OverDrive - OverDrive - March 31, 2024 - Hour 1

Episode Date: March 31, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys discuss the Maple Leafs' back-to-back against the Kings and Ducks on the California trip, the Atlantic Division chase in the standings, Max Scherzer landing on the IL and the Blue Jays' opening series. The guys also discuss the race towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Alex Ovechkin inching closer to Wayne Gretzky's goals record and John Tavares' contract value.

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Brian haze your dog Jeff O'Neil Jamie noodles McClennan's going on what's happening? I had my shortest relationship with the Toronto sports figure I've ever had Mad Max, that's it. We're all not sure Scherzer? He's a whole different... Or Love Lady? No, no. Richard Love Lady. I was watching golf and I flip over I'm like gonna check in on the J's see how it's going. This is how fast my relationship with this guy was. I turn it on there's a guy in the mound with the last name love lady. He threw one pitch and cleared the bases, cleared the bases. And I'm like, I kind of hate this guy a little bit already.

I don't even know him. I don't nothing of him. And I'm like, I kind of don't like him already. Everything about it. So I'm like, that's game over. He cleared the bases. Baltimore went on to slaughter Toronto and the next day the guy's gone yeah my relationship with Rick love lady was 30 seconds long

not even the name is glorious though Rick love lady like that guy should have been our Freddie the goat by J's it was something about the way the name was on the jersey I'm like this guy is blown up. And my relationship with him was 30 seconds. Yeah. I got to meet his parents. I don't know if there was anything faster as far as a guy being on your radar and then gone forever. Well, when he made the team, there was some buzz. It was kind of like in that montage with Major League. They're like, who the hell are these guys? Like a lot of people like Richard Lovelady, who is this cat? And what is he bringing?

Richard Lovelady, which means his parents are hilarious. Like they are, you don't name your son Richard Lovelady unless you know exactly what you're doing. What a tone setter on a date. I love- You mean he goes for short? Richard for short? Richard Lovelady. Anyone would say you're nuts. Yeah that can't be your name. It sounds like a character in like a Bond film or something. Or a porn star. Or possibly that. But Lovelady, it's not easy to get designated for assignment the first weekend of the season. Dude that means that somebody hated your guts on the like didn't want you on the squad and they're like all right throw them in there and it's like no love. Well because I think

the connection here is Yarbrough was the guy that was likely going to break camp as kind of the long lefty and then the Yankees sniffed out that he had an option where he could opt out and they probably had worked out a deal with him. So he left the Jays basically high and dry, goes down to the Bronx and starts pitching for the Yankees. So someone had to make the team. It's not a good look for the team. Like putting jokes aside, if you have a guy break camp and three days in you say you're out of here, why did he make the team? How did he make the team? What does it say you have a guy break camp in three days and you say you're out of here

why did he make the team how did he make the team what does it say about the depth in your organization it's it's a horrible look for the squad there is Rick love lady growing when he switches the porn he goes to Rick in the majors he's Richard love lady when he's in Silicon Valley he's Rick love lady I'll tell you the other shorts then is Scherzer Scherzer man That is a bazaar world who didn't sniff this one out Unfortunately, this is the spider-man meme and it's Yanni Hockinpah and Max Scherzer

Staring at each other. That's what it is like Max. He was day one. This guy was talking about his thumb day is like Max he was day one this guy was talking about his thumb day one of camp he was talking about his thumb he went out part is the thumb he claimed helped blow out his lat yet well that was his concern he's like I could feel it in the lat and after the game I give him credit he came out and spoke with the media but he basically laid it on the line for the Blue Jays don't come talk to me don't ask me about when I'm pitching. I will let you know if I pitch again. And if I do, it'll be on my timeline

because he basically said it. He's like, now he went to see a hand specialist, I think in New York yesterday or today. He's on the 15 day IL. He's not pitching the next at least two or three times through the rotation. Maybe he returns in a few weeks, maybe. But would you be

shocked if we don't see this guy again like unfortunately I don't think you can everything's on the table here when it comes to Max Scherzer including the idea that he doesn't pitch again what was your Jerry's what didn't we say we would sign off on what how many 20 games I said 15 you pounce on it right so I said on this show on Sports center on jay said it your offer you went in arbitration they saw give you fifteen shurs or starts you take it a million dollars a start you have to you had to and now it would be that seems

it would be a win almost to be a victory figure fifteen so i went out there out of shurs i might throw guy might throw 65 or 80 pitches. Why is he starting anyway? Well that's another question because now, remember after the game he said I went up to Schneider and said be ready here. I almost felt like he was kind of intimating, he was hoping Schneider would pull him before he even started. Which I find a little bit goofy and I'm sorry that's on Scherzer.

That's kind of like the Alfonso Davies chat from last week. If you can't go, you're a big, you're Max Scherzer. You can't go, you don't go. Like you don't, that's not on John Schneider to figure out whether or not your thumb can hold up or your lats or whatever. And I get it, you'd be jamming them up because then you got to go to an opener

and the bullpen is going to be exposed. And it's game three of a series where the bullpen had already been kinda taxed a fair amount but it's it's oxman because three innings to home runs how many pictures forty five pitches and he's on the i a l already not a good look either like that's the thing like

guys like this who are forty years old this guy's been around the block a hundred times the only thing i think i put this in our group chat, they're like, I played with guys, like he knows exactly what's wrong. Like he's a guy who's self-diagnosing, telling timelines, everything. That kind of concerns me a little bit as well. I played with guys who, yeah, I got a bad groin, I'll be back next Tuesday at 2 p.m. Like he knew exactly, like this guy was calling you shot. I don't know if that's a good thing because it's already in his head

that i'm not gonna be able to do this i'm feeling that of like that's red flag for me you know the past is a mistake you on this jimmy is if this guy was all jammed up and he just wanted to sniff out fifteen million dollars somehow and it's like some kind of going away gift like a who knows like this stuff started in training camp notice i was really quiet and then right leading up to the beginning of the away gift like who knows like this stuff started in training camp notice how it was really quiet and then right leading up to the beginning of the season was like yeah my thumbs all jammed up man my thumbs thumb thumb and then all of a sudden his thumb caused his lattices up it was like yeah well he dude like and ensures and Schneider before

the game was asked like how we feeling about max and he's like mad max is ready to go he's raring to go we're jacked up and then after the game it's not I could feel it when I was warming up I knew my thumb was jacked and I was gonna blow my lotto It's just a horrible way to start the year if Max Scherzer was dialed in and good to go for one last season Why weren't the why weren't the usual suspects sniffing around? Maybe they were but what you tell me they didn't want to offer the extra money Well money is a thing. I mean passing a physical is another thing whether or not you can rely on the guy, you know like this is the issue the Jays have is they just don't have a lot of depth in the organization. You know like there's they're not this is happens seemingly every year again. This is a little bit premature,

but you go to the miners you're like who do you have that's coming up? Who do you have that's coming up? And Uriel Rodriguez could be a guy that they want to stretch out, but he looked great yesterday in the eighth inning. I think they liked the idea of weaponizing his arm, like one inning at a time, and Hoffman pitched well. They got a split over the weekend, that was big.

Like they stole two and two, you got Washington in town for three here, you gotta take advantage of this gotta win this series then you hit the road you see what happens but uh... keegan matheson will join us in about an hour and and keegan was around the club all weekend and you know he was he was there before the game insurers are in schneider speaking after the game when they both spoke

uh... that's the story the weekend though because there was so much excitement for scherzer to be a blue jay and he gets three innings and, he's on the IL, and who knows what's going to happen. Just quickly, were there people that bought his jersey? Yes, for sure. So I'm saying, if you're the Jays, have they recouped some of the $15 million?

I know they don't care about it. But even if it was a play to get a big name in here, was it worth it? Like, that's the thing. If this guy doesn't pitch anymore, and I do believe he will, but I'm just saying. Hopefully he will, yes. Hopefully he will. But there are people that bought his jersey that were fired up to have that type of cachet,

that type of name. It was worth the gamble. I was just looking at it. Oh, this guy's made $345 million. That's the thing, man. Like, it's not like he's looking to put an extra fifteen in his jeez that he's got thirty fees he makes a lot of money and i'm not paying forty years back to their life

look we're not going to be world beaters this year try to get sent and there and try to get some other name where you can at least week if we're going to be bad and and not have a great record we got to bring up the entertainment value and treasure was a part of that plan and he's gone after three innings. Yeah and again now we wait to see what happens and if he has surgery if it's rehab how long it is you know we don't know we don't have those answers right now but it was really deflating to watch him go three innings and get hit the way he got

hit and he gets pulled and said what he said after the game and now now they're already you know they're going to plan B plan C they're making moves in the bullpen they're making moves in the rotation and you know it's this early into the season so we'll get into that with Keegan a little bit later this afternoon the Leafs with a very professional road trip you leave a point at the Shark Tank of all places and then go into LA and beat the Kings and then on a back-to-back I think kind of fight for two points last night and I thought it was a very impressive trip when you look back on it retrospectively. It started in a strange way but it gets

back to what we talked about on Friday. Them getting the point changes the complex of the trip a little bit. Take advantage of getting that point and you can still make it a great road trip. If you get on that bird in Anaheim and you got five or six, that's all any team, regardless of how good you are, how talented you are. That's what the caps, that's what the jets, that's what the Florida Panthers are all looking for on a road trip like that. Get five or six and get the hell out of there. And that's exactly what they did. However you come about it

like we can you know we live the day to day that's our job or whatever but however you go about it you when you get on that bird after three games you could have easily left you know we'll say left a point in LA or left you know like doesn't matter where you left the point if you got five or six that's the way I look at it and and I've said I say it all the time if you got five or six. That's the way I look at it. And I say it all the time. You don't criticize wins. You don't criticize how you go about it. Now, these are bigger conversations, but it was a good weekend for them. I thought that it was a that LA game was tight tracking. It wasn't high event. It was kind of just it

was a tight tight LA plays that smothering style. And Anaheim, you could see like they're a young team. They've got some skill and they can move, but they've got their warts in their game too, and the Leafs were methodical with it. I didn't think they had their best, but in a back-to-back, I thought they did enough to win. And that's what any other Joseph Wall made a couple good saves. I liked their game.

Overall, you get five or six in California which could have been, it would have been worse if you beat LA in LA and then you lose last night. Last night was the big one. You want to come home on a winning note. Anaheim again is a team that you can see they're adding talent. They're getting better. I thought a number of their young kids actually showed. I like Zegis's game last night like that's the guy we've been critical of I thought he was in the game and he had some bite and was I thought he played well and you know they got some some players there that in the future might

be something it may not be an easy trip two three years from now but as of now it still is and the toughest one is LA and LA I think Baruba what he said after the game speaks volumes about where their head is at right now that that's a playoff style game like tight checking low scoring you got to stay with it and at some point your big boys got to break out for you and the Matt the goal Matthew scored on Saturday was unbelievable excuse me that third period that's the reason it's not strategic or learning to fight through checks number 34 in that third period, that's the reason. It's not strategic or learning to fight through checks. Number 34 in the third period, I thought that was his best period all season long.

He was great. He was unreal. He was dominant. And that emotion right there, he basically said, like, give me the pill and I'm going to take it to the cage and nobody's going to stop me. He was awesome in that third period. Yeah, he was. Yeah, he was. And, you know, Tavares is on the right place at the right time. The

tap went home again goes to the net stops. But 34 he drove the bus there and I have no idea guys the video reviews are getting insane. I don't know how they didn't call that high sickening dude. Listen you're gonna get, Hay, you say it all the time. Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't. They got the benefit of that call. I thought it was high stick, but it didn't matter. He comes back and scores anyways. In the end, when you get a video review and it actually is conclusive, I actually switched

over so I was on the road so I could see both uh... broadcast so i went to the l a broadcast the l a broadcast actually had lines and we're showing it like hey this is way above her shoulder and anyways it doesn't matter you got the call you did the job but it was weird to see some of these calls not happen so uh... battle with a review i hate that they review high stick earlier in the house so it's really for the high stick earlier in the play. It's so stupid. I honestly think for the high stick one, if the referee, or the linesman says no and waves

it off, then sorry. The same thing where they might have touched it with his hand 30 seconds ago. Sorry. Like it's so stupid. It's overkill. I get it because it's earlier in the play too. I think, is there something, I mean play too. I think is there something I mean maybe down the road this is more a bigger conversation where it's like if the play

goes on for 10 seconds Mark you can't go back like something weird like that I don't know it's just because you're right like it had no effect on to you know how the goal of goal came about because it was so much farther in the play but you're like okay you know 43 seconds ago the guy did this with his ago, the guy did this with his glove, or the guy did this with his stick. It was just a weird, some of these are weird transactions, man. Yeah, like today.

The way you know it's a goal, if the guy doing, whoever does the video review, they panned to Austin Matthews' face on the bench, and he's like, oh, we're screwed, that was high-sticking, it's no goal. And then he's like, let's just carry on, guys, carry on. And then the guy said, goal, and you could see him. He's like, are you kidding me? That's a goal That's the true test because he looked at it says that's high-sticking. We're screwed

Yeah, that should be the way they determine it. They're gonna do it. Don't go to review go out go look at the guy He's like man, we're screwed that's not a goal. Yeah, and then he was like, you gotta be kidding me, man. I know, but and then the next night, you know, Marner, high stick, and they wave it off. And it's like, okay, well, there you go. But yeah, I mean, it sets up well for the Leafs because now they're, they get a three-point buffer. Florida's in Montreal tomorrow night, we'll get to that momentarily. Then Florida is in town on Wednesday night, which becomes the biggest game of the year. The two against Florida, the one against Tampa, that's it. Like that is what is going to

determine who wins this division. They at least have eight games left, Tampa and Florida both have nine, the Leafs have a three-point buffer. As of right now it's pretty close in terms of tiebreak with regulation wins. The right there with Tampa, they have a couple of in hand on Florida in that category. So it may come down to a tiebreak, it more than likely will come down to those three games. But what it also sets up for, and I, you know, I don't want to put the car before the horse because I don't want to get this kind of mojo out there. But like the Battle of Ontario is on the line here. Like that's what is on the line. Like Ottawa picked up a point in Pittsburgh yesterday.

They won a couple of nights ago. They have a seven point buffer on that second wild card. Ottawa's in as the first wild card. It's over. It's the Ottawa Senators are playing either Toronto, Tampa or Florida. And the Battle of Ontario is right there. We're fired up for a Battle of Ontario. I'm dying for this now because you know what it also sets up is a battle of Florida, which

I also want to see desperately. And I think it would be great for hockey, great for the sport, great for the province, great for the fan base in both Ontario and Florida and hockey fans everywhere. You can't beat that in terms of this division. Like maybe Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Montreal, something like some combination if you mix the Habs into it somehow. But if you have Tampa versus Florida, a seven game brawl, which is exactly what I think it would be, and the battle of Ontario reignited for the first time in 20 years, it has to

happen now. Like it has to happen. I'm trying to will this into existence and I'm worried I'm going to jinx it now and everything's going to fall apart. But Ottawa has done their part. Like Ottawa is now pretty worried i'm going to jinx it now and everything's gonna fall apart but i was done their part but i want is now perlis go to the plan there there the plan out there was a last it's ninety nine percent probably that's and the first wild card it's all that catch in the other three teams

no i guess everybody's coming out with these like probabilities guys there's some teams i'm sorry like calgary vancouver europe or your time you're done and those they have their clubs out a book your tee time that's harsh because it's unnecessary and I don't have to go like eight oh and it's not happening and the other teams are gonna have to lose they're done not happening so some teams that it's like sorry you can pump the games up you can have speeches with the media your team's done yeah like Calgary has got games in hand but they're starting to leak some oil here.

Like Dry Seidel basically said pack your bags on Saturday night. Like that one stung, man. He snipes with three minutes to go and then buries some in overtime and, you know, they still get a point. But I just don't think it's realistic to expect that Vancouver and Calgary are in this race anymore. What you were waiting for was if St. Louis or Minnesota, like Minnesota has kind of stubbed their toe, they're 5-4-1. It's St. Louis has won nine in a row. Nine. So, if they went seven and two, six and three, which good teams have been doing, right? Then it's more realistic.

This team has rattled off nine in a row and something like 17, two, and two in their last 21. I'd have to look that exact stat up, but I believe I'm accurate on that. That's a run that is unheard of based on where that team was. They're selling off players. There was rumors of Shen being traded, all of that type of stuff. Since that team was was they're selling off players who there was rumors of shen being traded all that type of stuff

since that four nations face off this team has been lights out yeah you know i was too late i think i was a little plan like me and i kinda hate you guys and then they're like as we may want to put it together here it was guys weren't even a failable while you know if you i i got a question for you guys if they i mean this jimmy mont i got a question for you guys if they i mean this jimmy montgomery get a little love for coach of the year

listen there have been examples of that the guy who takes over twenty games in or whatever it would more than that because you get fired from boston for you guys know my thoughts Spencer carberry's are coach of the law i i understand let listen spencer carberry i think there's three or four i mean scotty rneal hasn't done anything to hurt himself in winnipeg you know and but but i i'm like this st louis team it was an afterthought

they were in after thought it was like man this is calgary and vancouver spot they're going to battle it out if i think i said earlier in the year st louis isn't going to any of course i said i thought horses are set up but we all have to say i think i'll book your of course i said i don't know if it was a set that we all like your bags may have a book your t time i guess that that in st louis two months ago but the point being is i i look at this team where is there a market correction for that that that at least opens the door for vancouver calgary i don't know so but that no you never know about noodle how do i do it in calc every maybe but like here's the thing I think it's over it's over

because like there Calgary seven points out and you know that any games in hand three games in hand don't have the wild card so you're actually probably eight points out right because if it's regulation wins so your eight points out with ten games to go and why would those two teams slow down they're gonna lose some games they lose at some point. They may lose. It just seems too much and it just feels like Calgary, you know, they, like, again, Dry Settle

kind of bearing them the other night. That would have been a big one. Battle of Ontario, or Battle of Alberta, you win that game, you hold on. You know, the game before, they were all bent out of shape because of the officiating. Twice they got jammed up on goalie review twice, not just one. I think you're right.

I think it's just too big of a hill. It's just the St. Louis team has been so, I mean, I didn't see it coming. I thought they were a good team and good young talent, all that type of stuff. But it's just, it's another level. Like they went in and beat Colorado. You know, they went in like, like in like, they're winning significant games. And now you're right, the Flames are in Colorado tonight. Colorado's going to be pissed from losing to St. Louis the other night. So I think it could be over for Calgary. Vancouver has just been an enigma all season long.

Well, yeah, they're already out in Vancouver. They're putting a bow on it like talking about Patterson and Damco what happens with Rick talk it like that's the big story What do you do with Rick talk it in the future? And does he want to still be there his contracts up? I you know that that's a guy who I would be You know if I'm Philly if I'm you know, I'm looking at Rick talk it and saying, you know Come and fill our shoes here. To me, there's organizations that if Rick Taukett's available in the off season, I think you'd go right after him, especially if Vancouver's not signing him to an extension.

Well, I mean, they've got to figure out what they're doing out there. You know? Yeah? Yeah, in Vancouver. I mean, do you reset immediately? Can you get back on the horse next year? Like, Pedersen's going to end up with like 55 points this year. Like with Pettersson, 100, with 100 point Pettersson, with 100 point JT Miller and...

Healthy Demko. Healthy Demko. It's like this is a dangerous unit. Yeah, you're a 100 point team. And you bring in Keedle, JT Miller's gone, and Pettersson is playing like a 3-4 combo, like third or fourth line player who shows up once every 10 games, you are not even close to a team that has a chance to do absolutely anything. Yeah. So what the hell they're gonna do there is gonna be fascinating. Well the crazy part is Quinn Hughes is

still like 25 years old. Well he's rocking. It's unbelievable. And I was reading this morning that like he's apparently reportedly got a really good connection with pocket so if that's the case pockets got that in his back pocket because if you're vancouver you are doing whatever you have to to make sure quinn hughes is happy by getting hughes is connected with talk it feels like talk it's a guy that can get a matter this but doesn't give you a free pass forever that's not the way it works now but that's leverage in favor of talking because I'm sure

Hughes is looking around some what the hell is happening around here how did we get here I think it's Rick talk it's responsibility to get this team out of it I think it's player personnel and I think Alvin and Jimmy have to do something to put a bet is that team is in shambles sorry well they don't score but offensively and Patterson's been injured they've got some injury that's what they need to fix like they don't score yeah offensively in peterson's been injured they've got some injury pass what they need to fix like they do they don't score at he was not a a front line guy sorry no is what he did in new yorker how good they thought he was or what they thought they could

i would have i don't know it's such a bizarre scenario but the personnel is going to get better he had while you're right he don't could be your to if peterson is your one peterson's not too like it all falls into place if your best players play your best. Demko's been unavailable. Pedersen has been like you guys just laid out.

You think Heedle can be an 80 point guy, Jamie, and be an impact player? I think he can be a, you know what his biggest problem is, O, has been health. Like I think he's a really good player, but he hasn't been healthy. And I don't know if a young guy can break through these inconsistency of being healthy or not. I do think he can be a second line player. I do. I think he's a good player but that means second line, not first. Your top line has to be your top line.

There's a pecking order and when the pecking order is out of whack where you just laid out your number one guy is a 55 fifty five sixty point guy that's not good enough notes that that's not a lot of stress on everybody else absolutely uh... right we've got to keep math and soon coming up from the park jays nats and i get his take on what he saw we can where we go hit from here with the Scherzer scenario in the blue jays and where they call on up house rotation in a work the bullpen gonna hold up

also some bats that were really positive Right like the shots off to a heater. He's off to a great start. They get a split against Baltimore You'll take it Keegan coming up just after five the Leafs are back in action on Wednesday with Florida in town We'll start looking ahead to that. We'll get to something to chew on as well Overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN for Overdrive continues powered by FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score.

Keegan Matheson in about a half an hour. I've got a list of the five series I desperately wanna see in the first round. Might get to that at some point today. And tomorrow we're each gonna come up, it's not a wussy segment. Like it's not shying away from anything. We're gonna call to come up. It's not a wussy segment. It's not shying away from anything. We're going to call it fear factor.

The five or six things from either Tampa, Florida, or Ottawa that should get your attention, it might be Tampa's power play, Vasilevsky, Brady Kachuk, Matthew Kachuk, Paul Maurice the sends hunger There's a bunch of things that should get your attention all three of us are gonna come up with a list tomorrow I love it beer factor tomorrow, okay Yeah, because listen the Leafs, you know They could have technically clinched last night if Montreal had lost in Florida

But the Habs go down there and win at the Panthers they beat in Florida twice now in the last like week and a half. Yeah well that that the end of the game yeah so Nico Mikola that guy's a big boy too well he so if you missed it we I'm sure we can run it on TSN for right at the end of the game games over for two he comes around his own net and wires a slap shot down the ice and almost hits David Savard Savard luckily looked back at the last second and people started freaking out and the rest got in there and grabbed them and they play at the Bell Center tomorrow night yeah now I think that on an appointment viewing that on its own you do that on its own I think you have to step up and fight tomorrow night

You get pulled to the bench and then start chirping when you're on the bench It's mandatory at that point. I get Jack guy as an Appian warm-up I think it's Josh Anderson or Jack guy like Mikala has to be prepared and if he doesn't he's in for one tomorrow night Like again the slap shot alone. I think someone's knocking on your door but you might be able to say sort of stupid shouldn't have done it but you get to the bench and then start chirping when you're on the bench yeah you got a handful that's not gonna fly in Montreal thing is though you they gotta be Montreal's got to be smart about they got a win because they're they need the

points yes Florida doesn't need the points. Yes. Florida doesn't need the points. They don't care. I don't think Panthers care where they finish. I think they just want to be healthy. I saw Kuchak skating. Montreal needs to make the playoffs. Now they can smell it.

Their probability, I believe, is the highest out of the teams that are still hanging around there in that last. They're at like 43% where I think the rangers are twenty six or something between the rangers in the house jimmy who has the tougher schedule uh... well much of much of that a game in hand i can give you at new york schedule give it to you right now on the fly so the rangers of the games left they've got minnesota jersey tampa

at the islanders at car Carolina, at Florida, Tampa. That's tough coming home. The Rangers have the second hardest schedule left in the NHL and Montreal has the 28th. So as far as strength, you know, strength of competition, because Montreal plays Chicago,ago nashville philly boston and and detroit uh... we got all on the lease in their two-day right now yeah but that what i'm i'm looking at the once that aren't in the playoffs right where montreal has

uh... i'm sorry they also have carolina the leaves florida and all of what once so montreal has five teams that aren't in the playoffs for that are in the playoffs where the Rangers have four that are in the playoffs three that aren't so they're at a winning percentage that they are playing against as close to six hundred five seventy nine so you know the Rangers are going to play the games but you got to play the games that's the thing and who knows what's going to happen near the end of the season two if teams start resting like that's the the other thing is you might play you know your last game of the season might be against a team that's

really good that's resting everybody you know that's where that comes in I you know changing topics slightly but it ties into this like OV gets Sid the last game of the season he might do it the last game of the season head-to-head against Sid who knows but I just I look these remaining schedules the Rangers have the second hardest Detroit has the number one hardest as far as quality of competition yeah that's tough and yeah that would be cool I mean OV now he's he's five back of the record he said 890 890 goals and against Sid the pens that that would be incredible theater wouldn't surprise me if it came down to that final game

and you'll get your best out of pit like you were there call it last night i i love that said just gave it to our and are on zubra state or is it good for him for going out of two but said was he was passed lighting at him and he was like you want to go i will take you if you want if you want a piece you know what that is was the OT winner it's just incredible you know what's that said to me is this guy regardless of where it because his team had been wrenched two games in a row giving up a touchdown right and no good all of that Gord had to ask him that Gord's close with said and he said you

know you guys had a tough stretch like that's a tough conversation asked somebody that you're very close with in the media but he goes you know you guys had a tough stretch like that's a tough conversation asked somebody that you're very close with in the media But he goes you know you guys have had a tough schedule and sits like hey We're just trying to get our game in order see how it is down the stretch He was very diplomatic, but you can tell like that's a guy with a ton of pride And he played his ass off last night You know Tristan Jarre's had a terrible season played very well yesterday like Ottawa the weirdest thing and I know you can't complain about it but it's these back-to-backs where it's like you play the night before and then it's a five o'clock game the next day or so like it in your travel

that's not good like it's almost scheduled losses or scheduled garbage games like that's that that's what concerns me for the league as far as the product when you have back-to-back games it should be spaced out the two hours for me is big i don't know how it is. It's massive Jamie, I think even the Leafs the schedules for everybody since the four nations have been absolutely bonkers. It's ridiculous. So much hockey, think about the Leafs have been, they've been to New York they've been out to Colorado, Vegas, back for a couple... Three times. California. California. It's just like, how do you expect them?

That's why for the most part, I've been pumping the brakes on just criticism. That's just too much hockey and too much travel. And they've gotten through it. And now they're in first place and now they can really take off staying in the East Coast. That's kind of where I was going with this is if you want your product to be good, then you have to give the product every opportunity to be good. To me, I get it.

I understand it's way above our pay grade as far as TV rights and times and building availability but it should be mandatory. It's 24 hours or you can't play that game. There's no reason why you couldn't play it at 7 o'clock last night in Pittsburgh. It was a 5 o'clock game. There's no reason why you couldn't play it at 7 o'clock last night in Pittsburgh. It was a 5 o'clock game. I don't know what the reasoning be, but I thought Ottawa showed up, played hard, and it was kind of a weird game. It wasn't nothing, Berger, but it was these... You have to give your audience at least something. And we talk about these Leaf games too, where it's travel and they don't have it that night.

Well, yeah, the schedule sucks for everybody at some point and then the product suffers. We see it all the time. What you are seeing is some guys, that two-week break though was very substantial. And like John Tavares is at the forefront of this. I believe he scored more goals than anyone else in the league since the Four Nations and I believe William Nylander had more points than anybody in the league since the Four Nations. Now Willie went to the Four Nations but I guess he got out of there quicker than the other two but John Tavares I mean he's up to 35 goals on the season like it's it's an incredible season the guys

got 35 goals 69 points. Now I will say this because I've had these conversations, I'm sure you guys have as well. I don't label this as a contract year he's stepping up because this is what he has done literally his whole career. Like numbers fluctuate a little bit. Sometimes it's 32 goals, sometimes it's 41. But this is like a contract year is a guy who usually scores 15 that scores 32 That's that's not what's happening here with John Tavares He has been consistently a very good to great players since he walked in the league at 18 years old Like every year his stats are about the same again some fluctuation

But this is not an example of a guy that just hit the gym last summer and said I got to get paid here He's been doing it his whole career. It's a testament to him though. The question about it is, which is the question I get a ton, is what does it mean to you? How could you not want that in the future? And that's where I have to talk people off the ledge and I'm like, you just let this team play in the playoffs and then you make a decision about everybody moving forward. Absolutely.

I agree 100%. And the other thing too is getting ahead of it is when is the drop off, when does Father time get up? Exactly, because you don't want to be a part of it for the drop off. But this isn't, you know, Brian, you make a great point, like this isn't this guy doubling his goals. This is a guy who's been very consistent and really earned his keep throughout the full seven years here in Toronto.

So if you are looking for sample size, you could go on it and say, we know what this guy's capable of. Yes, is he going to drop to 24 goals in a season, 22? Yes. But what does he bring to the table? Where does he fit financially term all of that? You can make a case for all of that But you have to get ahead of it or he has to get ahead at some point Father time is gonna go the legs aren't there that you know, everything slows down now Sid Gino all of the you name

You know some top players who are who are great players you know some top players who are who are great players their their production still is kind of there. Well yes it is to it I mean Sid's an extreme example and maybe Tavares will do that but that is an example of okay we're gonna keep paying you maybe for what you did in the past but the difference is they haven't won anything here so like from my standpoint the leverage is still in the in the hands of the Maple Leafs like it if John really wants to be a leaf, then the leaves will let him know what they're comfortable in giving him. And that's what he's going to have to take.

Like I don't buy this idea that his number's going up. No it's not. They know who he is. His number? His cap hit. Like, oh, now they've got to pay him eight and a half because he's going to score 40. Oh, no, no, no. It's absolutely, well, you can say no, no, no.

I mean, that's the reporting right that that's what some people are perpetuating that it's costing more now. I'm not buying that for a second it's and again there's just no reason to even have the conversation if you're the Leafs until after the playoffs. I consider if they lose again in the first round doesn't matter like you've been here for seven years it hasn't worked I consider it to be in a stand similar to a stamp co situation where Stephen Stamco's had a number of 32 million dollars that he wanted to shove in his pants he got it yes I guess where it was in a one of the worst places in the league right it was in a different organization than the one he's been with so if you have the number and you still believe that all these guys are getting

paid you still got to get paid. And if he has that type of number in his mind, it's probably going to be a secondary team. It's the same thing as Claude Giroud with the Philadelphia Flyers. He probably thought I'm on a three year deal and I want to shove $18 million in my shorts. Yeah. Philadelphia is like, you're not doing that here, but you're going to do it in Ottawa, though. Well, that's a different team that gives you that second contract where you have the number in mind

That's what they are the team that has given you 77 million. Yes now generally speaking. That's the case the Leafs They react differently than every other than most teams in the league like they do not they don't react to these contracts like a team That's stable and confident in their program Generally they they buckle and they say we can't possibly live without you. So that that may happen. We can't discount that. We can't pretend as if the lease won't just say fine here's a five-year deal at eight million a year. That might happen. It might. A five-year deal at eight million? Absolutely it could happen. Absolutely it could happen absolutely it could happen that's i have you been paying attention to these guys the way that they operate

this office i'd like to hear what have they ever want a contract negotiation any one example when they've won it with the with the big boys well we want boys not know i'd be a no no and it and and i don't know if you said don't worry i was like that's impossible i'm not predicting it's going to happen don't pretend your eyes like that's impossible. I'm not predicting it's going to happen. Don't pretend like it's impossible to happen. I get it. I know, but you know what?

Oh, Brian's right, but I'll go in a different way. Tanev's deals how long? Like a six-year deal or whatever. It's six or seven years, right? Because they got the AAV down, and they'll deal with it on the back end. I could see a term deal for John Tavares where they try to bring the number down. That would be the only thing because that's where obviously Brad Tree Living, that was his thought process in the off season. I want Tanev on my team. I'll deal with it. I don't think Chris Tanev

is going to play until he's 41 years old, but he got him onto his team when he needed him. And that's the next couple years. My philosophy, Jamie, is if the team doesn't have success in the playoffs, again, I want different people on the team to try to create different results. A hundred percent, but it might be the other guy leaves. That doesn't mean the Leafs will see it that way. And you're right, maybe Marner leaves and then they look at it and like, okay, we've got to allocate money differently and build it differently.

But Keith Rekion said it the best like the exercise is to try to win here like that's what we're talking about if you're trying to bring them back to keep the Jersey sales and it's Johnny Toronto this or that go ahead and do it. But here's the thing from his standpoint he is going to have like if the leaves hold strong regardless of what happens again because contracts are being paid for what you're going to do during the term of the contract not what you've done in the past that's not the way it's supposed to be not naive enough to believe that that has infected into some contracts in pro sports we know that there are examples of that

john will have to determine if the leaves strong i don't know if they will get i don't know what they're thinking about the scene but let's say they look at it like if you want to be here this is what we can give you two years or three years at x dollars he has to determine do I want to make money or do I want to play for the Leafs? That's it. It's that simple. It's not deeper than that and if you want to make money if it's business instead of hometown and actually winning with the Leafs then you might have to go somewhere else. That's what Stamkos did. That's what you're saying. It was Tampa will keep you but you're not gonna shove 32 in your jeans. No exactly. If you're in it for money you're gonna have to

go somewhere else and and that may end up happening. Yeah and I want no part of it. If so he'll get paid somewhere because he's having a great year and he's a great player. Like if I was running it I want no part of being a part of a player where the wheels fall off. So you mentioned five years stamp goes signed for four years There is gonna be no term where I'm having a player where I'm looking at it No, wheels are falling off because that's gonna happen eventually Absolutely father time is a career people have said the wheels are gonna come off sooner or later I don't want it on my watch, but the term is very very short

But the thing is is I think in their thought process, if the cap going up, they'll be able to get what they want out of their players. And if it doesn't work, they have money, they've got Robodeye Island, there's lots of things. And that's where, if they want to make it work, and again, this is through the playoffs, through the playoffs, because if they have success in the playoffs and they want to bring somewhat of the band back, because Mitch Marner controls his own destiny. John DeVaris is different because he wants to stay, it's more about age, term, all of that.

But I think they could go hand in hand regardless of success or not because if Mitch Marner at the end of the season just puts his hand up and says, I want to test free agent and I'm going to go somewhere else. They've got to allocate that money. They don't give it to DeVars. They've got to bring in somebody else that is going to replace Mitch Marner or by committee. There will be money to be had. Yeah, there's a lot of money that is available, depending on what they do with these guys

and also with the cap going up and there's flexibility. But again,'d think it's and it's been reported on that police are not going to determine anything until they figure out what's going on with mark so that i would not happen to the playoffs because i was out there like a lot of success there is no threat of a player saying i'm michael place that go ahead place some also and he's been great and listen to me i i i what to his credit like there were times a year ago two years ago it was like this guy's on the third line this guy's on the wing and

John Tavares has has pulled his weight he has been phenomenal for this team and if he you know if you're the Leafs you're like let's keep it rolling here keep it rolling into the playoffs get that top seed pushing into the playoffs keep pushing keep moving and everything's all good all right we've got Keegan Matheson coming up. We'll get more into that road trip over the weekend. Who else stood up? You know, like Max Domi, now all of a sudden score.

He's got five goals in the month of March. Like he started, that was a beauty the other night too. Radko Gudis had a tough night too, we'll touch on that. And we got something to chew on, brought to you by Boston Pizza as well. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on the TSN app. Who's drawing the cartoons of us that made me look like Shrek? The one I look like Shrek like I'm a giant cartoon character and I dwarf you guys in the middle in my head's the size of a pumpkin

Who did that? Well, I don't know. It's the size of a pumpkin who did that well I don't know it's AI or some website or something like that they were sent to us you can't be rattled about a cartoon you just you can't do it I knew you saw that cartoon and you're like that is what I needed I don't think it's that bad you're and plus that's you in the past, man. It's an old pic. You've turned the corner. Oh, really? You couldn't have grabbed a pic of me yesterday? Well, I think the new one, the other one looks better.

Look at the shrank. What's wrong with that? Like, you got a big head. No, it's squared off, too. Like, it's like a, I don't know. That basically means that I just go home and eat that picture. Well, I hate to break it to you. That was like kind of the stage you were in.

Here's the thing, you put on 50 after that picture. There was a bulk barn. That was seven or eight years ago. You put on 50 and now you've lost it all plus plus plus. That's just a fact man. I'll tell you one thing. The thing that might have saved me from getting the four bills. If I was aware during my sour key like stage and all that stuff.

If I was aware of what Uber Eats could do, because there was a bunch of nights where you're like I'm out of keys uber eats could do because there was a bunch of nights where you're like, I'm out of keys Do I go get them? If I had a known that I could just bust in the keys and other junk I would have been forbidden Yeah, you were a junkie basically like basic you are probably in the Uber eats when you were down would have been a disaster look out I understand like and I have an I understand that that that would have been a real issue for me. But you you would have been like three in the morning, like sweating, asking for Uber Eats to drop off. Yes, because you know, like, you know, case was in college, you had some financial backing. So you would have Uber Eats would have been on your speed dial.

would have been on your speed dial. Dude, Uber Eats would have shot me to four bills. I think I need six months. That would have been bad, man. Because there's nights where it's like bad weather. Do I want to go get the keys? I'm itching here, man. I got an itch that needs a ride. I need a key of keys.

Who's got the good stuff? If you could just grab your phone. If you just search who's got the keys on Uber Eats, man, you are done. Who's got that good stuff? That would have been you sending out the bat signal at 3 a.m. Who's got the good stuff? I'm telling you, Uber Eats, if I, and it was available to me, I just didn't know it. I didn't, it would have ruined everything, man. I know. I'm with you, man. I would have been right there with you. But I think, I don't know,

I don't know where these came from uh... we were sent them this morning i think those are pretty good pictures i don't know where my eyes when my eyes are gone and the one picture i just don't have eyes college picture that's the idea is like there listen those you know what people are mad at us or whatever setting comic it listen it's just a it's a cartoon that's it get on with it i had to go to awesome as i was well done done head is a little bit it you know what

even in a picture the real picture your head is twice the size in the cartoon I don't know why it's so big they did do you dirty on that front did you dare to give you that I'll give you that awful all right our two coming up Keegan will join us from the park overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on the TSN app. You've been listening to Overdrive powered by FanDuel. FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. All new, all Canadian, the best of our great nation, one song at a time. This is Justin Bieber. Hi, this is Terry Clark.

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