OverDrive - Pang on the Bruins aiming for wins, the Canucks looking for a turnaround and Bedard's season in Chicago

Episode Date: January 10, 2025

NHL on TNT Darren Pang joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the Bruins' losing skid and the performance of David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, if the Rangers, Bruins and Canucks can turn the team around, the Canucks' matchup against the Maple Leafs, the Eastern Conference standings and more.

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Darren Pang joining us here on the Maple Tidal Hotline What are you making the soap opera today, Pangar? Well, I like it I like it. Are they giving pasta away? I'll take them Good question Good question You know, I I think during the course of time, how many times have we Good question. Good question.

I think during the course of time, how many times have we been in locker rooms where somebody suggests there's an issue here or there? For every time I was on that bench and listening to Denny Sabard and Steve Larmor go at it on that bench, oh my goodness, you would think these guys were getting divorced and never want to play again. And then they hop onto the ice and do magic together and get back on the bench and they start cursing each other out again and Larm's was the best. He never missed a beat chewing about 900 wads of gum and just kind of, ìAll right, Savvy.

You go there, I go there. Let's go get it done.î But this kind of thing is during the course of a year, as we all know, itís already difficult every day. It takes a lot of energy to get to the rink every day to answer whatever might you have to answer especially when not playing well and then for that and then tap answer these questions well that takes on a little bit more of a you know more of energy if it is as far as I'm concerned anyway that's kind of useless energy for me but I'm glad they squashed it right away and and I'm sure there are times

where pasta is a pain in the neck i'm sure there are times where marsha has a pain in the neck and i mean that's what uh that's what gets you through those times that's what where do they go from here though panger? where do they go from here panger? well i don't know where they go is and honestly where they are right now how they're playing right now is uh really difficult to determine whether or not they're uh they're a team to be you know where are you know, where are they? What's their identity?

They're in the Dolman's land, man. Yeah, they're wild-card team, apparently. Yeah, those are the facts. And luckily, they put some points on the board when Joe Sacco took over from Jim Montgomery, but it's quite clear it's not a Jim Montgomery issue, it's not a Joe Sacco issue. This is an issue of what are they and what is their identity for me. So that's the hardest thing now You know we go around the league. I'm in Detroit tonight

There you know they're on under on fire in their last you know six under Todd McClellan the power place click And they've got at least a power play goal in six straight You know is it you know For Detroit is is this gonna? You know is this gonna continue on like this at this level? Um a lot of the coaches that have been brought in have flattened out a little bit But I I think for um, let's say Detroit as an example Detroit's got these young great studs I talked to Trent Yonnie today runs the D's like man this Moe cider and Ed Vinson and like there's something here

You know, I'm just using this as an example as compared to Boston where their players are older players they've gone through you know some disappointments of game seven losses they've gone through some highs of game seven win against Toronto last year but but lately it's been more low so you know how do you how do you rally that out without making too many personnel changes that's that that is the question and that's the hard one and that's that's obviously the the don swinney you know that that's that's that's a guy that runs the ship i mean that's and it's not as easy

to do is we're talking about i'm sure well it's it's difficult to to really control the market also when you're not when you're not playing well what do you expect you know i'll give credit to brad marshan like he was obviously agitated with this report he came out he shot it down immediately said said it's bogus. But even while he was kind of weaving through all that, he admitted he's like, we're not playing well. Like we're surprised.

Yeah, exactly. And that's the common denominator here, right? Vancouver, the Rangers, Boston, they're just not playing that well. The questions wouldn't even be asked. No one's going to bring it up if they're on a seven two and one run in there you know there's there there right like the washington capitals hearing from washington capitals office yeah so greatest room in the world not that

is that it is it is it's the greatest from the plane for one another and and even when you know even when uh... at the end of the year when when all the ways you know trying to find his game then he got some traction and he was out they didn't miss a beat there. There's like go keep turning it out and One comes in one goes out. Let's keep her going I love love watching them play and I love the spirit that they have and I give their coaches a lot of credit including our Old buddy Kirk Muller and seems like everywhere that guy goes that a good spirit follows that guy is that he's just just one of those

Guys he just just has a goodness about about him and i think that's what's about our game is funny you said the time to call when they say this first was his first game just play out display f in hockey that that what he said you know if you look at what just play hockey i mean my goodness it just think think the game a little bit just play the game hockey and uh... and i think that's the kind of spirit you need to have there and and not uh... and not uh... go through a little paralysis when you play the game of hockey and uh... and i think that's the kind of spirit you need to have there and and not uh... and not uh...

go through a little paralysis when you play the game of hockey so panger before we get onto the rest of the league out of those three teams that we just kind of terms tire fire the rangers boston and vancouver with with much you know uh... how noisy it is there could you pick one team that the if you could see get the turned around and and maybe doing some damage well

i i i really lean towards talk i i think he's i think you did a marvelous job last year of uh... you know put a lot of personalities that are different and maybe sometimes difficult and getting them to buy in uh... did that take that much energy last year to do it that they can't go

through that again uh... i think they can so all those teams are going to say that vancouver would be the one team for me uh... they can light it up in and continue to go and uh... and one of the main reasons is because that head coach there carolina tonight that in toronto tomorrow uh... which i would have to have a schedule

what else get task at least you know they didn't play well last night in their their best players matthews and margaret both minus six in the kitchen which you just never see in the n.h.l. uh... and i'm i'm curious if you could put yourself in that room where the leaves least have been playing well if one a lot of games they've got a four point buffer their division they feel really good about yourselves and they should but you you know you kind of throw away a game last night they've got a four-point buffer in their division they feel really good about themselves and they should but you know you kind of throw away a game last night they're up to nothing quick and then Carolina took

over their best players really didn't perform well now Vancouver's got to play tonight then travel into town what would you expect out of the Leafs especially their best players tomorrow night oh I would expect them to be the best players I mean you know this is an aberration to me. This isn't this isn't Listen Oh dog were you ever in dash six? I can honestly say panger. No Never six, you know what I mean? And and and oh and if and if you were that that next game got your attention Didn't it? Sure like I mean mean come on i know these guys are

uh... i mean listen the letter could have had how many could you have we have three breakways in a row that's really you know i'm very least by your you're not letting your d man gets in that the score of play that well yes that's right and so i think the attention to detail uh... it will be sloughed off so i you know i mean this is a uh... this n.h.l. is quite optional league right now, and I understand that with all

the scheduling and the way that the players kind of deal with things now and kind of go into more video sessions than not, but this isn't one that Craig Barube is just going to say, okay, well, we'll just get ready for the next game. I think that's where you're going to see the attention to detail, the intensity, and a 2-1 hockey game. How about this? I'm going to put it on the board. It's intensity, and a 2-1 hockey game. How about this? I'm gonna put it on the board. It's gonna be a 2-1 hockey game. How do you like that? And it's gonna be shrunk, and it's gonna be tight, and it's gonna be five-man units, and it's gonna push the opposition to the outside. Goaltenders gotta make some better saves. Joseph Wall wasn't very good. Bottom line. Too many squeakers.

And so, yeah, so that's what I would think i think it'd be a it's not gonna be seven six came into seven six came i grow my hair well i would love to see that and uh... i wanted to be seven six that's what i just for that alone but i think you also have two coaches that know each other very well would that be the tall yeah coaching battle in nhl history berubei so yeah who's got to be at the close to the top of the list like both of them were all oh yeah coaching battle in n.h.l. history for ruby all yeah

was gonna be at the close to the top of the list like both of them were all as tough as they are such such good friends you know i i that's what i love about the coaches uh... around the league i mean they're not they're they get together they talk a lot uh...

i'd like to see them go out just have a half a dozen bourbons and just you know get going and go to a couple local pubs and feel it the next morning coach with a little guilt and then bang. Let's go I know but but you know what they do they both galvanize their group. They're both they they they're simple speakers they're to the point and They get your attention. So it's frustrating. It's been for talk more so than certainly than with Chief. I mean, this has been challenging for talk. I mean, if I'm not mistaken, he's on the last year of his deal. If I'm not mistaken, I don't believe that there's an option.

So I mean, he's got a load of opportunity. I mean, he left TNT to go there and take on the challenge of coaching and then he really had to do a great job of dealing with the personalities. I don't think there are any secrets out there. There's a lot of different ones there in Vancouver and then plug them all together and boy, every day that takes some energy with your coaching staff. But he's lucky. He's got a great coaching staff there they're all in it together so i think uh...

i think talks to this get out of this one and i think it's going to be a close close game to more night i close close playoff style game okay i could see that with their paying and the reality is you know we're talking about all these these tire fires around the league from a perspective of the seven canadian teams they're all either in the playoffs or right there. You know, it's been a pretty positive season overall, Penger, where, you know, I don't think all seven are going to get in. I think five will get in.

I'm certain four. I think five. But that's pretty good, man. Like, you'll take that, right? If you're a Canadian hockey fan, the more Canadian teams that make the dance, the better. See, this old dog dot these are notes stats to that uh...

uh... uh... let's see what we got here okay uh... yes auto are close montreal rule i don't know what you are by the way to go into chicago it was a spirited game.

Colton Dock plays against his brother in his first NHL game. He goes down, gets knocked down, his brother yells at him from the bench, say, staying on your feet. So that's Kirby talking to Colton. And the Hawks win that one, and they go back, not 24 hours later,

and they beat Colorado two to one. That was spirit right there. That was an excellent job. I think they've surprised colorado two to one that was spirit right there that was an excellent job and they've surprised a ton of people know we had montreal up there no uh... and nobody had and nobody had columbus up there okay so those are two teams that now if you're if you're detroit while the rangers nobody had them down there uh... buffalo nobody had them down that far down at the bottom

no there's no chance you think there would be a climb right there. And then, let me see on the other side of it, Calgary, they put some points in the bank. That's the key right there. That's a great start. They had a great start. They're still just kind of hanging around. Like, you know, Calgary's been really good.

Dustin Wolf's been outstanding for them. Don't you feel like it might be a coin flip between between calgary and vancouver and i think that whoever has the inside edge that would be that's where i guess yeah i would see that as well yeah i would see that as well as peterson hurting and coming back or is he you know i i don't know what you boys played banged up last night you know yeah

the other two boys will play banged up by that one shift of uh... j t miller going to the bench i mean this is this that wasn't a an injury that just happened on that one hit from what I saw that's something that's obviously yeah he's not he looks like he's hanging by a thread that's right that was we that was a tough tough shit for him he's he's fighting through it he's playing it now Patterson the all eyes are on him like he's he's been a game time to say he's not a couple of games he's got to get going got to pick it up he's got to pick up he's got to grab this they need some help

this is when you got a grab it and uh... you know a lot of people talk about moving wanted moving one of the other and moving peterson's locked in that's the long-term deal long long-term deal with a high cap rate there i think his best best option is to uh... support the guys that paid him all that money went to bat for him because i'm sure that that was a mixed group in the management side in the ownership side saying is this what we're throwing a lot of cash on this

right here and uh... and so now it's up to him to take this one over and grab it while these other two guys and three guys are how many more banged up on that hockey club these are the moments that you find is the only thing that i don't know if they really ever crosses my guys or how many more are banged up on that hockey club these are the moments that you shine these are the moments that you bring it to the people. It looks like that would barely ever cross his mind panger he just I know everyone goes about things differently but it looks like you know like really like talk seemed to have we talked about talk and Borubi they seem to have a real sense of appreciation for being in the NHL every day they were in it like this guy I don't know he's just kind of like that

like how many times it's we that we're in Canadian markets and, Peng, you're all over the NHL. Have you heard somebody or a little blurb on TikTok or Twitter saying, this is how hard Pederson works at his craft. You ever seen anything like that? I've never seen one thing like that. So this can't be- No, in fact, I wish he... Even last year after I did a lot of that to the Nashville series, so I was close up and I just kept thinking that same thing, like there's not a lot of power in his legs. There's not a lot of...

There was this guy who got a really good shot and I said, yes, I agree he's got a really good shot, but I don't see him working on that really good shot. Like I got a 19-year-old, but are here that people people can you know everybody so critical and the cynical people that i can work on it every single day he's a last night off the ice and when he misses a one-timer a little shot back-end forehand over the bar he's our at himself if you know i don't know what it is to a working like you would think that they

are you would think that there'd be one thing like a picture surfacing this guy spent all summer With Gary Roberts or Matt nickel and he balked up and he put on 20 pounds of muscle and he wants to be a force this Year never see it. It's just like now. We'll see what happens. I don't know me. It's up to him, man Yeah, well said well. He's got his money. He's got his deal now. He's got to perform and Patterson we are performance based league. It's generally the way he's got to perform and uh... setterson we are not a performance based league that's generally the way it's most work yet usually the way i was to work and

and and the other part about the league but i like is that you can do so many little things to endear yourself to your teammates you know just so many little things whether it's a to take a hit to make a play a big shot blocker something on the bench somebody else does something you go over that to a minute in your grab me show some emotion you know those are all the little intangibles that are so important as

well and and uh... and it's not going on the other side you know by scoring a goal or make a big play this there's other parts of the game you can elevate and uh... that that's what they need right now they need some team cohesion and some chemistry or they need to go really hit the rocks you for a night or two and let's get her going. That could be a two. It's always an option as well. Thank you, Panger. I'd just like to get O-Dog smiling. O-Dog, you didn't even smile at that one right there.

I've just been there so many times, it's old hat there. Everyone talks about, oh you gotta go to the roxy. Oh my god, I've been there so many times. I just shake my head when I hear that. Since 1988 when it opened i believe yeah i think that's a pretty down thank you pay your choice of tonight but it was a good sir sounds good guys take care there's a damp and joining us here uh... on the maple tola hotline