OverDrive - OverDrive - March 31, 2024 - Hour 2

Episode Date: March 31, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 2 on OverDrive! MLB.com Blue Jays Reporter Keegan Matheson joins to discuss Max Scherzer landing on the IL, the Blue Jays' opening series and the formation of the team's lineup. In the latest edition of Hayesy's List, Hayes lists the Stanley Cup Playoffs series he wants to see the most.

That just happened with me, Vashi Kapelos, Canada Chooses 2025. Stay informed with my exclusive iHeartRadio podcast, available Friday afternoon, straight through till election day and beyond. I'll have your weekly highlights and my unvarnished analysis of the campaign of a lifetime. The candidates, the quotes, the polls, and the momentum. That just happened with Vashi Kapelosllo's Canada Decides 2025 fresh every Friday stream on your schedule with the free iHeartRadio app. Our two overdrive continues powered by FanDuel bringing you everything from the opening line of the final score. Brian Haseo, Doug Jeff O'Neill, Jamie Noodles, McClennan. We got Keegan Matheson coming up from MLB.com live from the Rogers Center. We've got Keegan Matheson coming up from MLB.com live from the Rogers Center. Jays Nationals tonight and Bowden France is making his debut.

We'll try to get an update on Max Scherzer and what the plan is for him and the Jays moving forward. His take through four games. They get a split against Baltimore. And you know, considering the way games one and games three went, you'll take it. You know, like Gosman pitched well in game two, Bassett one game for the bats came alive the sheds had a really good start him and has set a really good start they're pretty committed to him hit and clean up and we'll tee that series up and get his take on a number

of things including these torpedo bats down in New York yeah why did it take so long for someone to come up like we're pretty up to date on everything technology wise what's the best way of doing anything why did it take so long for some guy to come up with the torpedo bat it's a very good question so if you're not familiar with this the Yankees and in other teams in the past and other players have looked into this have basically reallocated where the sweet spot of the bat is where you know like a baseball bat everyone knows it gets larger you know further up and up the bat it goes so to speak and they and they're the

rule in baseball is there's a certain amount of like the diameter of the sweet spot of the bat can only be a certain size. And the conventional bat has always been the conventional bat. They have moved that kind of large barrel more into the middle of the bat, which is where you make more impact. Like you make contact with the ball in the middle of the bat, the sweet spot of the bat. And these guys were mashing all weekend. Like it was.

How about Nestor Cortez's return to the Bronx? Yeah. Three pitches he threw and all of them went out of the yard. He set records. I was bookmarking so many tweets over the weekend because I just, I couldn't believe what was coming out. Like the Yankees team slugging. Again, it's only through four games.

They are slugging as again it's only through four games, they are slugging as a team 804. 804 slugging percentage, that's what the Yankees have. And let me find these other things because you mentioned Nester Cortez, like it's just incredible the amount of home runs that they're hitting. Judge hit three home runs the other day, it was four for four with three home runs. Judge hit three home runs the other day, it was four for four with three home runs. Cortez, he did not speak to reporters either, he took off immediately. But the Yankees hit eight home runs on Saturday.

Eight, actually got to nine, which was a franchise record. And here is the day for Cortez. No pitcher in MLB history had ever given up five home runs and walked five batters in a game without facing at least 35 batters. And Cortez did it and he only faced 17. In 17 batters he gave up five home runs and five walks. Dude, the best one of all though is three pitches down three cobs.

Yeah, immediately. One pitch, gone. Two pitch, gone. Two, three, gone. Ridiculous. But you know what? In the history, we should have, I guarantee you, Sports Center might have this. That's one of the worst stat lines, correct? That you, in recent history, right?

Absolutely. We need a top five or top ten stat lines throughout any sport. Like, you know, quarterback with three picks and three you don't like you name it remember strutty was minus six or something yeah for the Rangers that night on my 12 shows probably something there's got to be some ridiculous stat lines there would be a pro sports like those would be one the interceptions would be a good one there'd be four interceptions on you know twelve attempts or something like that and the Nester Cortez game for him to give up five home runs five walks and face 17 batters is

just an absurd stat line and you know there was a there was a bullpen arm in Milwaukee popping off about you know it's the Yankees so they'll let it slide and I think it's actually the opposite it's it's a bigger it's a much bigger story because it is the Yankees. This is going to put light onto the story. This is going to bring Major League Baseball into the forefront, you know, for basically the forefront here

to actually make this discussion or have this discussion. Do you keep it in the game? Do you allow it? Because it's within the rules. Like what they're doing. You didn't know about this. Yeah, you're allowed to do this. Like it's just, it's typical of baseball

that they find the sports science behind it. They find some angle and there's a massive advantage to it. And now other teams around the league are ordering these bats. Like it sounds like whoever makes these bats, they're gonna make a fortune. But if this was the Diamondbacks hitting all these home runs with this bat,

it would not be nearly as big of a story if anything that would be brushed under I think the mat I think this becomes a massive story that will be addressed by baseball one way or the other because it's the New York Yankees. 100% I agree. If I'm if I'm the Blue Jays tonight like is anyone gonna put one in play like is anyone thinking about putting one in play I guess let's head down to the park now here's our good friend keegan matheson of them will be dot com ahead of the series with the nationals in town areas keegan are you aware of any blue jays contemplating the torpedo bat tonight

i think david schneider does the one who has one uh... john schneider today said that earnings from that was trying to steal it for a couple games but it's interesting you know i i feel like this is something we saw this with erin judge on the yankees where he kind of said listen my numbers are cool i don't need a weird bat i don't think that he's going to be rushing to grab one of these i don't think both shots to go out of his way but

if you're certain type of here if you're looking for something maybe and i'm interested where this lands two or three weeks from now guys, after the big buzz, the big pop of all this is over, does it stick around? Do certain players lean into it, but it's different, it's new. And I can't believe that nobody had thought of this yet.

You know, I'm not smart enough to think of this and what it can do, but that nobody had thought of this yet. For as old as baseball is, it's interesting. Hegan, the first thing on our mind today is what happened to our boy, love lady. He wasn't around that long. I was telling these guys my relationship with this Toronto sports athlete, I turned on the TV, he threw one pitch and I was like, kind of don't like this guy very much.

And I turned the TV back to golf and then this guy was sent away and I'll never see him again. Can you explain this transaction from start to finish? You know what guys, if you were to bring up like the 2021 or 2019 Blue Jays, there'd be a few players on there and I covered those teams where I would have no memory of ever covering them. That's probably going to be Richard Love Lady now. This time, looking back, this did did not go well it did not last long it makes you ask some questions about how they put this bullpen together to begin with

i think but if you are a lefty you gotta get lefties out ideally you're not going to hit multiple lefties i did not go well richard love lady a fan favorites short-lived flew too close to the Sun and it's over but man it was beautiful while it lasted. Yeah it was and it is it's a kind of an embarrassing moment like it happens in baseball there's a few teams that have already designated some guys for assignment and they've moved on but like three games into the season when the bullpen was a disaster last year depth within the

organization is at the forefront of a lot of conversations, Keegan. Well, it screams, how the hell was he even here? How did he break camp with the team and why are they already making the adjustments? And now you got the Scherzer stuff, which we'll get to more momentarily. But it's like the arms within the organization are already being tested and game five is happening tonight.

Exactly, guys. We saw this late last year, August and September, where there was a new waiver wire guy here every single day. Half of the names, which I'll probably forgive at this point. And you don't want to be there. Guys, it's still March. Like it's not April yet. You do not want to be talking about bullpen death right now.

Ideally, if you're a major league team, you enter a year with your solid eight relievers and you've got one or two guys who you're okay with in triple-a you're fine if you pull them up they can be the number eight guy down there no problem right now the Blue Jays can go maybe five deep in their bullpen with confidence not a good place to be right now I don't know if they have a long man a true long man which is tough Talking about starting East in Lucas maybe as early as Wednesday, which is not the plan. This is not where it was supposed to be. It's always going to get here, but that's normally in July or August because the pessimistic

side of me guys, which is a very small part, I'm normally such a sunny optimist, but the pessimistic side tells me that one more bad bounce, it's even worse. One more bad day, this can get even worse. So they need to find some depth quickly. This gets back to player development and having your own options internally. But I think we're going to start to see that churn way, way, way earlier than you want to. So Keegan, where are we at with this Max Scherzer situation?

Do you have faith that this is just a bump in the road or is this going to be maybe a foreshadowing of what's going to be for the full season? Guys, if this was just his thumb, if it was only the thumb, okay, a little more optimism. But when that thumb injury and the way the match explains it, it starts to crawl up the forearm, then you get to the elbow, then you get to the upper arm. Right now it's the shoulder, that lat muscle on the back kind of in the armpit. Can you explain just quickly how something with your thumb crawls anywhere? I need to know this.

It's like the children's song, oh dog, you know, the knee bones connected to the bone. It's interesting how this goes though guys, and hearing this from Max, because I was interested too guys, because you're more familiar with maybe a wrist or a hand injury going up the forearm and the elbow. That's a little clearer, but the way he describes this is that you start to throttle your effort level up or down based on your thumb. You might start throwing from a bit different angle and the shoulder shoulder in particular, as you're driving through the ball, maybe you're putting a little more strain on that shoulder

because you can't get that strength from the hand to be releasing it. It's complicated. It's pretty unique. Frankly, this is not a an injury or a chain of injuries that I've really looked at too much in baseball or dealt with. Pictures coming through here. But guys, the tone of this was never good that I've really looked at too much in baseball or dealt with pictures coming through here. But guys, the tone of this was never good with Max Scherzer down and done either. Like when he was talking to us the last week of camp, I was thinking, holy crap, this sounds

worrying. Then suddenly it was okay. And then suddenly it wasn't. He's saying things like I was about to put myself in imminent danger. and that's not what you want to hear. This does not sound like something that will be resolved quickly. He's got 15 days in the IL. I don't think we're seeing him 15 days from now but should know more tomorrow and really guys my main takeaway is that this is complicated and complicated is not good with a pitcher especially a 40 year old pitcher coming off multiple injuries. With Keegan Matheson and Scherzer said after the game with the media that he went up to Schneider

beforehand and gave him a warning. What does your read on that? Was he kind of sending a vibe out to Schneider like maybe you should pull me before I even go on the mound? Like what is your interpretation of why Scherzer laid the framework for what was about to happen before the game even started with Schneider? Yeah, so the way he explained it guys is that he felted a little bit in the bullpen, that lat starting to pull. You're always going to feel stuff.

If anybody knows what they can pitch through at this point, it's probably Max Scherzer, his experience. So he kind of slid by John Schneider and Pete Walker. That could not have felt good for John Schneider. I mean, you're standing in the dugout sipping your coffee and suddenly you're starting pitchers saying, listen, today might not be great. And he tried to pitch through this, they got him out what appears to be just in time before something really blew or really got dangerous, which is what Scherzer was talking about. But we saw exactly in that outing guys how quickly it can go wrong

that's the type of outing that exposes the Blue Jays bullpen depth as not being good enough because suddenly you're getting into the fourth fifth sixth inning you're trying to fill you're trying to stretch it to the back end which is a fine back end but you got to get there and again again, if you're John Schneider, you're Pete Walker, that could not have been a reassuring visit from Max Scherzer, did all he could do, but clearly very frustrated, like really frustrated, you can sense.

Yeah, and that's my concern, if I'm the blue jays, is that he may go for an MRI, which I'm sure he's had, and they'll come back and say there's nothing structural, yet he's going to control it, and there's nothing they can do about it. Like with Max Scherzer, with a guy of his status, not that you're forcing guys to play your pitch or be heard or anything like that,

but there are conversations where you feel like you can have some control. They are not gonna have an ounce of control with Max Scherzer. None. And the way he was speaking afterwards, he laid it out on the line. It's like, I'm not pitching again

until I get my thumb figured out. Who knows when that's gonna be? And if a doctor goes, I don't know how to help you, yet every time this guy grips a ball, he goes, I can feel it in my thumb. He's not gonna pitch. And if that's the case, I mean, for me, I feel like everything's on the line here

Keegan, maybe back in three weeks or a month, maybe he never pitches again. Like I don't think that that's too, that's not a crazy suggestion that this guy just isn't gonna be a part of this club all year and if that's the case then what? Like what are they gonna do to fulfill what they were hoping was 20, 25, maybe 30 starts from a future Hall of Famer? Yeah, that's exactly what I mean when I say complicated, dead on. Because if this was, listen, there's a bit of shoulder soreness, we're going to let the inflammation get out.

We have timelines, we have blueprints for that. But he's visiting a hand specialist, I believe yesterday in Pennsylvania, a great state for hand specialists, I'm told, Pennsylvania. But he's going to be back with the team here today. And if this is a simple solution, great. But that would surprise me. Because if this was simple, they would have figured it out by now. This isn't a brand new thing. He's dealt with this for multiple years and multiple organizations. Each of these organizations has an entire hospital of doctors, of specialists, of tests that they can run. So if you're not figuring it out yet,

I would be surprised if you suddenly do this time. And that's where this gets a little dangerous for the Blue Jays. You can get through one or two trips through the rotation. Easton Lucas can go out and shut down the Mets or the Nationals next time out just because they haven't seen them before. That happens, that's easy. But if you're talking about months instead of weeks, if you're starting to feel four, five, six, ten starts, that's when this rotations depth gets exposed. And that

rotation depth has not been tested for a long time fellas go back even three years Was it when Ross stripling just set stepped in and saved this rotation? There's always been one guy there to save the day That's a pretty tall task right now as they wait for a Manoa or someone else to come back midseason It can get shaky pretty quickly and that trickles over right into the bullpen you torch that bullpen once you spend the rest Of the week trying to chase it again. Pegan, what was the vibe on the weekend or throughout the first four games around Vladdy?

Interesting guys, it seems like he is hitting everything hard, shooting it the other way, playing well. The attention hasn't really been on the contract too much. I haven't heard too much talk about that here at the stadium. That's gonna change real quick in what, three days when I land in Queens and go over to the New York Mets Stadium. It's going to change in seven days when I

get to Boston and I show up to Fenway Park because you're going to see a lot of media from that side come over to the Blue Jays side and say, hey, Vlady, would you like to play here in New York? Would you like to play here in Boston, et cetera, et cetera? It's going to blow up again, I think, on the road. What you're going to see happen, I think, in terms of Toronto Canadian narrative with this is if he's going really hot or really cold. I think he's looked pretty good so far. You haven't really seen him turn on one.

It seems like he's still finding it right now. But if he gets a hot streak, if he gets a cold streak, this becomes pretty big again. Thankfully, guys, I have not woken up to any translated interviews recently where he's demanding something wild and I'm typing a lot of things into Google Translate just yet but you never know when it's going to drop and it's been quiet, almost too quiet you might say. Yeah that'll change at some point and there's you know so much focus on the arms and the pitching and the bullpen,

yet Bo Bichette's off to a great start. Him and us hitting cleanups off to a really good start. Like, do you think that that's gonna stick for the short term, long term? Is this the kind of top of the lineup that we should be expecting for the next little while? Bo, I think yes. He looks incredible, guys.

Like, he was their best looking player all camp from the day I got down to Dunedin, February 10th. Like, he looks incredible guys like he was their best-looking player all camp from the day. I got down to Dunedin February 10th like he has looked incredible and that's carried right over and man has to surprise me listen I did not expect to be covering a 161 pound DH those people usually look a little more like me in the in the cleanup spot story cleanup role him and is in that spot has been pretty shocking and It has worked if you're gonna do something bold like that it better work out a gold glove, platinum glove, second baseman, typically known for contact and speed, it's working. And their

idea there is that if Santander drives in a couple you have Jimenez there to kind of be a second leadoff man, have Kirk coming behind them, etc. etc. That could look a bit different. I love the top three of this lineup the middle three interesting enough they need something from the bottom three that needs to be Roden or Schneider or somebody they need supplemental offense that's going to be the difference between this team being average and making a legitimate post season run but I like that top three and I think Bo is going to have a monster year and I think real soon more people are gonna be talking about both and bladdy honestly I think that's gonna completely take over that's pretty cool I mean on in other news are you pretty fired up about the White Sox being two and two

over the weekend I mean where where are you gonna get they're hot right now they're gonna get they're gonna get to fifty wins sixty wins where they act do not let the chicago white sox get hot you know it's look out for them how many players can i name of the chicago white sox but maybe that's the beauty of it maybe they figured out the new money ball fellows and it's uh... the white socks it

that's a tough look at roster self-loathing season probably it's uh... you know if if they make the playoffs hopefully i don't have to go to that and the chicago i prefer to stay on the cubby side but uh... spell man and this might be their peak here march thirty one yes it might be a little bit of a little red hot march and savor it

there are dozens of fans can save for this moment while they can't enjoy it tonight Keegan J's Nationals will do it again soon thank you for this you got it fellas take care Keegan Matheson joining us here on the Maple Toyota hotline drive the built-in Canada fuel-efficient fun to drive Toyota RAV4 gas or hybrid models available visit Maple Toyota comm Keegan's a big angle guy he had to prop up his i've had or whatever he was using i return phone as he didn't want the neck angle who can i can you know i know you and i knew it i know it there that i got i got

a big face big cheeks chin you get you get it you get a phone that's down here your toast well it looks like you're not struts yeah you need the right angles, man. There's nothing wrong with that. How would Keegan look in that AI picture? Is that what he'd be concerned about too? He probably would be. He'd probably have some gripes with it too. I wouldn't be surprised. Speaking of like crazy stats, again, the Yankees hit 15 home runs over the weekend. That's on the positive side Aaron judge is mashing Rafael Devers of the Red Sox has struck out 12 times and 16 at bats 12 times and 16 at bats and

if you go back to his last four games of last season he struck out 23 times in his last 31 professional at bats well wasn't he pissed and at odds with them anyway because they brought Bregman in and they said you're gonna DH and he's like no I play third base and they're like actually you don't play third base anymore. So he's all bent out of shape, but he's he's making you got a 300 million dollar deal like the guys the guy can mash he's a great great hitter, but but that's an alarming crazy. That's where it gets your attention where what what road am I going? It's almost like a fork in the road where it's like if i don't get out of this i could be in some trouble as far as hitting dude

terrifying for pro athletes when that happens yeah like when you get every training camp i thought to myself what if i suck this year like what if i just what if i can't score or i don't score or you're just terrible like it entered my mind every training camp you got that internal fear if you start slow then you're just terrible like it entered my mind every training camp. You've got that internal fear if you start slow then you get in your own head right and then you're like gotta have a good game gotta have a good game if it doesn't go well then all of a sudden it snowballs right like

that's a tough weekend for him and he's a great player but it's still a tough weekend it's still a tough start. Absolutely right and that's the thing about like early season baseball they always say it's the worst time to look at Streaks one way or the other because if you had them in the middle of the season people wouldn't pay attention You know if you if you struggle between game 90 and 100 He'd say okay, whatever like you got stats that are already established. You're having a good year bad year Whatever, but when it's game zero through ten, that's all you have like that's all you can see on the whiteboard is like I strike out every time I'm up to bat I mean it's it's just it's crazy and he's having that kind of a start but

again that as Keegan said the the Jays after they get through this series they go through New York they play the Mets then they go through Boston they play the Red Sox and the Vlad E and Bichette stuff, that noise is going to keep percolating and we'll see what happens with Max Scherzer, but I don't think anyone's bracing for him to be back on the mound at any point in the next few weeks. I mean, it just doesn't really seem realistic at this point. My biggest fear is some guy's going to say, to fix your thumb, it's going to be four months and then the season's over.

Yeah. Yeah. I know, me too. I mean that again that's that's some. Which makes you wonder why the hell didn't you just do that and save everybody the time problem and money. He got his deal. I mean. No kidding.

He got the deal. They paid him. They wanted him. It made sense. It's Max Scherzer. If he can throw the ball he keeps saying I believe I can throw the ball. But this guy passes a physical, signs a contract. Nobody saw his thumb. He said study was aware of last year it it

hindered him last year nobody checked out the thumb and that this is going to be a big-time problem issue in our stand maybe that was a deal breaker they might have said going in like hey his thumb is a little wonky you guys still interested there has to be some form of transparency with their i i did notice when i looked him up in his salary matrix agent scott borough yet for a fact

oh yes well or snow's out of play the game and like this what's a little bit concerning to me is how much like john snyder keeps saying like he wants to be here and he wants to win and he wants to pick it up i hope so yes but why i want what what why would he why else would he be here like a obviously i hope it's because he wants to be here and he wants to win. Like why are you laying it on so thick,

you know, to make sure we don't think about the money and his status and where his hand is at and where his thumb's at. And ultimately it's just disappointing. Cause I think if you're a Blue J fan, it'd be a lot of fun to watch him pitch. Like it was cool to see him start the game the other day and now he's already on the IL and now they got to recover from that. So yeah Jays and Nationals tonight we'll get to our best bets on that later this afternoon.

Pierre Lebrun our TSN hockey insider still to come as well. There's a lot to get into from the weekend. A week today we're into Masters week as well. I'll tell you what McElroy is playing as well as anyone can play going into the Masters Right like was he top 10 this weekend? He's in the hunt. He's caught him all in woo. Why you had a tweet I laughed out loud Oh because I was I was working at calling I saw that I was like what is going on with this Dan he hit a drive into Mars into the water and I'm like it's over. That's very rare Yeah, Andy like the caddy could have said dude if you hit that driver again, I'm walking off that goal

I thought he did it the second time too So did I he put a tentative swing on it and it was he pushed it Yeah, got over the but I'm like this is going right to the underpants cam and we're it's over Yeah, he's pulled it off and he won though man that guy was 35 by Scottie Scheffler all day long he crushes a golf ball like his ball speed is like 192 one never harness it and get some game man as he can pop man that like put on 18 was brilliant he is so good he's got to be dangerous at the master I'm taking him regardless you want men with Lee I'm taking him regardless of that tweet. He want Min-Woo Lee? I'm taking him. I don't know man. He's wearing white pants. He had white lululemon pants. They would have fallen right off. Yeah, like when he, because it wasn't even close to the land. Like NBC was. They couldn't find the golf ball. They're like this guy just has to re-tee again. Yeah, it didn't touch land. No. Like it wasn't even disputable. Like you have to rete and you're hitting three, but he matches it 35 by Scotty all day

Well, the crazy thing to add to the underpants cam is that Scheffler was putting for eagle on the same green I know if that had gone in oh Man, if he hit that eagle putt minwub his pants would have disintegrated on the spot I'll tell you what there's a little guy out there, this bastard is causing this Toasty. Toasty. Oh my god. Al Toasty. This guy is pissing people off, man.

He is walking around five minutes late for fairways and going to the bathroom and he's pissing bones off. Yeah. Toasty is causing problems. Toasty is, he looks like Alejandro Kirk. Al Kirk and Al Toasty. He's about 5'4". Dude, somebody wanted to fight him on the green last year.

Another one of his playing partners. They hate this guy. It's a real issue for Toasty. Such a great handle. Toasty. It is. Alright, yeah, well, I mean, this time next week, it's go time. Where are we at? Are we getting new hoodies ladies because i still have my good if i got my

norman hoodie you're the only one that doesn't have it because i read mine i watched it directed you guys are just gonna have to wear them on behalf of the love mine cadet like i it is one of my favorite hoodies of all time it is such a great early it's it's such a great early i've got one you've got one noodles will be if you know what because i went there last year, I bought so much Masters gear

that I don't know where to wear it and when to wear it. On the show. I'm just, all next week, I'm gonna have a different item. I'm gonna wear my Masters bucket hat on the show now. Okay, good, good. Because I get you a hat, Noodles, I'll give you a Masters hat. Yep, I'll take it.

All right, there you go, the Masters hat coming up. I went in that gift shop and I blacked out. Like I blacked out and I was like, I'll take one of those, two of those, four of those. It was insane. Insane. Anyway, all right, Pierre Lebrun still to come. Leo Routon's in about an hour. Overdrive continues.

TSN 1050 and on TSN 4. All right, Pierre Lebrun coming up in half an hour. I have my list of the five series that I want to see in the first round, which I can get to at any point for you guys. And they're all realistic. None of them are guaranteed. A couple of them feel very, very likely, but there could be different variations. Why don't you fire them at us?

Yeah. You want to just get to them right now? These are the five series I want to see right now because what are we three weeks out about three weeks out from go time Right now. I'm glad not even it's less than three weeks Okay, I'll give you what I got. He was ready ready buckle up. These are the five series I want to see I want number five first number five is the Winnipeg Jets first the st. Louis Blues I Want to see that desperately. You might think that should be higher on the list and you can make a

case for it because this is the definition. You don't think the Winnipeg Jets will handle business quite... Not anymore I don't. Not anymore I don't. This is a classic example of the team that has been red hot all year. Best team from pillar to post up against the team that has been red hot all year, best team from pillar to post up against the team that is red hot down the stretch. Hottest team in the league from game one through 82 likely Winnipeg. Hottest game, hottest team in the league from game 65 to 82. Looks like it's St. Louis. And like that's kind of what I think we're going towards. And then you got Hellebuck-Binnington. We saw them at the Four Nations like Hellebuck-Binnington only it's flipped Hellebuck's

playing for Canada Binnington's playing for the states you can't beat I'm dying it could be Minnesota Winnipeg Winnipeg winning yesterday was big because Dallas is right on their heels but it feels like the Jets are gonna get there with that one seed but I want to see Winnipe louis in the first round yeah i mean that i think that would be a good it'd be it i don't see any washing through of any like i don't i don't see a sweep on anything that's laid out right now i could be wrong

but i i i just i think it would be a of a really hard fought series st louis is a good team i think when it is a fantastic team I would pick Winnipeg to win it but I don't I it's not a hands-down Like I don't that's not a hey Winnipeg and for and it was two weeks ago though, right? It felt that way it was like give me st. Louis Let them limp down and somehow grab that last spot and we will destroy them. Now it's a very different complexion. I think we all looked at it though guys, St. Louis for me was out of the picture so it's

like okay it's going to be Calgary, it's going to be Vancouver's banged up. The fact that St. Louis is on a heater right now, now you can't look past it. You can't go okay this is just a two week span. Like nine games in a row is serious and we're talking 17-2 and 2 or whatever in their last you know 21 so that's pretty impressive so they I don't think it's a rollover I still would pick Winnipeg I probably would too but we'll see where we're at in a couple of weeks and it's a divisional rivalry too right like these two teams know each other really well there's a lot of history there So Jets blues at five number four. I got the Habs against the Caps

Montreal versus Washington there is history here of Ovechkin remember PK Sue been in the Habs back in the day same thing I think was a 1-8 or a 2-7 and the Habs stunned them I think Washington's limping here man. They're starting to give up a lot of goals. They've lost a few in a row They gave up eight against Buffalo yesterday I think Washington's limping here, man. They're starting to give up a lot of goals. They've lost a few in a row. They gave up eight against Buffalo yesterday. And the Habs, not guaranteed to get in. Could be the Rangers, could be Pierre Engvall

and the Islanders, it could be any of these teams. But I wanna see Montreal. Like I wanna see them get in. I wanna see that market. And I wanna see Ovechkin at the Bell Center and the playoffs. I don't think you could ask anything better than that, man. That's a sneaky good one. I think it'd be a great series. Yeah, you're right. What is what is we've been talking about wash all

year about how good they are, how many games they win and night after night, but they're starting to leak oil much like St. Louis is on the other trajectory. The Caps are starting to leak a little bit of oil. For some some reason, nobody gives them a ton of credit come playoff time. Everyone's like, unbelievable team, but watch out, they might get dumb in the playoffs. I don't know why that is, but could happen. Well, recent history. I think people look at... Yeah, I think that's what it is. People look at those teams... Yeah, they won the...

Washington's won a cup, but not a lot of that team won a cup. It was OV and who else? Carlson. Who else has won a cup on that team? Like the current Washington Cavalry team. Well, Wilson. Yeah, it's Ol' Badgekid and Wilson. Yeah, Tommy Wilson.

And Carlson were the guys that were there. Yeah. Right? In 2018. Right. So it's a turnover of a team. So you're not going, okay, this team, this isn't Tampa where a lot of the spine is still there from winning or Florida.

Like this is far removed and the team is at a retool. So these guys still have to prove it. I talk about goaltending all the time. You look at Lindgren and you look at Thompson, they both have four career starts each in the playoffs. So unproven still until you have to do it. Absolutely. So a lot different the way I look at it. I still until you have to do it. Absolutely. A lot different the way I look at it.

I think that would be just for Montreal. I want Montreal and over New York or the Islanders like step aside Rangers you you had your chance not as compelling to me for me at the up the upstart Montreal Canadians the way they're battling they're fighting for it Suzuki's been great been a really big game player was unreal yesterday. I want to I want to see the Hab. I want to see the Habs, I want to see the Habs play the Cavs. Number three, I got Stars-Avs. This feels like a lock now, like it feels like this is the direction we're going in. These are just two powerhouse teams within the division. They play a different style of game.

I feel like this would be as difficult to predict a winner as you could possibly have in the first round these are two cup contending to you as yet at least cup contending top-tier teams that have to face each other in the first round and and one of them has to go home and you're right like dallas is a serious serious team yep and colorado is a serious serious to the both deep.

They both got not a lot of weaknesses to their team whatsoever, but one of them is gonna have to go home. You're right. Absolutely. Like that's a heavy duty battle. Big time, big time. All right, Dallas, Colorado at three.

Number two, and I said this an hour ago, give me the battle of Florida. Give me Panthers lightning in the first round. I think it's way more compelling than Leafs Panthers Leafs lightning any other combination. I mean these this is what Jerry talks about all the time I've already used a bad this I think it would be an absolute brawl Tampa is is the st. Louis of the East right now like they are red hot They're rolling Kuturov's up there at the Art Ross now

He's tied McKinnon right like Kucherov is is doing it again there there are additions at the trade deadline have fitted beautifully down there Hagels having a unbelievable year like just top the bottom McDonough he played a thousand games over the we see they had his kid out there skating around and on the blue line for the Anthems I thought that was a really cool touch that Gensels 40 goes everything Everything man. Tampa's red hot and like you said, Kachuk is skating, you know he's coming out to play.

And Marchand made his debut and he's already making an impact. Overtime assist. Right on a platter for Bennett. The Sam Bennett. The Sam Bennett, the two of them celebrating the corner. I just, I think from a hockey perspective, putting biases aside,

I don't think you could ask for much better than Panthers lightning in the first round like you just you need it at number two Which sets up number one? Battle of Ontario has to happen now and I will hold the Maple Leafs personally responsible if it doesn't because Ottawa has pulled their weight They're in they're in and they're the number one wild card. Like they are playing whoever wins the Atlantic Division, which is pretty incredible. You're going to have four teams from the Atlantic Division playing each other in the first round. But Ottawa is there. Montreal is not catching them. Like the Rangers, none of them are going to catch them. It's set right up.

It's set right there. Ottawa is there. The Leafs have a three-point buffer with eight games to go, nine games to go. You just got to pull your weight here at Toronto and get home and then give us the battle of Ontario. And I think both markets deserve it. Of course, listen, Ottawa's played well, they're built well, they don't have the history of the battle of Ontario in the past, they don't care about Alfie and Chris Neil and Wade Redden and like that kind of stuff doesn't apply here and they play the Leafs very well

They've they've always played them. Well multiple times this year Ottawa has been definitively better than Toronto in Toronto In Toronto, I think they want a Saturday night and three nothing earlier in the year I don't walk and cause anybody problem absolutely whoever they play that that is closely get a G's playoff all mark they can cause anyone problem absolutely you're right like this there's a lot of factors that go with this to those we might have to take you off the show for the battle of on and that it'll be it'll be dice now we need we need balance on this program we need we've already inside have you ever felt like i'm not balanced i'd like to

think you're a little bit i think i think i would like to see the will come to blows we have a lot of what's through like just the sense and who's favored and who played better i think it'd be great i think i wanted so bad like i don't i just i look at the facts i don't look at you know i'm not the i'm not cheering i'm just looking at the facts like i not either man we're not even though i don't know if you know there's not sharing on your

guys's side. You have to admit that. But I think it would be awesome and it'll be Ottawa's first kick at the can. And that was the difference. I would say that's where I would lean towards Toronto a little bit. A lot of those guys have been there, done that. But that being said, there's a reason why Steve Stahels brought in David Perrone, Michael Amadio, Nick Jensen, guys who have played and played in the playoffs, Nick Cousins.

Now, you know, Cousins have been banged up, but you know, I look at it like there is a lot of inexperience on Ottawa's roster, but they brought in veteran guys who have experience. So, same type of thing. But you know, ultimately, I think it would be a great series it would be Good for the game and that's what we look we we start out of this well exactly and listen the Leafs are playing somewhat of a ropa dove style in terms of like I feel like they are they have quote-unquote playoff performers, which Is you know there's it's an intangible that you can't really define you can't put a number on it But Scott lot and I think is going to be better come playoff time

I think you bring in Brandon Carlo who's that fight the other night man. He held his own That's a tough kid that showed up and fought him and he stepped in and he fought I think he's he's he's played very well for this team Chris Tanneff being here for this playoff run Chris Tanev being here for this playoff run. Steven Lorenz with a cup ring on the fourth line. Like they have the ingredients, the bottom six, the numbers don't scream, you know, overwhelming success or overwhelming possession or whatever.

But do they have some bite? Are they a team that gets pushed around anymore? No, I don't think that's their reputation. Like I think the reputation the Maple Leafs now is that they're a serious veteran team that's trying to gear up for the playoffs they got to change their own reputation it's on them to go out there and actually do it. That's just it, their own reputation because they've got between one of the two guys back there you would like to think that there's going to be a guy back there to make a save but it's the same thing in a game

seven or a game five or six. Can they get a William Nylander or a Tavares or an Austin Matthews goal, whether it be in the third period or an overtime that just gets them over the hump? Because that's what they've been... Five years in a row, MJ's come on the show, said they were a goal away, they can't find a way to score a goal. And that's what we're talking about here all the things were breaking down we're talking about a goal here and a goal

there that they have just fallen short of each and every series a lot of factors come in and ultimately regardless with the Toronto Maple Leafs they got to worry about who they play regardless if it's Tampa Florida or Ottawa they got to worry about their game and what they're capable of you know what I'd love to see them do Jamie that I've never seen because they've only won one like you can spank a team in the first round you know what I mean regardless of who it is like you could you could spank a team instead of going to seven games well loud or get off to a good start at a minimum yes you know like take win the first two games at

home like just win them. And then you go into Ottawa or wherever it is and say, let's get a split here and you're in the driver's seat. Now that will not make anyone comfortable because they did do that against Montreal in 21. They won the first two games, they split in Montreal, they're up three one and the rest was history. But they are allowed to do that.

Nothing in their history would suggest they will do that that's not generally how they operate usually it's a yo-yo and they you know they win one then they lose one win one lose one it goes back and forth back and forth or they're down 3-1 and they storm back and push 7 which they've done against Boston multiple times in the past but yeah those those are the five series I'm dying to see again a lot of them are likely maybe all five but there's also know, still a lot of variables in play. The Habs got to get in, the Blues may pass Minnesota, the Leafs may not win the It was them and Minnesota had a great start to their season. And they've been doing it though. Like keep in mind, like Kaprizov has been out a serious amount of time.

And now they're getting healthy, but there's a stat out there, it's a goalie stat, but that goaltender has stolen more games than any goalie in the league. Augustavson. So, the way the team's teams built the way the teams played. Keep in mind they're still in what is that buyout hell. How would you even term that where they've got cap space just dead caps. Yes. Souter and Torizzi like they've they've put together a hell of a team considering

they've had one arm tied behind their back cap. Purge. I think it's called cap. Purgatory. And they got kids coming to man like they they got that uh... one kidding cause you be you i think he is a defense when they have ideas called cap for its now that's a great one that's not the size of what it is it's exactly that's a cap or not sorry i think you can't get your here somebody now that was he got he found that

purgatory meant something that was really bad guys perfect it's it's the perfect actually the perfect usage word yes of purgatory yeah but yeah we'll see I mean we got to get to the finish line but more on this with pure LeBron in 20 minutes we should touch on the least power play continuously start like it's running man it is humming since November 1st I think it's the hottest power play in the league and it's overall ranked number four You like it going into playoffs against a real quality team? Yeah, I think yeah, I Why wouldn't you I mean it's there's no reason why on the power play these guys can't be comfortable

It never made sense in the past Five on five when the I when it's tight and it's it's contested and it's congested and you've got to get to the middle of the ice, that's one thing. Something I just don't know about it going into a playoff series. Is it because Marner's on the point? Like, that's what you mean by it or because of their history? If your penalty killers are Bennett and Barkov every time and you're getting a steady dose of those guys, I think they're going to make you pay sooner or later.

Obviously that's a risk when you're putting five forwards out and that's not the way to look at it going into a series you're obviously thinking of it as a strength you're saying on the other way in a shorthanded like give a lot of give a shorties because of it I don't know there's something about it against the real quality team that I don't like yeah I agree with you on that point the one thing I noticed over the weekend like we can get into it like this is kind of the dog days for the season, guys are trying to ramp it up. That Anaheim game was a no-hitter.

Like there was, I didn't like- Not a lot going on. Yeah, not a lot going on. Like a lot of these games are like, you know, I'm in the stands all the time and I'm like, it's all just tick, tick, tick, like it's stick check, stick check, tick check. Like, you know, I think guys want to be healthy you know it's scheduling all of that but it's just the playoffs are so much more it's going to be very different complex on exactly absolutely and that is what will be important leaves to instigate that

physicality don't wait to see if the other teams going to do it you go out there and put your foot down first uh... right here the brunner come here runs in our best bets overdrive continues he has sent and fifty and on tsn four i was sent out brother out into the world with another pair of leave tickets you have the guess where is hiding for your chance to win them here is the

first clue of the week courtesy of al's brother albert and happy monday to you it's a new week which means they got a new set of clues to help get you a pair of leaves tickets for Leafs and Canadians on April 12th. Here is your first clue of the week. There is a specific sidewalk in this part of Toronto that I'll be at all week long that honors former NHLers, Phyllis Pezzito and Roberto Luongo. All right. Tune in tomorrow for another clue.

The first caller threw on Friday with the correct location wins a pair of tickets to see Leafs Habs April 12th. That's a big one. By Now's Brother brought to you by McAlpine Ford in Aurora. Our family, the Ford family and you. Can I guess where he is? Sure, I have no idea where he is. The Hall of Fame. Is it?

I don't know. Haven't we done the Hall of Fame? Hasn't he been at the Hall of Fame before? The Esposito and the LaBerta, the Luongo? Like, where all, like, nah, I know. I think that's too obvious, man. I think it's too obvious. I think we did a Hall of Fame already. I'm thinking Italian. Something, you know, where there's an Italian street or something, right?

Yeah. Somewhere with the sidewalk though. Because Esposito and the Luongo. Little Italy? It could be, but what's with the sidewalk thing? I don't know. Like, do they have something going on down college that I'm unaware of, or what? I don't know.

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I think it's Esposito and L'Oreal. Italy? It could be, but what's with the sidewalk thing? I don't know. Like do they have something going on down college that I'm unaware of or what?

I don't know. Could it be maybe Woodbridge or something like that? I'm not sure. All right, final hour coming up. Pierre Lebrun will join us. Our TSN hockey insider Leo Routen is coming up. Something to chew on brought to you by Boston Pizza as well. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on TSN 2.

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