Real Kyper & Bourne - Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

Episode Date: May 3, 2024

Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne are joined by Doug MacLean for his Off-the-Rails Friday appearance! Mac goes through the remaining first-round matchups as the Leafs head to Boston for Game 7, the Canucks look to recover their grip on their series against Nashville and Dallas tries to close it out against the reigning champs. Then, he looks ahead at Round 2 matchups and which team's first-round play will propel them to a deep run. Finally, they regroup with Sam McKee for news and notes and to answer your questions on the text line!The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

here we go that's wow we're on the real kipper and born show we are live on sports net sports net 650 in vancouver sports net 960 in calgary. This hour, we're real Kipper and Bourne, brought to you by Bet365. In a few minutes, we'll welcome in Doug McLean, former NHL president, GM, head coach, author of Draft Day, How Teams Pick Winners or Get Left Behind. I'm sure he'll mention it as well

about 17 times. Nah, let's not bring it up. He's already there, probably. Are we over it already? Hey, texts. Texts, $5 595 90 uh it's playoff version of text bring the a game uh put on a jacket morning took his off kipper looks amazing um so text us 595 90 and we'll read him in the after doug today so text 595 night some critical games including the van the Vancouver Canucks and the Nashville Predators. Last night we saw a gem, or was it?

We'll bring in Doug McClain right now and get his thoughts on this topsy-turvy series. Oh, boy. Here in Toronto and Boston. You're looking pretty good again. I got to, yeah, yeah, that's two weeks in a row. Got the hair trimmed up for you, too. I got the summer cut going.

I told them to take it right to the wood. Got the mandatory retiree seersucker underneath looking good. How are you feeling? I was, I'm hearing. By the way, by the way, this is one of the, I bought a bunch of new shirts to get away from the Sportsnet logo. How are you feeling? I heard you're under the weather.

I don't know if today you're going to be a game-time decision or you just disappear altogether. I don't know whether Jill would want to tell us it was an upper body or lower body injury or an illness or migraines. What's going on with you? First of all, I had the 15 stitches in the arm. Oh, my.

I just got taken off the stitches yesterday, so now I could play golf. Had the stitches taken off in the morning, played nine holes last night just to try to loosen up a little. You get bit by a crock and your ball out of the water or what? So, you know what it's like this time of year to be battling something? Injuries. You know, and I've been battling.

Actually, I went to the doctor this morning just to get some medication. I haven't been feeling good for a week or so, a little upset stomach situation. So I'm just battling through it, you know, and we're hitting the road on Sunday. We're heading north on Sunday. We're going to head out for a couple of weeks and then hit PEI mid-May. So I'm going to be on the road the next couple of weeks. So I want to get cleaned up to get back to reality, you know. All right.

So in saying that, what do you make of the Toronto Maple Leafs not starting with Willie Nylander the series not maybe ending with Austin Matthews and yet here they are playing for game seven tomorrow night well I mean I guess I shouldn't be surprised since since I led off the prediction parade that I thought they would beat Bostonoston but i i you know i then when they went down three one or whatever it was i thought they were toast i mean i i'm i'm caught off guard two things um how boston are paralyzed and how well the leafs are playing especially especially away from the puck. I mean, tell me I'm wrong. Like, I watched the first two periods last night, and it was paralyzing to me to watch how few plays were made. It was as ugly a hockey as you can imagine.

And guess what? Sometimes to win in the playoffs, you have to learn to play ugly hockey which they haven't learned and they're it looks like they've got a crash course in it the last few days all of a sudden they're a tougher team to play against because they're they're they're grinding they're playing with some brashness i i like what they're doing. I do. And Boston, you know, everybody's over Pasternak. I mean, he's got six points. Somebody said, is he banged up a little? Maybe.

But he's not playing as well as he has to. But, look, it was ugly, and they won. The kid in goal was good. Knives, who I was hard on early in the season, I liked his game last night. I liked that line in particular. I really liked Domi's game. I really liked Domi's game.

I wouldn't tell Ty this to his face, but he's a lot better than Ty. You're not going out on a limb on that one, I can tell you. Do you remember the time we were on the desk? Like you two were sitting there and Ty came in and I think Millard was with us. I'm not sure who was the host. We had a bunch of them there for a while. We went through them pretty quickly there.

But anyway, Ty came in and you said something, got him ticked off. He come up and grabbed you behind the desk and he picked you up like a paper doll what is this guy doing but no uh i you know the kid has played well i mean he's playing fast i really like his play below the goal line how he's finding people in the slot area i just his face-offs have been spectacular. Who would believe this? But Domi is better than Elias Pettersson in Vancouver right now.

Oh, no. That tells you what Elias Pettersson has to do tonight. Do you want to turn the page from the Leafs series or stay on it, Kepa, with your priorities here? Because I do want to talk about the Canucks. I want to get some thoughts. One other thing is I've got to give their credit to their blue line, who I've maligned a lot.

The blue line, all of a sudden, are battling, and they're not easy to play against. And I know they're focused on Pasternak, but Marchand was not. What's with him chasing Bertuzzi around the ice? When is Montgomery gonna say enough of this and just play hot what what are you chasing Bertuzzi around for but anyway uh game seven I I don't know who's gonna win it just one more can't be this bad three games in a row just one more because you've lived it coaching a Stanley Cup final, the pressure on Jim Montgomery and Sheldon Keefe to win game seven.

Enormous pressure. And when I coached game seven in Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference finals, there was no pressure because we weren't supposed to be there. The pressure was if we win, we're going to the Stanley Cup. You know, that was the pressure. But, you know is this is guys fighting for their jobs jim montgomery can't get beat again the way he did last year they they can't fall apart as badly and and we know that keeps fighting for his job and uh i i don't like to

ever talk about guys fighting for their jobs because uh you know i was in their shoes and it's not fun and when you get fired it's really not fun but we know they are or at least keith is and i i hope i i don't want to i'd like to see him not get fired to be quite honest you know on the west coast i can't imagine anyone is worried about their jobs in that vancouver series you know nashville both teams i think were better than expected this season. But you get to the point where you have 109 points or whatever the Canucks did over the course of the regular season and expect Chasen to change a little bit.

They steal a couple in Nashville. Now it kind of feels like they're just trying to squeak through this series. Where are you at with this Canucks team? Well, I've been really disappointed in their games. I mean, look, they had the great three minutes or two minutes, you know, in Nashville. Then they go home and blow it again.

But they have not looked very good. I mean, Nashville, to me, after game one, has been the better team in this series for me, territorially and overall play. Everything in Vancouver, for me, has got to go through, I mean, Hughes, Pedersen, Miller, you know, Besser. But right now, Pedersen just isn't there right now again. And this has been going on, boys, since Christmas.

We've heard talk and talk since christmas about this guy and the contract and then he gets the contract and goes and use plays his tail off he makes big plays he hasn't quite been himself as he banged up that's that's why you hate the credit be critical of too many guys that play off time because you really don't know who's banged up and who isn't we're talking vancouver hey talking burnett are both up for coach of the year. They're finalists for coach of the year and they're playing off in the first round. Both of them have done good jobs. The loser

will be tremendously disappointed in their team, especially Vancouver. The public comments are just Patterson needs to move his feet. That's all Rick Taka cares about. After that, everything should be easy to fall into place for him if he gets his feet moving.

No, no, no. Go ahead. Sorry, Toc. Moving your feet is really important. I agree with that. But there's one other element that's a touch more important. Shooting the puck. That's a little bit more important when you're a star.

Shoot the puck. Don't look for backdoor cuteness. Don't look for the little fade, diddly-do. Let's shoot the puck once in a while and become a bit of a threat. When you're a coach, Mac, and you've got these guys that you can almost feel like your success lives and dies with like how tough is it as a coach to to push to push behind the scenes to push in front of the scenes in the media what you say how you say it is that is that an internal battle in and itself because you don't want to you don't want to do or say the wrong things this time of year, do you? You really don't, especially in the media.

With your team, you know your team really well. You know the players really well. You know what you can say and what you can't say. You should know who to push and who not to push and who to get to and who not to get to. I was at Montgomery saying, Pasternak's got to be better. He's got to be better. pushing who to get to and who not to get to uh like i i was a little you know montgomery saying pastor next got to be better he's got to be better well he's got six points and and i mean who's he playing with like they're not a very good team petterson has got some skill and talent with

them so to me petterson should be better and how do you push them I don't think you want to push them in the media this time of year I think it's got to be talk it one on one or in front of the team with everybody talking about to the group it's a group thing this time of year for me but your big guys have got to come through your big guys have to come through and it is a group thing but like the

Canucks lack of ability to get shots on Nashville is baffling the fewest shots through five games of a playoff series, they have the second fewest total since 1960. You know, is it that much harder to get through a team defense like Nashville? It's not like there are a bunch of Norris Trophy winners over there, one of them. Yeah, like, you know, you've got a couple of solid guys there, but no, it's a mindset that you've got to get the puck to that.

But I mean, I watched the Bruins last night with one shot on that in the first period, you know, and then they have five and one shift, you know, so, you know, they, but it's gotta be a focus to get pucks to the net and, and you've got to have your top guys. They know it. Look, it's funny how stars are. I remember living and dying with Stevie Y for five years when he really was struggling to, to, to get losing to the leaves, losing to San Jose,

losing tough first round series. And, and Stevie was really, he was putting so much weight on his shoulders in those days in Detroit, it was over the top. And then all of a sudden when the team grew, when the team got better stevie became the go-to guy he became the guy i was saying to nick the other night when is the last time we've heard a guy like pasternak petterson marchand uh matthews well he's sick or whatever's wrong with him so he can't say it but come out and give us a Messier. We're going to win tonight.

We're going to win the more night. Instead of all this, talk to the coach. Come on. One of them say we're going to win the goddamn game. Give us a guarantee on our show then. I want a Messier coming out of the boys. Give us a Nashville, Vancouver, Toronto, Boston guarantee then. And you were in the room when Mess said it and you said, I agree, Mess. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir, Mess. I'll get you ready. I'll get you pumped up. Last night we saw Montgomery when the game was on the line. I think the last 10, 12 minutes just put Pasternak and Marchand together. So how easy would it be for Patterson to go back to the lotto line with Miller and Brock Besser? Just load them up. Get them with the best. Usually, look, he's got to get them going.

And I would try everything. I would try them together. Like, that's the greatest thing about playoff coaching is it's spur-of-the-moment decisions that you see a tendency that, hey, I think that group of three together could capitalize here. And I'm putting marshawn with pasternak more than i'm not playing them with them to be quite honest the rest of the game is just a wash the way these guys are banging around and thrashing around so get your skill together give pasternak and marshawn a chance the same as it is for the leafs you got to give your

big boys a chance to play with the big boys even if they fight on the bench the odd time put them together you know they'll sort it out is there any chance that the edmonton oilers uh can be beat by the winner of the vancouver nashville series did you like how the oilers looked in their round one series against la yeah i i really liked how the Oilers have looked. And I like the way they've looked. Look, they were so terrible the first 10, 15 games that a new coach is going to help them.

I think the guy has been a calming influence. Although I think Jay was a pretty solid coach too. It just was the timing. It was Campbell. It was goaltending. It was a disaster. but you know what? I, I, LA are a poor example for me. I didn't think they had a chance in that series.

They had a couple of good games. I, I think the only challenge will be Nashville play really good team defense and a Vancouver's big blue line. The bigger guys in that blue line get back to playing the way they're capable of. They'll be a lot tougher on on Edmonton than than L.A. were for sure. But I've got Edmonton winning the next round against either of them. You know, we talked. I didn't know. I didn't know I was being called on the carpet to do predictions today, already before the series is over.

But I guess that's the way it is today. You want everything quicker, you guys. Did you hear Steve Valliquette earlier this week talking about how he has to prep to come on the real Kipper and Bourne show? He ain't mailing it in. And you know what he said to numerous people, and I keep hearing it? He said, McLean's such a great guest, I've got to do my homework. But I'll tell you what, even with my coat on,

even with my coat on and my poof and my, you guys like the stiff-collared look, I know, it's a short sleeve, really nice shirt, and the nice haircut and the great-looking glasses now. I look really – I am no match for Steve Pretty Boy Valakad, not even close. He'd take that as a compliment. I can just imagine your analysis. And it was.

Oh, no, that was a compliment. I mean, look, he's better looking than Ron Duguay now. What a reference. What a reference. What a reference. Okay. We talked about maybe Montgomery feeling it in Boston. Keefe still in Toronto. But what about the Vegas being down to Dallas now?

And, you know, those big trades, Mac, that they made. How devastating would a loss be in this series for Vegas? Well, you know, we talked going into it, I thought Dallas would beat them because of the turmoil all season with the injuries and the lack of goaltending at critical times this season, although their goaltending's been good. Look, they don't look nearly as sharp and give dallas full marks to come back lose your first two at home and then you bounce back like this and

i mean the the young guys on that team have stepped up and played so well i mean the robertson kid has been really good uh the johnson kid has been a star stankovin logan stankovin what is he 21 22 yeah what a combination he is and the big uh rupe rupe looks good remember when rupe broke in with us kip you know he was a he was a third fourth line checking guy but what a player he's been look to me dallas is the better team they were better prepared going into the playoffs because they were healthy, because they didn't have all the turmoil and the injuries and the LTI and all the other issues around them. They were easily the better prepared team.

And I like Ottinger. I think he's a heck of a goalie. The save he made the other night on that split save, boys, that was one for the ages. Doug, how much do you think randomness has an effect in the playoffs like the best team doesn't always win these series do you have any experience with sometimes the luck just not going your way or seeing it you're like okay we're the better team but it just it doesn't always pan out for the best teams

well i i think back to the carolina panthers series last year what was it not four straight that the panthers beat carolina yes and and and rod brindamore after the series said he thought we played well enough in every one of those games to win yeah to win the four that we lost that's that's what you're talking about and i and i i agree that it it it does become a factor at times there's no denying that uh i mean people i laughed when the people said we uh we were lucky against pittsburgh we had 65 shots on goal one game in florida against the pittsburgh penguins in the in the eastern convert final 65 shots we fired at them. And people are saying, oh, they're just a trapping team. I said, oh, I guess we like the trap then.

We get 65 shots playing it. So it's kind of funny how it works out. But it's all, hey, let's not kid ourselves. The one thing that's still there, every game is goaltending. Every game. It's still a critical component of the stanley cup playoffs and i don't know who's going to beat florida boys i don't know i just i don't know not the leafs i think is that what you're saying boston that's the least of boston and toronto's worries right now

no no i i know they'd love to get beat by that either team would like to get beat by Florida. So, Mac, since the end of last year, I think 17 coaching changes, aren't you glad you got out of that business? You would have been a wreck right now, knowing how these coaching jobs look like a carousel. No, that's not true. Jill would have been a wreck because i used because as i told you many times we'd move to a new city we'd rent the first year we'd buy the second year buy a we'd rent a house the first year buy a house the second year and then i get fired the third year then we'll go to

the next city and we'd rent buy and get fired then we go to the next city we'd buy, and get fired. Then we'd go to the next city. We'd rent, buy, and get fired. So eventually we started to buy right away. The reason we rented is because we didn't have the cash. Once the cash started to come, it helped. What do you make of it? What do you make of it? All these changes. I think it's ludicrous. Nobody can tell me it's not related to the new brand of ownership.

I love when people say, oh, the GM fires the coaches. I'm calling BS on it. I have for years, and I'm calling it now. The owners step in, and most of the time, the owners make the call. Most of the time. How did you reference it? New age owners owners new generation what's the difference between that and the old well i mean harold harold ballard wouldn't fire

you just make you wear a bag over your head now you know what the new breed of owners it's guys that have made a lot of money in in different areas and have made it fast and they've made it at young ages and and all of a sudden they think they're geniuses so they think that translates to the hockey business and the one thing that you can't translate most corporations to the actual hockey business it doesn't translate that easy as far as winning at your job, winning at your career, and winning because you discovered something versus winning and putting the construction of a hockey team is a very delicate, challenging situation.

So one of those challenges right now, I think, is in Carolina, because I had mentioned a few weeks ago that it looked like Rod Brindamore's contract was pretty much done and it just needed to be signed off. Maybe he was looking to secure more people around him, whatever. There was a bit of a delay. And then we get word this week that the owner may have pulled it off the table. To me, this is a distraction they don't need. And it's almost the one that reminded me, Mac, of 1994 when we started hearing Keenan's going to Detroit because you leaked it back then.

Yeah. Well, I didn't leak it i i didn't leak it i told i told paul m skierman at cjrw in somerset and he leaked it okay all right and it became his claim to fame he still brags about it by the way nonetheless a distraction you don't need this time of year no uh that is for sure and you know what he should know better dundon he should know better this this series with the rangers is going to be a unbelievably tough series for with two real good teams two teams that have a chance to go on and be stanley cup winners and you don't need this should never have leaked out it should never have gotten out and who I've never heard of contracts being pulled on coaches before

I've never heard of that I mean you put a deal out and you work through it but you don't pull offers from coaches do you I've never heard of that I don't know what you know i don't know where does this come from pulling offers like i mean most logical people don't pull offers even on players because it's you know it's bs is what it is negotiate in good faith and work through your issues. Isn't it great that you'll never have to worry about any offer being pulled from you on the Real Kipper and Bourne show? I offer to take you golfing

when you come to Toronto, Doug. How about that? You know what? I get asked a lot. I get asked a lot about it. All I say is I keep it professional. I just say I have no comment and and i get asked it most by jill

oh sorry the the question like yesterday was can we play at the park and west palm beach tomorrow play nine holes and then she come back 10 minutes later i said sure hon let's go play nine holes. And then she'd come back 10 minutes later. I said, sure, hon, let's go play nine holes. She said, no, we can't because you have the real Kipper and Bourne show to do. We're ruining her retirement on Friday. So we played last night. We made up. We played last night. It was fine.

You know? Well, we appreciate it, Mac. Guys, not as much as i do and uh you know uh have fun and uh enjoy the game and it must be exciting to be and uh what's it like uh down at the at the park every night with down at the arena outside there with uh are you with there with mckenzie doing the uh is it mckenzie that's out in the parking lot or what? Yeah, Sean McKenzie. He's what are they calling it? Dundas Maple Leaf Square? No, Jurassic was

Raptors. Maple Leaf Square. Are you guys up on the stage? We used to be up on the stage there. Are you guys there anymore? Yeah, no, no, no, no. They're keeping us in the bullpen until further notice. Conference final, Stanley Cup final. But, hey, the Leafs go to the Stanley Cup final.

You're going to come up for that. A hundred percent. Yeah. Would you help me get tickets? All right. Give us a Canadian prediction for tonight and tomorrow night, Vancouver and the Leafs. Vancouver win tonight.

And where's the game? It's in Boston, eh? and the Leafs? Vancouver win tonight. And where's the game? It's in Boston, eh? Yeah. Does that matter? I'm picking. I can't change it from what my original prediction was. I said the Leafs would win, so I've got to stay with the Leafs.

Good. Is Matthews playing? Is that important anymore? No no domi's better i think for sure oh my god wait wait till domi goes wait till ty and domi march in to see brandon about a new contract oh my god that looks scary i can just see it'll be Ty and Mario and Matt. Okay. This is where you completely take it off the rails.

Okay. Okay, boy. All right. Take care. Thanks, Mac. Doug McClain,

former president, general manager, and our Friday guest on off the rails. Looking sharp for our show too. Sure. Appreciate that. In all seriousness, we joke a lot. I genuinely do appreciate that on Fridays at this time

he takes the time to be on our show, because that's a difficult time. Oh, there's plenty of times when he's like, scram, beat it. I'm golfing. Yeah. Yeah. He should. Not plenty of times. What, like four times all year? He's been a... I don't know. Yes, we do appreciate... We owe him a little bit.

You know he's watching right now, so I don't want to say too many nice things about him. Let's wait. I love listening to you when I'm on. Game time? Game time. It's game time presented by Bet365. Visit the app, play the stats, and find out why it's never ordinary at Bet365.

Must be 19 plus. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. While you guys were talking with Doug. I was playing around with Bet 365 here, and I found a very interesting one that you can bet the final exact forecast. So, for example,

the favorite right now on Bet 365 is the Carolina Hurricanes to beat the Edmonton Oilers in the final at 12-1. The one that is very interesting to me is the Colorado Avalanche to beat the Florida Panthers in the final at 12-1. The one that is very interesting to me is the Colorado Avalanche to beat the Florida Panthers in the final is 22-1. And was that the final?

Was there a final at one point? Did Colorado play Florida in the final? Florida only went to the final the one year Doug coached, right? Yeah, they lost and they lost to Colorado. Their first Stanley Cup ever came off of Doug's Florida Panthers. Oh, okay, there you go.

Okay, there you go. So, okay, so there you go. If you want the Sportsnet Bowl, the Toronto Maple Leafs to beat the Edmonton Oilers in the final is 50-1. So, they, everyone, that's the Sportsnet Bowl. So, I just thought it was interesting if there was one... That was back in September, was it not?

Yeah, a lot of people... Many went Toronto Edmonton final. Yeah. So if there's any that you guys, like, what do you think the final is going to be? You said Dallas over who? Florida. Dallas to beat Florida in the final is 25 to 1. What did you say?

Dallas or Carolina over Dallas. Carolina over Dallas is... No, I think I said Edmonton. But whatever. Give me Carolina-Dallas. Carolina to beat Dallas in the final is 18 to 1. All right. So I found thatmonton. Whatever. Give me Carolina-Dallas. Carolina to beat Dallas in the finals 18-1. So I found that very interesting. Okay.

So if you have a lean on one of those, you can get some pretty good value there. Rangers are coming on for me too now. Yeah. Yeah. They are. That was a heck of a series. It helps playing a non-playoff team in the Capitals. That helps how you look and how you feel, right?

Oh, yeah. A lot of rest though. Yeah. I can go a long way yeah i can i i take the rest over thinking that the energy gets derailed yeah well if you're looking for a long-term run certainly letting everyone get healthy increases your chance and clearly a couple massive games tonight two game six is uh the first one vanc, is a slight dog in Nashville. Plus 105. Nashville at minus 125. Dallas, it's minus 115.

Golden Knights, minus 105. At this point, with the way that the Nashville and Vancouver series has looked, the under, to me, is very tantalizing. And it's at minus one 10 for under five and a half feels like there's no goals. And that series is a million block shots. The stars can't score. That one's interesting to me.

And I actually liked the over in the Vegas Dallas series. Feels like there's been a ton of goals in that one. A lot of good players. So that would be game time. Visit. Sorry. That was game time. Is that my bet?

Three, six, five visit the app for latest odds and find out why it's never ordinary. Bet365 must be 19 plus. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. Okay, we'll catch our breath in the next 15 seconds here. When we return, we'll get some sound from Rick Tockett on his Game 6 goalie.

We'll talk Jack Adams' finalist, which includes the man I just mentioned. Texts. Plus, best of all, your texts. 590-590. Text, text, text. Right now, right now. Text. 590-590.

You heard the man. Back after these words. Teeing up the biggest games of the night. It's the fan pregame with Ailish Forfar and Justin Cuthbert. Weekdays at 6 p.m. on Sportsnet, Sportsnet 590, The Fan, and wherever you get your podcasts. The Kiprios, Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee bringing it home for you on the last portion of our show this Friday.

A lot of good feelings for the Vancouver Canuck fans outside of hoping to close this series out against Nashville is the fact that Thatcher Demko returned to the ice today. Should we hear what? Thursday, sorry. Thursday? No, today. He was to the ice today. Should we hear what they want? Thursday, sorry. Thursday? No, today. He was on the ice today.

He was on the ice today. But he's not. Like, there's no real, I didn't even cut the clip. He's just like, there's no real update on him. I think he might skate as well, you know, in the next few days,

but I don't know if this is any real sign that has sped up the week-to-week that Talkett spoke of earlier just to confirm he did skate today he was on the ice today and talk it was asked about and said there's no real update yeah but then before he even sat down they were starting to grind him about who's going to start tonight and if we could have the first talky clip for you but do you want to tell us what he said uh he was like don't even ask me oh yeah that was pretty good i'm hoping good rick talk it i was i'm hoping

she loves wears the salmon paisley shirt and comes in full of confidence and is fantastic. He looked really good last game. Yeah. Listen, you hope that was the perfect remedy for a team maybe that just needed to alleviate some of the tightness that maybe came off of the last game. Yeah. And they just find a way. I feel good about where the Canucks are at. I really do.

I just feel like in these big games, the game breakers come through. It's kind of why I regret picking Winnipeg over Colorado, seeing McKinnon and McCarr. The Canucks have Petey who can do it. They know JT Miller loves to do it. Besser scored a big goal for them. I feel good about those guys. We actually have a clip

here of him talking about that very mindset going into this game tonight. Talk it clip two, please, Derek. Yeah, I really do. We had a good practice. A couple guys were joking around. I think guys are going to embrace this moment.

Had some good talks with some players. I mean, this is what you play for. You can't dread it. It's like Bruno said, you know, to their team, they got to embrace the pain. You know, we're the same thing. But embrace the pressure. This is like, this is what you play for, right?

I mean, you know, you want that puck in a certain situation. You want to be on the ice where you have to defend a faceoff. There's going to be some points in the game where we're counting on this individual to get it done. Whatever the play is, I think that's what we play the game for. You want to be counted on. If you can

just wrap your head around putting yourself out there where you don't hurt the team, meaning you don't want to fish pucks out of your own net. So if you're Pettersson, you don't feel like the next shift I have to get it done. You just wait for your opportunity.

You only need a split second. You just only need a moment this time of year. You don't need a string of extraordinary play. Dangles and, you know. Willie Nylander, last night for the Toronto Maple Leafs, you can kind of say over the course of 60 minutes, there's some things that you like, some things that you didn't like. But.

Puck comes to him in a big spot. One gets through. Yeah. One gets through, and the next thing you know, you're on a late breakaway, and now you got two goals, and you're a hero. I don't think he had scored since, like, March 26th or something. Like, it had been a long time since he scored a goal, and all of a sudden you get one goal.

March 26th is the right date. Yeah, then he gets the first one, and all of a sudden it's like, oh, right. How is Pedersen in any different position, right? I guess the only reason I'll give you is that these Leafs, even though they haven't won a ton, have played a ton of playoff hockey. They've been, they've played how many game sevens now? They've been playoffs for eight straight years.

PD has not been exposed to this in the same way. That's maybe the only difference. That's fair. You think they get it done tonight? Oh, I do. I think this is going. They don't go away. This team, this Nashville team,

they will not go away. And I think... I think... They think the last time they played at home, they deserved better. They did. They did not close the door. And I think this is going to go the distance.

I just, they got to find a way to get some more opportunities for the Canucks. Again, I like that they have the players to do it, but you can't get 12 shots. You can't be, you know, banking on luck, on PDO, something they've done at times this year. Jack Adams finalists include Rick Tockett, Burnett, and Rick Bonas. What a shame to have lost To Talk as a guest on our show. It was a tragedy. One of our favorites.

He was. Yeah. But well-deserved, right? What were our expectations? Did you have the Canucks as a playoff team this year? I did not. I think if I'm not mistaken preseason, I think Rutherford said,

if everything breaks right for us, we could be a playoff team. I think it was the way he led into the series. And just to add to Doug McClain's note on owners, that Vancouver probably made it worse for a lot of teams out there. What do you mean? Turn it around like Vancouver did. Oh, yeah.

What do you mean? It's very doable. They were. Exactly. They were done. They were out. Nobody thought. What changed?

They flipped. They got chronic. And that's about it. Got a good coach. Yeah. Off we go. Off we go. So.

No. That's. I thought that was a really great point by Doug that owners now buy these teams and they're like, okay. You know? Or they, you know are they you know they're Doug's right some of them are just riding the coattails of daddy's money and but they they were fans of hockey so now they get to make expert decisions that's what happened I think a lot in Arizona these are the true joys of being extremely generationally wealthy you just get to

play with it as a toy yeah you're yeah and then you don't pay your hotel bills yeah apparently and then you go to what was up with that yeah i don't know any updates you're still calling them the yetis whatever no this is utah uh so thoughts on game before we get to tax here thoughts on game six vegas stars tonight i guess my thoughts are that there's so much talent on the Vegas side and Dallas is so good. Doesn't this have to go seven?

I'd like it to go seven. Doesn't this have to go seven? And you just do, like they are Stanley Cup champions over there. So Petrangelo and Stone and Marcheseau. I believe they announced Aiden Hill's going to start tonight. Not sure how you feel about that. Does it really matter? To me, no. With that defense, if they

keep it to 20, 22 shots on goal. And if you're Cassidy, well, we literally won the cup last year with him, so you might as well be on swing. You have some confidence to go to in a big spot. Yeah. It's very anecdotal, but it always feels like there's one

team that loses the first couple at home that you're surprised by and then they come back and they they like remember when didn't that happen to washington the year the one they cup when they i think they lost the first two at home to maybe columbus or maybe somebody they lost the first two at home they went to grubauer after holpe and then they came back in that series so i i just the first two at home there's always that happens and then stars could do that repeat i can see that coming all the way back yep absolutely all right let's go to tex okay uh big time happy friday to my three favorite hockey guys you all look so handsome

today this is mary elizabeth a game what a game so proud of our boys in blue 1959 is the last time we beat boston in a series tomorrow hockey night in canada will be so exciting oh my nerves thanks again for the best two hours of dynamite tv go leafs go from mary beth wow elizabeth is there a question there nope just wanted to flatter you'll get you everywhere the mary elizabeth texas all the time is it an 8 p.m game tomorrow is that uh tomorrow is that uh i don't know but either way i'm eight o'clock do you know what's that why eight o'clock no maybe it's seven seven is a perfectly fine time to play a hockey game at do you know once upon a time when they when they

first started they were putting games on saturday nights at 9 30 no. No, they weren't. PM? PM. Who are these people? No, that's the way I think Hockey Night in Canada started. Yeah. That's insane. Because they were so scared that people wouldn't buy tickets to go to the games. Oh, really? So they put like half the game on. They kept half the game off so you would buy tickets. This is true.

I don't know, but it sounds good. Is this a Kipper fact? It sounds really good. I don't know if I believe this. So all you historians out there, ask Mary Elizabeth. She might know. Verify it for me. But if it's not true, it did sound really good. For sure. We shouldn't have

even questioned it. That's half the show. I might have missed it, but I haven't heard anyone talk about the Marchand shoving the linesman last night. It was pretty tame, but I remember that Mike Peca got five games for just grabbing a ref's arm. No recollection of that, but I'm reading the end of the text. Do you remember anything about that with Peca Kipper?

I don't remember that. I do remember. I do remember that. But, you know, I saw, I talked to, you know, just talking to you and Bunk after the show last night, you guys were like, yeah, well, he's in his way. It's like, you still can't push a linesman. And I do feel like the penalty he took against Bertuzzi

was related to that. Because it was the next shift or the shift after where he tried to jump around Bertuzzi, and I don't know if that's a penalty. But he was on the official nerves. He was on fire early in the series, and there's not a hockey guy in the world that wouldn't want Brad Marchand on their hockey team.

Oh, my. Yeah. I would take him scarily high in a fantasy draft. To be a true, true leader, you can't take that penalty. No. You cannot ask your team to do a lot of things that need to be done this time of year, including sucking it up or not taking a bad penalty.

Ten minutes in the game, he lassoes Bertuzzi on his own blue line. That is not leadership. It's not, and if I may be grapes for a second, and let's go to the tape. And I said that to you guys early in the series, that if he and Bertuzzi want to have a meat head off, that's great for the Leafs.

Let the two of them cancel each other out, go to the box, alternating, whatever. At least it's not your stars and Marchands on tilt. And there is no commie influence. Patrice Bergeron was it for the Boston Bruins. Jara before him. And the fact that down the middle now, and you know who the other sleeper was, was Krejci.

That guy was money this time of year. He was big time. He loved the moment. Right now, that's a big hole down the middle for the Boston Bruins. Yeah, I know. And it's on the wing with 63, but he's a big-time player. How many playoff games do you think David Krejci played? God, I don't know. 190.

160 playoff games that he played. No way. Yes. 43 playoff goals. I think the most playoff games of all time is 178 or something. Yeah, 128 points in 160 playoff games. That's why they begged him to come back. Wow. The most all-time

is Chelios, 266. 266? That's a career. Yeah, that's pretty good. That's half my career. That's unbelievable. More than half my career. Crazy. There's a lot of Leafs. Sorry, National, but there's been a ton of Leafs. There's six teams playing in round one left. It's okay. Here we got a coach on the text line. lot of Leafs sorry National but there's been a ton of Leafs questions on the text six teams playing in round one left

it's okay here we got a coach on the text line the Maple Leafs problem with the power play stems directly from their lack of creativity on the zone entry the same play every time Ray Charles and three blind mice could see it coming in general I hate

the drop pass to the last guy coming with speed. And while everybody's just stands outside the blue line. What I hate about it is the lack of speed it gives the wingers to get in on. If you have to dump it and the other team is standing up, which they tend to do, it's tough to then chip it by him because you're the only guy with speed is the puck carrier. What I hated was Boston saying inviting riley up the middle morgan riley and saying go ahead and then riley still trying to pass it back through the traffic to do the drop

you're in now they've let you where you're trying to go they there needs to be some open-mindedness about taking what the defense gives you and the leafs haven't done that. What are they? 0 for 15 and 1 for... They're 1 for 20 in this series. 1 for 20. 20 power plays. 0 for their last 15. Yeah. 20 power plays is such a good number. And they're still pushing game 7. It's insane. They've got minimal offense from their elite players.

They can't score on the power play. They've been lit up on the PK. Game 7. To me, and I'm no expert, but the thing that kills me, it's not even the drop back, because everyone does the drop back. It's the attempted little saucer pass at the blue line that they do so much. Often off the backhand of Mitch Marner tries it all the time. Willie does it a lot, too, where they're trying to get the zone.

It just feels like they're batting that out of midair every time. But I don't know. What do you think the Oilers are doing now with their power play? Oh, they just give it to 97. He just goes to the zone. It just feels like they're batting out of midair every time. But I don't know. What do you think the Oilers are doing now with their power play? Oh, they just give it to 97. He just goes in the zone. They got it wrapped in bubble wrap or it's in a heater right now. You just imagine running that power play meeting on the break. As you can see here, it's just a picture of McDavid's face.

We have him. We're going to give it to him. Everyone's got that? Okay. Power play meeting. I turned. What snack are we going with for Saturday night? Wow.

You guys eat during the game? I have a bowl of ice cream and two bowls of popcorn every single night of my life. Wow. I'm hearing bad things about popcorn. Yeah. It's bad for you. It's a bad gut. Oh, yeah.

I'm pounding it, pal. Snack. I love popcorn. I actually, not to give a free plug, but I got this ice cream, this carrot cake ice cream. Unbelievable. From where? Good Behavior. Unbelievable.

Sounds great. Carrot cake ice cream. You got it for Good Behavior? No, it's called Good Behavior. Good Behavior. Good Behavior. Good Behavior. Good Behavior.

Good Behavior. Good Behavior. Good Behavior. Good Behavior. Good Behavior. But the ice cream is out of control. That's how you do it. Out of control.

It's also like 14 bucks for a pint of ice cream. It's just absurd. Did you buy it at the Scotiabank Arena? No, I didn't. Out of control. That's how you... Out of control. Like, it's also like 14 bucks for a pint of ice cream. It's just absurd. But one bite... Did you buy it at the Scotiabank Arena? No, I didn't. But I like to have dinner, and then... This is big-time fatso mode here, but dinner, and then first period, I'll have, like, some chips or something salty.

Third period time, carrot cake ice cream. I'm snacking. I got the stress going. Winning or losing. Six-five helps, because you can disperse theing. Winning or losing. Six-five helps because you can disperse the weight. Winning or losing. Is that part of your superstition? So I actually find

it really like, because during the regular season, a lot of the least talks, you're drilled in, you're not that nervous. But last night, the last period, I'm just like, looking through your shirt. It's so hard to really critically analyze. We've still got a few seconds on the

text 59590. I want to hear a couple more comfort foods during your Stanley Cup playoffs if you can get them in. We'll see what we get here. You're just crushing little Buddhas, aren't you? Suflocki, tzatziki. You're having a full gyro at 930.

And a little Buddha. Just around that. And a little Buddha. Just wrong with that. Burping up garlic. Oh my God. Up eyes, right. Let's hope it's an up-up for Canadian teams this weekend. So we got tonight. Are we going to pick game scores?

Yeah, let's do it. Vancouver Canucks, Nashville Predators, 7 p.m. on Sportsnet. What do you got for a score? I'll go 3-2 Preds to go game seven. Where, of course, the Canadian team will win. Yes, but that's... What night would that be? I hope Sunday.

Could use a little Sunday action. Wow, that's a fast turnover. Well, yeah, so the Leafs play Saturday night, and regardless of outcome, them or Boston, game one against Florida is Monday, two days later. That is a quick turnaround. That is. Vegas win tonight?

I've loved Dallas in this series since they went down 2-0. They look really good. I think Dallas gets it done tonight in Vegas. I do. Okay, I'm going to say Vegas wins a war, some sort of 5-4 overtime Mark Stone fiasco. Getting some truly weird

texts about food. Mac and cheese and tuna, corn puffs and arrow bar. A good patch of wings and blue cheese. That's normal. It's Jager for me watching. Just pull it out of the freezer and have a tug. Jager with Jager for me watching. Just pull it out of the freezer and have a tug. Jager with Jager.

Carrot cake ice cream. Better than the Oilers power play. Top shelf, boys. Yeah, boy. All right. I got lots. Chili cheese dogs. What?

What time are you people eating meals at? You got kids ate at 530. All that has to be prepared well before puck drop. Like, you're not breaking at any point. Baklava for Kipper. Do you like getting up during the game to go to the kitchen? Can you pull yourself off the TV? I take notes all game.

You know what I also can't do? I can't pause it. I can't have you guys know something before me. I'm the same way. No pausing. Well, I'll do a rewind then I'll catch up at intermission. Sorry, commercial. Good plan.

Good plan. Okay. Leafs win tomorrow? All right. Yes, sir. Yeah, we took Leafs in seven. I got Boston in seven, so. We'll sort it all out on Monday.

How about the poetic 4-1 win? Our thanks to Gord Stelic and Doug McClain. Enjoy your games tonight. Enjoy your weekend and we're back Monday on The Real K. Enjoy your games tonight. Enjoy your weekend. And we're back Monday on The Real Kipper and Bourne Show. Thanks, everybody.