OverDrive - OverDrive - May 1, 2025 - Hour 1

Episode Date: May 1, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys discuss the Maple Leafs and Senators' battle in the first round, the stars in a significant series-clinching game and the keys to success for the Maple Leafs. Former NHLer and Maple Leafs Forward Wendel Clark joins to discuss his Stanley Cup Playoffs experience, the rewind on his physicality memories and Pros Talk Prostate awareness campaign and Brayden Schenn's large hit on Mark Scheifele.

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Internet. Visit bell.ca to check availability. Bell. Internet. Just got better. This hour of Overdrive is powered by FanDuel. FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. All right, here we go. Overdrive, off and running. TSN 1050 on the tsn after homes smart speaker and up on tsn for brian haze your doctor for niel jimmy noodles mcclenin there is very business like today that is the plan that is only approach that is how we are going to lead into the game tonight

i would have taken a different approach we're going to be told i would have decided team dinner somewhere last night show up early get together have a few laughs just relax I don't know just change the routine up a little bit what about you noodles what would your expectations be here's the thing I think they have a team dinner every night in the playoffs like that's the one thing oh I'm sure you on the road you know and, I'm sure on the road, you know, and talking to teams that are on the road, they have, it's not the guys, you know, a group of guys goes to get, get together and hey, we're going to go to this Italian restaurant, we're going to choose a steakhouse. My understanding nowadays, all the meals are provided. And it's kind of like you, you create a little compound at wherever you're staying, regardless of the city. And then you guys go and game and they play cards and do all of that.

I don't think it's a lot of like, hey, we're going to head out in the town type of thing. They might set up a dinner at a restaurant, but my understanding it's pretty under wraps in tight. I'd like to see that though. I'd like to see that because yeah, I think I'm I'm guessing I mean you would know better than I would. I know the Sens were at a pretty famous establishment before game one but they had all left very early. Those were the details I was given. Look at me going TMZ. Yeah it was very serious like just a good dinner, good mood and by like nine o'clock they were out. Like there wasn't any funny business of I'll have a couple cocktails after we'll see you back at the hotel

Like everyone was let's let's do this. So Yeah, I mean, I'm always curious about the approach game one compared to a game six like there's just it's a very different vibe as a series goes on and You know that's from a fan perspective. I would think the players as well and You know you hear the the Leafs a and this is a cliche that gets thrown around a lot you know the fourth one is the most difficult one uh... yeah uh... what that is it what it is but the reason for that is because internally it changes the way you approach it

the way you're thinking of it you have something now you're supposed to do now you're you have something you have to accomplish that is different from the first three games uh... and that is really what sticks out for the maple leaves tonight in terms of my look ahead you know autowas gonna play their game we'll see you know we mentioned it yesterday there's no guarantees they have this great game or all marks exceptional they may struggle tonight maybe they're nervous in front of

their home home crowd who Who knows? But it does feel like the Maple Leaf analysis is simply between the ears and internal analysis in terms of how they feel and how they're going to approach it tonight. Yeah. I mean, they have to play hard. Well, no kidding. That should go without saying.

It's really more than that. It's not just playing hard. Even with the core four players that we continue to talk about and let's be clear if they lose tonight It's gonna be all about the core four unless something crazy happens with stole ours. It's gonna be all about them But it's it's gotten to a point now where you can't just have a good individual game You gotta have a good individual game you have a good individual game in win but you have to do building guys let's look let's take a look at and i i do agree with craig berube's comments okay it is about the team

steven lorenz is going to get parks in he's got to get parks out scotty lot in same thing is going to be good on the penalty kill is going to be going on the for check but there was two closeout games last night okay do you want to know who got on the scoreboard I'm sure everybody saw the highlights this morning Tom Wilson Alex Ovechkin Reinhardt Verhege Barkov those were the guys that got the job done last night it was like that that's a part of their team's success having those guys step up and score those goals the reason the Maple Leafs won the division the reason they win in overtime the reason they win a lot of regular season

games is because this the same guys that we are talking about usually get the job done that's what separates their team that's why their team had a quality season so it's not like we're stepping outside of our boundaries of expectations to say you're the guys that probably need to get it done it's not like we're stepping outside of our boundaries of expectations to say you're the guys that probably need to get it done. It's unfair to ask the other guys. Can't ask a guy on the fourth line to play like Auston Matthews is supposed to? Well, obviously, yeah. But what you can have Hayes is you can't have everybody say, well, these guys better do it and we don't really care because it'll just be on them. And everybody's got to do their thing but everybody's got different responsibilities those players we're mentioning are put in different positions and are set up

to have success offensively and they get they'd they'd they'd just can't find a way to execute and if they don't find a way to execute tonight and they don't get this one then they're really going to be squeezing their stick in saturday night so absolutely poison and you consider what happened you know in in the rest of the Eastern Series, you reference two of them. You know, the other one would be Carolina the night before. Every other series finished in five, which is crazy. Like, really wild when you think about it, that they all finished in five.

I thought the Leafs were going to have ten days off. It felt like that. The Leafs were the only one that was up three nothing every other series was to one like these guys might have they might literally be able to fly home for a couple days or something because they are going to have and days out and i think it out where we all just got their feet out and we always waiting on them yeah i mean also saw that i thought that was going to be a bloodbath it just it was

hard for a years, man. That's a panther team. They're going to be looking through the glass like a high school bully in the classroom to see who wants to come out for recess. That's how they're viewing the game. Yeah. That's that. I will say that like they, you know, you know, when you look at it, I don't, my, myself,

I should just point to myself, like I thought Tampa was going to win that series. How can we sleep on that Florida Panther team? Like there's a lot of people that slept on them. I don't know where you guys were in that series, but it just, there were a lot of people that picked because Tampa was on a heater down the stretch, played very, very well. You know, Florida narrative, ah, they've been banged up, not sure what's going to happen with Kachak, Ekblad, going to have to...

All they do is just, they were ready to play and they played and they were fantastic. They deserve all the flowers. They do. They deserve a ton of accolades, man, because they've been to two straight cup finals, which was another element, I think another part of the conversation was like, are they just going to run out of gas? Like how do you keep showing up and keep playing with emotion and they got the recipe elevating Yeah, they do and let's also clarify

I know we talked about this early in the week But the guy in the net helps a lot like Bobrovsky is a freak of nature come playoff time And he is now what Vasilevsky was three years ago like Vasilevsky was that it's like you're not beating that guy You were not beating him four times or it felt that way And that's what Bob has effectively done the last couple of years and it included what he just did through five games And yeah, they're listen. They're they're a great team like top the bottom. They are a great team. They're they're they've got depth They've got scoring. They've got depth, they've got scoring, they've got checking, they bully teams, they've got nasty players.

It's not like everyone's nasty. Like Barkov and Reinhardt and Verhege and Rodriguez, those guys aren't, you know, scrumbing it up and looking to drop the gloves. Seth Jones isn't like this big tough guy. Gustav Forslund just, he plays hard. He's not, it's not Scott Stevens. They've just got the ingredient They've got every type of ingredient and it it mix mixes properly

to the point where they're going they this should be An eye-opening experience to the point where whoever they play Leaves Ottawa then Carolina Washington and whoever they should be the favorite until they're knocked out Like that that should be the case whoever they play the rest of the way Florida should be the favorite in that series think about how calm they were heading into the playoffs They were reeling and Paul Maurice was like yeah, you know what? We're just like he was making up some mumbo jumbo of like we're we're kind of close We're just trying they didn't they just knew that they were gonna get bodies back,

the right bodies, and that they were just gonna play the right way. And it was just a non-negotiable thing, and it's having confidence within each other, where it's like, you bring in Brad Marshand, it's like, he knows the deal, he knows how to play, he knows what's gonna go. And that Matthew Kachuck had to take one last dig

on his way out of that rink last night, and they asked him about the rivalry, and he was like, that's not really a rivalry anymore. I was like, you son of a gun. You had to just, you had to drop that one before you put your suit on. It's not a rivalry anymore. And you know, he was great. I thought the best player on the ice was more shamed. Like he looks invigorated. Like he looks like, Hey, I've got a chance to win another cup here type of thing. He was flying. It had taken him a while to settle in there.

If you watched him this year, he didn't have that jump. He didn't have that step. Coming off of the surgeries last year, he just didn't look. Plus he's 36 years old. He's not 26 anymore. but man, he was flying last night, like he could smell it. And it happened. Comes down to what he's asked of, right?

Noodle's like, he's kind of, it's like the Phil Kessel thing, like in Boston, you're the captain, you're the man, you talk every day, people in your face, you've got a contract hanging over you, you better get past in that going, if you don't, what's your problem? He goes down to Florida, the guy's on the third line. He's just you know yeah, but there's one reporter around No one's asking him anything. He's just like I get to show up in flip-flops in a t-shirt and play hockey again It's got to be incredibly Do you know how many guys go down there and say to themselves? Why the hell have I not been doing this for six or seven years or later than I have been?

Well, I didn't have the choice in my career, but I did sign with them as a free agent. Grew my hair along, bought a Cadillac, bought a place there. I thought I was retiring there. Like that was, you get this. You took it too far probably. They're like, dude, you still got a, like you're professional.

You were living like you were retired. Still got a play, but no, I mean, my circumstances were different. We had the lockout, then Louie got into the contract squabble with Keenan and then you know I got the gate, you know after that but but ultimately like you're right the attitude you getting down there. It's just We live in it. We live in the the center of the universe when it comes to hockey, right? You know us in Montreal like that that's, there's a big population's passionate fan base. I get that. But, you know, something's different when, I remember playing for the Panthers. You know, you're, you leave the rink and it's, I can

go sit on the beach and, and, you know, I can go read a book by my pool, whatever. Like it's just different. It's a different attitude. And now that the fact that they've brought amazing players, they've set up a great program there. I've had conversations with Matthew Kuchuk talking about the practice rink now is in the Fort Lauderdale area. Like guys live around there. The rink is way off. And I've always said they built the rink in the wrong place.

It's a ways kind of like what happened in Arizona. But man, oh man, they've got an unbelievable program there. It's taken a while to get to arrive to that and obviously if you win people will want to be there. But that's the case. They've built a program there and it's a credit to Bill Zito and Greg Campbell and a lot of that. You know. It's the number one program in the league right now and prior to it it was Tampa. Like that's just the truth. Five years in a row it's been Tampa one program in the league right now. And prior to it, it was Tampa. Like that's just the truth.

Five years in a row, it's been Tampa and Florida in the cup final. Yeah, you're right. And you just, you got to give them their flowers. And like Tampa's had success for a long time. They won a cup in 04. Florida, though, went, you know, 15, 16, 17 years where they just were kind of a non-factor. Like didn't really make the playoffs. But you had to get the right people in there to implement the right players

who can marry the two were yes the off the ice stuff is very luxurious and great but when they get to the right they realize i like you might as well be in saskatoon and i'm gonna i sometimes i feel like i might be blown this out of proportion but bringing in matthew kachak is such a massive game changer just by the way everybody thinks, walks, talks, wins.

That attitude. I'm telling you, like bringing in that guy, like just look at the team before that. I think they won the president's trophy and they might have got bounced in the first round or second round. I don't know what happened, but it didn't go well and they made that switch. You just bring in a guy like that, it's, I don't know, it's massive. You're 100% right. Think about it. Like Jonathan Hubertow, when he got traded, had 115 points.

That was a very comfortable setting down there. He was top five in hard voting. He was a, like that team was fantastic, but you could tell, like you just said, it was a, something's different. Matthew Kachuck brings an attitude. He's got an attitude. And it's infectious because he's a big personality. Thing is, he's not a mouthpiece and doesn't back it up. He's a hell of a player.

Now, he's different than his brother. They're very uniquely different, like the way that they play. But they both play for keeps. And that's the difference where you've got a matthew kichuck who drags people into a war like he he did it in calgary they had that zac cassian chasing them around and you know he drags people into the fight yep and and the year before where they didn't win remember he was playing but he had like a broken sternum or something that came out after the cup

final against Vegas yeah he just he had nothing left broken sternum or something that came out after the final against Vegas. He had nothing left. He was pounded into dust. But you know, that's, it's an interesting point. Oh, that, that trade was your TSN turning point of that, of them turning the corner to becoming what, what, what, oh, what Hayes was talking about a dynasty or whatever. Yeah. Well, that's what they're, I mean, listen, they probably got to knock in one more Stanley Cup final or a cup, definitely a cup. I mean, you can't walk away with only one and be in dynasty mode, but that's what's

waiting. That's what's waiting for either the Leafs or the Sens, and that Matthew Kachuk role, like you said, drags them into the fight. That's always a question with the Maple Leafs. Who will be responsible for dragging them into the fight always a question with the maple leaves like who will be responsible for dragging them into the fight because they don't have guys are wired that way you know if they do they're just not capable of playing the way he plays

you know max domy i'm sure would love to drag them into the fight max can't do it you can't play at the same level there's two elements to being dragged into the fight haze in if you think you're gonna see mitch marner grab somebody and start ragdoll around out of a scrum that's not gonna happen but the other element that matthew kichak brings is he scores scores in overtime

he scores on the power play he takes two months off in the first game back he rips home two goals like his part of his being dragged into a fight is he gets the job done and performs. Yeah, he's a point producer. Yeah, he gets it done when it counts. It's not just about punching guys in the face and making comments and getting under the skin of other players. He also performs at a very high level.

He's a very good player. Under pressure makes plays, makes skill plays on the power play. So that's a part of him being involved in the fight he gets the job done that's it and you know I don't think you can overstate the the magnitude of this game for certain players and we all know who they are and we don't have to continuously name them but it's as big as it gets in terms of you finally proving you have that dog in you. You are going to show up and say, look out.

We've been yelling and screaming about that for a long time. A long time. A lot of times it's after the series you look back and say, now that I think about it, man, that just never happened. There was never a wave of attack. There was never an attitude change where all of a sudden it just got crazier and crazier and crazier and you were a bull in a china shop again with different forms of that that doesn't mean punch in the face doesn't mean throwing massive open ice hits it means

you have the ability to take over the game we talked about the guys in Edmonton all the time McDavid's not like Kachuk dry settles not like Kachuk like that's not how they operate they're not like Tom Wilson but those guys put their stamp on games and that's what has to happen Tonight is it's the biggest game of their career. It's the biggest game of You know the the core for era in terms of whatever is gonna happen in the future because you got it You got to salvage this opportunity and they're saying the right things and the cliches are out But Florida's waiting for you and that's not gonna be easy

That's gonna be incredibly difficult and you're gonna need everything you can get and everything you have To beat them and you push it to Saturday night all bets are off And ask for tonight, you know in terms of lineup changes No one knew was going in but he is putting Berube is putting Max Patcher ready With Tavares and Nylander and I am very surprised. I'll just be blunt. I'm very surprised. Oh my. I didn't think he was moving around to. He was. He was not like you saw it on the screen.

I saw it in person. He has a difficult time motoring around the eggs. He's just he's not young anymore. He's had a lot of really gruesome injuries that he's had to overcome. Patch already has had a difficult time Getting in on the four Chuck sure he'll throw some hits, but they're a half second late well, you get registered for the hit but the pucks gone and This is a this has been something that Barube's been trying to deal with all year

I told you yeah, I mean you guys saw it the other night He went through Holmberg into McMahon into Domi into yarn croak on that that line this is the fifth player playing with Tavares and Nylander in two periods well two and a half periods my only reaction to that is I just don't think home burgs a top six period like I've never have he's not I was amazed let me just you guys it's amazing amazing when guys stay there when the other two produce But like but but they need somebody to win a physical battle to get them the puck Tavares isn't a burner and

Nylander doesn't want like he's just not a physical guy. He got 18 hits all year like that's he just he's not He hit the pathway for me. William Nylander is to get the puck, be strong on it. I'm not saying he's not incredibly strong on the puck and he lifts sticks and he's really sneaky and he wants to stretch the play. He's an elite player when it comes to going that way. But winning those 50-50 battles, that's not his forte. His forte is get me the puck and I'll do something with it. I think what Chief is thinking is have a heavier body to try and win those 50-50 battles and get those guys the puck. And again, you can get great points.

Getting there is very important. But I look at David Perron, he's not a burner. I look at Claude Giroux, he's not a burner. But they're older, cagey veterans who have in this series at different points won battles when it mattered and And maybe that's the look that they're looking for. That's just my and I would assume so I will say I think this is an indictment on the play of Bobby McMahon first and foremost Yeah, because I think he had an incredible opportunity to to supplant himself there be there stay there and be a top six guy, and it doesn't seem like

that's an option anymore. There's a loss of trust there, clearly. Yeah, clearly, and honestly, I don't blame Barube for that because he really hasn't done much. There hasn't been much Bobby McMahon activity, really, in quite some time. He did score 20 goals, he had a 20-goal season, but it is something

that really sticks off the page. And I don't know if it's a desperation play. I don't know if it's a relying on a veteran play from Barube. I've got to put someone who's been there and done that. And I need these other two guys to possibly carry Patcheretti in a way. And that should be expected. Willie's got to have a way better night, man. Like Dean Lander's game the other night was just nowhere close to acceptable. He's got to be way better. He will.

I think there's guys that will get challenged. The thing is, again, it comes back to you, you've got to fight through what's there. Ottawa, five on five, is not going to give you a lot. So you're going to have to create something out of nothing. You're going to have to get to middle ice. You're going to have to make things difficult. Now you're at game six where both teams are starting, they know what to expect, what Ottawa is going to throw at Toronto, vice versa.

What you need is the separator or separator play. Early on we saw that, you know, Matthews threads the needle to Marner for a break where there's a goal, you know, a little play here or there. But it might come back to just either goaltending like you always talk about Hayes. And secondly, special teams, special teams have caught up. Like that's the, you know, early on it was the Leafs just destroying Ottawa on special teams have caught up like that's the you know early on it was the the Leafs just destroying Ottawa it's a special teams well but now if you look at the stats going into it it's darn near even the Leafs have a slight edge on the power play and penalty kill because they had such a great start but it's darn near even as far as percentages shots on goal are almost

the exact same you look at it goals against and goals for almost the exact same. You look at it, goals against and goals for are almost the exact same. Like it's really close. So as you guys are talking about, what are the separators? It's a special play. It's a special player. It's a goaltender. It's something. That's what, you know, who's going to be the separator tonight? That's the way I look at it. That we'll see. And I mean, we all know who it should be, but it's on them to go and do it. It's that simple I mean, this is their best players have got to be the best players on the ice tonight There's there's no other way to sugarcoat it. There's no other way to explain it There's no excuse for anything but in the best effort you've ever seen out of these guys in the playoffs tonight

Wendell Clark will join us this hour. We'll get Wendell's thoughts on the game tonight What does he expect to see out of the maple leaves and when all did play in the battle of ontario last year in the league was there in two thousand thank you jumped on the ice first after steve thomas scored that o t winner that's the one a lot there which is great so he's got some battle of ontario experience themselves will catch up with wendell and uh... we're getting more work we're moving and chugging towards game six tonight.

We've got other games in the Stanley cup playoffs, the NBA playoffs. There's crazy stuff coming out of the Lakers, man. Nico Fergie, Jr. He took a turn in the right direction today, man. It can either confirm or deny that he's smoking his best cigar, best bottle of red. And you know what comment made him crack open the nicest bottle of wine he has? When JJ Reddick came out and said, we have to get in better shape. We have some players that are fit and some players that are not fit.

It was like, Nico probably, that was Brazzers for him. Oh, dude. He loved it. Very, very funers for him oh he loved it it's very you're right though a hundred percent but all the guy has to do all they have to do is get the guy in the gym and you've got a you know an unbelievable player for ten years try it though like Dallas Trident that's the thing like Nico Harrison you don't think we were trying to get this guy to show up in the gym like everyone knows

who Reddick's talking about. He's going to have to come out to Lawrence. Of course not. He's going to come out. I guarantee you I wouldn't be shocked if he revisits that. Just to clarify, I want to point out, I wasn't talking about Luca. I wasn't talking about him. He may pull the Sheldon Keefe circle back. Right after. I would say, you are not leaving LeBron's side from now until the start of next season. Yeah, get in the gym and work out man.

Yeah, because LeBron will be in there next week at 41 years old. Yes, he will. All right, so we'll get into that and how people are reacting to the Minnesota Timberwolves knocking out the Lakers in five games. More of that still to come.rive continues to use and ten fifty animal it yes i know powered by fando bringing you everything from the opening line of the final score can't keep it

perfected further but i don't know if you'd like to call it on its to do with the if you do in the panel tonight uh... but this is not just a couple and i noticed that i'm really far away before i was too close now i'm too far away now it's yeah we need something a little bit more centered it looks like i'm looking through the reverse so you know all of our own against that it's not the uh... it's all good it's all good technical difficulties technical difficulties by wendell Clark will join us here in a moment You guys see the heart nominees were announced today

Leandra I settle Connor Hellebuck Nikita Kucherov. Those are your three up for the heart. You know what I found weird is usually Aren't the Ted Lindsey in the heart don't they usually like mirror each other more? Yes Definitely and the Lindsey was Kucherov McCarr and mccarr yeah Yeah, I mean, but Lindsey Ted Lindsey is is voted by the players right the the media Vote for the heart like I think I told you I was in that that process and those three I think were my top three I'll have to double check and I'll double check right now. Yeah, that's what I figured

I thought yeah McKinnon was in the mix at times and you know a couple of other players clearly But I think oh you bring up a good point. Generally it is it is closer than this There might be one player that's in or one player that's out. I think usually like the There might be one player that's in or one player that's out. I think usually like the The guy that won the Ted Lindsey it was almost I think for a bunch of years It was almost like a slam dunk that they were gonna win the heart trophy. I remember correctly Yeah, a lot of care a lot of connection there for sure And if that's the case, I guess it has to be Nikita Kucherov because he's the only one nominated for both Which is a real testament

clearly how he plays but also how the rest of the league looks at him as a player it's funny you say it because we're going to talk about that uh... jones is on today correct so we owe jones an apology uh... because Vasilevsky didn't play well but here i was going to bring up a stat for you Nikita Kucherov has zero goals in his last 15 playoff game crazy man and I didn't play very well in this series he had that all kind of one game

it was game three where he had some assists or whatever but he was looking pissy his body language wasn't yeah and he flat-out wasn't getting it done like there was there was numerous tweets every Tampa Bay game where somebody would say what the hell is Kuturov doing? Which is bizarre. Very rare. But, you know, just quickly, like somebody sent it to me that Nikita Kuturov has failed

to score a playoff goal in all three of his Art Ross trophy winning seasons as well. Wow. And then has gone 15 games without a playoff goal. So pretty interesting. Yeah, that's pretty staggering, man. And then has gone 15 games without a playoff goal. So Man well from a guy who won, you know Art won the Art Ross is up for the heart, but it comes back to regardless of all the conversations we have You don't win if you top players aren't contributing. That's the bottom line Vasilevsky didn't contribute to a win in this series Kucherov didn't win. And now you're hearing

rumblings like, well, maybe John Cooper. I'm like, like, I don't know if that's coaching. And like, I think that's just you're coming up against a team like that's Winnipeg Jets in the 80s playing the Oilers. Like, that's the way I look at it is, you know, the Winnipeg Jets are just on the wrong side of playing a damn good team as well. Well, you take a couple of picks off. Well, you already had your wins. Yeah, you got your wins. You went to the cup final three times. And then you take two ticks off McDonough, maybe a tick and a half off a headman.

Yeah. Braden points got mileage on him. Kuturov, like he's still an unbelievable player, but there's a tick off him. He didn't get it done performance-wise. And if you just put all of them together, And I know they tried to kind of bring gourd back and there's the mileage I don't know a strand was hurt Yeah, I mean you got a lot of the same characters and there's been a lot of good players that have left But you just try to recreate that magic

I don't know like now's the time if they were gonna reshape that and do something different it might be now You know what I mean? Instead you might have to, if you want to be the Pittsburgh Penguins in three years, go ahead. But now would be, like, your performance is proof. Like, they're not winning series right now. Well, yeah, but they're going up against the team that won the cup. That's the thing.

It's not that, like, they could go deeper into the playoffs if it's, you know, I see what you're saying, but you go you did already tick off you moved on Stamkos, maybe you move on one other player from the core You know what I mean? Oh like but I don't think you move because a lot of those guys are still like so relish late 20s, you know, Nick Paul is there like they still have young good players You got to try to reshape it a little bit Jamie because guess what? You might who play in the first round next year it might be the fourth of the whole thing again and three years ago they got knocked out of the leaves

you know that though they've lost three years in a row uh... by we get the battle of ontario game six tonight we got a guy in the line that has played in the battle of ontario a guy who's down legends role he was in the rink the other night it was great to see him kicking around and here he is, one of our favorites, Wendell Clark joining us here on Overdrive. How you doing, Wendell? Hi guys, doing good. So what are we expecting tonight?

Well, I think it's fun time. We've turned it into a series. So Ottawa's come and pushed hard. They don't want to lose. And so it's up to us to go and grab it and it's actually for they won't know what they're in the middle of the battle But this is this is a good test When you get through they they've they've had a test and that's a good sign for the next rounds We just have to prove and get through it. Yeah well exactly they got to get over this hill and you know everyone talks about elevating your game in the playoffs and You were clearly a guy that was that was famous for that one. I'm curious you know how you did that how do you how

did you recognize a I have to elevate and B this is how I'm gonna go about elevating my game? I don't know I think everybody does it depending on everybody's different in their in their mindsets I just probably just tried to simplify everything all I can do is go out there and throw everything i can add it and if it's good enough great and if it's not good enough there's nothing more i can throw at it that's pretty much how we in simple terms do it

uh... i always love playoffs because you're uh... as i tell people is no better job in the world of the left winger playing in the nhl in the playoffs i get to work 18 minutes every 48 hours. I like that. That's a good approach. Dougie had a tougher job. He worked 30. Right, exactly.

So, Wendell, so playoff hockey is so different from the regular season. Is there something, when you look at it, for example, a skilled player, the playoffs, the level gets to another height of intensity. People always say you've got to step out of your comfort zone, but you still have to bring that skill play. Did you find when you played with skilled players, did they go looking for something different or is it just maximizing what you have? I think you've got to maximize with what you've got and really in a series you're playing against the same checking guys every night that are going to be pretty good.

There are both teams that are in the playoffs and every team takes away the middle. If you take away the middle in your own end, they don't score. If you can't get to the middle, you can't score on the other end. The biggest thing to score goals is you've got to sometimes less fancy and just throw it on net. You look at all the game winning goals and then bounces and seeing eyes stuff from long shots and really the farther you go in the playoffs, the more simple the game gets. And that's really, I think we were doing that well in the first period of the last game.

And then by the second period I think a power play we were throwing it around the outside a little too much and not getting just get the puck on net It's simple simple and that's you watch all those teams that have won it they get simpler Come playoff time because you never know what that goal What bounce causes the goal? Because it both teams are playing well. Clarkie, I mean you loved running guys over. I think we play some of your hits behind the net over and over and once a month it pops up. Like regardless of your skill level, don't you think

like some kind of massive hit in the first period can be a tone setter? I know they're not known as being the most physical team, but any type of like big body check just to get everybody cooking and on the same page is a massive thing. known as being the most physical team but any type of like big body check just to just to get everybody cooking and on the same pages is a massive thing. No I think it's an energy, Nice has the body that can do that and maybe even any of the other guys that don't normally do it really gets the team going. The Washington game I think you've seen the big guy in Washington, the start of the game, made Montreal look.

They were throwing the puck away because he was finishing his checks. That really gets your team going. You never know what happens when people start throwing the puck away in times they don't want to. Physical play is playoff hockey. That's why it's up the middle or finishing on the boards and there's always a little extra hit or you sit on the guy 10 seconds longer because you know it's not a penalty. Right.

That's the beauty of it, right? The kind of the gamesmanship with the refs where that is one thing. I guess you never really know though how quick the whistle is gonna come out sometimes I mean when they change the ref, you know back when you're playing I guess was there still I think there was only one ref out there but one rep I think you preferred it because you actually and The guys will know you look at the piece of paper and you see the name of the ref and you knew the type Of game was gonna be just by that personality of that ref because you're and every ref had his his way

of doing it now you're in the two ref system it's a little a little different on either end of the ice maybe some nights but they try to be the same but but really come playoff time they they're going to let the the players settle it um as long as it's uh pretty close to it in the rules but it's uh it's some hard hockey as the first first round always as you look at all the series is some of the hits and some of the antics and things and that's that's the the fun stuff in it kind of settles down a little bit after the first round but that first round everybody is uh... all in with wendell clark you you reference tom wilson and and that have series where he

and josh anderson game three ended up in the bench. Have you ever experienced anything like that? Where you drag someone in or you get dragged into the bench? Let me guess yes? No I'll say what happened and it ruined it for the rest of my career because I had to fight him all the time. My first two fights in the NHL were Marty McSorley. So that and the first fight ever was in Edmonton and his gate happened to open. So I fall on top of Marty. It's not like I won the fight. I just said the gate opened. I fall on top of Marty in his bench was in front of his buddies. So that pretty much set the tone for another 15 years. Because just because he's the league tough guy and I'm some 18 year old and

and just by fate the door opened and I you know in the fight and hockey if you end up on top all you want. That's kind of how it was but and then we had we had experiences the rest of my career probably because of that he was the league tough guy at that time. That's incredible. I don't remember ever seeing that video or hearing about that. Well, there are not many TV games and exhibition in September in the 80s. That's very valid. I don't remember full panels for those type of games. I just remember having a front row seat to you fighting Marty in LA the one night when

we were with the Allenders. They had handed us a pretty good beating that night. I think it was 8-3, but you fought him maybe once or twice. There's two of the greatest fights I've ever witnessed. Yeah, that was twice that night because it was the first start of the game and he kicked my butt in front of the net and then we are losing really bad in the third and I skated right at right out my said we're having another one and And so but yeah, no Marty and I battled and usually being a you know Left-winger that finishes checks if you're playing against the right D That that's a rivalry. You'll have your whole career. Bob Roush was another guy started in Minnesota

Just just because you're you're battling all the time where the puck goes in. Absolutely. With Wendell Clark ahead of Game 6 tonight. Now, at the end of your career, Wendell, you were a part of the inaugural Battle of Ontario back in 2000. Do you remember that vividly? Did you think it would reach this point 25 years later where it you know it it holds you know such a steam especially relief fans you know i think it's great to do that the both teams are in the playoffs

tronel and auto i think it's great for rivalry the rivalry start because the teams playing each other in the playoffs a lot and and then there gets to be a hatred between cities and fans and the team did and that's what makes the the the hockey fun so yeah i was for you was at the start of that, that might've been my last goal ever in a playoff game, game four,

or the game four that we won, or the one, the fourth game there in Ottawa. I can't remember what one that was, but yeah, no, I was just a peace player signing at the end of my career and the guys, Cabe, I think was a rookie and Nicky Anthropoff and those guys were just starting out and a great group of young guys and they had a great run against Ottawa.

Four times in a row in the play out there and Ottawa had great teams and we at the Toronto always found a way to upset them. The rivalries are always good. They're the fun ones there. It's the fans that give the players energy. They're the fun ones to be in. With Wendell Clark and Wendell we've had you on a bunch in the past to speak of this and the Vardis and Pros Talk Prostate this partnership in collaboration with other NHL players aims to raise awareness about prostate

health and encourage Canadians to seek necessary checkups and information. Wendell you've been a part of this clearly it's something important to you take us through this why you get involved and why it's so important. Yeah, no, just it's, you know, we all have friends and family that have been dealt with it or dealing with it and really you're at a stage, you know, I think it's the third leading cause for men of the cancer. So really we want people making sure they're getting checked and get checked early. But if you do have prostate cancer,

we want to let you know that there's a spot to go and check and it's prostationcanada.ca and download a pamphlet and get all the information you can to be able to open up and talk to friends and family and questions to ask your doctors to make sure you know how to handle stuff. We as guys, we always get very quiet amongst all this stuff. Our doctor visits are usually about 10 seconds and that's all we want them for. So it's something about we're only here

once so look after yourself and make sure the people or the guys with prostate cancer are looking after themselves. Absolutely. ProstationCanada.ca. That's the website to get to. He is the great Wendell Clark. We always appreciate you finding time for us. Wendell, enjoy the game tonight. Thanks. You too, guys.

Good talk. You got it. There he is. Wendell Clark. Clark, you'll be doing the golf routine pretty soon, I would think. Man, is he popular. He goes to tournaments and talk about creating a buzz. Oh, yeah. When Wendell's around, it's a different...

Have you golfed with him at all? Is he... I have, yeah. Played with Wendell. Yeah. He can crush a golf ball. He can hammer a golf ball. He hammers the golf ball. He's got that farmer Saskatchewan barrel chest strength, like Kelly Chase. They just have that mean... I guarantee you it's a mean swing that's all upper body and he just destroys golf it's like he gets a hate on for that golf ball right before impact like yes he's falling on top of

Marty McSorley right before impact I've never heard that story I've never heard that someone's got a clip of that somewhere yes you mean that where the exhibition game and he had to fight him, like he fell on top of him? Like through the boards, which, and you know McSorley would have been so pissed off. Probably had his own players for opening the door while the door was open and it fell into his bench.

But I love that. McSorley blames Wendell because the door's open. How dare he? Some trainer pops it open and they fall through it and he's gotta fight the guy 15 years in a row. For 15 years we have to fight. That McSorley was a serious dude too. He was so tough.

Didn't Pat tell us a hilarious story where he was like, I got Stan Makita 10 years after. Yeah, it was like 13 years later. Makita had high stictum in the minors in 1962 or something. Yeah, yeah, it was like 13 years later, but he did high stick them in like Yeah, and the miners in you know, 1962 or something 13 years later. He caught him like coming across the On an off day for fun, we just got to get into the the Pat Bobby or hit Everybody answer people the fans there were fans punching over the top pushing him up punching him over the glass

it's a little bit of a lost it's still a state escort like you look back at it i'd know safety and all of that at the games change so much i love that the netting is there i love that but it just you remember like the glass used to be so short Fans would be leaning over the glass like it's it's well saying you know It's weird is like the other night there were three or four pucks that got into the seats And that you very rarely see that you know like they'll sneak through over the bat There's certain areas where the netting isn't is it there, but you'll go game. I'm sure news

You're in the rink a ton you'll go You'll go weeks without seeing a puck get into the stands. And there were like four or five pucks and then people are scrambling. Because that was a big thing about going to a game as a kid. It's like a baseball. I might get a puck. Especially when the rules were different where you could just dump it over the glass to get a whistle. Yeah, if you're a stay at home defenseman, you could ship it over to get the whistle. Oh yeah, you were getting cycled to death. You would just dump it right over the glass to get a whistle. Yeah, if you're a stay at home defenseman, you could chip it over to get the glass. Oh yeah, you were getting cycled to death, you would just dump it right over the glass. Not even think twice. I will say that rule really did change the game a lot.

I understand, I just think it changed the game a lot because it forces you to try and play instead of just firing it, firing it in hit the mascot everything yeah up we need to change right over the glass thank you it's like now you gotta play man you gotta play out i i i know that both not everyone loves that role i still love the role i think it works uh... right there and paying to be in ottawa tonight bangers coming up probably ringside ahead of the game tonight will get to that will get to the other games in the

stanley cup last will get into what happened in winnipeg last night or as well and uh... on t montee's montee's enemy number one in the world uh... that i will come i i want your opinion on this will come back and i have a look into it all right overdrive continues to use and ten fifty and on tsn four we've got leaf sends game 6 right here on TSN radio tonight Winnipeg got themselves a win and I thought Winnipeg you know

they played really well last night clearly yeah and so the cost with the cost that's what I wanted to ask you guys about and there's a lot of people pissed off, and rightfully so, in Winnipeg. But I mean, Shifely was shoulder checking as well, too. Like, oh, I wanted your, when you pull a puck off the, like he's looking over his right shoulder. Should you be looking there? Like, that's just a technical thing, you know?

That's a tough spot to put himself in, too, right? Or is it just a game of chess? Chen got him, man. Pretty laid head, isn't it? I mean... Yeah, I just... That was the big debate too, you know, where you're trying to remove emotion like, you should be pissed in Winnipeg.

Because he's been targeted and he's been hit hard and he's not available for tomorrow's game, which sucks. But I just... I... Like he was watching the puck a little bit because Pareko was pinching down on him and he see him take a little shoulder check and Shen's waiting for a man like that just is yeah I I think you're obviously in that position I always used to like to take a peek because as Wendell mentioned right winger I was a right winger left defenseman there was some monsters back

there like Scott Stevens so it's like you just got to check off some business before you're doing anything like that exactly and you did see a glance there but he probably thought Braden Chen and he's is distance away yeah I might not get him but yeah it was a late hit I don't think anybody can argue that that was a late hit late hit I think it was I think what what separates it from the hael on Barkov hit was Barkov could never see, couldn't possibly know he was coming to get him. I think what you're arguing, Noodle, is Shifely, if he just looks forward and up, he could embrace forward.

I think he was looking behind and Shen was kind of coming from his left side. Again, I'm not defending the hit. know suspensions are coming nothing. Well. I'm just more I I was disappointed for him because he they need him and he's a he's a beast and it was a massive hit and then They the fast guy hit was just a hard hit through the middle of the ice like and after our boy Jimmy We got to get into a play it to start the next hour because it is wild with like Jim Montgomery He almost had a a PowerPoint last night. He's like, slide one, this is the Shen hit, and then here's the shifts in between. And the two most Canadian sounding guys ever, too.

Like, Scott Arnealy sounded so Canadian in his reaction. I love that. We'll play it. We'll get into it. Darren Pang coming up, and of course we've got game six tonight. We're chugging towards Leafs-Sense this evening. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on the TSN app.

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