OverDrive - OverDrive - May 9, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joins to discuss the Maple Leafs' grand shot against the Panthers in the second round, Auston Matthews leading the stars and Canada's roster outlook at the Men's Worlds. TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston joins to dive into the Maple Leafs' keys to success in the game, Joseph Woll's spotlight in net and the team's ceiling in Toronto.

Remember when your biggest problem was who burned the best mix CD relive those glory days at all your friends fest Presented by play ho Joe casino empowered by I heart radio. It's going down June 28th and 29th at Burles Creek with Avril Lavigne Rise against simple plan under oath the Veronica's and more camping parking and limited tickets at all your friends festival calm don't miss the party your teenage self always dreamed of we got to do a mini dear hazy B we got to get Billy Belichick on the show and tell him that he's got he's he's got to get rid of his girlfriend And I know it would be tough man, and I don't know if the rumblings are true or false About her being banned from the North Carolina football facility He's got to move on hazy B. Yeah, this feels like a dear hazy B. Where it's um let's just start the hazy B

It's brought to you by Boston Pizza. Yes, dear hazy B I know a guy who's 75 my grandpa that would be the right that would be someone would write it in my grandfather is dating someone Who's 24? Yes my grandpa. Yes Yeah, and he's a head football coach at a big-time University in North Carolina his girlfriend is 24 and wearing weird gear to practice and running the show and we have to tell them it's got to stop because it's ruining his legacy I have a theory on this because it was

Pablo Torre that reported this and I don't think of Pablo Torre as a like a guy that breaks news you know this is more of a Schefter type report so you know it's it's going viral and everyone's buying into it because it's so believable that's what's scary here right my sneaking suspicion is Bill Belichick went to the athletic director and said you have to do me a favor. I can't do it. I Can't do it. You can tell this guy's he just doesn't he doesn't have what it takes I know

I think that when you have to go to the athletic director and say can you do me a favor and send me an email Banning my girlfriend isn't that time to get rid of the girlfriend? Well, I think sent I mean listen when is bill Belichick take responsibility though Here's my dear hazy B. How about you grow up and if you're going to be in a relationship, place some boundaries. Like, everyone's like, oh poor Bill Belichick. Who else's significant other, girlfriend or wife, wheels around? You imagine our wives wheeling around here telling people what to do? We'd all get fired immediately.

Of course, but that's the point is, like, everyone's blaming this woman. How about Bill Belichick? I grow up and say, excuse me, I can't have you, like I work here, you work wherever you work, we have our personal life together, but I'm more than capable of running interviews and football operations without your help. But Bill Belichick is the one that's done it. He's the one that's too, he can't handle the heat right now. It's crazy. It is crazy. Bill Belichick would fire Bill Belichick if he ever saw that type of... Immediately. He wouldn't allow one second of it. That's what I'm saying. He'd be so disturbed by Bill Belichick.

Bill Belichick, the way he did business, this is the most ironic part. He wanted no relationships, no nothing. When it came to the New England Patriots, like Tom Brady wanted that voodoo guy on the sidelines. No band. Band from the facility. Because all you knew from Bill Belichick is this guy's a coach, you knew nothing about his personal life.

Gronk, we had him on the show. He's like, yeah a guy's a good guy if you want to have a beer with him but at the stadium the guy's a lunatic all of a sudden somewhere where he crossed over the threshold of being seventy five or or not given a damn anymore his girlfriends on the field in shorts and some sort of weird his problem and his fault it's a hundred percent his fault and it is like that's where oh you said you got a buddy that you go for breakfast with the guy who's a veteran guy 70 something or whatever he's got to pull him aside one of his buddies and go what are you doing here like you you're literally get your head out of your ass that's not the way that's not the bill Belichick. I know

He's acting this way. He's acting like a high school guy or either way noodles my buddies that I go for lunch with two of My best friends. They're 80 years old. I was gonna say 80. I didn't want to say Blue from old school Blue they're the best guys. Yeah, I know Eddie and malls They're the best you would ask so Molls, they're the best. So Eddie and Molls need to pull him aside and say, what the hell are you doing? Because that's not the Bill Belichick we know. The Bill Belichick we know would not tolerate any type of that nonsense around his football program, regardless of where it is.

Yeah, and again, I don't, I mean, there's so much focus on the age discrepancy naturally, and as a result, I feel like people are, there's this attack, it's, well, it's because, I take issue with all this because she's younger. I'd have the same reaction if she was Bill's age, in terms of the fact that you're supposed to be running a program, and Bill Belichick,

again, I don't blame his girlfriend at all my assumption would be the girl his girlfriends like why could help you do this i can't and he's like yeah yeah sure okay you run this you run that's a great right you want me to run it sure pays or to be here for the interview all do it and stop it and it's on him to be like this uh... i i have a obligation to get paid a fortune

by the state dude you know to step in and do something here like we just mentioned bill Belichick would fire bill Belichick he is deathly afraid of going speed dating at an old-age home when this is over and he really enjoys what he's getting into yeah listen I think like he's got like noodles can you imagine Hayes face if we were sitting in here? And he said, Oh, what'd you think the least power play last night? My wife was sitting in the back and she said, don't answer that. Like this guy's

head would pop off. It was strange. It was strange. It is strange. Where'd you guys meet? Don't answer that. Like, yeah, we'll see what happens here. We'll see. Listen, Bill Belichick has got a lot of power, and that's the thing it's still it's college and it's North Carolina it's a big program but it's a basketball program and they're paying him a lot to get wins and if he doesn't win that's when things are going to get crazy but in college sports they'll accept a lot if you win if he wins you know who knows what's coming all right we got game three tonight Leafs Panthers and we get the world championship right He wins, you know, who knows what's coming. Yeah. All right.

We got game three tonight, Leafs Panthers. And we get the world championship right around the corner with an absolutely stacked Canadian team. We head to Sweden now and here's Mike Johnson joining us here on the Maple Tidal Hotline. We acclimated over there. How are we feeling? Pretty good. Hey, it's not going to lie to you.

I slept well on the flight over. Slept pretty well the first couple the flight over slept pretty well first couple nights It's like what is it 11 o'clock here? Yeah, I will go to sleep in a bit and I think I'll sleep through the night So yeah, all good kind of on normal schedule now talking about it's Friday night in Sweden You know, I know and it pains me to say this and I'm not being a hero here But I have to do three games tomorrow, dude Rockin old school man. Oh right to the put a suit on and go right to the rink

It's not my energy. That's the issue or my morality. It's my voice That's I can't go to the bar at night and then go and do seven hours of games today I go I'll lose my voice by Monday, so as much as I would like to. And I'm right in the thick of it. I am two blocks from Old Town. I am less than a kilometer from Cafe Oprah, allegedly. And I cannot go out until I have a day off, which is like 10 days away. And the other thing too, Johnny, calling an NHL game, we all know who the players

are, right? You're very recognizable. Like you're obviously going to know the Canadian players but a guy in the other team who you've never seen before and you've had to do so much research on him because the guy had never played in the NHL and he's played in a second division league somewhere, like that's the biggest challenge for you isn't it is not only the the amount of time you've got to call the games with but basically the research you have to do on players that you know are not household names yeah Canada played more at noon against Slovenia yeah now if all Jai Kolpatar was playing okay other than that, I Don't know if I've heard of any player on their team

So I'm hoping Canada has the puck a lot, but yeah, you can't sort of take it out of memory So anyways, so I am here in the room doing some work for tomorrow talking to you guys and then Hopefully, I won't wake up at all like in game 2 I woke up middle of the night and watched the last 10 minutes live of the Leafs game which was like from you know to 45 to 3 in the morning or something and Kind of watch how that one ended. Hopefully that won't happen that I was watching the morning, but we'll see well Then you would have seen you know pretty good action down the stretch man It was an unbelievable hockey game game two and the leaves are back in familiar territory i guess when you consider where

they were last series they were up to nothing against Ottawa heading on the road we know how that finished simone benoist overtime uh... this sets up to be a more difficult test although auttawa was i thought played pretty well in game three like they were prepared but the leaves were prepared as well and you know I'm curious where you stand on on the Florida Panthers like to you in your opinion is it just a lock that they have a great game tonight or have they have

they shown you in the last two games that maybe they're leaking oil a little bit or the Leafs are pushing them around in certain areas. What do you expect from the Panthers tonight? I would be very surprised if Florida didn't play well. It doesn't mean they're going to win for sure, but I think we've seen two years in a row to the final, the core group of players that have been there and when they've had to rise to the occasion, they've been in some tight spots in the last couple years, they have generally risen to the occasion. The players and noodles may be specifically the goal sender and so I would expect them all to be good. Now,

so Toronto has to be really good. I think Toronto has done a better job in the playoffs two games than during the regular season games of taking advantage of an uber aggressive forecheck. Oh, talked a lot about it like getting stuff through the neutral zone getting stuff off the rush that never happened or rarely happened during the regular season it's happened several times and they've converted on them if they can that's those opportunities will still be there you know from the forecheck will still be heavy it'll be aggressive they'll be up the ice and if they can make plays on

turnovers or make plays quickly they'll get those chances. I think that is something maybe the Leafs have unlocked in the first couple games to their advantage and those results in dangerous chances more so than you know scrumming around on a cycle so that's maybe something Hayes they can they can latch on to from the first couple games But I would expect this to be a very tough game and if they can get it Well, you know then they're going to the conference final essentially, you know, and it's never over but it's only happened four times so this is a massive game and The mentality of the Leafs to not think well done a good job getting up to nothing and if you take a breath and

If you ease off at need often also mentally or emotionally for right back in the theory that there's a night like that but the really big in the car play well if craig berube had the option of hockey gods sat in his office and said you can have one of the other tonight to be the best player on the ice austin matthews or joseph wall which one you take i'm always taken the goalie could even in often the best player he might get one in one on the ice, Austin Matthews or Joseph Wall, which one are you taking? I'm always taking the goalie, because even if Austin is the best player, he might get

one and one. But if Joseph Wall is the best player, Florida gets none, or one, and that's going to result in a win. So I'll always take the goaltender for sure. But I do think Austin has their line, and Tom Maurice was asked about it, how he feels it, you know, Barkov and Matthews have gotten against each other. And I thought in game two, Barkov, he got the better of us. I know Mitch scored the game winner and results matter. That's all that matters. But I thought Barkov carried the play largely against Austin Matthews' line in game two.

So we'll see if they can flip that around. I'm always taking the gold tender oak Just because if the goalie has a great game you basically win that game That's not always a guarantee with a positional player Johnny what do you make of you know some of the depth players chipping in and specifically a guy like Max patch already who? You know started as a healthy gets comes in as the third line now He's cemented himself on the second line there and looking pretty good It's so pivotal. It's just one of the other elements that sort of hasn't happened in years past. Max, I give him so much credit for being able, but maybe more importantly willing to reinvent himself late in his career.

He's had a really good career as an offensive player who scores goals, who wants the puck. You know, he plays physical to get it, but he doesn't play physical to play physical. That's not the way he's played in his career. And yet here he is, mid-30s, recognizing that if I want to be a contributing part of this team, I got to be willing to just put my head down,

use my big frame, skate and hit and finish, and then the offense may or may not come, but I can't worry about that. And that's not as easy and not as obvious as people might make it, might think it would be. And so he's been a big part of it. And, and he's, you know, he's a big guy and Florida is a team that sometimes requires big guys to push them back because they're gonna push you and Occasionally it's nice for you to run them over and he has that news We've talked about him throughout the year Like from the first game he played this season way back when he started before he got injured

He was hammering guys like hitting guys at a level. I'm like, I don't remember him ever doing this So it's something that he obviously was intent on doing and he's followed through the entire season. It's been important. And that sixth, top six forward, it has been a revolving door. They've tried everyone there. There was always the hope when they signed Max Pacioretty

that it could be him in this exact moment. Like almost in this exact series where he could be ideally suited to play this role and so far in the first couple games he's played a massive role in them being up to nothing. With Mike Johnson our TSN hockey analyst ahead of game three tonight, Matthew Kuchuk do you I don't I don't know what you're seeing out of his game but we were talking about this last hour you know Bob has not been himself and if he's not going to be himself then that changes everything for me putting the goaltending aside if Matthew Kichuck is

not capable of inserting himself into the series and being an impact I'm not sure Florida can get up off the mat either I don't know if you see it that way or not but do you have belief that Kachuk will be better and more impactful once they get back to Florida? I'm with you, Hans. Even for Matthew Kachuk, it's got to be tricky to miss two and a half months and then just walk into the playoffs and expect to be really good, as good as he is. And it feels like he's still getting up to speed. Now he's never been a game that's based on fluid fast skating. It's sort of a much grindier game in type but yeah he's got to have an impact. He's got to have an impact making plays, producing points and being

around the puck enough that he can bug the opposition, that he can get in that agitating role that he is maybe the best in the world at. So yeah, I would think that he's getting healthier as it goes, but he doesn't look like he's all the way there. Coaching staff for Florida would, wouldn't acknowledge that. They said they liked his game. He hasn't had the impact that you'd expect him to, if he's physically capable. Again, you'd expect him to do that in this game.

I just don't know after that break if he's actually physically capable That is the question man. It is like he is when you look at what? thing just You know if he could you know, he would you just wonder if he can well and again they got through Tampa with He contributed like he scored goals first game back He had a couple of goals But wasn't averaging a ton ice time and a couple years ago when they went to their first cup final remember he was out in a Cup he would just couldn't play it sternum. Yeah, and they were done, you know

and again Bob kind of was leaking oil then too, but they just ran out of gas and You know again if you're the Leafs We like it always seems like we talk about well, you know If you get a chance to hit Marner, you do it. If you get a chance, you should be doing the same thing with Kachuk. No kidding. Like just bury him every chance you can.

You always assume he's the guy that wants to drag you into a scrum. You be the one to do it. I'm not saying Marner or Matthews, but if you're Jake McKay, bury him when you can. If you're Brandon Karlo, if you're any of these guys, man, try to drag him into a fight because if he's not at a hundred percent man you never know what you're gonna get he may not be able to do it yeah we'll

see in terms of that thinking I'm curious what what we are expecting out of Josh Morrissey tonight who is gonna return for the Jets and St. Louis just was killing him every chance they got. I got him, Peter DeBoer is going to tell his team if you get a chance to bury this guy, just lean on him. I don't know what we're going to get. Where do you stand on that, Johnny?

It's great to have him back. We presume he's a game time decision. We think he'll play tonight. But if he's at 70, 80 percent, what is that really going do for more cwd what do you think it does for the jets tonight it didn't think that looks like his injuries and upper body thing right so you think you'd be able to defend because you know you can get ok you can gap up you can get in the way of the

russian to get body position but when i think that shoulder lop down after a hit many kind of but it's a male than it just look like a was dragging on him. You wonder what the strength will be like when he shoots the puck because that's one of the real assets he has.

And you know what, you know, that Dallas, as you mentioned, is going to run him, even guys who don't hit, you're like, okay, he's wounded. It's like the antelope that's got the bad lip in the Serengeti, like he's gonna get chased down Everyone's gonna be trying everyone's gonna be drawn to him. And so How many more hits can he take will that allow him to play at his best level? I'm not sure but you know, it's all hands on deck for Winnipeg right now, but Dallas is a load

they are a stacked stacked team that it feels like they're just kind of getting better, almost like Edmonton, just sort of playing better as they go. And Winnipeg will need shifely back up and running like he was. They'll need more. See, I just, I don't know how much better, if you got to leave a game with your shoulder dragging, what was it, four or five, four days ago? Yeah. I still don't know how much better it can get in that short of a time. And what about the Moose? you got to deal with that guy

we discussed our goals good luck on our own city get on a child's goals in a row that might be a ball but for a record he set from up natural hatcher a kid a hatchet in the closeout game to the four point in the period whatever it is even on twelve straight goals for the dallas stars in the playoffs in a game six, in a game seven, in a game one. It's just wild and he's a winger. At least centermen

are around his face-off. They're in the middle of the ice. They're around the puck more. He's a winger and he's doing that. How the narrative has changed for him and this season in three games from a guy you're sort of scratching your head well was that a good decision by Dallas where is he is he pouting is he going to be okay to now he's what the pawns my front runner because of three other worldly games again showing why I just checked it I think he's seventh all time in points for game in the playoffs all time ahead of Marc Messier, who's an 8th. I know he played with Nate McKinnon and I know that helps, but he also helped Nate McKinnon be really good. They worked together well and he's been showing exactly why he was

co-sought after throughout the year and now that he maybe is finally right emotionally and sort of totally moved on from Colorado, you can see what he could do. Now, I'm not expecting another hat trick, but it's just been amazing what he's done. Johnny, do you think that Nate McKinnon is taking Sidney Crosby for lunch and for dinner and saying, what do you think of Colorado? Well, listen, and the GM over this Team Canada is Kyle Dubas. So, you know, if you want to get Kyle Dubas in here as well, like, hey, um... You think it would have been fishy if he named Nate Captain? I think, like, Ryan O'Reilly was over here. Ryan O'Reilly's one of the all-time great World Championship

players. He for sure would have been the captain. I'm like, sorry Ryan, Sid's the captain and now Nate's an assistant, he's an assistant. Yeah, it would have been a little fish if he did that, but I tell you what guys, they practiced here this morning, Team Canada, and Sid walks off the ice and over here you do like your media on this sort of red carpet thing as you walk through the mix zone and there must have been a hundred media members just swarmed him and well, 15 people deep in this semicircle and he's just there chatting away. Like nothing I've ever seen at any of these tournaments, I've been coming to these things

for 15 years. It's amazing the star power he has. But yeah, I would bet that Nate McKinnon is in Sid's ear all the time about coming to Colorado if he's thinking about it, in a respectful manner I guess. But yeah, I mean I imagine that would be something that he would be very interested in getting Sid to do. The thing is, I wouldn't be shocked if Sid looked at it and said, well, you guys won your cup a few years ago for sure, but since then, you know, what have you guys done and if I get Nate to pit, maybe I get into the playoffs.

So you know, why isn't Sid trying to sell Nate McKinnon on demanding to trade the pitch? Why not? Why not? What has Colorado done the last couple of years? Nothing. Well, the other guy in Colorado. why not what is going on with the last couple years nothing the other guy in colorad the other other guy in colorado's pretty good though that mccarr you know what i mean pretty good

pretty good you know you know you're not going to get in and around colorado all the other team in the west like there is something to be said about the east i think rick if you are in a very good to me you have a much better chance of doing some of the were on a very good team in the East you have a much better chance of doing something to the playoffs than if you're on a very good team in the West right now that's just the way the league is sort of set up and You know if you were it would never happen

But you know that idea that if you went to the easier conference per se Then maybe you might have a better chance to go deeper in the playoffs Johnny if you were the ownership group Like if you were the owner of the Colorado Avalanche and you had an exit meeting with Sakik and McFarlane, what would you, what would, like would you want an explanation for that or they already went through all that? Like they would have had to gone to ownership with the Ranton and business but like didn't work out and and it just adds insult to injury when he tortures them in game seven like what would your what would your handle on that be Yeah, I would assume you're right that they would have been well

Briefed on the contract offer if they're gonna offer Ranted in like a hundred million dollars that probably would go through ownership of some time in some level But I guess what I would ask you say, so when we decided to trade him, how much more money would it have taken? How far apart were we from the number that we were comfortable paying him and the number that we could have got him to take?

Were we comfortable at nine five and he would have taken nine nine? Like how close were we and was it worth it to trade a player of caliber over $250, $500,000 per year or whatever it might be? That's the kind of question I'd be like, because it seems, you know, do we lose sight of the force for the trees? Because, you know, I understand the cap ramifications of getting the car done and loading up on three big contracts, but the cap's going up. And if it was $300,000 like please, $500,000,

just take that off one of your third pair of defensemen. That's where you save $500,000. You don't save it on Miko Rantanen. That's the sort of conversation I would have with them like, how close were we and why did it fall apart if we were that close? Well, that ship has sailed and Miko Rantin is still rolling in the second round and in Winnipeg ahead of game two tonight. Alright, Johnny, enjoy yourself over there, enjoy your weekend, good luck with that voice of yours and say hi to Gordon everyone for us. And if you hear it scratchy, it's because it's working hard, not because it's going

out. Yes, of course. Of course it is. Thank you, Johnny. Alright, Yes, of course. Yes. Of course it is. Thank you, Johnny. All right, boys. Have a good 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 mapletoyota.com. Well, we'll see what comes of it tonight, man. We got game three tonight, game four on Sunday. Yeah, this series could be over by next week, man. Or by next Friday. comes with it tonight man we got game three tonight game four on Sunday like yeah this series could be over by next week man or by next Friday yeah yeah things happen quickly man things happen quickly so we'll see what comes of it

tonight all right panel work for you panel work you got some going tonight two noodles with the Jets and I do with the Jets yep and CJ coming up CJ's down in Florida we'll set the scene with him we got Bill I do with the Jets. Yep. And CJ coming up CJ's down in Florida We'll set the scene with him We got Bill Lindsey back on the show a little bit later this afternoon dear hazy being about an hour and our best bets Still to come as well. We're Gonna see you on Monday. We're gonna see you on Monday and we'll see what comes of it We'll talk there is the o-dog Jeff O'Ne Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on TSN 2.

Building Friday brought to you by Boston Pizza, Canada's favorite sports bar. This playoffs season, Boston Pizza is planning the parade and has a new All-Star playoffs menu for you to enjoy. For pizza, pints and puck drops, visit your local Boston Pizza today. What a Boston Pizza night it is, man. We got Game 3 Leafs Panthers, you got the J Jets in action the Jays on the West Coast a late start Easing into the weekend. I love it. Yeah, and Boston pizza obviously is very very very comfortable in Planning the parade and confident that we're feeling good and here we are in the second round We've got two teams two Canadian teams that are up to nothing in their series with the others winning in overtime last night

Canadian teams that are up to nothing in their series with the others winning in overtime last night And the Jets will see maybe they tie it up tonight, and it's all good Maybe we go three for three and then we're guaranteed a Canadian team in the cup final Let's head down to Florida game three tonight right here on TSM radio. Here's our TSM hockey insider Chris Johnston CJ how do you feel about the likelihood? We're gonna see a Canadian team in the cup final Considering you know what we know so far in the second round I Feel pretty good about at least one of them finding their way through Don't know which one it'll be but having three of the final eight is Sort of uncharted territory then obviously with the oilers and Leafs each you know grabbing that to nothing seriously

I mean the odds are pretty well in their favor and this could be a special year. Maybe we get one on each side of the bracket if the Leafs can find their way through the Panthers. That would be crazy if we got an all-Canadian final. CJ, what do you make of tonight's game as far as being the most important thing for the Leafs? Is it the start? Is it the goaltender?

Is it special teams? Is it a combination of everything? You know, what do you think would be number one on the docket for Craig Barubi's team? Well, I'm fascinated to see what we get from Joseph Wall in this game. You know, just being down on the road, building, you know, he has played in in the past, of course, in the playoffs, but you know, I think that the Leafs have had, even with with Solars going out and kind of a weird game one when you just look at the goal-tending position specifically. But the Leafs have gotten better goal-tending in the series through two games.

I mean, Sergei Vrbovsky has been a story on the Panther side, but not for the reasons we're accustomed to the last few playoff seasons. And I think if Toronto can get another solid outing out of Woll, I mean, they're going to have a shot here to go ahead to re-nosing the series, which is not something I think too many of us would have predicted heading into it. So, you know, he's probably the individual player I'm most curious about from the Toronto end of this thing, just because, you know,

it's been a few weeks since he started, so the last game, you know, is he going to be a little bit more comfortable in the net? More settled in what he's doing and can he help the league come on the road and find a way to get what would be a massive victory? With Chris Johnston, in terms of Joseph Wallen, the way he approaches the game, his demeanor, he seems like a very laid back guy. Every goal is a little bit different But it does seem like there's there's two ends of the spectrum maybe noodles you can speak to this more than I can but

There's either the lunatic who's like if you touch my stick I will kill you you know what I mean like don't talk to me if you look at me the wrong way It's gonna be a problem or there's the other guy who's just you know like turns left when he's supposed to turn right he might miss the game and you know what what are you doing like you're in that tonight we need you uh... i'm presuming he's he's the latter is that fair unfair or is there like a burning intensity there with joseph wall that they would we just don't see all the time one-shot in the late mid-winter and people but but there's certainly not

acting zero evidence of lunatic in him. You know, whether that's off the ice the way he conducts himself or certainly on the ice and games, I can't recall him ever getting too fired up about anything. So no, he's definitely doesn't fall into that category. Very laid back, kind of Zen guy, sort of guy that goes on vacations in the mountains and hikes and meditates. So, you know, he definitely doesn't... It's not coming through his ears, right?

There's no Ron Hexall in him to take an extreme example from the past. And, you know, I think that the biggest challenge for him in the game, and it isn't just, you know, the spotlight, the pressure, all those things, which I'm sure he's accustomed to given, you know, he's grown up and been a pretty high level goal sender but you know it's handling the puck. I think they're trying to ask him to do more of that. You know obviously with the Panther score check you know there's a real emphasis from Toronto's end of things not just on the goalie but on everybody to you know limit the amount of time they're in their own zone to get breakouts and I noticed this morning at the morning skate there was a lot of conversation with Woll with the assistant coaches even, you know, just in terms of what they want the

handoffs to look like for the D-men. And so, you know, I think Solars is probably a little better, more comfortable, better suited at that than he is. But obviously, you know, in addition to playing the position and trying to keep it out of the net, they're trying to help, you know, have him help the zone exit so that the Panthers can't do what they do best. So surprising names, guys like Max Patchouretti, you know, being a difference-maker. Anybody else you circle maybe a little farther down on the roster that you expect to be a difference-maker or maybe has a little bit more and can make an impact in tonight's game and Sunday's game?

Ooh, down the line up. I mean Bobby McMahon is probably the obvious answer. I thought he had actually a good game too in this series. I liked what he was doing there. He had one particularly good look, was almost a partial type of breakaway early in the game and was getting into the blue pain around Bobrovsky. It seemed like he was getting a little bit more to the inside of the ice where you know obviously the coaching staff has been asking him to do and I actually lost track now of what the number is but it's

been 20 odd games since he scored a goal you know this is the guy who had 20 total in the regular season you know when he's at his best it seems he can be a finisher and I think you know from the Toronto end of things you know if he could get going a little bit it doesn't have to be a primary producer for the Leafs, but he's someone I think is capable. He's not getting the same type of matchups as the Matthews Marner line is seeing. If he could pop a big one in there, it might be a difference maker. One of the great stories so far in this playoffs release is you get all kinds of goals from the blue line, which obviously isn't something that's happening in the regular

seasons. You're getting the patcher-eddy contribution. Obviously, Nylanders really popped here the last few games. So it's getting spread around in a way that they've been able to score a lot more than we've seen in the playoffs years prior. That's, for me, probably the biggest reason why they've grabbed the big series lead against Ottawa and they've raced out in this one.

And it had more success. They just, they've been putting the fuck in the net more. I think that that puts a little less stress in other areas of the game and allows them to have a night like the other night where three go in against them, but they still find a way to win it. With Chris Johnston, our TSN Hockey Insider, game three tonight, Les Panthers right here

on TSN radio, puck drop at seven o'clock. The Craig Barubei effect is one that everyone can sense, everyone can pick up on. You look at the way that they're playing, the way that they're, the amount of shots they're blocking, the physicality. They've been very, very good in terms of off the draw and certain details in terms of that they've kept their composure i mean these are all things that you know you wait for a coach to bring to the table and maybe when you don't have them you don't notice it necessarily but when when they're very evident to you can realize

the effect that the coaches having and credit to the players for going out there and doing it uh... but how much do you think uh... you know the the, the DNA of the team forever was just core four, core four, core four. How balanced is it now in terms of the positive effect and the winning ways? Would you contribute to the presence and coaching style of Craig Barube? Oh, I think a lot.

I think he, you know, they've made some changes that Sheldon Keefe didn't have at his disposal on the blue line, which I think has helped. But, you know, he's brought everyone together. I think he's got them rallied around a common goal. I think he's the kind of coach that does a good job of making everyone feel important. And, you know, the biggest thing I think of is he's been very comfortable, maybe not, he doesn't have to exert his authority all the time. I think back to earlier in the year, I remember early in the season, Nylander had a comment

in the media about how little he was playing and wasn't happy about that. I mean, keep in mind, Craig Gourvet is a new coach in that situation. I mean, there's a world where he might step in and want to be heavy handed about how he handled that and instead, I think that Nylander hashed it out, he gave him more minutes as he joked after the last game, right? He said, I just leave him alone now. I mean, I think that he's got a really good handle on how to kind of deal with the personalities.

Obviously, you've got a lot of players with a lot of pressure on themselves, a lot of guys with a big paycheck. I think he's really done a nice job of just kind of handling those players in particularly well, but obviously the whole team. And he carries a little, he can walk in with some swagger too, as someone who's won a cup before and has been there and done that. So right now it's hard to find much fault with it at least. I mean there's six and two in the playoffs. They won something like 18 or 20 odd games on the stretch. They've really hit a new level since March

through to this point now in early May. I just think that his presence is... All the praise he's getting, I think, has been earned. The challenge now is to keep doing it. You've got to keep pushing the buttons. You've got to not let them squander a lead like the one they have in this series. And obviously from the players end of things, you've got to keep them sacrificing their bodies, which is not an easy thing to do with all the shots they block, how physical they're playing these games,

and how emotional. I think they've come with more urgency in the series than the fans. I think that's one of the reasons they've grabbed this 2-0 lead through those first two home games. How important do you think Chris Ketanev's role is in all of this? Not a sexy player, but certainly very effective in a lot of facets. Quietly, I mean, he did score a goal, but he even joked that it bounced six times before it hit the back of the net. But how effective do you think or how important is he to kind of that stability

on the back end? It's massive, right? I mean, I just think it gives them a second sort of top, I mean, they're top defensemen, really, all around defensemen. And even though it's the defensive side of the game that he's made his living on, I mean, that's what this team does better.

I mean, right now, they have the fewest goals against for 60 in the playoffs at any speed. At least they've been the spigiest team in terms of what they're giving up so far in the playoffs. And I think that that all runs through the way they play, and Christina personifies that. I mean, they have 50 blocked shots through two games in the series. I mean, what do we all know him for is Is his willingness to throw his body instead of pucks, you know, going back to his days in Vancouver. And, you know, last year with Dallas, it was a big part of the Stars reaching the third round.

You know, had some tough matchups and assignments in those early series against Colorado and Vegas, and, you know, helped them shut down the McKinnons and Jack Eichel and the dangerous players in those series and he's played a role in doing so early in this playoffs for Toronto. So look, he signed a long contract and there might come a time when we're talking about him that conversation shifts that he can't keep doing it at this level, but right now I mean he's been incredible I think and is kind of an identity guy in addition to

the way that you can turn it on the ice that's helped you know change the way the week like how many leaf and you see it down there and not too many just yet there was to feel on the flight but i will pay just driving to the parking lot here tonight if it's pretty red right now so i don't know i don't know what the building to be that doesn't look too promising at the moment okay that's all right and they were going to carry over

that story line it was a big one against all of a lot easier to get to all of all that is to south florida but uh... what did you guys make of uh... i meant to bring this up like i was asked this morning on on first up like auto fans had some chance to meet you, they were going after Matthews. They had some good chance. We never really talked about it.

CJ, I'm sure you were in Ottawa. Were you there? I mean, those chants were ringing out. I can't see that happening in Florida. I know Leafs Nation travels pretty well. Florida is starting to become a much more educated fan base. But I can't see them going after Matthews and Marner the way that the Sens fans did. Yeah, I would be surprised if they did. I mean, I was down here in the cup final last

year. I don't recall anything like that against McDavid, even the 2023 playoffs. It's become a great fan base down here. It really has. I mean, this used to be one of my least favorite places that comes in game, and it's a loud building now. And obviously, with all the become a great band a down here really has to meet this is the one of my least favorite places become the game and it's it's a lot of building now and obviously with all the success of panthers have added a big energized the community but i don't think there'll be any chance around anyone care line or anything like that

uh... from coming from the the crowd here tonight yeah i don't think that's i think matthews is safe on that one and uh... you know martyrs uf a status is not top of mind for people in Florida right now. I don't think they're really necessarily cap crunching before they get to the rink tonight. But it should be good. It should be an electric evening. Game three, it's a big one, man. They call it a swing game for a reason.

Let's see what comes of it. Enjoy it, CJ. Enjoy your weekend. We'll do it again soon. We'll do. I'll just say this. I was talking with someone in the league today who's not connected to the series. He said the Leafs are the best team in the East. There's some belief in other places that aren't Leafs Nation too about this playoff run. Alright. Well, you'll take anything you can get if you're a Leaf fan right now. That is for sure. Thank you CJ.

There's Chris Johnston. big win for Washington last night. Yeah, they looked pretty energized. Like, Washington had a response last night. And Tom Wilson right in the middle of everything. Yeah, he is. He's a unicorn in the league, man. He is a monster that can skate and he can score and he contributes in so many different ways and you can't miss him.

You're never going to go to a game with him on the ice and miss that guy He's always gonna be in the middle of everything But yeah, listen the Leafs they won the division they've been a really good team in the past I can't say enough of the fact that they've added tan of Carlo and Ekman Larsen like that that alone just changes everything You know we're in years past it was just You know Justin Hall and Timothy Lilligren's out there and you've got right, you know It's just it's a different beast like Carlo is as meat and potatoes as you can find in the league Like it's just hack and whack and move and get and that's fine

Because you know if you need a puck mover it going to be Morgan Reilly on that pairing. Are you going to get hemmed at times or whatever? Sure, but I've been impressed with how composed he's been, how big he stands. He's not nasty or mean necessarily, but he's not afraid. He doesn't shrink. He's in the middle of everything and he's a tree, man. He's a monster. That's the thing about the playoffs. We have talked about it so many times.

Give me a 6'4 guy who's not great with the puck on my second or third pair over a 5'10 guy who's good with the puck. Obviously they're extremes. You give me Kael McCarr, I'm taking Kael McCarr, obviously. But you give me a guy who's 510 and he makes a pretty good first pass i don't care he can't move guys he gets out of the way he doesn't like to be hit you know these guys they're they all they throw hits they take hits they're not if they're they're not affected by it you know it's just more difficult to wear

down a guy who's 6364 220 yeah it's Yeah, it's more, it's tougher to do. And the Leafs, you know, have, have clearly been proving that, uh, halfway through this series. All right. Game three tonight. We'll continue to look ahead to a Bill Lindsay from Florida in about 20 minutes. Dear hazy B coming up as well. Our best bets on the Leaf game tonight.

Overdrive continues TSN 10 50 and on TSN two. Connor tweeting in saying that Leafs goaltending legend Harry Satari is on Finland's roster apparently at the Worlds Wow remember old Harry Satari yes was it either guy that got claimed on waivers with at least it claimed them or tried to bring him over yeah he got he

was in Arizona Arizona they brought it brought him over and Harry Satari he was like 32rizona arizona brad at bradham over and harry satyari he was like thirty two back then like you know i don't think it man subpoena the world's like the world's you see got gas will go there for certain now philand's are really a great hockey country right but you get certain countries where you get a forty-year-old whose plan you know he's been to the world's

ten times hit on the guy the guy just continues to go. He's a legend in his own country or whatever and we've never heard of his name. It's like, who is this guy? Well, he's going back to the Worlds, man. He's going to put on a clinic out there. But yeah, you get the Jays in Seattle this weekend, which is always a fun series because so many Blue Jay fans make their way down. Yeah, absolutely.

Which is great. And I don't know what the weather's looking like necessarily, but it's a cool park and Seattle's a pretty good team. And the J's got one last night. We were disturbed yesterday talking about them and yet the bats came alive and they got on the board last night. Dalton Varsho has been pretty good since he returned. Like to his credit, he's been pretty good. At least you didn't get swept by the LA Angels.

Now they're what? Three games under 500? Yeah, just a few games under 500. Come on now. This is the weekend in Seattle. This is the problem I was telling you. I was trying to be positive with them. They found a win yesterday. And it's not like the AL East is dominant. No, it's not. The Yankees look like they're for real. Everybody else is just kind of hanging around there.

Yeah, yeah. Cosmic Castillo tonight. And Luis Castillo is a good pitcher that's caused concerns for the Jays in the past. It does seem like the Jays are running into great arms, but that's what happens when your bats just have a difficult time coming alive. You know, a fifth starter can look like a Cy Young winner when you just have no life in your bats.

But came alive a bit last night, again, Jays in Seattle, so we'll get to that into the next hour. Dear Hazy B coming up at 6.30, back down to Florida to catch up with Bill Lindsay on the Panther side of things things any panic in that room if there is panic what how would we know it tonight based on the way they may play this evening we're about an hour away from puck drop game three right here on TSN radio full tee up into the final hour overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN 2. Melodin Friday was brought to you by Boston Pizza, Canada's favorite sports bar.

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