OverDrive - Ralph on the Maple Leafs' matchup against the Panthers, the stars' role in the series and Berube setting the tone

Episode Date: May 5, 2025

Maple Leafs Commentator Jim Ralph joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Maple Leafs and Panthers' matchup, how Toronto can perform against Florida, the stars under the spotlight in the series, the goaltending battle in the crease, matching the physicality of the Panthers and more.

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Here is our good friend Jimmy Rolfe. How are we feeling Rolfe? You really asked if the ticket prices went up. I did. I did. Noodles is an athlete. He never has to buy anything. No, I'm just saying, like, you know, all I can think about is that the prices go up like you know those platinum seats and

everything people see in that club eaten roast beef they gotta be out there cheering that's my point but there was a big a lot because it's november the uh... by month they go out here and about that you know i mean i would i would anticipate that there's uh... there's going to be a little noise.

It is a little different. Actually, you know, not having a Saturday night in this series is going to be a little bit odd, but obviously with both teams being the first, or two of the first in the conference to get out of it, you can see why they're going to start this way. Absolutely. We're repeating what we were doing two years ago where the least played florida uh... the lease at home ice police felt pretty confident two years ago florida

had not completely established who they would eventually become uh... when you look at this leave team ralphie if you can remember how you felt about that team two years ago how would you compare and contrast the two well uh... two years ago let's not forget that we want florida chance everybody thought all we did we avoid boston and uh... will take florida and

well the rest as they say is history so uh... that that's the old careful what you wish for it i will say this from a least standpoint even from a year ago i think you like the three different defensemen they have from a Leaf standpoint, even from a year ago, I think you like the three different defensemen they have from a year ago on all three pairings. I think you like the gold hunting better than you did a year ago. The fourth line you like better. The third line especially I think is still a work in progress trying to find its identity.

You have to like what you got out of the core four point-wise and leadership-wise in the first round Having said that you know the the Florida Panthers as Craig Ruby said they're they're gonna be the favorites because of the Stanley Cup Champs, you know until somebody says you're not anymore, so I still find it a little bit odd that even though the Leafs have home ice advantage I think you know rightfully so they're the underdogs in the series and you got to knock the king off the Off the throne, you know before you can advance But but I mean this could be you know if they could ever go on that magical run and get to the Stanley Cup finals

this could be the you know the one series that you said that was it that was you know, the the series that You know springboarded them there yeah i mean obviously your toughest challenge uh... ralph you just laid out some things what would you think you know if you had to pick maybe one is your x-factor you know is it just the easiest is stole our says to be as good or better than bob or is it something different that uh... you would lay out that could be a difference maker in the series all you

know noodles i get a sick with the gold tending. Yeah. I do think that's that's a huge part of it and not to jump on Elia Samson off especially from two years ago but I don't know how you guys feel about when you go back to that series with Florida two years ago you thought it was a five game series for Florida. Florida controlled the series and never really had a feeling the Leafs were in it. They never got any traction and yet first game was a 4-2 win for Florida. The next four were one goal games including two overtime games that Florida won. And to me, goaltending was the difference in that. And I'm not saying, you know, because the Leafs didn't score. They weren't scoring four or five goals a game of losing but Bobroski was just better

in that series so i'm i think it is uh... i know it sounds uh... like we're simplifying it a little bit but i think if uh... Stolarz can play even with Bobroski that's probably the best chance to get out of the series yeah i would agree with that and you know maybe go a step further and steal a game or two i mean that's that's expected if you going to go on a run, that has to happen.

Right? At some point it's going to happen. But let's presume that happens. Let's say Stolars and Bob are a wash, and you mentioned the 3D, you know, the new defensemen in Tanev and Carlo and Ekman-Larsen, and I totally agree with that assessment, Ralphie. I feel better about these six defensemen as a collection than I have any other leaf six pack over the last 20 years but then it gets to up front and specifically the best players and Matthews and Marner and Nylander and Tavares. How do they handle the heat that's gonna come their way? You know, you know the Panthers are gonna attack they're gonna try to get their licks in they're gonna try to drag them into the fight They're gonna try to make their lives as difficult as possible. What will make you believe okay something's different here? What would you have to see out of those players,

let's say starting tonight, to say okay the message has gotten through, they've gotten it, and it's all good and these guys are not four players you have to worry about if you're a Leaf fan? Well I would say from Craig Rubéy of the players if after game one nobody is using the line they did a good job keeping us to the outside uh... you know i think that's going to be the battle i think you know you look at the goals that you know i scored in the first round uh... that has got to be your goal to score the the three-footers on on deflections look at you know

when it takes come back played last night's roleucks to the net and get people there. They're not going to give you a lot of odd man rushes, there's not going to be a lot of breakdowns in their end. You're going to have to bulldoze your way to the front of the net and earn your breaks. So I think that's going to be the key. If there's talk about they did a good job keeping us to the outside, that meant we couldn't find a way to get there. I think that was a narrative two years ago and I think that's what they've got to avoid.

In a lot of ways, I think with the emergence of Knives, with what you've seen from John Tavares, hopefully there's more there from Bobby McMahon in this series. What do you like about the fourth line that can go out and crash and bang? Maybe you've got another big goal in the series scored by max patch already from ax domain pos homework you know uh... but i think that's that's gonna be the key to the series uh... aside from the rostoff the physical play in everything else they've got to be the aggressors and getting to the net the offensive zone

how big of a fact you think brad marsh and wolf will uh... it's weird that he's in this game like he's out there is a florida panther and you can't get rid of the bruce kenya no you can i can't like it but you know you gotta play there are the former bruin visit trophy winner of the first round another former captain of the second round so it's like so that

but the ghost of the boston bruis have got to be floating around somewhere uh... that maybe that around somewhere. Maybe that's why they gave up so much to get Brian and Carlo to try to steal part of the holy grail that has beaten them. It's going to be interesting to see. I know he hasn't scored yet in the playoffs. Only had a couple of goals. No, I mean, he was hurt when they required him from Boston, rated the trade deadline. But I think it's up to the Leafs to sort of not allow him to become the distraction. You know, you might have to take the odd sucker punch

and a scrum to the face, but I think, you know, you can be the aggressor with him as well. Somebody grab him by the cuff and ragdoll him a little bit. So I'm, that's, you know, another thing with that is you know how do you have other toughness how do you have all you know they these guys that like to mix it up in scrums this there's no reason that you can't do the same thing and at least to have some personnel that uh...

you know should be able to do it so uh... it's uh... it's gonna be an interesting chess game i think uh... we probably got to the best coaches left in the way he does far as uh... content for postgame interviews for the really else palmer reasons i still think one of my favorite and uh... craig ruby is pretty good at it as well so i mean it's not all the ingredients uh... to be a very interesting uh... nasty

you know fun series i think exciting series for fans from uh... both sides of it game one tonight Least Panthers right here on TSM radio Joe Bowen Jim Ralph with a call We're chatting with Ralphie right now and you mentioned Berube like Craig Berube kind of scoffed at the idea that Florida's a mean team and almost looked as if he was confused by that description and I like that I appreciate his approach How much do you think his attitude and the way he sees the game,

what does that count for in terms of the Maples and them going into this challenge? Well, I thought it was huge against Ottawa. I don't think he's just all talk and then says different things to the players behind. He said, you know, we never had any concerns and why are we always talking about the core four and you know we we all have our own thoughts and on what this team's demons are but I also went back and watched you know the year he won the Cup of St. Louis in 2019 they played San Jose and San Jose went up in the second game of the series you remember this is why the hand pass review was brought in where carlson scored no over time

uh... was a hand pass i was thomas hurdle uh... if i'm not mistaken or tila myers somebody that there's a hand pass and uh... billington went nuts after the game they go down to one of the series and great brew bay after that game was uh... so the clip he just basically said they could move on now they missed a call didn't go our way you move on. Yeah, they missed the call, didn't go our way, you move on. You don't dwell on it, and this is the team that turns around and wins the Stanley Cup.

So I think he's got a huge effect on this group going forward. Yeah, well business-like, that's his comment. Yeah, and very matter of fact. And it's not, if you win a game, it doesn't mean anything. And you like, right off the bat with the playoffs, sorry, he said every game is gonna get harder. Every series is gonna get harder. And what I liked in a very small way is,

and I realized when they beat Tampa two years ago in game six overtime, overtime's a little bit different celebration, but this year there wasn't this huge celebration on the bench that we've accomplished something we've won it was uh... by comparison very subject like i said i've got to realize one was an overtime and one wasn't but but i kinda like the fact that it was just sort of like okay we get we got through it

now let's let's get ready for the next year completely different you're right and and that might have led to the like the reaction where a couple years ago saying this earlier Ralphie when they when the Leafs beat Tampa I thought okay monkey off your back now you're gonna take off and obviously it didn't happen and you can you have the credit Florida for a lot of that the way that they performed in that series but you do look back on the way Keefe reacted and Dubas reacted and all the players reacted and I understand it was a huge relief because at that point It was you can't win a playoff series like that was the bark

Can you win four games or can you avoid choking? And and and it was clearly a sense of relief and I think you bring up a really good point like Thursday night was an incredibly subdued Reaction from the Leafs like it was it it was kinda almost like gloves and sticks on helmets on go through the shake the handshake line all business see you later uh... i do have an appreciation for that because you know these guys you still you gotta be happy that you want yeah but what is your goal in mind if it was a one round rounders of the one for

exactly and if you saw florida noodles after uh... after the beat camp in the first round there wasn't you know that was i was like who's gonna get the water bottles yes let's get let's go and exactly very very like mature and professional and then they're done that right back that's a thing you got a either go through the process or act like you've been there and done that and

i think you know you've you with the leaves beating out a while you're right like it was saying we were happy but we're not satisfied that the thing and that's you know even winnipeg scoring in overtime again i think people were elated obviously out that was different but i didn't see any helmets and glides on like hellebuck went through the line with his home on

that watching the handshake line like you've been playing like four and a half periods. Yeah. Take your helmet off. He's like, no. And I don't know if it's just that superstition or you hadn't thought of it or what. No, no. Like that was so unique. At first I thought Bennington didn't shake hands, but then I realized he was the first guy in line. Okay, so he went through and then... He was the first guy in line. I see. and then first guy in line i see as i was like why is he because he was a result of picking up sticks or whatever i was like okay but yeah he he was the first okay louis blue in line and that i thought that was uh... no telltale like that was a i mean an amazing game what again what a battle

you know great battle you got three canadian teams left around the arrow fee yet re canadian tickets but those about this and and hazy to that noodles Great battle you got three Canadian teams left around. Yeah, Ralphie. You got three Canadian tickets about noodles How about this and hazy to but noodles especially from a goalie standpoint? Those two comebacks on the weekend How you got you've got the the Rantman goal the second one on the wrap-around that goes off a defenseman skate I know you got the second goal for Winnipeg goes off suit or skate and then the winning goal in overtime It goes off two guys in and then the winning goal in overtime goes off two guys in it.

That's not anything you can do. And the thing is, and I remember reading Dick Irvin's book years ago and he talked about his father, the late Dick Irvin Sr. as he always referred to him, and he always talked about the hand of God. The hockey God somewhere along the way to win a championship You have to get those breaks and you know the better you play the odds go up But but nothing's guaranteed it is just amazing you go back to maybe the Simon Benoit goal that stinks through You know all these these different little moments that you say wow you go back and you circle that as What a turning point in a series or in a game

And and I just couldn't help but feel bad for the goalies that lost in those games because you're saying, my God, there's nothing you can do on these as good as the goal that it was in both those game sevens. To have them decided off skates and some bad bounces, it's heartbreaking but that's why we love the game. Yeah, that's kind of what you expected, right? You thought if this is going to go in, it's going to be p why we love the game yet that's kinda what you expected right you thought this is gonna go in it's gonna be pionk shooting it goes off a defenseman off Lowry's pants and in and everyone out to the

game I was lava because it's like Lowry's more skilled than he gets credit for which I agree with right he scored off his pants right yeah like he didn't go end to end or I just his reaction I think was more surprised like oh my god it's in yeah it hit me and it went in relation. Yeah, it was incredible and relief in the end Well game one tonight leaves Panthers 8 p.m Park drop pregame gonna start around 7 o'clock intermissions postgame the whole thing on TSN 1050 And of course the call with Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph Ralphie great catching up with you. I'll see you down there.

Enjoy it tonight. Have a great call and we'll do it again soon. All right. Thanks boys. Thanks Ralphie. There he is, Jimmy Ralph. The biggest songs in the world. You've heard them countless times.

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