OverDrive - OverDrive - May 16, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: May 16, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN Host James Duthie joins to discuss on the Maple Leafs' core defining matchup, how a docuseries would look for the roster and the Jets heating up in the second round. TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson on the Maple Leafs' search to change the narrative against the Panthers, the Core Four's role in Game 6 and Mitch Marner's next steps in Toronto. 

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Woohoo! Four day weekend! This is Overdrive with Hayes, Noodles and the O-Dog on TSN 1050. Hour two Overdrive continues powered by Fandandual bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score Brian Hayes, Zero Dark Jeff O'Neil, Jamie Noodles, McClennan and there he is James Duffy in the house. JD, how we feeling? I feel fine. It was a beautiful day out there. In with my boys watching the game tonight. Have some good times. Okay. There should be a camera in that room, don't you think? Oh oh like there's the off-camera banter could be a show it's a podcast anyway yeah this wearing and stuff yeah that wouldn't be yeah some of the

stories are a little offside mostly by the person to my yeah we've all witnessed them we've all heard them we've all seen them and I'm sure there's gonna be more to it tonight what's although Drager can go a little blue? Yeah, he goes to some dark. He is he's the Darren Drager like is quietly dark. Okay, I like that So do you expect him to be dark in the pregame? I don't think he's not there tonight. I think it's this or that That's right. Sorry that from Buffalo. Yeah, Marty bronze in the in the house that's why we're gonna see marty a little bit later uh... so where where you guys go with the pregame that jd like we've got our

pregame the last hour will continue to do it the games at eight tonight but yeah i mean i think we're going to be needed to use probably gonna start the way it always starts with in the big boys show up in the i feel it's i i I laugh asking it because how many times have we asked it in the past eight years and but it is really the question I'm sure Marty will get into wool whose numbers aren't very good he does he seems way down the list of problems right now but it is still a problem like he's 18th and save percentages and eight out of the nine goalies left who've

actually played he has a factor like if he stinks the drain on the first period, it's like who cares what. Well, cause here's my sort of thought is, you know, okay, obviously the Leafs have to show up and Barube says it's all about mental, it's not about the other stuff. And I mean, the thing is they could show up, they could all show up and still lose

just because the Panthers are the Panthers. So I mean, if both teams, we expect the Panthers to show up they could all show up and still lose just because the Panthers are the Panthers so i mean if both we expect the Panthers to show up so both teams show up and play their best game the Panthers could easily win this game i think that's part of the story line and the goaltender at the other end has been significantly better so that's one issue the one thing i would say about the whole attitude thing is that i i think when night was rock bottom. And so I don't think the Leafs have anything to lose tonight in regards to

reputation etc. If they lose five nothing again tonight I don't think it's any worse. I don't think people think any worse than they already do because of Wednesday. And so you know know, I think that they should be able to just go out and lay everything on the line because of that. You know, it's kind of like you have a horrible front nine in golf and then you stop carrying and you stop just you start just swinging and sometimes you suddenly play better. Maybe there's an element of that to Toronto tonight. How many games have we started the pregame with? nothing left like empty the tank and then we're after the game

We're like man. That was disappointing Yeah, but it's not about emptying the tank like I'm just more from the mental standpoint of I don't think there's any reason to squeeze the sticks or be anxious or I Just because everybody already always already thinks the worst of you right? Well, but if you listen to them, they'll claim that they don't hear any of that i'd be just because everybody already always robbery thinks the worst of you right well but if you listen to them they'll claim that they don't hear any of that course they do but we don't we don't we never believe it you know i i i i i i totally i i'm being sarcastic yes matthews referenced it today you know

about scoring and he keeps shooting and uh... all the other stuff while we don't we don't care we don't hear any of that of course yes you do you're well aware. They're all well aware. They live here, they're from here, they've been here for a long time. They know exactly how people are responding. Of course they do. And yeah, I think there's something to that, you know, an element of you've got nothing to lose.

Yeah, I mean nothing to lose is not the right way to phrase it. Of course there's a lot to lose. I mean this will probably be the last go of it with this group if they lose. I'm just saying that there is no reason to be anxious, tense, nervous, what are they, you know, because like I said they hit rock bottom on Wednesday night with that performance. I don't think it can possibly be worse and I don't think it will be. I don't know that they'll win but I do think they'll show up tonight. Jimmy, if they don't think it will be I don't know that they'll win But I do think they'll they'll show up tonight Jimmy if they if they don't get it done tonight And I know you like to direct traffic behind the camera for different docs and videos And if it all gets broken up and Tavares doesn't come back

It's just the end of the line for these guys and you are in charge of the documentary of the core four What would you focus on the main thing to be I unfortunately I think a documentary has to have like highs and lows and there aren't too many highs unless you didn't have to really dig unless you just do a regular season doc the core four regular season five-part series on crave back out the amazing out the outside right you can't do a docu series unless there's what but there's no there's no like the great docu series are

you know great triumphs in and and and humiliating losses in between and and there's just there's nothing there unless you count going to the second round twice as the great victories. That's the problem. Right, it's like the 04 Sox. Like if they just lost in game four and kept losing all the time,

you can't do a dock on Pedro and Danny. Now again, a perspective step back again, I know that's really hard to do right now in the city, but it's a good run. to make the playoffs all these years in a row is is an impressive feet that you could be detroit or buffalo yeah there's a lot and right now there's this how many teams left with the teams have been knocked out whether sick for the one to two teams of one there's this six teams left six teams left six i i don't know i said i took a lot of them and i i wasn't even a half-time

but you're so you're one of the last six teams left and that again an awful lot of teams what would love to be in your position down three to a series and you made it to the second round in his this little steps there but it back to your question of the documentary it's still not it's certainly not the highest of highs is just not enough highs in there to make that film oh and the thing is two guys it's not like he said they're not down three nothing it's three

two if they win tonight they've got a game seven and an opportunity to win the series so it's critical yes statistically you know you we were quoting the numbers yesterday, I didn't even remember them, like 23% or something like that, wasn't it Hayes? Something like that. But in the end, like, I don't think we should be talking, looking ahead or looking back until we see what happens tonight. And then you go, hey, they gave themselves a chance, now we got a game seven, or didn't

go well, and then we do the post-mortem I feel like yesterday we did too much post-mortem and it's not over that's the thing it felt like that and was such an ugly loss and we were you know rightfully as fans and in the media member and all of that to talk about it that's that's our job but in the end you know they lost and you got to find a way to get off the mat and try and win a game tonight. That has to be the focus. And I think that's what Craig Bruby's been trying to say is like, I can talk about Xs and O's all I want.

What I need is guys to go play and play hard and let's see how this unfolds here. And then, they don't forget how to play hockey. It just, Florida is a damn good team and I think it's going to be a coin flip tonight. I really do. I think it'll be a hard fought game. Well, and if it is, that's where again, Joseph Wall will come into play. That's where a bounce one way or the other

could come into play. Do you feel any better if they win tonight and have a great effort in game seven but lose in overtime or something? Do you feel better? I think from a big picture standpoint from a documentary standpoint no right it doesn't allow the doc to get greenlit for a big budget because in the end there was no triumph but I do think it would be worth it's worth something it's worth something to go out the way they

went out the other night and to if you're performing any capacity to you know in a similar fashion tonight That is that is incredibly daunting. So I do think it would be worth something. I don't think we're in a world anymore in Toronto where You know, there's no moral victories There's no padding on the back of you lose like you've got it You got a win seven or eight years ago. There would have been been right it would have been worth a lot it could have been a learning experience it could have catapulted you into something new in the future it's not gonna it's not gonna land now and it's not gonna be worth anything now ultimately but I think in the moment it would it would it would

leave a better taste in your mouth for the summer that would yeah exactly about there's a weird there's a weird kind of torture element to that, like dragging everyone back into the building on Sunday and then it's a close game and you lose a game seven as opposed to just getting it out of the way. You know, like if you're going to lose, maybe it's better just to do it tonight. But – Such a horrible way. It's a horrible way to look at it.

But a fair way to look at it. It is a horrible way to look at it. It's horrible. But it's – But I've heard that from half a dozen Leaf fans over the last few days. Oh, I think if you offered the Leaf, I think if you offered Leaf fans, they either lose tonight or lose game seven, they, most would say just get it over with tonight. I'm gonna out-puffy our producer who's a die-hard blue and white, I passed him in the hallway right now, I said, he says,

how you feeling? I see, he goes, fine, fine, hoping for a loss, want to get it over with. Yeah, sickening, sickening mentality. It sickening mentality, but you blame the team and the players for that like that that's what they've That's what they've done to their own fans Unfortunately, that's what they've done to their biggest diehard fans that it's a sickening vibe And yet, you know The crazy thing is they're two wins away from completely flipping that. Well, and those fans will be right back on that bandwagon. Absolutely. The doc is green lit if they come back and win this series.

I don't care what happens in the next series, it's green lit. Hayes is executive producer and you are the main dude. Director or voice, just the voice guy. Who's above executive director? Executive producer. Producer probably. Executive producer would probably just the voice guy who's above executive director executive producer producer Probably be executive producer probably be the anyway you and Hayes if they get back here Sunday The doc starts and you guys have to get in a room and start putting your minds together because I'll be on board All of us are in it. All right, we're all gonna we're all gonna work together here and make this happen But it is crazy that they're still, they're lucky enough to have that opportunity.

Like they, and who knows how the players might react. You know, if it ever got to a point where they went on some great run, they might resent people and resent fans. And I remember the Raptors had that. I remember Fred Van Vliet having this really weird kind of drop the mic moment at the parade about people doubting them.

It's like, why is that even coming up now? You're one every every team does but every does it every athlete remembers it and I'm sure the world Yeah, exactly how many perades have said everyone shocks the world exactly some team goes like they finish first in their division by You know, whatever the sport is 15 points or nine and a half games and we shocked the world right the Dodgers shocked the world last year uh... but this would be shocking the world if the Leafs could find a way to do it and would the docks still be green lit if the Leafs came back in one in seven and then got swept by Carolina

it would be a damper it would not stop the dock in the middle of the dock. I think someone would shut down the funding. I think so too. It might go right into... We'd all be cc'd on an email. Sean Cohen, the head of Bell Media, we cannot do this guys. This crave will not be associated with this. This is something if you want to do a podcast for him you could do on your own. But yeah, I think it would probably be better. I heard a podcast the other day. Somebody made a documentary about Prince. The same guy that made the OJ doc, the really good one. I know there's been a lot of OJ series, but like the four five-part doc that I think aired on ESPN five, six, seven years ago,

won I think an Academy Award. He made a doc about Prince. Netflix made an agreement with Prince. He's got all these behind-the-scenes footage and he made like this eight-part documentary. It's like 12 hours or something that is supposed to be one of the greatest films ever and then the Prince people saw it and they vetoed it and then Netflix didn't want to lose the thing so they cancelled it. So this movie is never going to be seen by anyone. It's never going to be seen. And that would be the reason I tell this too long story is that that would be our documentary.

It would be shoved back. It would be shelved. It would be shelved. It would be shelved. It got swept by Carolina. Yeah, why isn't there more print stuff, man? That guy was crazy. I saw him in concert live in Minneapolis.

He was unbelievable. He was like four feet tall yeah i was wearing red hat high heel she like these rare for feet high heeled by my boots or what i'm not lying i was really small women i knew where the guy probably didn't sleep like a really there's like you know hundreds of hours that he shot of himself performing in this house and everything but the guy wanted to do an honest doc about a dark side of Prince

and the Prince people wanted no part of it. That Purple Rain movie was a little bit of a documentary. It wasn't about his life and stuff with his dad. That movie was powerful, man. When I played in Minnesota, he was everywhere. I'm sorry that I just completely know that it's on a dollar here but yeah. Massive in Minnesota from there. He was the original Drake. He lived on the Bridal Pav for a while. Yeah he's unbelievable like yeah very talented too. I think 5'3 is the official height. He was four feet tall. Five foot three in heels.

He definitely wore heels at some point. Yes, but I saw him live on stage and he was wearing the big heels and I'm telling you he was still four feet tall then. He was just a little little man, but he was unbelievable. He was good unbelievable jd let me throw this at you get breaking news in the nfl the niners in quarterback brock party are finalizing a five-year two hundred and sixty five no no no i'm sorry that's a mistake i love the guy he puts up numbers but no

way in hell no way i i i i agree with you I just don't think he's that I think he's a really good quarterback on a really good team I think he's a decent quarterback on a bad team but it's kind of I resolved myself this was gonna happen because I said in the offseason if they could get him like 35 or 40 million as crazy as that sounds for people that don't follow the NFL that would be a bargain yeah but it but it's just impossible. It's impossible That you don't get 50 million now if you're you know

One of the top 15 starting quarterbacks in the league when your deal comes up. Yeah, that's It's kind of a shrug-to-shoulder reality, but I'm with you guys. I think I Don't think he's gonna be ever a top, you know uh... i don't think he's going to be every top five six seven quarterback in this league and that's what two hundred sixty million dollar million dollars should get you that's what's concerning because the only thing he's got going for miss the niners have easy schedule in the nfl this year so they might have a little bit of a comeback

season maybe at home and he still got shanahan who's great the regular season shanahan's a lot like not quite the least in the playoffs because he has been to Super Bowls, but you've got a scenario there where he walked into a perfect situation, unbelievable offensive line, best left tackle in the game, McCaffrey comes over, they got Kittle who they just paid. Yeah, the concern is, what is purty

when these guys aren't there? Well, and they didn't draft a single, maybe one offensive lineman, so they're a aren't there. Well, and they didn't draft a single, maybe one offensive lineman, and so they're a little weak there. They're kind of rebuilding a little bit on Ds, so it's a huge year for him. I mean, the guy played for nothing the last whatever years and got him to a Super Bowl and did some great things,

so you knew he was gonna get paid, but I'm with you. I wish that you could look at a guy like that, or I wish a guy like that, for the sake of the team, would take forty million a year and leave you feel fifteen million to whatever go get uh... you know a couple of offensive lineman but that's just not the way it works well luke wilson's one of his biggest fans maybe his biggest

like luke goes to war for brock party all the time he thought he should want the mvp a couple years ago so i think it's kind of become a bit though between him and Davis a little okay well then that's that might be understandable but he's always he sold it well with us man he sold it as a party guy but man that's big money that is big big money for Brock Purdy James Dutty with us which Canadian team that's down 3-2 in their current series think has a better chance of getting through the Jets or the Leafs I I'd say the Jets

only because they're the ones coming off a four-nothing win and the Leafs are coming off a 6-1 loss and both are going on the Road in tough places the way the Jets have played on the road But I just think maybe they got a little more jam going to them right now and if they got back to a game seven they might be favored I'm not sure Toronto would be favored in a game seven at home against Florida so I had marginal differences I think but maybe the Jets by a slight bit. Yeah I think that's reasonable, recently biased to an extent based on what we just saw but

uh... yeah i i think is probably worthy of being the case because you have to believe we keep talking about bounces and all these intangibles that some point the judge get a snap out of it on the road i get some point hellebuck is going to play like he's capable of playing on the road ready to give them a chance to run a

uh... i'll tell you what, that last night, Winnipeg was all over them. They couldn't beat that Autinger early on. And I was thinking, oh my God, they're going to do it again here. And then they get a favorable bounce, goes off of a stick, off of a skate in the net, and then they find a way to break through. But Winnipeg was a better team. And that Shifely took a pretty good left shot. I didn't think that was a suspendable punch though personally I mean Ben well I got fined right you got exactly it's not suspended because

you're engaged like I think a sucker punch has to be when you're not engaged right and if you're I've heard hockey people say this for years because we had a few debates on these before and uh... i think that if you if you somehow engaged in a something that you had that there will be the ideas that you have to expect that it could happen for that's a two-minute penalty for roughing let's get serious here with the halloween i i couldn't believe that debate that it was a suspect yeah

well i think people and he popped up but he had people outrage for a suspect what are what are you watching like that was a two-minute roughing penalty. Especially in the playoffs, I agree. The other thing, too, though, all I can think of, if you're on the Winnipeg side, this guy's just coming back off a concussion. Last thing you need to be doing is getting popped in the head. Trying to think of a suck...

Brad May suckered Janssen, I guess it was Anaheim, maybe Minnesota, the year that Anaheim won the cup, I think, 07. And there was a big controversy and discussion over it because it if you could look up that, if you look that up on YouTube, it looks pretty much like a sucker punch. But Brad still argues to this day, I think that Oh, I didn't say I don't say anything wrong. Yonza should have seen it coming because I think there was some sort of scrum or something coming but Mayday yeah they won the cup that year so it didn't matter so that's the last time I remember sort of a sucker punch being

suspended the playoffs I'm sure I've missed four or five. Well what was Domi's on Booga Boom? Was it Domi on Booga boom or do me on he was on all Samuelson all Samuelson That one he got eight eight games or something for that would have been a hundred in today's Oh that that one was thinking you're off That was a gutless soccer pot like that was one of the worst soccer punches you've ever seen and all some Samuelson You know he earned a lot of like people hated his guts So he was a dirty dirty player, but that was that was one of the most He dropped his glove

It was right in front of the net and Domi did the like I'm looking this way Oh, what's going on over there? And then he just turned in. Oh Smoked him like it was Matt Johnson on Jeff Boogaboo to that ended his career. That one was ugly Yeah, ugly. There's been some bad ones over the years like bad punches bad elbows thrown But that would last night that wasn't even now close to a suspendable. I'm surprised they find them I mean, I think it was our Neil was angry and it's shifely and you mentioned the head He's had a concussion issue or we believe it was you know, that that's something that possibly could have factored in but right Let's get let's keep a roll in here going into game six tomorrow. All right, JD. Well, oh yeah

Which ones is this the this is on Samuelson? All right, so this is like that's a crazy dive by Samuelson right there But here we go. All right looking the other way. Hey, what's going on over there? Wait a minute Oh, the glove comes off to I forgot about that. Yeah, he drops the glove and knocks him out. That was a wild Wild sucker. I think the worst time the worst one is is is Matt Johnson on Jab Boogaboom, because they're both six foot five monsters, and that one was one of the ugliest. I don't remember that one, I'll look for it. Yeah, because Boogaboom was playing for the Rangers, that's all I remember.

It's behind the net now, eh? Yeah, right by the net, it was ugly, ugly, ugly. Yeah, that's tough, man, that's tough. All right, well, we've... a possible documentary in the works here jd and we could have a very busy weekend right always putting us to work always if they take it back sunday morning we have a conference call

we have a meeting we have a meeting art storyboarding this thing will have a vision board vision for ideas abby are episode one the drafting of austin matthews yes i love where this is going it's tracking on the right tracks haze come on everything's coming together for release lease miracle and a documentary that is equally as miraculous voice by will our net or do we have to go

little further great quite a few go up show bowen go a little further great question we go up Joe Bowen yeah not not Mike Myers elbows up maybe he'll find a way he's on the ditty list not for him we'll see all right JD enjoy the game tonight we will boys good luck to all you Lee fans out there yes we will we will everyone's looking forward to it there he is James Duffy he'll be on the panel tonight oh you're off to do some panel work yourself tonight right we'll be chatting this evening boys we'll be around get that group check going I don't want to instigate it every night I try I try to get everyone engaged Monday morning we start fundraising okay

fundraising on Monday morning I love it there it is James Duffy Jeff O'Neill Mike Johnson coming up Marty Baran later this afternoon Dear hazy be overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN to all right Millard and Friday brought to you by Boston pizza Canada's favorite sports bar this playoff season Boston pizza is Planning the parade and has an all-star playoffs menu for you to enjoy for pizza pints and puck drops and has an all star playoffs menu for you to enjoy for pizza pints and puck drops. Visit your local Boston pizza today. I throw it all the time. Patio weather. This is the definition of it, man.

The beauty of tonight is we're going into a long weekend. It's like 30 degrees outside or feels like it. Least played eight o'clock. Like you couldn't ask for a better night to settle in patio watch the game and You know ideally the Leafs were up 3-2 and this was a chance to close then you'd really have a party on your hands But they can find a way to win tonight Then you go on 7 right and ran before the series started we a lot of people thought this is going 6 or 7 6 7 right and it's taking ebbs and flows and the Leafs were rocking through two games and into the

second period of game three and even into overtime into game three. Since then, the tide has turned significantly. But you still got a shot tonight and we'll catch up with Mike Johnson here in a moment. I've seen Adam Foote obviously was speaking with the than media someone just posting a uh... do you send me something from the province you know the yeah newspaper out there about rick talk it's advice for adam foot because he had for are obviously very close yes yeah and uh... foots you know top of the list priority of course is to get peterson

back to where he needs to be and uh... this article has some quotes here from foot that uh... rick tockett suggested to quote have an itinerary for the day when pd walks in the door and we have our hands on a given the plan this guy's gonna work with you for fifteen or twenty minutes on the power place sidewall this is going to happen and so on and so on and so on and quote that is a while while

like this case was a twenty six years old highest paid player the team you got a kid loves you get a baby sit em and have an itinerary when he walks in the door i'm sorry i don't like that not good man that is not not i mean it doesn't mean it's not sound advice It doesn't mean it's not coming from a position of you know

Positivity like we we're we got to work with them. We got to get him going He's our guy right but for that to be public Like oh, yeah when he walks in man if you don't tell him exactly what to do He's just gonna what sit in the corner and play video play video games just it's a bad look on peterson it's like we literally have to keep you know keep this guy engaged and focused on what the task is hand task at hand i mean if this guy was a superstar and a leader and all that like he would be the guy going this is what i want to work on like sydney crosby you hear the stories you know from year one in the league he would go home in the off season and work on. Like Sidney Crosby, you hear the stories, you know, from year one in the league,

he would go home in the offseason and work on things that he felt he needed to work on. Obviously, early in your career, a lot of young guys struggle at the center ice dot, just winning draws. So he would work on it. Like details, at 25, 26 years old, if you need to kid love the guy and and keep them on point and have an itinerary form it doesn't i think it's a really bad look for the player yeah exactly it would suggest he's not motivated enough to do it on its own you see a lot of coaches in the league with better players they don't need to leave them alone

yeah like obviously you you gotta have meetings and you get to run drills and all that but you mentioned sid there's no way mike solvin at any point said hey i better tell sid that uh you know we're gonna do this and then can you can you maybe do that never but it would appear as if adam foot is already waiting for that embracing that idea when it comes to alias peterson here's uh mike johnson our tSN hockey analyst joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Johnny, I was just referencing a quote from Foot where I guess Rick Taukett suggested that he have an itinerary for the day prepared for Pedersen when he walks in the door. Isn't that just a wild thing to say? What are you doing? Yeah. That's how bad it is. Okay, at 930 we go outside, at 10 we do apples and on the carpet, at 1030 we get a nap.

Like, what are we talking about here? It's gotta be 12 million dollars. Okay, if you need an itinerary, like this is what we're doing in the practice, everyone gets one? Okay. Like, I played for Andy Murray, he was a detailed coach. He had a by-the-minute itinerary of the sort of two hours you're at the rink stretch meeting on ice, drill, drill, drill, drill, 52 minute practice route. Okay, I mean that's just one way to be organized, but to be specific. And every day you got to be there. And I read it like, got to have your hands on them.

When he walks in, say, okay, you're going to do some half wall stuff here, and then we're going to do shooter tutor, and then we're gonna do penalty killing routes. Like, I mean, I guess you have to do what you have to do, and everyone's different, but it's far from ideal. And what makes it worse guys, is you mentioned Sid Noodles. Yeah. If he's your best player, or he's not your best player, your best four, your highest paid forward,

you'd like him to set the example, not be the guy who has to be babysat. You'd like him to be the guy who's independently driven that would then filter the rest of the group as opposed to the opposite, where he's at the other end of the spectrum, where he's the guy who needs more attention than anyone even though he gets the rewards of the contract and everything else. Yeah.

I mean, that's the thing. It just... I don't know, Johnny. I mean, give the thing it just I don't know Johnny I mean give me your interpretation you got Rick talk it who's very well liked sounds like Vancouver wants to resign him and Now if this is a monetary thing I get it if it's a term thing all of that type of stuff But is it not a bad look for an organized for a coach to say no thanks to an organization he's already been in for a couple years? So that says to me he's seen what goes on behind the curtain and he doesn't want any

more of it. Yes, but I think it hasn't been said out loud too many times, but I do think Rick Tauke was interested in going back to the Northeast United States for some family reasons. That's fair. So if he had the luxury and he had family, whatever, I'm not exactly sure what was going on, but if that would make his life better, then that would be part of the equation. But doodles, make no mistake, if Vancouver was the perfect market for him, the perfect team for him, the perfect organization for him, just about every single coach in

league would find a way to make that work in Vancouver and sort out the family stuff and travel or move them, whatever, private planes, however you want to make it work. But it wasn't enough to make him want to stay, whether it's money, whether it's term, whether it's team, whether it's competitive window, whatever. Yeah, it just does, you know, it is a bit different that a team wants to resign a coach, wants to pay a market value and he says, no, I want to go somewhere else. It doesn't happen very often, but I do think for talking specifically, there may be a little bit extenuating circumstances to go along with the stuff that you're talking about.

With Mike Johnson, our TSN Hockey Analyst. So game six, Leafs Panthers tonight. I'm going to present this to you. Okay. I'll give you the final. I'll just, I won't even give you the final score. I'm just going to give you the final result. Leafs win tonight. They win the game. Is it more likely because Joseph Wall stood on his head or more likely because the core four dragged them to that victory? or drag them to that victory? Joseph Wolff. Joseph Wolff.

And I mean, I say that pretty definitively. Yeah. For both sides, I mean, the first side being that Florida's good, Florida's gonna push, Florida's gonna make it difficult, Florida's gonna be busy, Florida's gonna challenge and pepper Wolff and we'll have to be good. I'm very confident that that's likely to be the case.

And then, you know, certainly there's a possibility because you say the core, the core four is four guys. Can William Neal enter have a night with two? Sure. With the other guys doing nothing? Sure. But I'm less confident of that happening than I am of the Florida Panthers laying an egg and making Joseph Wall night easier. So yeah, I least when go turning will have to be one of the front line stories because if he's not then they don't yeah yeah I think that's probably the reasonable answer noodles like yeah I was gonna say I mean Johnny if you were Craig Berube here because we've been talking obviously now for two days about this game and this stinker that they put up. What would you be more focused on? Their the excellent

always of it or their mental psyche? I thought about this last two days myself noodles about the team about if I was the coach, what would you approach it like, okay, the accident always sort of feel easy. Okay, what did Toronto do better early that they haven't done later? To me it's mostly their ability to handle the four check and eggs at their own end. Right they were just better, cleaner, quicker going back. Some of it's winning more battles but you know just moving the puck out of their own end, turning it over. So that is an X and an O's. I think also early we saw them get into Bobrovsky's face like some of like the Nylander goal in game one was right along the ice. Mitch Marner's goal screamed in front for Bobrovsky give him trouble like every goal center. So yeah, there's some X

in the nose you want to address. But the X in the nose are almost inconsequential if you can't wrap the minds and the emotions and the hearts of the guys collectively, not just the four guys, but everybody to get in a place that will allow them to play with the intensity and sort of bravado that is required to play against any team, but especially Florida at this point in the season. So I guess I'm sort of, I'm aware of the X's and O's, but it's so secondary to me, Noodles, but I don't'm sort of I'm aware of the X and the O's but it's so secondary to me noodles but I don't know so I come to that conclusion but the question I pose back to you guys is how does spread barube rehabilitate the egos or the

confidence or the belief or the will in two days like for for the group and for the individuals, that is a monumental task because they would have been extraordinarily low and fragile after game five. And I don't know, you know, if it's private challenges, one-on-one meetings, hype video, like I don't know which way they go with it noodles, but that's where I would have spent if I'm Frank Rubi the last two days thinking about. Yeah and listen there's been a lot of built up a lot built up over the years about Barubei's intensity and his ability to hype people up that famous you know inside the room game seven Blue's Bruins speech you know can you play it in game six of the second round I

mean that's game seven of the cup finals. Oh yes. Oh yes. You can? Okay. Listen, you go to your newt Rockne, you go to your Mark Messier, you go to whatever you think it is and you give your best. I don't care if you empty the whole straight and you got nothing for next game. I don't care. Whatever you got, you got to play it now because I think that's the way the leads have to look at what I mean, obviously It's the last it's a must win for them, but they can't worry for a second About what's coming next if they happen to be successful. It is only

Completely about right now for the coaches for the players for everyone in the organization just about 7 o'clock Whenever 730 remember the game starts and being ready to do it then well Quickly, let me follow up on this because you mentioned the X's and O's noodles and you know the Tangibles and the rah rah the mental You know, I'm curious what you make of the news of the day today that he's not gonna split up Matthews and Marner Like he's keeping that line intact not going to split up Matthews and Varner. Like he's keeping that line intact.

How does that factor into what you're saying? Like in terms of the mentality, like not trying to panic, trying to trust them, trying to prove that you trust them. Would it maybe have been actually more relieving mentally if he got them away from each other? Said, guys, we need a fresh start going into game six tonight, and you're all going to play with different people. Where do you stand on that decision?

One I'm not surprised Given that they played together almost exclusively the whole year and I think you I think you hit it I think there's a lot of ways you could spin this decision or non decision and I think if I'm the least if I'm the coaching staff I spin it as a Pause, you know a quasi positive positive I'm not breaking you up because I don't need to break you up I'm not breaking you up because we were a better team than this team over there during the regular season with you two

together Mitch I'm not taking you away from Austin because you had a hundred and something points this year best year of your life playing with him Austin you scored 70 last year playing with him. We don't need you guys apart from each other. We need you to be together and to be good together. Like that's how you're trying to spin it and I do think if you put Austin with the two different guys and Mitch on the second line with Tabars and Willie on the third line with the Swedes, like I do think in an elimination game when he's done very little of that this year, Hayes, right? He hasn't really

experimented. It's been Austin and Mitch and largely Matthew Nyes and it's been Nylander, Tavares and a myriad of other guys so you can swap out the other guys but if you start switching with everything else I think it would indicate a degree of a panic because not something you've ever done before whether it's appropriate or not it would come across that way. And so I get why he's saying no, I'm not changing them because I trust them, because I believe in them. He can't say anything else but that, but there's probably an element of truth to it. This is who the team is. This, I'm not, you don't just concede defeat because it's not going on your plan A, but this is the team. This is the team that was good and won the division,

and you're gonna go down, think or swim, with the group that got you there, built the way they got you there. Yeah, I agree. I think if anything, you don't challenge them, but you just say, you know, I know what you're capable of. Play to your capabilities and that's it, and go at it and see if you can beat that team head on.

What do you make of, obviously in the last couple days it's been noisy, but would it be a distraction for, everyone's talking about Marner and going to free agency and obviously he was asked in the scrums and that, because that's come right back up, that topic. It was quiet there for a long time and he's kept it quiet all season but now obviously with what's happened recently it's right forefront.

I mean it did come up in a big way though right? For a story that was largely a non-story, it's a big organizational story but in the media and in the public it hasn't been something that people were focused on because the team was good and he was good and so that's all that people cared about but it did come like an avalanche the last couple days but you know Mitch has dealt with this and dealt with it well all year he knows what's going on he knows what that's fake he knows what offers may or may not have been coming whatever he knows about the rampant in trade he knows about all that stuff and

he's dealt with it Well, cuz he's played really well for almost the entire regular season this year. So I You know, I imagine the last two days were not very much fun for Mitch Marner, right? Like I you know the degree with which the venom that went his way which you know deserved in many ways, but You know that would not have been fun But he I thought he's done a good job all year long, sort of focusing on the task of playing and not worrying about the future. Now the future could be 60 minutes away, so it might be harder to knock that out of your

brain. But I guess you're gonna have to trust that he did it all year long, through the benefit of himself and the team. And like, even if you have to tap in, Mitch, you're leaving, you want a lot of money, you know the best way to go get more money, play well, win the game, be a different, be the guy you are. And even if that means you're leaving us for more, you'll get more if you play better on your way out the door

than if we lose timidly here in game six. So I don't know if you have that conversation with him I don't think you would I'm not sure who would right with tree living with Barube I can't imagine someone sitting down and having that conversation it'd be awkward to have but in his mind maybe his family his agent whatever as close as friends might have that conversation but he's dealt with it all year so he's going to deal with it well and hopefully it doesn't bother him tonight that it might be his last game of the Leafs. Yeah, I mean he would be the one that would have to I think convince himself that, you know, and ideally the reason you go out there and perform is for your teammates and for

the team and for the fans and all that. I'm sure that's... Not really for the fan pace. Yeah, I guess not for the fans and all that uh... i'm sure that's really for the fan page yeah i guess i'm for the fans i guess and spurs it did a lot today he's going into the night game or i'm gonna do it for most fans now he's probably not a thing i'll do it for myself my family

these guys in the room this organization has been good to me and that's what i care about and for sure there will be, I mean, it's a long ways away, but if they ever were able to win these two games, a big double salute to everyone who dumped all over the last few days, like that is somewhere in their minds. It would be great to prove all these people wrong who feel that they've been proven right by criticizing the makeup

of these guys in these moments so that might be in there as well as most inspiring thing I can think of like honestly the most inspiring thing I can think of. Michael Jordan I took that personally. Exactly like just go play every clip. You don't have to manufacture it it's legit they would take it personally. Yep exactly like everyone's doubting it Everyone is looking at you saying I I never should have believed it was gonna be different, you know, and Yeah again as we continue to say they're they're lucky in a way that they still they're still playing Like with all of this doom and gloom and all this doubt and all of you know These roller coasters for nine straight years These guys have another opportunity tonight to prove something different shut everyone up feels like deja vu

we've said this and done this so many times before and ultimately we got the same answer time and time again and maybe we will again tonight and if so we'll cross that bridge but maybe we won't and maybe we won't on Sunday and if that's the case come Monday morning it's gonna be a completely different vibe and there'll be a completely different vibe and i'll be a lot of people said i always do i always believed i always knew that they were fair i was just waiting for the prove me exactly

that i mean now i think now they're dead yeah uh... you the whole thing has been and i think what the team had to do in a lot to do it, was get out of the

focus that the series is virtually over and that the season is over. And hey, what you just said, they're still playing. Are you telling me that they can't win two games in a row? Exactly. Of course they can. Of course they can. They got to win. They had the best road wreck, most road wins of any team in the history of the franchise this year.

You tell them you can't win one game on the road. That's all you're trying to do. Win one game somehow, someway on the road. Like that's, and I'm not saying it's gonna happen. I'm not saying they're gonna play well. I don't even know. But like that's what they're trying to get to. To that sort of belief that let's just you know focusing on the task and Believing that you're up to it and then hopefully they can let us fly at the very least, you know I think a lot of people said The way they lost and how sort of timid

frozen paralyzed you know dipping their toe in the game, that mentality, that game. I really hope they don't do that tight. Winter Lou, like go down swinging. Exactly. Not, not literally verbally, like to go down doing not, not behind the

back cast doing your thing, but just playing as hard as you possibly can. Lay it on the line, be aggressive, be bold, be smart, and then see what happens. That's all you can do going into tonight. All right, Johnny, we'll catch you, I guess, on the other side of the long weekend. Do they have a long weekend in Sweden or what? Well, my weekend is real long. I got three games tomorrow. So yeah, thanks for asking. But it's, who knows what next week to ring. We talk on Tuesday.

It could be a whole new world or it could be the end of the world of the Toronto Maple Leaf as we've known it for a decade will be no more. One of the two things that happen by the time next time we talk. You're right. Fork in the road. We'll see which one the team takes us down. No one else, the players and the team. They will determine this We'll chat Tuesday. Thanks, Johnny

Alright guys have a great weekend Mike Johnson 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 Marty Baran still to come dear hazy be coming up the Tigers are in town J's Tigers I'm heading down there tomorrow. I'm hoping that the weather's gonna be like it is today get that dome open tomorrow calling my shot Get that dome open all the girls all my kids were all going down. You have a great time tomorrow Looking forward to it that Jays got to get going man. I lost again yesterday a game below 500 So more on that into the next hour overdrive. TSN 1050 and on TSN 2. All right, Marty Baran coming up in about 10 minutes. Dear Hazy Visto to come.

Our best bets as well on the Leaf Panther game tonight. Jays Tigers this evening, Jays Tigers this weekend. You got Juan Soto back in the Bronx playing the Yankees too. Matt's Yankees is just awesome, like a subway series, you can't beat it. But Soto against the Yankee fans are going to just destroy him every time he's up to up up at the plate It's gonna be so loud. Yeah, they hate him so much And yeah, you know you look at Soto you get to stay in New York and you make seven hundred and sixty five million

So I don't I think he's gonna be okay. He's fine, he'll live. I think that's the best way to put it. Not too worried about Juan Soto. Tracking the PGA as well. Scheffler's still out there, he's at four under. We got Pender at the three under in the clubhouse. So we got some Canadian content. Scheffler's rocking.

We got Max Homa, Matt Fitzpatrick, a couple of big names atop the board. We'll track that into the final hour. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050N on TSN2. Introducing Brian Adams Radio on I Heart Radio. Hosted by Brian Adams himself. Join me for an insider look on a wild ride through 40 years of global rock and roll. Brian Adams Radio.

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