OverDrive - OverDrive - May 6, 2025 - Hour 3

Episode Date: May 6, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 3 on OverDrive! TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button joins to discuss the Maple Leafs' playoff approach against the Panthers, Anthony Stolarz's injury for the team and the Islanders selecting first in the NHL Entry Draft. Former NHLer and Head Coach Craig MacTavish joins to discuss the Oilers' journey in the playoffs, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl's leadership and the goaltending direction and Hayes hands out his FanDuel Best Bets.

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A short phone call can help reduce loneliness. That's why Bell believes that whatever you talk about, just talk. I'm so glad you called, man. Even if you don't know you're up from town. It's up. Final Hour Overdrive continues, powered by FanDuel duel bringing you everything from the opening line of the final score Brian hazio dog Jeff O'Neill Jamie noodles, McClennan We got the Jays on the West Coast tonight. I still call them Anaheim like I get it. It's Los Angeles now It's so insulting to Anaheim to that. They're like you're not you know, you're not allowed to have the team anymore

Anaheim Ducks. Yeah, the's the Anaheim Ducks, Anaheim Angels, no Mike Trout tonight. Well didn't the Angels have the stupidest name for, then weren't they one year the- They were California forever. And then they were the Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles or something ridiculous like that. You're right, you're right. It was either that or the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim it was something so stupid and then someone just said we have to stop this is embarrassing we're just gonna be the LA Angels and people in Anaheim I'm sure

you know they're never gonna let them get past that or get over that. Troutsky's on the DL yeah man that guy it's too bad because like the last handful of years he's just it's it's constant insert all the time socks because i had i mean they haven't done anything in his tenure at all nothing one playoff game in the guts are one place is in the gets swept now is that i'm going to i can't play like you literally carry i got busy

just a nice day to go out yet he check out and say that's enough? Thanks. Like, well, he's making so much money. I get it. But like what does a doctor say? It's like Tiger Woods. Like if you continue with that surgery and then this surgery and meds and this like one day you're just not going to be able to walk, man.

Yeah. That's 100% valid. And listen, the money is he's getting the money anyway. Yeah. Like if they tell him, we don't think you can play the stock hit the money and some doctors gonna look at him one day and say do like i i just don't think you can do this anymore your body can't do it he's under which is a reality yeah you're right he's under contract of twenty thirty making seventy

up sorry thirty seven million a year and his his career earnings are already over three hundred right now it's piece me c he's made a four-chip man like it's not money is not the issue clearly uh... but i'm sure he's got a passion to play the the problem is but obviously this make like otani made the greatest decision ever like the idea of him being loyal to the Los Angeles angels of Anaheim.

That was a slam dunk. That wasn't even a choice. No, of course not. And now, and cause he probably looked at Trout too. He's like, I can't even rely on this guy to help me out. Like that's the crazy thing. Like when the book is written on the life and times of Shohei Otani, there was a time where he and Trout

were both rocking at the same time and it was like how do you screw this up? Yeah. Right. How can they screw this up? They weren't even close. They were terrible. Like they were awful. The pitching has never been good. You know they threw money at guys like Anthony Rendon and he showed up he's like I don't really feel like playing anymore uh... it it's just it's it's a debacle of the proportions is norah nor the way to put it like trout not on your to the all-time great players and they were there to get it's like

if the twenty seven yankees stock you know but it was lu garag and babe ruth but they finished with sixty five wins you know it's just it's it's crazy what has happened out there and i guess it's a long-winded way of getting to a point here where the chase you got to win a series here, right? Yes, you're playing it. You're playing the angels. You got to set up you got to do your thing And you got to start you got to start getting the bats cooking here man. Like it's it's it's long overdue. We're into May now Someone asked me the other day like, you-Star game, is there anybody on this team

that screams All-Star? Hoffman would be one of them, clearly. But, and he's deserving of it. Jeff Hoffman's been phenomenal. They don't have anybody else that would even, you'd even tick a box. Like, if you're going old school, and not even close.

And that's not the be all and end all, but still, you would think this many games in someone's sticking out where you're like well that guy's playing great this year or that guy is in the running to start in left field at the all-star game or start at second base or start behind the plate and it's not even close man not even close but they're getting covered because the Leafs are playing right right like the Leafs are in the least once you get into the second round in this town

the least are still playing may it is it is a different vibe and i could feel last night going down there was a great great five in the rink it was an electric evening and it was a soap opera overnight because there were so many different things you could take out of it uh... and obviously we've been talking about benet installers all day we'll get into that this hour craig mcdavish later in the hour but we get

begin with our director of scouting here at tsn his craig budd haito craig and good mister eight are you doing doing very well very well let me ask you uh... let me ask you to put the stole ours bennett story to the side putting that to the side what was your what to the side. Putting that to the side, what was your, what was the biggest story for you last night that one notwithstanding? I think, hey listen, I'm going to go right to the old dog. The old dog said they got to play on their toes, they got to initiate. It's exactly what they did. They didn't wait to see how they were going to respond to Florida.

They made Florida respond to them and for two periods, I thought that was two of the best periods I've seen the least play, you know, at a high level consistently. And that's what it takes to win. And that's what it takes to beat a good team. But you know, if you're going to dip your toe in, okay, we'll see how we respond. We'll see how we react. No, go right after them. Patiorearesti was in beast mode, you know, Nylander scoring that first goal, but I thought all the way through, I thought it was a really, really good, strong, what I would call a purposeful playoff effort by the Toronto Maple Leafs. One, it shows you what it takes to win. And one other

thing I'll add, Paul Maurice after the game talked about this is a more mature Toronto Maple Leafs team. I think we've all seen that. We're gonna play the game, we're not gonna chase the game, we're not gonna try to hold the puck. We don't have a play, the puck's going into the other zone and we're gonna forecheck. You know, the idea about playoff hockey, there's certain elements that are never gonna change.

And the Leafs, I think, you know, it might have taken them some time to learn it, but I think they needed Craig Berube to show them the way. And I think you're seeing some good signs of that. It's almost like something clicked, Craig, where they have an understanding now where it's like, all we've talked about for two years is how Florida can overwhelm you and they're mean and they're nasty. But it's like Toronto and the players have realized that they're mean and they're nasty, but it's like Toronto and the players have realized that they're counter to that much like McDavid and Dry

Seidel is their skill and they can just play better than you if they dial it in. And it's like if they have that answer for anybody, it's going to be tough to deal with. You're exactly right, Jeff. And again, when I talk about Craig Barube, you know, different coaches have different philosophies and Shelly Keith had a philosophy that's very different than Craig, but Craig and it's, it's what I, and I'll use this as an example.

If you want to get ready for the beginning of the season, you got to start preparing yourself and get yourself in shape in May. You can't start one week before training camp or before the regular season and get yourself in shape. If you want to get yourself into playoff shape, you gotta start preparing for it during the regular season. And that's why I feel so strongly about Craig last year coming to the team as a coach and what he's done over the course of the season.

There was different moments in time. Well, you know, this isn't going so well. This was never about November. It was never about February, it was about right now. Craig Barube is instilled a really good solid sense of play and to your point, Jeff, exactly where you want to find yourself and exactly how you find success. The elephant in the room, our haze went around it, but let's bring it back to the table. What are your thoughts on the collision, your thoughts on Anthony Stoller's leaving and stretchered out, all of that type of stuff, the reaction and just what you made of, we'll

call it that circus. Yeah, I mean, I think Jamie, like I've never seen that with a player going over to the bench and then, you know, being nauseous and vomiting. I'd like, I'm nervous. So right away, there's, there's some concern. We all know players have played with the flu and been sick and you know, you guys have seen it happen and, and you understand that when you're sick but I'd never seen it under those certain because he'd come over what two minutes before three minutes

before everything seemed to be okay and then he came back again and it was like well what's happening here so right away I was a little bit like I wouldn't say concerned because you know I'm watching it from afar and I'm like whoa that's odd and then obviously he leaves the game and I didn't know if he was sick. I didn't know if it was from a kimono blow, one blow or whatnot. But it's, and then you hear, oh, he's being stretched out of the ring.

You're going, oh my God, could it be something else? I wasn't even, honestly, when the better thing happened and we watched it and Jeff, we were sitting in the room watching it and it was like, yeah, it doesn't, it didn't feel like anything in real time. And I started to think, oh boy, is there something even bigger at play here, Jamie, when I saw that,

didn't you hear about the stretcherings? And then it comes back to, then it comes back to the bat play and everything. I don't know, I, I, I, I really don't have an idea of what triggered it. I don't, but we know that sometimes it's the most innocent of things that could trigger it. Couldn't have been the better thing to trigger it. Was it the benefit thing that caused it? I don't know.

But bottom line is I didn't think that it, uh, that, that it was really quite frankly, I thought it was a hockey player and I thought that he came there and there could be whiplash effect. Was it something? I didn't see any force. I didn't see any drive through there. I saw a hockey player guy coming to the net and I mean we see that type of play all the time in the NHL.

I didn't think it, if they gave him a two minute penalty I would have been surprised, not shocked. I would have been absolutely shocked if there was any supplemental discipline. Yeah, and in the end there wasn't for Sam Bennett. And yeah, you're right when you kind of, and Nudelz you've been doing this all day, taking us through the timeline of like,

wow, I didn't see this coming and he looks okay. And now everyone is kind of wondering like, what exactly is he suffering from? And Craig Barube is not giving an answer in terms of exactly what he's suffering from, but it was extreme in the end. I mean, he's thrown up and he leaves on a stretcher, he has to go to the hospital.

So let's presume Joseph Wall's playing tomorrow night. Sell Leaf fans, Craig, if you can, if you're willing to, on why they should be confident joseph walk and get the job done tomorrow night even got up before and he's he's gone in and during the season he's got it last year in the playoffs he did it i mean you think about going to gain seven when he couldn't play against boston there was real concern that joseph wall wasn't available

i'd i'd i'd think there's a body of work there for Joseph Wall that's been really, really solid. And yeah, he hasn't played a lot in recent weeks, and Chris Stolarz has just taken the number one role and owned it and played exceptionally well. But I don't think, this isn't Dennis Hildeby going to the net where you're going, oh boy, oh

what's this going to look like? Joseph has been there and he's done it and he's shown a real capability and ability to play well. So I don't see, like, you know, even when I looked at, like when Conor Hellebuck was struggling in Winnipeg, you know there's a big drop off to Eric Connery. Even with Skinner, Pickler wasn't probably as big of a drop off, but you know he's not at that level. I think Joseph Wall's a good solid goaltender

and I think getting in there and finding the rhythm, if anything, I think the benefit of him getting into game one, even though nobody would like to get in that thing, gave him a chance to get into a rhythm, gave him a chance to get into a rhythm, gave him a chance to get into the playoff sequence and pacing, playing against the team he was going to play against. I think it might have been a little more difficult for him to start game two without having a little bit of experience there, so I think that can benefit him as well as he's shown capability. With Craig Buttons, so the draft lottery goes down last night and the Islanders fly up the

board and they end up getting that first overall pick. Utah moves up as well. They end up picking fourth. So it goes Islanders 1, San Jose 2, Chicago 3, Utah 4. You never know exactly how the draft is going to play out. Ten years from now you can have a better idea clearly But what kind of draft are we talking about here and how significant was that for the? Forecasting of the Islanders, you know organization the fact that they're gonna have the first overall pick

Well, I mean picking ten and picking one is very different. I mean, there's no generational player in this draft. There's no celebrini There's no badar. There's no Bidard. There's no McKenna. So, you know, if you were 10 and you're, let's just go back to 2015. Can you imagine being 10 and getting the one and getting McDavid? Oh boy. Right? So there's not, there's not the same type of like, oh my Lord.

So now they're going to be faced with a decision. I mean, Schaefer's a heck of a defenseman. Hagens is really good, Mises really good. Now, instead of kind of seeing how a draft unfolds, you're now the one that's gonna dictate how it unfolds. I think it's great for the New York Islanders. I think they're gonna get a really good player whether they take a defenseman, whether they take a center.

And they need skill, they need, they need defensemen. It's not like they, they need just one type of player and, and this can spur them on. This can give them a little, they made a great trade to get Callum Ritchie in the Brock Nelson trade. So they got a really good center. The plays in Austin was going to be in the OHL final. So they get that. Now they get another chance. I think all in all, if you look from the trade deadline till now

and despite missing the playoffs, I think there's a lot for the New York Islanders to be happy about. And certainly when you move from 10 to 1, it'll create a lot of dialogue and a lot of discussion in the Islanders market about who they should take in why they should take that part of will be doing it and not but it's it's really a really fun uh... you know when a team from ten goes to one one other thing i want real quick you know all the teams that want to take be careful your future how you know i'm thinking first overall this year all of that

thank you greg how do you find a guy to run the new york islanders like how would you go about putting a g m in place because there's a bunch of guys who have track records that are impressive but you're trying to fill the void at the same time give your fan base some excitement and a guy that just has some different ideas on how you can kind of run the ship here like how would you go about putting a guy in place there? You know, John Collins who worked in the NHL has a real wide swath of contacts.

So I think that the fact that John is leading the search is gonna help him, is gonna help them narrow down who they want, what they're looking for. I think John working in the environment is gonna help them say, okay, we might need a little bit more of this. And, you know, Lou, I mean, he's a Hall of Fame GM, and everybody knew how he ran things

and, you know, change happens. But I don't know if you need somebody that doesn't have experience that's coming out of the assistant manager ranks or if you want somebody with experience. But I think clearly, you know, how Lou was going to view his team is something that's going to change. I think they're looking for something a little bit different. And if you want any kind of an example, I would go back to the New Jersey Devils when they hired Ray Shiro. You know, he took over for Lou, Ray Shrill came in there and he wanted to do things a

little bit differently with respect to how the team was going to play and how they were going to proceed. I think the Islanders find themselves in a very similar spot. So finding somebody that can navigate through that, and you got to keep in mind, Ray was in Nashville, he went to Pittsburgh, he took a team that was at the bottom of the standings, helped them win a Stanley Cup. Yeah, they had Crosby, they had Malkin and Fleury and LaTang. And there's some good players in Long Island.

So I think kind of looking along that path, Jeff, whether it's somebody that's been in the management ranks and not a manager or somebody like Ray who took over in New Jersey. I think it's kind of leading a team that needs like some vision about what worked and what was okay but it's not going to get us to where we want to get to and you need a new vision there. Not one that's radical but just something that just gives you a different lens and there's different ways to win in this league. I think Ray showed that in New Jersey. I think that's what the Islanders could benefit from here as well. So Craig, as the show talked about, we were going to ask you this question.

We probably know the answer, but if you believe that Schaeffer is the best player, do the Islanders just go with that? But Hage is just frightened from your backyard backyard so if it's a bit of a coin flip or you value him now tell the truth jamie hayes said he was running the islanders he would take a local kid no that's not so i want to say i said how would that be now what i said what i said i would i this is what the meat let me set the go ahead yes i wanted to ask you craig you're the

other day i know that you would you would want to do that you get a marketing standpoint of course i would have i'm in the middle of the business make a money what i what i want to know is craig let's say craig bud is the new gm of the new york outers how do you react if the owner picks up the phone and goes hey craig uh... it turns out james haggins grew up right around the corner from the correct i think you'd be great for the island of them based on a little money Craig, it turns out James Haggins grew up right around the corner from me.

I think he'd be great for the Islander fan base. I think he'd make me a lot of money. He knows 27 people he could bring to the game. He knows 27 total people he could bring to the game. It's not about who he knows, it's about what he represents. How do you handle that if the owner is sniffing around the birth certificate? What are we talking about? The owner of the Cleveland Browns?

We're going to grab Johnny football? The guy in the corner told them you should grab Johnny football? But they did it. They did it because the owner told them to do it. I know. I know. And look where it got to Cleveland Browns. That's why I'm bringing it up. I know it sells tickets in the national hockey league. hockey teams There's lots of teams that have had eye picks I was in San Jose you guys have all been in San Jose what the shark tank was was was unbelievable They had celebrini that building was half full when they start to win They will start to sell tickets again, and they will start to fill the building. It'll be the same thing in Long Island now

I'm not dismissing It'll be the same thing in Long Island. Now, I'm not dismissing the effect of a local player going there. And if it's me talking to the owner, it's simple like this. Listen, we're going to evaluate the draft class. We're going to evaluate the players, whether it be Schaefer, whether it be Hagens, whether it be Michael Miescher or anybody else. We're going to evaluate it. And if everything's equal, we'll take the local kid.

If it's not equal, then you gotta trust us to take the player we think is best for the franchise. That's as simple as that. And maybe he says to you, listen, we need it. Then you gotta better start telling them and showing them evidence that winning teams sell tickets, not individual players. Because if that was the case, the Florida Panthers

would have sold out from 1998 ninety eight through two thousand twenty two and they didn't get their team was garbage yes that's very very hundred percent valid with segg buttons so i'm gonna add one more thing here that i think about yesterday but j asked me and i really like safer they didn't really good player you really good player

all i can and was their first round dropped it last year he he's a top good player. He's a really good player. Cole Iserman was their first round draft pick last year. He's a top notch goal scorer. And he and James Hagens played together at the National Team Development Program for two years, record setting years for James Hagens and for Cole Iserman. Iserman has the all time goal scoring record at the program. Hagens broke the under 18 scoring record in one year and he was excellent.

You might have to look at it too as a center and winger duo that already have history, that already have had this unbelievable opportunity to have success, could it translate to the NHL or the Islanders? I think that's another factor that goes in that I hadn't thought about last night that I'm certainly giving some strong consideration to now as him as the first overall pick. Yeah, that's a very, very good point and a good connection considering their history.

Craig, we were, because we were talking about the draft lottery, we got buzzing about like all-time great junior players and the buzz that they can can create no and i were talking about going to see lindros when he was a kid and going to see mcdavid and uh... i'm curious cuz you you've seen them all uh... is there one one kid like one sixteen seventeen year old where you went to see him play the first time that

sticks out among the others in terms of the hype in terms of the buzz in terms of your own excitement out among the others in terms of the hype in terms of the buzz in terms of your own excitement then when you walked in the rink and you saw him you're like I can't believe I'm watching this. Oh there's some great ones. Do you want me to tell you the Jeff O'Neil one? Absolutely if you got a Jeff O'Neil one that's even better. Jeff Jeff was a prodigy and I had heard about this young player it's 15 years old playing in Thornhill. Okay. I remember Kim Bernhardt and I went and watched Jeff play in Thornhill and we were very duly

impressed. I think I told Jeff this. I know I told Jeff this, right? But we had drafted Todd Harvey in 1993 and Jeff was in the 94 draft and we'd spent a lot of time with Jeff. We talked about trading up and we talked to Jimmy Rutherford and we spent a lot of time with Jeff, you know, we, we, we, we talked about trading up and we talked to Jimmy Rutherford and the years we thought Jeff would be a really good center for us. And, uh, and Jim Rutherford goes, yeah, I'll trade you the pick for Todd

Harvey. And we said no. And interestingly enough, Jim was very clear on what he was looking for. We thought, and you know, you, you draft the player the year before ninth overall and Todd and Todd was a good player, But I do remember, you know, being told about Jeff and going and watching him play and certainly was impressive. Now on a different, on a different, when we talk about the Lindroses and the thing, Sidney Crosby was the guy for me. I heard so much about Sidney Crosby. So, and, and he was the buzz of thing. And I remember Pat Bresson telling me, wait till you see this kid. So at 14 years of age, he came in and played at the, uh, what's, uh, it was called the max midget tournament hearing

in, uh, in Calgary. He was playing for Shadot. And I remember the, the first shift, second shift, third shift, it was like, you gotta be kidding me, but this is unbelievable. Like he was that good. And so there was Lindros, there was also McDavid. I mean, what they do is they capture your attention like immediately and you realize, ooh, this is something special.

It is because like now we know where they went and what they became, but you're talking about a rink, you know, there's 500 people in the rink, or if it's in the OHL, there's 3,000, 4,000, and it's tight, and it's amazing. Like it is uniquely Canadian. What I'm always fascinated about those guys, Brian, is I always just call them automatic.

Like it's not like to get to junior and they're overwhelmed and they don't, they take two years to get adjusted. They just are amazing right off the bat. And then they get to the NHL, it's not like to get to junior and they're overwhelmed and they don't they take two years to get adjusted They just are amazing right off the bat and then they get to the NHL. It's not like oh, it's different now They're just amazing right from the hop. They're just automatic amazing all the way from peewee right into the NHL That's so true Jeffrey and and it is and and and and if they and if they ought them and if they didn't become automatic You'd be shocked because that's how dominant they were.

And again, I was just blown away by Crosby. And he was 14 playing against kids two years older than him and it was just like, wow. Unbelievable. Craig, just quickly before we get let you go, and that's why I'm not like shocked and it's not like a massive disappointment, but after watching Connor Bedard in Halifax, I was like, this is going straight to automatic and it's going to be dominant and it's going to be electric and it just really, like it hasn't really been automatic for him. He's been good, but I thought it was going to be different.

Yeah, and I think the person I've been using, Jeff, is Nathan McKinnon. Nathan McKinnon came into the league, first overall, he won the Rookie of the Year in that 13-14 season, and then the Colorado Avalanche were terrible. And it really hurt Nathan McKinnon with respect to who he was surrounded by, how he was able to take it. And then, you know, he signed the contract to the extension. A lot of people go, how do you give him this contract? That was commentary in coming out of his entry level contract. And then in a fifth season, he just exploded to super stardom.

I think in my, in my mind, every watch corner, I believe that once the Chicago Blackhawks get him surrounded, like McKinnon got surrounded in Colorado, you'll see that real uplift in his game. And we know McKinnon's one of the best players on the planet. He became Super McKinnon in that fifth season and hasn't stopped. And I think the Dargs can find that level once the team

becomes better around him in Chicago. No question about that. No question about that. Or I certainly hope there's no question about that. Well, we've figured out who's picking first and I guess the owners will kick start the party and we'll take it from there. A couple games in the Stanley Cup playoffs tonight, game two tomorrow night, Leafs Pan panthers it's going to be a great ride thank you for doing this craig we appreciate it

yeah i appreciate you guys thanks for having me there is craig button director of scouting here at the s on skin ask him at the end what i was waiting i wasn't sure if you're going all right i don't know if we don't go on long enough with the fact that i was gonna ask him remember when he dusted us in barry that's when he was scouting man that's when he was there to watch players remember the look on his face when we walked in he was like these guys are in my world one of the most incredible moments of all time

of all time yeah i didn't want to bring it up just in case it was a source book you never know you never know Anywho Craig McTavish. Oh those guys are my friends Remember how excited we were though I wish we had cameras in that room. He's such a great clip to have Craig McTavish will join us. The Oilers are starting up tonight. His take on that. Listen, Craig would play on the edge a little bit in his day. You know,

he would play on the edge. Sam Bennett like at times. So we'll get into that and spin around the NHL with Craig. Also our best bets later in the hour. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on TSN 2. All right, best bets later in the hour we get the Jays in the West Coast playing the Angels tonight. We got two games in the Stanley Cup playoffs we get the Warriors in Minnesota road teams rocking early in the NBA second round. So we'll get to that a little bit later in the hour we got game two of the Leafs and the Panthers tomorrow. But the Oilers Vegas tonight, Oilers Vegas tonight. And this is going to be a great, great series. It sets up so beautifully for the second round.

I mean, these are two monsters. These are two teams with experience. It felt like a collision for the most part all year. And we've got the collision and it starts in Vegas tonight to tee it up, to chat about everything that's going on around the NHL We're joined now by longtime NHL are former player former coach longtime Euler. Here's Craig McTavish. How you doing Craig? Oh I'm doing great. Thank you. How are you guys? So dog and noodles and a sir you guys are all good. Yeah, we're doing great man. I'm down. Yeah are all good. Yeah, we're doing great, man. Not wearing down yet?

Not quite. Mac T, we just want to ask you, do you ever just watch old clips of yourself and say, how am I alive after playing that long with no helmet? I never had a problem. Never had one problem. Never got a stick in the head. Never got a puck in the head. I know, but like what about a hit from behind?

Like some of these collisions, these guys, like player on the Leafs, Pontus Holmberg, he went to the net last night and Kulikov absolutely trucked him. Like if that's you with no bucket on, you're in trouble, Mac T. Or were you just such a smart player you never put yourself in trouble like that? Well, I could keep myself out of those danger areas. And if I was driving it to the net like that, I'd be very, very cautious or coming around the back of the net. I see the fenceman coming around the back of the net, not knowing what's on the other side. And, you know, I can't remember

myself ever doing that, but no, I just, it was a different era. The game was slower. We were out there. Oh dog will remember this because he was one of the greats at it, is you're out there kind of like hovering, waiting for something to happen. There was some hustle involved too, Matt T. Come on. It's not just total hovering. Then you get hustling when something happened. Okay, plays on, let's get going. But in today's game that's

you know you're expected to be at full speed uh... every second that you're out there of your thirty eight seconds shift but uh... i don't know how old dog would have handled all that but uh... he can still shoot it in the net that's for sure i gotta be honest though craig when i had uh... was i was with you in saint louis i feel like I saw you absorb one of the hardest hits I've ever seen and just basically get up and skate away like nothing. You were, correct me if I'm wrong, the last guy to play without a bucket, correct?

Yeah, that's right. Do you remember who hit me? Because I don't and maybe's the part of the problem i don't know there was a different era i agree yeah but uh... i've always wondered though craig like did any trainer coach ever saved

tri-a-hole it's like trying to give a shot at the end or was it just a don't even ask me because it was grandfathered in you didn't have to just like guys not wearing visors man there's still like three or four players in the league that aren't wearing a visor yeah no it was in 1979 if you were in and that's the year I came in to Boston and you know at that point nobody wore a helmet like nobody and I was a veteran team in Boston we had all these tough guys and you know, at that point, nobody wore a helmet. Like nobody, and that was a veteran team in Boston. We had all these tough guys and you know, it would be sacrilege for those guys to put a helmet on.

Stan Jonathan, Terry O'Reilly, John Wentzink, Mike Milbury. Those guys, Mike actually wore a helmet, but he was maybe the only guy, John Rattell, and you just, nobody wore a helmet back then in practice and you just, I just got used to not wearing one and kept it off. And ironically, the guy that was second was Brad Marsh, the second last guy not to wear a helmet. And he and I played, we're the same age, we, he'd lived a half a mile from my house growing up and Who knew two guys from the same minor hockey system?

Maxi we were talking about the may believe players and the ability or in the past It's been the lack of ability to elevate in the playoffs and play at the different level Then they've never done before and each of the last few playoffs. We seen McDavid and Dry Cytle do that on a nightly basis. When do you think it clicked in for them that in order to have success in the playoffs and I believe it was a few years back where they just went they just they just started to go nuts against the LA Kings and it was a completely different level and it's been different from then on in. Like what do you think happened with those two where they found that gear?

Well experience and the realization, I think the simple realization that being a superstar in this league is exhausting and we're counting on them every night to drive the bus. And you look, when I think back at some of the teams I played on and the commitment level of Mark Messier in New York was incredible in 1994. And you just, there's really nothing else when you commit yourself to that level. And those guys, I don't think there's a guy that's more driven in this league than Connor

McDavid and Leon's a close second behind. And those guys want to win. And that's where all the fun is, is in winning. And that's where all the glory is when your career is over and you assemble again with your teammates and so forth that you've won with. And these guys, I mean, Connors, somebody told me a story about Connor the other day

that I'm sure it's true, but that his mother would said he never really had that much of a childhood. I mean, he was always super mature at a very early age and he's always had an intense focus. And lately we've seen shots of him getting caught, having some fun during the game. Normally you didn't see too much from him,

but he's enjoying the process. And for anybody that saw how affected he was last year when the Oilers didn't win Game 7, you know what the drive factor is. And a lot of the things going into this series look to favor Vegas, but the superstar factor is sternly in the Oilers hands and those guys, they have the ability to win games individually. With Craig Metavish ahead of game one tonight in Vegas, and you mentioned Vegas, a really good team, big defense,

they've won a Stanley Cup recently. It's easier said than done. You gotta, obviously everyone's thinking you gotta stop McDavid, you gotta stop Dry Settle. Clearly that's gonna be a part of their plan and Bruce Gassidy will be advocating for that. But what else do you think Vegas would be attacking here when it comes to Edmonton? Like besides trying to make life uncomfortable for the two best players, how else do you see Vegas possibly overcoming the challenge that could be the Edmonton Oilers starting tonight? Well I think their

strategy would be they're a big heavy team not only on the fence as you mentioned but up front too as well and I think they're going to be attacking the net super aggressively and trying to put as much pressure as they can on Cal Pickard who's really been incredible. Surprisingly, Cal to me when I watch him play is really good on in-tight plays. That's not necessarily a strength of a goalie that's of average size or maybe slightly below average, but he's super competitive and he seals the bottom of the net really well on tight play. So he's got that going for him going into the series. He's really turning into a lightning rod for the Oilers and being an inspiration for the team.

And you know, how can't you be inspired when you see a guy that, you know, is an underdog like Cal and puts in that type of effort. He's absolutely fearless out there. And what people maybe don't know is he's a really gifted skater. Noodles would know this of course, but he gets side to side very well. So any of those slot line plays that the Eulers can be vulnerable to give up, he's very good at getting side to side and stopping those. But I would think they're going to try and put a lot of physical pressure on him. The downside of an undersized goalie is you can't stop the ones that you don't see. So I think they're going to be really the net front as it always is, but in this series in particular it's going to be a battleground. Yeah, it's a great point, Mac T. Statistically, with Seam passes side to side because he's a great you know got a good lateral push he

was nine for nine in that series where Stuart Skinner gave up five goals on H8 seam passes so you know that might be something that's you know that the Oilers identified but where I wanted to go with this is at what point I mean you're sitting there in the building watching this at one point at what point did you believe it's like okay it's enough with Skinner they've got to go with Pickard because he is like it seems like the team changed and and really galvanized around him did you just did you just sense it or do you you know was it a a gut reaction by Knoblock? Well, I think based on the first two games, the coaching staff have very little choice

than to, because as you know, like people, they don't understand the amount of pressure that is on the goalie. And Stu Skinner is an unbelievable person, but you can't help but read a lot of the things. And when you're struggling, I mean, it's difficult. Third-party advice is easy to the goalie that tells Stu, don't worry about it, don't read anything. But I mean, when it's your name being bandied about and, you know, he's a good guy, he's feeling somewhat responsible for the situation the Oilers were in. And then, I mean, your confidence starts to go. And when that happens, it's time to let somebody else in the net have the goalie coach step

up and work with Stu. And I think if Cal Pickard does struggle at times in this series, Stu will be much more mentally ready to step in there and do the job. But you know, it's a lot of pressure and it's really the only position on the team where you're vulnerable to choke. I mean, playing everything so spontaneous, you're just reacting, but goaltending, more contrived motions, side

to side. I mean, when your confidence goes, I can't help but think you're seeing two or three pucks coming to you and it's a difficult position to play. And there's so much focus here in a smaller market team in Edmonton on not only the team but the goal-tending. Matt, what's the wild ride like watching that deep herring of Nurse and Bouchard, our host here, Brian Hayes, is fascinated with these guys. Every time they step on the ice, there's some excitement going on. What is that roller coaster like with those guys? They can make things happen all over the ice. Well, I mean, you've got to take the good with the bad. They both have a lot of good and a lot of things that they add.

Darnell has had a really good year this year. He's playing at a much higher level than he has at any previous point. Bouchard, I mean games three and four where he, I mean he was under a lot of heat too after games one and two and then he comes out and you know pretty much single-handedly turns a series around with two goals in game three and two goals in game four. He made that unbelievable check on Byfield when I mean you know, I mean, you, you just, you gotta get that puck out into the neutral zone. I think we saw it in the St. Louis game too, when Bush Nabish took the shot on the, on

the empty net. And one thing that playoff hockey does is it teaches you that the hockey gods punish stupidity and selfishness mercilessly. And when you don't get that thing out and you're thinking whether he was or not, I mean, it's hard to say, but when he was, if he was thinking to chip it by and hang on to it and try and get an empty netter, I mean, that comes back to get you and those, that's, I mean, that's part of the experience that you get when you when you play a number of games in the playoffs

absolutely uh... well it's go time starting tonight game one in vegas we've got game one washington playing carolina tonight into the second round it's uh... great time here to talk hockey it's been great catching up with you we appreciate doing this craig thank you need too pleasure guys you got it the enthusiasm high that's our plan always is thanks for doing this there is Craig McTavish who snuck in before the grandfathering of helmets I got in in 79 just under the wire and

then wore no helmet for 18 years. Imagine like a doctor nowadays and a guy just wheeled in and said, I'm going no bucket. Yeah. What the reaction would be like, oh, actually, I'm allowed because 18 years ago I played and guys didn't wear helmets. Crazy. So I don't wear a helmet now. But yeah, man, what a career.

Like you're obviously four times Stanley Cup winner, three times in Edmonton, then he won with the Rangers in 94. Yeah. Man, that would have been a party in New York, man. Oh, those guys. Man, that would have been a scene. Riding with Messier in 94 in New York. Well, those guys, I mean, he rode with Gretzky in them. Yes, that's right. You know what I mean? Like he had a he had a great time like playing with him in st Louis he said such a funny guy, you know

The only thing that stands out when you think of Mac T We didn't ask him about it. Remember when he ripped the mascots tongue off. I was right that was I was in that game I was it was January 20th of 2003 I just looked it up like it was Battle of Alberta andvey the hound was harassing him and he ripped the tongue off mom and yeah that's that was such a that was a wild moment that was a great moment

one i greatly appreciate but uh... he's awesome yeah that was that was good to catch up with him uh... all right that's what's coming up jays on the west coast to get two games in the stanley cup playoffs at the nba plus continuing overdrive continues to use and and fifty and i'd use them too right today's best best power by fando make your picks in a similar same game parlaying seconds on the fando sportsbook app on the caps tonight begin plus money at home plus money

at home and they play off the fascinating to see how both those teams start. Exactly, they've both been sitting for a while. I think that benefits Alex Ovechkin tonight. I think Ovi gets a point and racks up at least three plus shots. That's your same game parlay for that game tonight. Best Bet's powered by FanDuel. Live same game parlays now available for every Stanley Cup playoff game on the FanDuel Sportsbook. Yeah, please play responsibly nineteen plus physically located in ontario uh...

yeah i mean that's ready anderson plant tonight uh... ready anderson's plan well but back i mean the layoff allowed him obviously to get healthy and who knows what all these people of the last ten days yeah as long as he's not rolling around in puddles in washington he's good to go and i think you'll be fine give us some subway and the extra spicy Fritos or Cheetos and let him rock. All day man, all day. Yeah. Alright so we got those

games we got the Jays in the West Coast we got a couple of NBA playoff games tonight and tomorrow we're back in here teeing up game two Leafs Panthers it happens quick man it's a quick turnaround when you're in the playoffs but it's been a full thing thanks to everyone behind the scenes for helping out we appreciate it everyone for tuning in today tv radio podcast web we appreciate that variety here enjoy your things enjoy the games tonight we're back tomorrow at all have extra special faxes at four p m

will check at 4 p.m. we'll chat then introducing Brian Adams radio I 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 now available on the free iHeartRadio app. Or ask your smart speaker to play Brian Adams Radio on iHeartRadio. I was ready to rock.

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