. They didn't play well. You can talk about the finger and Austin Matthews talking to the media. If they get pumped tomorrow and it's just, he'll put them in a bad vibe going out west. and then if it's not good out there, it's pretty much game over. But it all ties together, I guess, is where we're kind of going with this. Like, people are wondering, is this the end of an era, what happens?

And again, they're not an awful team. Nudas, you asked what are they? They're a middle of the pack team. Now, in the division they're in, that's not going to be enough, unfortunately. No. If they were in the Pacific, it might be third place. You know, who knows? But it's not.

They're not an awful team. Let's clarify that. They're dealing with injuries. they're not playing well, this homestand, 100%. And as I said right off the bat, I'm not doing anything drastic between now and the end of this trip. Figure it out once you get there. But time is ticking.

But the larger conversation that I do think is happening is, you know, if it is the first time in a decade they're going to miss, if it is the first time in a decade, they could be sellers at the deadline. They've been buyers for 10 years. I've been buyers for 10 years or nine years, nine seasons buyers nine seasons going to the playoffs it's a long time it's a big adjustment so it's a change and i think there's been a lot of change here you know it's fitting that mitch marner rolled

through town on a different team right he's he's gone man he's and he's not coming back the team we're talking about tomorrow night for the last decade no one has paid a second of attention to a second you better pay attention now because buffalo's legit like they're third in the division and they're spanking teams. That's a sign of like, where are we right now? Kyle Dubus is working down at Pitt, man. That team's cooking. They just went through the West in one.

They're in a playoff spot. Dubus is somewhere else. So there's a lot of stuff that happened through the era that all of a sudden is changing, including what's going on with this team. And I think it's leading to another, a big picture chat of like, where are they going? Like, what is their mission statement? What are they trying to achieve? I know they're going to say or try to win a Stanley Cup.

32 teams say that. We get that. What do you do better than anyone else? I don't know. Like, what are they trying to do? Where are they going? I knew what their plan last year was. It's pretty clear now.

It was all in. It was the last dance. Chanahan's last year, they knew Marna was leaving. Regardless of what they say publicly, they knew he was gone. Right? They knew he was gone. They went and got to have him on a crazy deal, but they're like, we've got to have this guy. Really good player.

Great player. Went all in at the deadline. Got a coach that is, you know, there's a raw, raw, let's go fight. coach you know what i mean let's let's catch lightning in a bottle punch people out win in the alleys win on the ice i knew what it was last year now shanahan's gone marner's gone and they're just in the middle i don't know what their mission statement is now i don't know what their plan is i don't know where they're going and and that's what is sticking out to me yes you're right oh on the micro you're like they're not that they're not playing well and

they're fighting but on the on the macro i think a lot more lead fans are like where is this going What are we doing here? Guys are giving the finger. You know, goalies are just saying, I'm playing tonight. You know, there's weird stuff going on. And it's not the least better sharpen this up. What are they going to sharpen up, though? They better sharpen it up.

Can they sharpen it up to any level, Brian, where you would say, and I don't even know how they could possibly do this, but my philosophy on this team after watching them through, what did you say, 51 or 2 games? 52 games. 52 games. I would not dump one. more cent or pick or asset into these guys.

Unless Nathan McKinnon's available, I don't know what the hell is going to help this team. Like, are you going to get some depth piece? Like, it would have to be such a significant piece, I think, to, I don't know, to give the team the bump because I don't know what that would be. But to invest any more into it, like we're talking 10 years and you said they've always been aggressive at the deadline and they deserved it and they were great and whatever. But I think that party's over.

Like, I don't know. Why would you, why would you, what are you going to give up even? You're going to dump Easton Cowan and Ben Danford for a guy that's going to play here for three months and then you get pumped in the first round? I don't know. I don't think you do that, oh, but I think you're strategically always trying to add. If I was trying to add right now just to help my group, it's still another. defenseman, a right shot defenseman.

You know, like for me, I don't... Who are you getting, though, noodles? I don't know. I know. It's an unfair question. It's an unfair... Like, what I'm saying is, I understand what you're saying, oh, you're not dangling Easton-Cowland for a rental or whatever. And, Jamie, you just said where we're ediffer, you said you'd like to add. The only thing I would try to be focused on is subtracting and try to set myself up for some kind of turnaround next year. And if I can trim the fat and get rid of...

the $4 million guys that don't produce. I don't know. I don't know what I would do. I get you, but what I'm trying to do is have a level of, like, would we be, we're not, we weren't having this conversation 10 days ago when they were 8-0 and 2. Everyone's going out, you can see maybe a playoff team in my way. We were 20 games ago, noodles. You're right.

You know what I mean? Like, we were 20 years ago. Hear me out. This is what I'm saying. This is how crazy this season has been up and down. So coming back to O's point, I don't think you're selling the farm to go all in on something. But what you are trying to do is if you can add a piece here or there to maybe get you back to a little bit more consistency. Challenge is what we've seen is like 20 games ago, not good.

Ten games ago looked really good. Now it doesn't look so good. Now if they go on a run, oh, it looks a little better than you thought. They are in the messy middle right now. Oh, you always say that word, that messy middle, where it's like, you know, are you going to make the playoffs by two points? You're going to miss the playoffs by two points. We are in it.

We are in the messy middle with the rest with six other teams right now, six other organizations. So the challenge is, do you have the patience to go, we can do it internally or do you, like I say, can you find a player fourth rounder that's an upgrade on Stetcher or somebody else like that? That's what I, that's kind of my thought process. to blow it all up, but not to sell off right now. You can always sell off at the deadline or the summer, too, right? Well, yeah, unless, you know, you can't with Bobby McMahon or a lot, and the guys that are UFAs, you know, those guys can walk for nothing.

You've got to make a decision on those players. Fair enough. I hear you. I think in reality, the only way, not the only way, again, but they're in one. There's six points out. Now Florida's red hot and notice that. Florida's like, okay, we're going to start playing. that's trouble.

You know, Ottawa's two points behind them. And Ottawa, you know, I saw Travis Green's chat with his team after the game. I thought was pretty inspiring. He's like, let's just get hot. Anything can happen here. You know, Olmarks back. He backed up, but he's here. Maybe he gets hot.

It's not that the Leaves can't do it. But for me, they need goaltending to be red hot. Said that for weeks. And really, you need Neelander back and Tannov back. Now, Neelander will return at some point. I don't know about TANM. Nobody knows. You know, that's, but my point, the reason I bring Tannav up noodles is if you're replacing Troy Stetcher,

that's not getting you in the playoffs, man. No, I mean. That's what I told you. And that's just not worth it. I would agree with all. Yeah. It's just not worth it. You can't keep giving away a fourth here or a third.

They don't have them, man. They got nothing. They get no picks. No prospects. I guess my point is, is if there's a move, it's not a significant move. It's like, hey, we're always looking to upgrade. You're always looking to add here or there. Like, missing can.

Every team is, though, noodles. Like, some teams have to admit it's not their year. I'm not saying they're officially there yet. I'm not declaring that. But it could be a reality. Like, it could be like, actually, you do just have to trade McMahon and trade domy if you can and trade blotten and trade, you know, you might have to. So we talked about this last week.

Kyle Dubas at the start of the year had this, you know, plan to, like, hey, selling off pieces. all of a sudden this team's what, in third place? Yeah, they're playing great. Metro and playing well. He's probably had to adjust. What we're saying, or what you're saying, is Brad Tree Living probably had a plan, and he might have to adjust his plan based on what we're seeing right now.

And that's fair to say, you know, when you're in the muddy middle, we'll call it. Yes, I mean, that's now, you know, is he willing to do that? Who's making that call? Where does Keith Pelly come into play? There's a lot. It's complicated. Bruns are willing to do it. Why can't the Toronto, well, the Toronto Maple Leafs too cool for school?

They should be able to. I totally agree. You know what I mean? Everyone's like, oh, if you're the Leafs, you got to, you don't have to do anything. I've said it before. The market bears whatever you put in front of it. What do you get? You know what your record says?

Yes. They've had a good run. There's always been this. Don Sweeney like telling his fan base that it's like we're selling off pieces. Marchand's gone. Brad Marchand, he said, piss off. Yeah. You want to sign somewhere else?

Go ahead. It was a right play. Yeah, it was the right play at the time. I guess my only point is, whether it's right or wrong, Sweeney had presented himself organically. Swamen comes to camp late, doesn't get his game in order. McAvoy gets hurt. Lentholm, Hampus Linnholm was hurt from day one.

Now, Tanniv might be in that situation. You might have some organic stuff where it's just like, hey, we are going to head that direction. Because they were shutting players down left and right. By the end, it was like everyone shut down, Marsania, you got to go, all of that. So organically that happened and they pivoted. I remember the conversation because I was in Boston and Cam Neely in the media, we were there. He said, this week we are making a decision whether we go in or we go out.

Right. I remember that. Do you remember that? Yeah. And then they went out. And then that was it. They decided to bottom out. And again, that would have been, you know, he's the president.

They're in there, Sweeney. here is that Keith Pelly that makes that call? I honestly don't know. He seems heavily involved. You know, is it Brad Tree Living? Is Tree Living secure in doing that? Going to the ownership and saying, hey, guys, I'm selling. You know, you got to give me a year or two to retool. Here's my plan. Because Boston, they turn around quickly to their credit. I didn't think they'd do it this quickly. But, you know, and you're right. At least shouldn't be too cool for that. There's always been this sense, well, you can't do it to Matthews. They did it to past. They did it to McAvoy.

They said, no, you got to, you guys didn't play well enough. Your team's not good enough. No. You know, like, there's no, there's always this sense, like, one bad thing, and Austin's going to demand out. If he wants, if that is the reality, I don't think it would be, and he wasn't going to stay here anyway. He's not committed to the team.

You know, one, one bump in the road, I'm out of here. Are you kidding me? Yeah, I think there's still time before that these, not that these conversations. Well, they're happening. The conversations are certainly being had, but I think there's still time before these decisions get made. I guess that was my point. Not much. Not much, though.

Like the Olympic freeze hits. March 6th is, you know, like I say, it's coming up and the trade freezes there. And furthermore, like, on top of that, noodles, like, you've got to make a choice on Bobby McMahon now. Are you signing him or not? Right. You know, like, because even if you're like, we're going to go for it, if you're not going to sign him, trade them. You know, like what, you're just going to walk him out or Scott Lawton walk out? I don't know.

Any information on what a McMahon camp is looking for? I don't know. I mean, there's been numbers thrown around about. Oh, there's people saying that. This guy, you got to, like, for him to play in your team, it's going to take $5 million to sign him. I'm not doing that. Find the next Bobby McMahon. You can't, it was a great contract they signed him to, a great deal.

He showed up, played well. They got him on a short, like a two- or three-year deal at good money. It was a really smart play. I think Trey Living made that signing really smart. Let him go to Seattle for five and find the next guy. That would be my approach. But anyway, all right, Masters coming up. Luke coming up after a crazy weekend in the NFL.

And more on these sabres tomorrow night. Lots going on in the NHL. What a win for the wraps, too, an OKC yesterday, too. Massive win. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and up on YouTube live. All right, Overdrive continues. powered by Fanduil, bringing you everything from the opening line of the final score.

Mark Masters later in the hour. Luke Wilson coming up. Both losers yesterday. Both losers. Dude, you let that guy talk you into that game. That's not true, dude. You did.

You liked New England. Excuse me. What was my original thought? First of all, let's stay humble. Stay humble, yes, stay humble. For what? For one win? No, that's...

We didn't even win. You guys lost. You're trying to steal our... catchphrase and it's our catchphrase. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. You guys aren't humble. I told you. Nothing. We had one game each. I said our pick is let's just take the Hawks and be done with it. And then you let the other guys see, I like the pants. You're not wrong. Now, it worked out that way anyway because I believe if we took Seattle, Luke was going to take Denver. Nudelson was going to take Denver. So I don't think it was going to matter. It was going to work out either we

We won and they won or we lost and they lost. In the end, you know, we're up, we're battling uphill here. We are. We got jam. I think we got jammed by the weather. Like seven points? Yes. That's the thing.

You hold the Broncos to seven points and you can't cover four and a half. That's crazy. Please. The second half was three runs and a punt. You know, that's all. It looked like the 1950s, man. It was like Vince and Barty was up there. Happy to do it.

Happy to do it. Happy to do it. Happy to do it. and was happy to do it. Just throw it away, get rid of it, and get rid of the ball. Don't turn the ball over. Don't fumble a snap. You know, don't do anything stupid where you give good field position to the other team.

Run, run, run, punt. Run, run, punt. Like, that was the whole game. They went 10-7. And, you know, people are jumping on New England because they go through the Chargers, the Texans and the Broncos and saying, easiest path ever, blah, blah, blah. Listen, they earned that path because they won the division.

They won 14 games. You know, if the Bills won 14 games, and won the division, that could have been their path. They didn't do that. Dude, it still is an easy path. It's a very easy path. But New England, if I'm them, I'm not making any excuses. I'm not apologizing anyone.

I just play who I have to play. Yeah. You know, because you're right. Herbert was awful, awful, and Stroud was awful, and then Jared Stidham seven points. Like, it's kind of crazy. They didn't face an offense that mattered three straight, playoff games.

So, I mean, it's just the easiest pathway that they've, but they've played well enough. I mean, who's favored? Like, who do you think is going to be? Seattle. Hawks. Seattle, four and a half. Heavily? heavily?

Yeah, it's a decent line. I think it'll go up. I wouldn't be shocked if it was five, five and a half by game time. Listen, Darnold has the potential to pull, you know, the greatest 180 I can think of in a long time. What I thought about yesterday, guys, is like, men, Minnesota, are you, like, you had him. Like, you, you wanted J.J. McCarthy over San Donald? Like, I don't get that, man.

And I get, it was just, he had his issues with the Jets, and then he was awesome. And many, how did you not want to keep him with that wide receiver you have? Yeah, it's a fumble, man. There's no other way to put it. Like, he, massive. He didn't play well against Detroit, and he didn't play well in a playoff game. And I think they held that against him and said, we're going to go with the kid. We drafted McCarthy so high, got to put faith in him.

But Darnold, to his credit, man. This guy was a bust. He was seeing ghosts. And now he might win a Super Bowl and a Super Bowl MVP. And he played great yesterday. Like he was slinging it, man. He played really, really well. There's your next list, Brian.

Athletes that have had 180 turnarounds. Yes. Right? Definitely. Great ball. On this show, I have listened to you guys, bash Darnold for years, for years. Oh, man, we used to give it to him.

Oh, man, he deserved it, though. Yeah, right. So, 180 turnaround, we've got to come up with a top five, top ten, or whatever, maybe later this week. It's a great call. Morgan Geeky might be one of them. Who, geekies. Yeah, I mean, geeky was not. He was just a good player, yeah.

He's 40-50 goal score now. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I have to think more on, like, the highest profile guys that, like, really, Really. Kyle Lauer might be on that list. Baker Mayfield? Wasn't he like? Baker's close.

You know, he's not at this level yet, though. Like, Donald's in the Super Bowl, man, and playing great. Dude, Kyle would be high up there. He was just known as a dude that was kind of out of shape when he got here. Oh, yeah. He got run out of a couple different places, Memphis, Houston. And they picked him up. And even the first thing Calangelo or Maasai wanted to do was trade him.

Tried to move him. It's like, I don't trust this guy. Larry, I think, might be on that list. Darnold, I've got to come up with a few more. I might need some help for that one, but that's a really good list. There is some. I mean, hockey's got a few there. You know who might be up there is Evan Bouchard, your boy.

About six apples here than are six points the other night. Hattrick. Hattrick and three plus six. I'm glad you brought that goal up because that was a situation where Connor McDavid did the exact same thing if you watched the goal that Austin Matthews did in Vegas. and that's the two sides of going for it and playing a, like, it's hero or goat mode. It's like McDavid got the puck and he scored the winner.

Jerry picking and saying, I hope it bounces my way. And you're right. He did. That is exactly, it's the exact same play, and there's the two differences. McDavid got it, and Matthews didn't. I mean, that's the difference. He had four points prior to that, McDavid. Dude, I don't care.

It was the same situation, mine. It was over time. time you're right he did he was he was cherry picking it's like i hope it bounces my way i'm going to stay out here and bouchard made an unbelievable play to get him that puck he certainly did and like watch this play this is cherry picking that's what you do you're taking a chance and it's like if i can just get somebody to make me a pass get me a pass i can be a hero yeah and that instance he was for matthews didn't work out everyone's like look at the cup it's out it was ikel the other thing too But the thing is, the optics of it, because McDavid was, like, not behind the net and dogging.

Like, Ikel beat Matthews up the ice. That was the difference, right? Like, that's the only difference. They were tied on the goal line. Right. And Ikel moved, and Matthews didn't. But, yeah, McDavid, man, two games without a point, two losses, calls himself out, and then goes out and puts up that performance. Yeah.

Like that is a stud. That's a rock star. That is rock star stuff by 97. All right. Masters coming up. Luke Wilson will join us on what he saw yesterday. Early leans on the Super Bowl. What the bills are going to do with their coaching staff.

Lots to get into it. Luke in about 25. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on the TSNF. All right. Luke Wilson coming up in about 20 minutes. More on the championship Sunday. Seattle moving off to the Super Bowl

and New England, it's been a long time since we saw those Patriots back in the Super Bowl, so they're making the return. Couldn't be happier. You're a fan again? You've always been a fan. Honestly, you know that I was a fan for a long

time. When Brady left, I kind of left, but I just said, that's from my heart is. You're kind of left. You left and like, you laughed. You laughed. We got an important guest. It's such a greasy move. No, it is. And you're always on the bandwagon. Where my heart was.

Where my heart was. It's always been in New England and Winnipeg. That's where your heart resides. All right. So the Leafs weekend, it didn't go as planned. This road trip hasn't been, or this homestand hasn't been great. They have one point in four games. It wraps up tomorrow. And then they

head out west, Seattle, Western Canada. They finish against Edmonton before the Olympic break. And here's a guy that's around the team. Daily and has a great pulse of what's going on. There's our main man, Mark Masters. Mark, how would you describe the mood around the team today? Yeah, I mean, frustration, I guess, is the word of the day, right?

Like, you sense the frustration with how this homestand is going. William E. Leonard talked today about feeling frustrated with his injury and not being able to get back sooner. So I'd say probably frustration is the word of the day down here. Okay. And in terms of Willie's, you know, I guess apology or, you know, via Colpa today, you know, he is injured. Generally, they wouldn't allow injured players to speak.

But what did you make of Willie claiming he gave the finger to the camera out of frustration? Well, I mean, he was funny because we talked to Matthew Knice about it. He's like, I'm not sure what he was doing there. He was smiling when he did it. And it's kind of funny because he was kind of smiling when he apologized. today too? What do I make of? I don't know. It looked like he just thought he was going to make

a joke, right? Like it was just he said to Chris Tanna, I'm like, watch this. I'll get the camera off. I'm sure it's frustrating that he's up there that he knows we're talking about how he's not playing maybe. But yeah, just like, you know, poor judgment as he said, not a good idea. His phone started lighting up right away and he's like, oh,

that was not a good idea. So I don't know what to make of it. It's just another thing where bad judgment and he's, you know, Craig Brubay wasn't making a big deal of it. He said, listen, he made a mistake. We all make mistakes now. It's just kind of moving on here. Obviously, Neelander's never really dealt with that. He's missed more games due to injury this year than the rest of his NHL seasons combined.

So this has got to be a really strange situation for him to even just be up there so much and being on camera. And I don't know. I don't know what to make of it. It's just, I guess, another kind of moment that kind of adds to the idea that things are just kind of not together right now. Mark, what is the vibe you're getting from the Captain Austin Matthews? I know that, you know, we just spoke about him not addressing the media after the Friday game, and the way the team played this weekend, like when you just look at him or kind of assess where he's at, what kind of vibe are you getting?

A few games are that a point now for him three in a row. So it's been quiet. Listen, he's trying to keep the focus on the team as a whole. There was a couple times after the game, I think on Sunday afternoon, where, you know, I was asking him, you know, where is he, how is he feeling? The puck's not falling right now. And he was talking about not being negative, you know, to compound matters. And he's talking about the leadership group needing a step up. And he was talking about keeping the focus on the main group right now. So he seemed okay. Like he didn't seem like he was getting too down when we spoke to him Sunday. He did a long media session today. There's been a lot of requests. for him to talk about the upcoming Olympics.

So they set aside some time today just for people to ask questions solely on the Olympics. So he met with the media for almost 15 minutes today just talking about the Olympics. So that was an avenue to kind of maybe talk about something that's obviously a better topic right now than how things are going for the Maple Leafs. So I don't sense he's too down or anything right now.

He seems like he's usually like that self, kind of that unflappable way. So kind of that's where he's at. I know Krube said today that he met with the leadership group, which is Matthews, the alternate captives, and then a few other players. And he felt like they were good talking about the mental grind that the team's going through,

that they're falling behind early in these games at home, which is taking its toll. So, you know, they are kind of hashing things out about how they've got to be more patient and stuff. But, you know, Austin, for the most part, trying to keep the focus on the team as a whole right now. So, Masters, you know, for everybody listening, You know, take us through the process, for example, either in morning skate or after a game,

who decides who comes out to speak? You know, do you guys ask for a player or they offered by PR staff? I was asked that today, so I'm just passing that on to you because, you know, we've been certainly talking about, well, Matthews didn't talk on the Marner game and all of that type of stuff. How does that process unfold for you when you're in those scrums? I put in requests every day When I'm covering the Leafs I cover the Mariner availability on that Friday

I don't know a lot of my colleagues did So I wasn't in the Leafs dressing room After the game Friday I wasn't in I did make it for the end of the bill On Friday morning But a lot of media were at the Vegas hotel And then we're all waiting outside the Vegas room To talk to Mitch after the game on Friday

But you know oftentimes reporters will put in requests ultimately the team will make the decision. I know like yesterday, for example, one of the players were requested with Scott Lawton, but instead we got Joseph Wool. So the team can make changes as they see fit depending on the game. Sometimes there's a player getting treatment.

Sometimes a player just needs a break. In the case of that game, I think, I'm not sure what happened Friday morning. I do not believe Matthews was among the requested players after the game Friday night. I know if I had been there at the Lisaville on Friday morning, I definitely would have asked to talk

to Austin because, you know, I love asking a Mitch-related question. So I would have jumped to that opportunity. But that's how it usually works. There's requests, and usually the requests are granted. It's a very high rate, but the team can make changes as they see fit. Well, in terms of that Friday night, you were there for the whole day and the whole scene. What did you make of the atmosphere, Marner's Return, the crowd, the reaction, the video tribute, how would you

kind of describe it to someone that wasn't in the building? Yeah, I was, we were talking, doing a hit afterwards for SportsCenter, me and Chris Johnston, and we're wondering, like, did we over-hype it a little bit? Just because it wasn't quite as intense as I thought it was going to be, like

Mitch Marner got a lot more years than I thought during that video tribute, there was a standing ovation. I think probably the way the game played out played into that, right? Vegas was out two nothing right away, and Toronto made a push in the second period, but could not quite get back into it. I thought it was funny. They were cheering him when he left the ice after his shifts.

I've heard of booze. I haven't heard of cheering a guy leaving the ice. Mariner said that was a new one for him, and Bruce Cassidy was joking about how I didn't think he had a great shift there, Mitch. I don't know what they're cheering for, but, you know, I thought the lease would be more pumped. I thought they'd be more pumped up for it in Vegas, but it didn't seem like, you know, they were honest with us.

They were talking about how we're not. getting caught up in that. It's just another game, but I thought they might use it to inject some more energy, and it really felt like the knights were the motivated team, despite playing on the second half of the back-to-back. And they came out, and they embraced the atmosphere, and they wanted to go to Battle for Marner, who had a pretty quiet knight, did not think he was great against the least, but his team was there. And, boy, guys like Mark Stone, Jack Eichol, you know, Kegan Kolazar, they were locked in to try and win the game for him. They wanted that game.

and the least they told us, you know, leading into it, it was just another game, and it kind of played that way a little bit. It's certainly at the beginning. So I guess an underwhelming performance by the home team, and it's just, you know, it was a good atmosphere, but I thought it would be more intense. Appreciate the time as always, Mark. We'll do it again soon. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself.

No mariner questions the rest of the season, but I'll figure some things out. At the Olympics, Austin, you get asked about playing them. Yeah. Thanks, Mark. I appreciate it. Thanks, guys. Mark Masters. Yeah, I mean, listen, the Leafs, unfortunately, you know, big, amped up, hyped up home games.

It just doesn't go their way. They don't perform well enough. They don't show up. They have a signature game. That's the only way I could describe it yesterday in the panel. It was like, massive moment, like, kind of screw you time, and that's the way they play in those moments. It's unfortunate. Yeah, it is.

Yeah, you look at it in the last calendar. You're Vegas, you know, it's just a huge, it's a monumental moment. Marna coming back, it means a lot. And the first period they were awful. Game seven, obviously terrible. Game five, terrible. Game five against Ottawa, they weren't that good. Dude, yeah.

The only way I could describe it is, you remember when John Tavares went back to the island? Yeah, exactly. It's like the players on the island, they didn't hate John Tavaras, but it's like they mixed in with their fans. They joined forces with their fans and said, if you're going to hate them, we're going to run the Leafs through the building tonight, and we're going to beat the piss out of them on the scoreboard. And that's what they did.

And it was like a great moment for the Islanders. And just Toronto never fed off that. They never, like, they're not wired that way. Vegas did, though. That's the thing. Mark Stone was pumped up. Exactly. Jack Eichel was pumped up.

That's it. Vegas responded to their player. You even heard their comments after. We can get into it in 5 o'clock. I'm not even convinced it was as much about Mitch as it was just, I want to, I'm getting after Toronto here. You know what I mean? Like, sure, Mitch, we want to win for him, but it's like, Iko played in Buffalo from Boston, Stone played in Ottawa from Winnipeg.

They're like, we can ruin a party in Toronto on a Friday, done. Let's go. Like, we're in it to kill these people. And they did. That's another reason why starting Stolar's there. You knew Vegas, that's a championship pedigree. They're going to show up and play. They're going to play.

They're not going to melt. The team that will likely melt, the home team. You know, and it's just, it's unfortunate. it. It was another opportunity for them to throw a bone to their fans. We talked about it on Friday. Just couldn't do it. Couldn't get up for it. Couldn't muster up enough energy and intensity to find a way to win that game or at least make it more of a fight. All right. Hour 2 coming up. Luke Wilson will join us. Overdrive continues. DSN 1050 and on YouTube live. You've been listening to Overdrive, powered by Fanduel. FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. Playfair and I'm Tyler Smith we're putting loneliness in the penalty box by talking to some of

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