OverDrive - Pang on the Maple Leafs' playoff identity, the impactful players and the battle of the series

Episode Date: May 1, 2025

NHL on TNT Analyst Darren Pang joined the headlines around the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Maple Leafs' search to close out the series against the Senators, the compelling players to make an impact, the viewpoints on how the team will perform, the Oilers series comeback against the Kings and more.

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Join today and be part of something amazing. You're staring, Pang. How you doing, Panger? Easy, I'm doing fantastic. In fact, I'm situated here in Noodle's old house right here. So Noodle's, I'll take care of it for you. All right, buddy? All right.

I got way more notes than you've had. I saw you there a couple of weeks ago when the Hawks were in town so but but all good fellas all good I know you're talking about that game and the hit last night and the other hit by by fax it as well you know on the same player and I know that this what was it he hit fax it but he still played for six or seven minutes and I saw the coaches going back and forth a little bit on that little negotiation But those are two heavy hits against against nicely is especially especially the one by Shen Absolutely, it was a monster monster hit and you mentioned you're in Ottawa, so you'll be watching this tonight game six From a leaf perspective considering their, considering what we saw from them out of game five, what do you expect to see out of the Maple Leafs tonight, early in this

game? Well, you would think there would be a little bit more grease. Just spent a little time with Chief, and you know, Chief has always been a guy that influences or likes to preach to his players, don't just give the puck away. No hopeful, wistful passes. And you guys all know what that game's all about. You know, you get around the perimeter and you try to feed it into the slot. But Ottawa, the last couple of games, I think they've done a great job of taking

away the slot. And I think if you're Toronto, and I think that's probably what Chief wants to tell these boys is hold on to the puck. Hold on and wear them down and see if you can get a little chaos in the offensive zone. Instead of trying that pass that's not working, always trying to make that next play. So, in my just conversation this morning, like you guys, I'm sure it's get some grease to your game, get some battle, hold on to pucks, get more shots from the point, get

to more rebounds. But I'm not mistaken guys, and I think they're the worst team in the playoffs at rebound chances. I mean, they're only getting one or one and a half or two rebounds per game. I mean, that's crazy. So not enough traffic on the inside, not enough getting through, and not enough greasy stuff or deucey rebounds in front of Leenas All-Market. Darren, there's been a bunch of talk about the key players for the Maple Leafs in the last couple days because of

their inability to close out games of those guys that we all know who they are who are you most fascinated to kind of put eyes on as the game starts? There's only one for me he's number 88 I mean you know I mean this more so than i got a little more so than thirty four player more so than thirty four ok you know i i i think this is just me but i i think i think they told and and really great and amadio i think it's

they're going to do a good job and they're gonna be heavy against him they're gonna get the last page they're gonna they're gonna be on the interior you know austin to, yeah, he's a big part of it, for sure. But man, when I watched that last game with William Nylander, I think this is a game that Nylander gets some speed. Nylander gets the puck. Stay on the hunt a little bit more. I thought there was just a whole lot of that going on, you know, in game five, a game in which your power plays struggling. It's done 0-7 in the last couple of games.

You're a big part of the team. You want the puck in the neutral zone, and if it's not there, you've got to find a way to get the puck back. So I mean, to me, even more so than Austin. I'm going to go towards Nylander. And especially with Patioretty on that left side for this game, I know, and if I'm not mistaken, they played the most five on five minutes during the regular season with Patioretty on the left side for this game. I know, and if I'm not mistaken, they played the most five on five minutes during the regular season with Pat Turetti on the left side. So I know there's been an alternate left winger, you know, with those two guys with Tavares and with Nylander.

But man, I would have to think that if you look beside you and you disappoint your teammates and your Nylander that's doing a little bit of that and not getting into the grunt of things, I think that would be pretty disappointed if i'm a leafy makes hanger what do you make of the guys between the the pipes and i have uh... all marks game has gotten stronger stole our sir uh... you know is lost his last two but it's it's tough to find the part there's a lot of traffic in front what do you make of both of them and

and where they're at the series right now you know what do you know that it's a tale of you know tell us to use net front presence in the series right now. You know what, Noodles, I think it's a tale of two net front presences going on right now. And you know as well as I do, you see pucks that are shot from the point and nobody's on the interior. Noodles, I could even stop some of them. How do you like that? Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

I love it. I caught one between the bench the other day with my wrong hand. I think I still got it. But you know, when there's a swarm of moving screens and flash screens and then there's guys that hunt through and stay there, every other series has got four, five, six guys in front of the net. And that to me is the difference in the two.

But yeah, does Almark have a little confidence in Swagger? Absolutely. Neither one are facing a whole lot of even strength shots If I'm not mistaken 14 against all mark in the last game only 17 Against stole our so it hasn't been a whole lot of that greasy stuff at five on five We're Darren Pang. No, you're you're right And it's it's interesting games two through five panger been very Like game one, the Leafs got off to a quick start, they're up two nothing, their power play's cooking,

they ran away with it, the building was really going crazy. But the last four games have been very, very similar. And I'm curious, you know, the mentality you think the Leafs could have coming off of being shut out. You know, you don't see a ton of shut outs in the playoffs, man, especially for a high octane offense like this. Like the mentality of the Maple Leafs, you talked about what you expect to see what you think the messaging will be what they have to do. How much of your analysis and I guess projection

of what the Leafs could do tonight is trying to read their minds and figure out whether or not they're up for the task of raising their game and stepping up in the biggest moments? for the task of raising their game and stepping up in the biggest moments we'll find out about that right off the hop you know that that ability to get on the inside that ability to take a hit to make a play you know the vocal what i'll be watching here is is between the benches is how vocal it is you know when it's vocal it's

confident when when it's vocal, it's confident. When it's not confident, it's quiet. And, and who's, you know, who's the player that steps up? Who's the player that keeps everything going and keeps everything alive on that bench, no matter what is happening? So how are they going to deal with pressure? How are they going to deal with the fact that, you know, the power play has let them down? And, and, you know, I know, it's the past. And I know, it's, you know, you've

got to go back in history. But I mean, I know it's the past and I know it's, you know, you gotta go back in history, but I mean, I'm going back to 2018 when they're one and 13 in clinching games and only scored 25 goals. Like, why is that? Why has that haunted them? What happened? Oh dog, what happened when you were a Maple Leaf? I played in the good years when you and Kujo were playing

and you were battling like crazy. Like, where's that battle? Where's that, you know, where's that gumption in a game like this? Cause I, I really think, I know Ottawa's playing with house money right now. I mean, for them to win the last two games and bring it back home. I mean, that, that's great on them and great experience for so many of their young players that are just, they're just figuring this out.

But, uh, but now you know what you're going to see from Brady Kachuk. You're going to see, you're going to see a bunch of boys that are going to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm and get this place going and try to shut down the big boys of the Toronto Maple Leaf. Maybe there's some guys in the bottom six that can change things up here for Toronto and give them a little life. It's not always on the big guys all the time. You can also, they're getting the O from the D and now they've got to get it maybe from

the bottom six and help them out a little bit. That gumption panger and that jam, whatever you're looking for, I think the fan base is probably maybe they're past this point, but they're thinking if again this year they can't show up in a clinching game to get it done, are we just fooling ourselves to even expect it after all these years? I think that's kind of where everybody's at. Yeah, and you know, Oh Doug, I've been on with you guys this award-winning program for all season long and a lot of times we talked about, you know, Chief coming over because of my, just my experiences of being with Chief and these are the

moments, you know, these are the moments that you, you know, you drive it through their sometimes thick skulls because they want to do things still going back on what they want to do before and he wants to take them into another avenue of holding on a putz and wearing Down the opposition and being disciplined in that area. So to me, this is a big test for everybody I mean certainly for for chief making sure it's done the right way and and the players to follow suit and you know this Morning so many guys talked about not letting down the guy next to you. I mean, that's not just about the X's and the O's, that's about being a team and being together. So if that mantra gets sold heavily in that locker room

and you get that stare down in the old greasy eyeballs towards the guy next to you, maybe that's the point that carries on more than any other point, is that. Don't let your teammates down beside you. But at the other end, you got a team over here that's, hey listen, you know what Ottawa's all about. You know that they can defend, they can play, and they've got D to get up the ice and can scare you, more so than what Toronto has.

So there's a lot of elements of problems dot dot always game excuse me the trial is not a fully respect here for sure we're down a head of game six tonight uh... he's in ottawa lease and sends again looking to survive uh... and they will not be alone this evening where minnesota's looking to survive colorado's looking to survive and the l a kings are looking to survive we look out west minnesota colorado l a

which one panger do you have the most confident in it confidence in in terms of winning tonight you know i just a finished up a couple of games in the the uh... edmonton l a really disappointing the way l a played you know until my son there are some similarities to tron was game uh... but and you know, I think that the four lines now of the Edmonton Oilers, I liked Trent Frederick's game in the last one, that was

his best game. Paul calls it on the fourth line, I thought they were factors, so going back to the Maple Leafs where everybody talks about the core four players, well you know what? I think Edmonton's got a lot of jams from their bottom six in that game. And that's why I like Edmonton right now. So that's one. I like that, you know, the Minnesota Wild aren't going to go away. I think the Minnesota Wild are going to extend and go forward. I think the Edmonton Oilers are going to finish and that's going to be done with uh... and i think that the colorado avalanche are going to continue on and they're not going to go away

there's that that was going to go seven i would love to see it i mean that's the thing we could have a scenario tonight where there is many sport game sevens declared right because this is it but it's and then it's a louis wins but we could have five and what's amazing panger like we've been Talking about it from a maple leaf perspective and Ottawa perspective for that matter the other three series in the east

They finished in five, you know, it was it was almost routine for those teams and You know the the teams that are going home like Tampa and like Montreal and like New Jersey They have to lick their wounds, but they're all in very different situations and I don't know how many games you got to call this year of the Montreal Canadians but they had a great season all things considered I mean they battled down the stretch four nations from the four nations onward they were great great story great great team got in I thought they showed pretty well against Washington they just they couldn't get over the top do. Do you believe that's it for the Habs?

Like they're now officially a playoff team and that's what we can expect moving forward? Or could you still see some growing pains? Oh, I can certainly still see some growing pains because there are still teams that didn't make the playoffs that you would expect to be back in the hunt again next year. So I mean, I don't think it's fully in their control. I think we'll have to see what teams like New York, like Detroit's been knocking on the door for the last couple of years.

I don't know where Buffalo is going to go. Sometimes I think they're at that level and sometimes I think they're so far away from that level. You know, I don't know, it's for painting. Anyway, long story short, but I will say this. I will say this. When Washington made the playoffs last year in lost in four, I'm sure there's a lot of managers saying, well, why get into the playoffs if you can't challenge or if you can't win or you don't have that team? You know why? Because you get the young players into the playoffs. You get them knocking on the door like the Ottawa Senators right here, like the Montreal Canadians. Now they have a feel for us. David Prawn said something today that was really,

really sharp. Oh, dog, you got to pay attention to this one, okay? And I'm going to read it for you. Okay? You haven't played in the NHL until you've played playoff hockey. You haven't played playoff hockey until you've won a game in the playoffs. So, you know, you're just, there's going to be so many ebbs and flows and disappointments and you're going to think you're there and then you're not even close. And, you're just, there's going to be so many ebbs and flows and disappointments and you're going to think you're there and then you're not even close. And then you're going to think you're, you know, you're really close and then you're so far away. So by getting into the playoffs, for me, you got to dip your toes in there and you got

to get involved. And that's why I think that Montreal and the Ottawa centers will have the advantage over the other teams that I mentioned next season. Darren, before we get you out of here, I wanna ask you, you're back in Ottawa. Who do you think if you went to a restaurant or a bar would cause the biggest stir? Yourself? James Duffy?

Or Jim Ralph? Wow. Well, we'd all be at the chances are with Brian Kilroy. So that's... So that's a good one. Well, Ralphie, for sure, I tell you, because he'll be imitating Kilroy, and Kilroy will be telling Ralphie stories, and so we're good there. Duffy will just be talking about his high school diploma and that kind of stuff.

Hey, be careful. Duffy has the key to the city. He was given the key to the city. Oh, darn it. Yeah, well, he deserves that key for sure. Me, because it's going to be me for sure because I played for the Nepean Raiders and then the Ottawa 67s. I'm not sure if I mentioned, but we won a Memorial Cup and then I'm in seven dot not sure if i mentioned we want a memorial cop and you know and and and

i'm in the p m sports wall of fame i think there's a lot of things i could talk with the other guys but there's no need to do that okay old dog and i don't know by the way that certain time looks really good buddy really good i like it dialed in the drive your a game for game six and i have a lot of that well enjoy being back in on a lot players say hi to everyone for us enjoy the game tonight

as always we appreciate you doing this my pleasure i'm going to be ordering to tina and i have a between periods right here yes and i was going to have a look at that is just like they've written a statement that i was on that spot and i'll let you take a look at that spanger Ruth and Yankee Stadium. It'll zone that spot, man. Love it. Thank you, Panger. Thanks, Panger. My pleasure, fellas. Take care.

There he is, Darren Panger, southeast, and west Asian artists. We're honoring the voices shaping our world. Listen now on the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca.