Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Atlantic Division Assessments

Episode Date: March 12, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee check in around the Atlantic ahead of the Leafs' matchup against the Florida Panthers tomorrow with the division's #1 seed up for grabs. They discuss the Bruins' surge since the deadline, the ideal first-round matchup for the Leafs and Dylan Cozens finding success with the Senators. Then, they get into Chris Tanev's injury status, the Leafs' identity and Auston Matthews' inconsistency. Finally, they answer listener questions in McKee's Midweek Mailbag!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.

Let's welcome everybody into the Leaf Hour edition of our program. It's the real Kipper and Boran show. We are live on Sportsnet 590, the fans, Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet plus Nick Kiprios Justin Bourne Sammy McKee with a grin on his face Like the cat that swallowed the canary Derek Brandeo Jen Rolnick for the next two hours. What gives Sammy you just make me laugh like, you know No guest in the first hour in the first hour. I'm like, no, not today, guys. We're going to do the mailbag that I talked about all night and all day in the group chat

and mentioned three times at the desk and here before we started. Just confirming the details. Right? Sammy just turned into my wife 10 seconds ago with like, Do not pay attention to me. I said this already. That's okay. I don't care You're like I'll pay attention when it's time to pay attention. I just that's my favorite. That's my favorite question Literally one second before it's Andrew Holland today, too, by the way, it's not it's not Derek Literally one second before Dutchie plays music. What's going on? It's literally one second before Dutchie plays the music. What's going on on the show?

You make me laugh, I love you bud. I've been doing that for 25 years. I worked with Darren Millard and it's like, Mallard, what are we doing? Yeah. Maybe 10 seconds before the show, not five. But I do find that that is a media thing. Like you can do all the prep

and you've done all the research and all the conversations, but it's like, okay remind me What's the name? Are we starting research when we he does his own form when we started this show four years ago. I Think I only I only met you prior to that The first time I met you We were on air together. Did you know that? Is that true? It is true. Never met you before. And you were outside Coppingwood's front doors at an NHL alumni tournament, if I'm not mistaken with Gordon St Stehlik on the air yeah and yeah I did a live show with

Gord I believe it was 2019 because I think I just left Sportsnet then right yeah and I'm like you in you guys like you want to come on the air and I'm like yeah yeah sure and that was the first time I met you that's funny cuz Gord was just like grabbing. And that was the first time I met you. That's funny, because Gord was just grabbing people he knew from the event. And I will say, I was very nervous. I was pretty new. And I was not super comfortable in that setting. And I do distinctly remember saying, that guy stinks.

Never going to make it. Ever, ever, ever. If people had listened to our first show together, they'd have said the same thing. I think I've said it before, I think. That's torture. Like, I think I scrubbed the internet. So, the second time I met you was when we had lunch together.

Yeah, we went for a... We went across the street here from the studios. We sat down. I had never met Sammy before. Yeah, and the third time we did a show. And the third time we did a show. And the third time we did a show. Right? Can I tell you, while we're just like reminiscing for no reason,

the most awkward thing about the first show was you asked me if I was a Seinfeld guy on air. I did? Yeah, and you were like, you remember the black and white cookie episode? And I was like, I do? I was like, I do? And you were like, alright, black and white cookie episode and I was like I do I think I do and you're like alright. Well tell people like how it went or whatever and I was like I don't Remember the plot of the episode. I mean I have seen it I just remember like we you know there was an instant chemistry, but we took a week and we figured it No, you know what was the turning point for us? Stevie Thomas dropping the hardest f-bomb on our show. And I was like, you know what?

We're gonna be all right. We're gonna be a dressing room vibe show. The only reason I brought this all up is because I just wanna go back to my, no, back to the original thought of like me going, what are we doing? It's because I don't necessarily prepare. What are you laughing at?

Yes you do. No. You're on the phone for a few hours. No, no, no, no. That's different. Okay. That's, for me, that's more like just research. To actually prepare for the show.

I just like, and I told you guys, when we start meeting together, we're not talking about the show. No. It was really because I'm not really, I have no idea where it's gonna go or what's gonna happen, but it's gonna be like, what are we doing right off the top?

Well, I would say one of the initial pieces of skepticism someone may have had of the show was, could you be a host? And you can. You can. You proved it. I know. I don't buy that. But what I like is spontaneity. Yeah, I like the fact that you don't know what I'm going to say. I don't know what Sammy's going to say. Sammy's going to cry one day. He's going to laugh one day. I don't want to know it till we're on the air. So so that's my what are we doing? Moment well the one thing that we like to talk about upstairs is a lot of golf and you know

All the boys are starting to head to Sims and this it's starting to get warmer out So that'll dominate our pre-show conversation. There was grass at Scarborough today. Wow well, listen we had a Wow. That was melting. Well, listen, we had the owner, Ryan Smith, from Utah with an open invitation for us to golf, and I'm not forgetting it. No, neither am I.

Just keep that in mind. Let's do it. Wide open summer. People come one day to the Real Kipper and Bourne show and they hear silence, you'll know we're gone. Listen, after the first two weeks of the playoffs, we'll have lots of time. Aww.

All right, the Toronto Maple Leafs on the ice today as they prepare for the Florida Panthers. Great news for Leaf fans last night. Both Bobrovsky and Vasilevsky stunk. And they lost. I mean, Florida blew a lead in the third period to Boston Zdorov beat up Sam Bennett a little bit really Lot of man I mean fun it was fun It was a fun game and good on the Boston Bruins for showing everybody that they're not gonna just lie down

Two points after having their team Blown up pretty much so good news for the Leafs is that Florida burns another game They get a game in hand on them and a chance to pass them tomorrow night in the atlantic division with a win Yeah, yeah, yeah, they're they're two points back now so they can catch them but with a game in hand still Which that would put them in first which would put them ahead. Yeah, and're they're two points back now so they can catch them but with the game in hand still which would put them in first Which would put them ahead? Yeah, and Tampa Bay

That's a surprising loss for them, but they're now three points back of the Leafs It's just one of those things where there's 18 games left and trying to make up points in a division where you play each other It gets harder. It's It's getting tight and I give you a trust tree Moment that I've had over the last little bit and there's no one else listening. I think I know what's coming. I've been watching a lot of the Ottawa Senators.

Oh God. And like they're not nearly as good as Tampa or Florida. I'm never gonna say that. Are they making you nervous again? I'd rather just lose to Tampa or Florida If I'm a Leaf fan like that is definitely looming and that that to me is the number one horror and it's kind of looming I'm not give me the first give me the first round Tampa or Florida over over Ottawa. Give it to me I'm not saying this to embarrass you. Yeah, you will but this is what I love about you. Yeah No, like last week you were just giddy over the Ottawa Senators

Losing that's called being a fan, baby And now yeah, they're scaring you Well if all marks gonna be good like he wasn't that night and they're just I mean they they played the the Flyers last night Who stank but I just you know, it scares you New good vibes. No the new team in playoffs first year, good vibes. You remember the Leafs gave the capital such a struggle 2016-17, it was like new and exciting and their young guys gave their best push

and Brady's gonna do that. Allmark is gonna be good. Now that said, you'll take that over much better teams. Yeah, Florida. Or at least better teams. I guess it's not, it's gonna be, it's not gonna be Florida probably because we don't think, I swear it's not gonna be Florida probably because we don't think that's there's

Not gonna be Florida in the first round probably because you think that Tampa is behind It's either gonna be Toronto wins the division or they play Tampa. Those would probably be the two outcomes and I would much rather Play Tampa but Tampa's the softest schedule. You think they could get up to one. I guess division is a Triple coin toss just one more note on Ottawa before we would go back to leave, Florida Buffalo did it again Loving Dylan cousins in Ottawa. Oh my god new Reinhardt just dropped boys. I'm down. I totally agree He's huge. I think it was just

genius to break up that that that comfortable core between All of the young kids that got their money early and just felt like they were in this comfort zone and you get Josh Norris out who's a very good hockey player, very talented hockey player. Isn't he cousin's cheaper and healthier and younger? Seven million and I don't know what Norris is at. Seven point nine. Okay, so he's cheaper. He's cheaper.

And he hasn't had three shoulder surgeries. Yeah, that seems pretty relevant. Okay. Yeah, that seems pretty relevant. Okay. Yeah. And here's the thing that I noticed right away. Dylan Cousins, I think he played his third game last night, at least for the first two games against the Rangers, nine hits. Oh yeah. Just nine hits in his first game in his second game versus Detroit Eight hits just 17 hits in two games 17 Game on the year we joke the other night that you're his first you might have ten

I'll have to look out look it up. He's got ten first this season. Yes, 17. Okay, and he scored the game winner not to put That is put a ton of pressure on Scott Lawton going into Florida tomorrow night, but Saturday night against Colorado, one hit. Well, he's playing 11 minutes. He's never been a 30 goal guy. Utah, Monday night, one hit. You can't say he hasn't been trying to be physically engaged.

Just comparing the early returns, that's all. And like Scott needs to be a lot more physically engaged tomorrow night, is my point. Nobody expects him to come in and go two and one, score a hat trick. But he needs to be a physical presence and hopefully it starts tomorrow night. Yeah.

I mean, last little boost for the Sens, softest schedule in the NHL left. They got 11 home games in their last 18. Their things are trending in the right direction. They're gonna be smoking hot. They need to really go in a tailspin to miss the playoffs now right now According to my math they could 10 and 8 gets them in solidly, you know 8 8 and 2, you know Whatever around there 10 whatever so they got to win about half their games. They'll get it

It has to feel like an 18 wheeler. Yeah off the road now for the Ottawa And all they need to do to get to 93 points, they should get there. And they're a team that fits the classic mold of a young, hungry team that had to fight and scrap to get into the playoffs, red hot down the stretch, playing a team with a ton of playoff scars. It's a nightmare scenario for Leafs fans. It really is. In high school every year. Can you guys acknowledge that? Yeah. It's a nightmare scenario for Leaf fans. It really is. In high school every year. Can you guys acknowledge that? That it is?

It's a hard game, but in high school, every year there was a ball hockey tournament. We were the rep hockey team, and there was this team of kids who just loved ball hockey, tried really, really, really hard, and it was so annoying to have to try to beat them. Yeah, exactly. It was so frustrating.

That's like, you could be the better team, but you're gonna have to work your bag off. Forget if I'm allowed to say that or not every time someone tells me no Anyway, okay. What are your thoughts on now? You're up against a team that is a huge measuring stick for you, but you're coming off a Extended road trip here. Can you play any part of a coming off a road trip card? Thursday. No, you can't.

Do you have any pride? Do you care about the division? Do you see who you're playing? Do you, everything rides on winning the Atlantic and you go in and go, who's your little sleepy ass? No. No, no Kachuk, no Marchand,

which is a weird thing to say. No Eklad. Like, it's a game that you should in Toronto against the team You're trying to catch is a playoff hockey. You're new. You're new at your new additions have played two games They've home they've practiced they've kind of got settled Going into that game if they don't come out like a house on fire hammer and everything like it's a it's a concerning start for me All right, it's unanimous At least from the three of us. How about head coach Craig Berube with our first kippers Clipper?

No, it's a challenge for sure. And the opponent's challenge, as we know, you know, very good team Stanley Cup champs. Yeah, it's a some mental grind, you gotta, you gotta get your head wrapped around it here today and It's always a little bit of a challenge after a long road which we've been on for quite some time, but you know, it's just part of that's part of the game and the schedule and everything and Got a mental toughness here tomorrow

And I'm not gonna say it's not he's not right, right? Like it is physically it's a lot but they've had a few days at home now and sometimes you got to sit in the cold tub and wake yourself up. I would much prefer them playing this game as like a smelling salts coming out of the trip as opposed to being Nashville. Yeah, or like a weird team that it's like there's no relevance coming out of that trip having it be the team you're chasing team that you very well could see in the first or second round of the playoffs. that should be enough.

Like you really got to expect a good effort tomorrow, right? Totally. And it's been hard to string 60 minutes. Is it a possibility that they could lose and look better Thursday than they have in the last couple of weeks. Yeah. I think so. I think so too.

Right? You know, your point being that they just aren't controlling any play. At the end of the day, when I get my sport logic stats about ozone time or slot plays or whatever, they're always behind. They might win, but they're always the team who doesn't have the puck, who is chasing the play. It'd be nice to see them push back against a really good Florida Panthers team.

Now, will they have Chris Tanev is a big part of that conversation. AC joint sprain, something like that. Do we have an update? We have two separate clips on it. Okay. So, Dutchie, can you play the first clip for us? Clip two.

How close is Tanev, would is Tanner? I don't know. Same as he was yesterday. I mean, he's close, I'd say. He's getting better. Like, you know, he's improving every day and, you know, let's just, we'll just have to see. Like, you know, I don't really have a timeline yet. Okay, he's not playing. Nope, not playing. He will have to see like, you know, I don't really have a timeline. Yeah Okay, he's not playing. Nope not playing. He will not be in the lineup. No not playing clip to please Yeah, yes, he's you know, I always use the analogy like When I had Chris Prong or how much he could control game. And he controlled it in a different way than Tannen. But Tannen, he controls a lot of the game for us, you know,

in situational play. Safe to say he's out for tomorrow, though? Yeah, I mean, it's 50. You know, I don't know. It's day to day here, and we'll make a decision tomorrow when he comes in and see how he feels. Caught himself at 50-50, because it ain't. They gotta just interview the doctor.

Stop making this guy go out there. He has no idea. Does he ever talk to anybody? No, he does have an idea. He's just not sharing anything. No comment. Maybe he was gonna say it's 1585 that he's not playing. No comment. Yeah. No comment if he's playing. I know just he's just hanging himself up to dry Wow, I don't think he's hanging himself out to dry because he's he's not he's not hanging on anything I isn't didn't mean anything right. Do you do hanging? Yourself out there would be like yeah, I'm gonna play and he doesn't show up You mean or I thought he was getting better or if you got really good news on it, so it should be okay. They, as much as trading for Carlo

was the right thing to do and add some reinforcements, I know it's still early and this D-Core needs to play better, but you cannot take a chance of him either re-injuring himself or jeopardizing his Status going into the playoffs you lose this guy you're done Of what he just said we mean don't even go to me. That's the thing I was gonna say It's over he's right

He is the closest thing they have to Someone on the blue line controlling the pace of play. Did you expect him to be this good for the Leafs? Yeah. He was really, really good in Vancouver and especially in Calgary. And yeah, I think I did expect him to be what he is. And I didn't expect it, to be honest with you, I didn't expect it to stand out so much. Yeah, like that's the thing that has surprised me that,

and I don't know, is that because you're beside other guys that are struggling? It's because he's making four or five. You know, like four or five, you don't tend to think of someone who controls the play, anchors a pair is essential to your team. You're like, good player. But this is like, need this guy most important D. What?

Okay. Maybe this is revisionist or Maybe there's no validity to this but this is clearly pretty serious injury He got hurt how long how many games he missed now? few handful like before four nation of no issues first couple games back from four nations was against Pittsburgh Maybe his last game played was the 25th of February that against Boston against Boston

Oh, he took the show all right a very innocent kind of looking hit So with the one they've had to had any snow would they have had any thought of? LTIR and spend some money guy that needs rest of LTIR and spend some money? Guy that needs rest? Down the stretch? Well not if he's saying he's close to 50-50 now. You're five weeks from the end of the season. You might have him in a week or two. And if you're trying to win the division, nah, not there. But I see your idea. The answer isn't about... The lease of the trade deadline, your point is that the issue wasn't not having cap space.

It was- Assets. No, not even assets. Who's out there? Who can we get? And that's the biggest hurdle is who's better, at what price, who's even available. There was nothing, Sam.

There was nothing. Okay, all good. I'm just asking the question because- They were fortunate, I think, to get Carlo What price who's even avail there was nothing Sam there was nothing and I'm just asking they were fortunate. I think to get Carlo and they Paid a heavy price here. It was not cheap. Yeah, but he made he was the best alternative Left out there After that you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that could log Carlo's minutes or add any type of depth like that. Yeah, they did well to get Carlo. Yeah, and it's totally fair question. Going to be fascinating to see if he gets a little bit more comfortable. Alright, we've got a number of Barube clips on this upcoming game. Do you want to start with preparing for the Panthers? Yeah, if you prepare differently for the Panthers. Clip 8.

Well, you prepare your team of what you're expecting from the other team, you know, and what kind of a game it's gonna be. I think that's the most important thing. We still want to play our game and we want to initiate as much as possible and go after these guys. But at the same time, there's always, you know, every team you play, there's a style of play that they play and we've got to try to take advantage of it and try to understand what we're facing. Can I ask you a question, Kip? Oh my God, I was just going to say the same thing.

When he says we got to play our game, what is our game? Lately, right? What is the Leafs game? What would you say? What would you say you do here? But like what is the thing you do like chunky on I think you should leave? Before you come out here, you got to have an idea. Yeah. Are they physical?

Are they high flying offense. Are they physical? Are they high flying offense? Are they defensive? If I go back, I think we've had, they've had two really, really good stretches, if I'm not mistaken. One was in November, and another one maybe early January, where you go, okay, and I just remember a team that was very hard

on a four-check okay right I'll take that a four-check yes yeah very hard on a four-check drove to the net Barube simple, being able to get pucks that they get in deep, not turn pucks over. I've seen more turnovers than Sarah Lee right now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that to me is not anywhere near where their game had been earlier in the season. By the definition of what you're calling their game, which I agree with,

they are currently not playing their game. They are not protecting the puck well. They are not part of the four check. There's no cycles. There's no structure where they're together. It's often one guy in the four check while two guys are changing, and then they're going the other way.

Another guy's changing. Like it doesn't seem like there's much cohesiveness right now. Guys don't have short support for each other when they do have it and who spread out I remember us talking in the first couple months we come in here and be like remember odd man rushes well it's like they never gave up odd man rushes it was this it was they locked it down it was totally consistent with that and then it just All it is and from the back end

Earlier in the year not spending that much time in their own zone. Mm-hmm, and I get it There's there's no star on that blue line that includes Chris town of when he comes back, right but Simple first passes out of your zone. And now that's not the case here. Florida's D that won the cup, their best D was who? Montour. Yeah, Montour and Ackblad, Ackblad was good too.

If you take the top 20 D in the NHL, neither guy goes inside that. My point being, you can win collectively. I think that was always the case with this blue line. Yeah. But Jake McCabe is very important to this team. I'm watching him the last two games and he's wearing cement boots trying to pass the puck and it's like no good. No good. Feet aren't moving. There's not many options for you. The cross ice, the 60 foot cross ice pass in the neutral zone ends up on the other team's skate stick, and it's right back in your zone.

I didn't see that earlier. It was clean. It wasn't fancy. It wasn't overly wow. But it worked for them earlier in the year and now it's not working. Pulling up some numbers, the Leafs dump-in rate, they're the percentage of entries where they dump it in. The team who dumps it most in the NHL is Florida.

54% of their entries are off a dump-in. The Leafs are fifth most dump-ins in the NHL. They're over 50% at 50.6. Ottawa, by the way, second. Is there a retrieval or retreat percentage? Yes, there are. Retrieval to retreat percentage? No, recovery percentages.

Recovery percentage on dumpins. How many times do you get the puck back when you dump it in? You know, I wanted to tell you, they stink at it. They don't. Fifth best in the NHL. They get back 22.6% of their dumped in pucks, according to this thing. Who gets most, Florida?

Sorry for making you do that. The Islanders? Okay. I might need a second with some of this data. Okay, that's okay. But can you tell me how much of a percentage different, like are we talking about three, 4%, 25%? Between them and?

And the Islanders, can you see? Yeah. Where would the islanders be? Yeah, they're like 24%. Okay, all right. I mean, I don't know how that looks like in terms of the total number of pucks that you get over the leaves.

I gotta run this through some thoughts. So anyway, they do dump the puck into tons. That clearly is part of who they are. They need to get in on the four-check. They get great goal-tending, too. Oh yeah, that's right. They get great goal-tending, that's identity. That's such a scary identity to have in playoffs.

I know other teams are afraid of it, but it's very scary entering playoffs being like, one of the things we do well is get saves. And it's like, ugh. I saw it from, I put it in the lineup, but I couldn't pronounce the guy's full name, but he's a stats guy for TNT. Yeah. Jazz, jazz, Chris. Yeah. Stremski. Is that right?

I don't know. OK. He's got a long name, but I'm giving him a big shout out. He said that Leafs goaltender Joseph Wall has stopped 50 all 50 shots faced during crunch time situations this year The only goalie with a perfect save percentage in those situations The final five minutes of regulation and overtime when the game is either tied or within a one goal margin I gotta tell you I need him to give up one now Cuz that is that meaningless or does that is that matter like what that's he's kind of the same goalie started the game end Of the game. He doesn't seem to get too flustered. I think that's something. I'm not doesn't have it for you

I'm not overly worried about their goal, Tenny. And I think, I think, I think they set the bar so high that that's the reason why maybe some people have noticed right now that it's, it's come down, but it's only, it's only noticeable because they were so good for so long. Yeah, it's true. Also, I do want to tell you that I had my information wrong on Pucks Recovered Florida is the best team in the NHL. I was looking at the wrong category. They get back 40% of Pucks.

40% of Pucks? OK. They are the best. Oh my god. OK. Useless and useful. Where would we put that? They dump it in the most and they get it back the most. Okay. Yeah. Useless and useful. Where would we put that? They dump it in the most and they get it back the most.

Extremely useful. Extremely. So the leafs are about four or 5% behind that 11th in the NHL. Wow. Yeah, they're that hungry. The one I was looking at is recoveries with scoring chances after.

So the leafs do that. Yeah. Okay. Hey, one other question I had before we go to break to get to the mailbag. I've seen a lot of stuff about the Leafs five on five stats being way down from years past to this one. How much of that is one of the best five on five players since he's entered the league is not being himself? How much does that factor into it?

Yeah, that's good. Because it's just like they've had Austin Matthews has been, who's he had the most even strength goal since he's entered the league like he's a guy that has been absolutely dominant five on five. And a lot of people are pointing to that. I can't help but wonder I don't know if there's any way to quantify it but that has to be a factor. The best line in the NHL the best lines like the McDavid line and whoever else you have in that category, they typically tend to get 65% of the goals like you know the outscore their opposition by about that much and that line right now

I think it's at 55% at five on five like, you know, they're better than their opposition But you need them to be better than that really. Yeah As far as Matthews is concerned like he We we got to start seeing some of that that old magic here especially tomorrow night tomorrow night's a big challenge for him no question and I know they didn't have great they didn't have a great game

against Utah but let's just start with two goals in the shootout between Marner and Matthews and Matthews goal that he scored. I don't know if people Truly appreciated how good of a goal that was. What's the? Honestly, that's the Matthews I remember that when he goes in there it's like Okay that when he goes in there, it's like, maybe one or two guys can shoot it in the net like that. It's like the arrogance to even throw it off speed pitch. And then Marner closes it out with world-class moves as well. He's so good at that move.

When I watch McKinnon, whether it's against the Leafs the other night or just on another game, he always looks the same like incredibly dangerous and he's going a million miles an hour and he's He's never not looking like Nate McKinnon, right? Very seldom every time he goes near the puck you're like, oh my god, please God get it away from it It's just like bending off and on the army and it's like, okay We can't get off that time. So, okay here it comes again every sassly wave after wave and Matthews was like that last year

Yeah, well, he scored 69 goals and then you know the year he scores the other 60 He was like that every shift where you're like Okay, the guy's gonna score a goal a game and then it got to the point where he was like It's gonna he's gonna have an amazing scoring chance every shift. Like he doesn't get ripped off of those moments. They just keep coming and coming and coming. And this year it's just not there. So I have a devil's advocate to this,

because I've seen a lot of this from the more pro Matthews camp in terms of him not having it. Like is he being asked to do a lot of this from the more pro Matthews camp in terms of him not having Like is he being asked to do a lot of different stuff with Ruby? Is there a more this defensive? Responsibility he's been good defensively in years past even when he scored 70 But like is he asked being asked to do something different by the coach? That's changed his offensive output because I see that take a lot on the other side of it So I don't know if you guys have any thought on it. It's a good question. But I don't like his hits are down from last year, like stuff that you'd expect Ruby to

do. Yeah. My my instinct after all these years either playing or covering the game is that Craig would not do that. He would not jeopardize a guy of that stature to not do what he does best. Yeah. Can you not scored 55 goals for my hockey team, please? It is stupid when I talk it out like that. But you know what I'm saying?

And to me, is, is, is he kind of reprogrammed himself because he was hurt earlier this year? Is it still a more of a mental thing than it is a physical thing right now for him? Saving himself to for the playoffs wants to be fresh for the playoffs start who knows? Who knows? Hopefully the switch flips. But I have I have been very interested in like for a while he kind of became a much more physical version of himself. And

I am curious about the hitting thing. So like two years ago, Matthew says 3.1 hits per game and Mitch Marner has 1.8. Last year, Matthew says 3.14 hits per game and Marner's like 2.4. This year Marner has 1.7, which he kind of typically does. Matthew says 1.6. Wow. He's throwing less hits per 60 than Mitch Marner this year. That's crazy. To me that is a tangibly different... Especially when he hammered on

Utah. And I will hang my hat on that hit as a possible turning point for him moving forward. You loved it. I loved it. And then he started playing better after the game, and then he scores the shootout and keeps like, you know. I would beg Craig Berube to beg him to at least have your opponent think that you have that in you. You don't have to use it every shift.

But it's the back, right? It's like he's worried about it. The only thing your opponents and Florida Panthers need to know is that you can do it. You can do it. And it changes the way they play against you, the way they look at you. All right, we'll take a quick break.

We said we were gonna break early, and we talked about nothing for 35. Good talk, boys. Good job. It's all good. I was enjoying it. 35. Good talk, boys. Good job. It's all good. I was enjoying it. Stats, stats, stats. Okay.

It is McKee's midweek Maple Leaf mailbag coming up next. Don't go away, real Kipper and Bourne. Hey, it's Ben Ennis. And I'm Brent Cutting. We got you covered on all things Leafs, Raptors, and Blue Jays every weekday morning, 6 to 9. It's the fan morning show sportsnet 590 the fan and wherever you get your podcasts. Nick Kipriels, Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee. During the break,

I say to the boys thinking about getting new sticks. They're like, you don't know anybody in the hockey world that can get your hockey sticks. like no boys golf clubs Don't you think hockey don't you skate with like a hundred any jellers every week? I'm pretty sure someone's got a stick floating around for you Only sticks that are important right now are the ones in the summer Yeah, I really oh yeah hitting the sim last night having some swings. I'm like, yeah, I'm ready. You're ready Are you ready working working on maybe some calla ways boys? Yeah. Yeah, anyone who wants to send me I got my friend

I did I went up there. They're like your drivers cracked. Oh really it's crap. You're I've been playing Speed I've been playing all summer with a crack driver. That's devastating. Yeah, you guys can do club play. You should take two strokes off all your scores last summer. Yeah. Entered into golf Canada. All right, Sammy.

Quickly, before we get into it, have you seen the St. Pat's jerseys this year? Oh, they're the same as the other ones, are they? Yeah, they're the same as last year's. Have you seen them? I mean, I've seen them for years. No, but they have like new ones. Okay. They're like the last couple years. Should we? them? I mean, I've seen them for years. No, but they have like new ones. Okay.

Like the last couple years. Should we? They suck. What? Yeah, they suck. The same pastors use the nicest leafs. I was just gonna ask the leafs to send us one. Now you say it sucks.

Now they're not sending us one. That's okay. You guys can say you like them. You can put one up. I just, like, they've really tried to reinvent the wheel with it and just go back to the Matt Sundin era green one with like just the classic St. Pat's. they've tried to turn it into some Gen Z clover that's not even a clover like they're really overdoing it my leafies

are overdoing it such a hipster thing they used to be better when I was young true but don't like I'll talk about it later I'll do the mailbag all right so where do we want to start? Oh, go ahead Okay, this is not callers. That's another day. That's on Friday. This is from just checking This is from X the everything else people calling in text form This is from Kurt on Twitter or X the everything app Would you rather have Mitch Marner at 13 million or Bennett and Marshand, let's say for 16

million combined next season? Mitch Marner. Mitch Marner. Mitch Marner. I'm a big ceiling guy. Lots of teams have guys in the 40th to 60th best range. Really tough to get the guys in the top 20. That is to me

the one of the great sort of fears of this stuff is like because everybody's been talking about Bennett everybody's been talking about March and if Mara moves on and go to our Monday show if you want to see how we all feel about that one, but you know forecasted the next year. Oh my God, they got Sam Bennett and say guys and it's like oh they say he's like This isn't quite as good as having mishmar Exciting they are they've had all along the Florida path. There's trouble signing Sam Bennett. Yeah, and

it's It ain't getting cheaper. But like it's you think you'd want to come here not be you know Tavarez is money give nine nine million to Bennett or something like I don't know I know that's a huge number for Sam Bennett probably but it's a big number eight to Sam Bennett Then do you think he'd come here? Okay? I think money and opportunity Is gonna be there for him if he wants it.

Would Marchand come here? When I put Brad Marchand on my trade board, someone said that Boston would not trade him to Toronto. And I still think, we all know now Brad Marchand only had one place at the end of the day He told the Boston Bruins he'll go and that is Florida but maybe it was a combination that Boston wouldn't trade him to Toronto plus he didn't want to come to Toronto or vice versa, I don't know but

Tarnishes your legacy on your old team if you go directly to the team that everyone's hated Yeah, you've helped beat the most. Yeah, Florida's a very close second, by the way, that's a rival to Boston Brewing You know what's different? No one in Florida exists Every day every Leaf family like Leafs Lesh and Brad Marchand I want a couple of you guys and he still chose us. He loves it here more than he ever loved it there. Like, social media. They'll take it from Florida Panther fans.

Yeah, well Panther fans got a daiquiri in their hand on the beach. They're like, if people are on Twitter, what? Who'd they get? What's hockey? This is from Katrina Kass on Twitter. What happens to Ryan Reeves now? Does he actually report to the Marleys? I think it'd what happens to Ryan Reeves now? Does he actually report to the Marlies? I think it'd be tough for Ryan Reeves

to make $1.35 million not playing hockey, and I think he likes hockey. I think he does play for the Marlies. This is also having the unique situation of having your farm team across the street. He can practice with either side. He can play if he wants to play, or if the Leafs want him to play,

if he doesn't want to play, or he can just hang in there. The rosters open up, and if there's an injury or a scenario where he can come back and play, he plays. He's gonna be with the team, I assume, in playoffs? No, he was on the Marlies roster, he wasn't on the playoff,

I don't think he's playoff eligible, is he? I gotta figure that out. But anyway. I would believe he would be. He probably would. It'd be a call up. He'd have to go through the process, I think, of being called up, if I'm not mistaken.

Yeah, but even now with LTR and stuff, I bet he's up with the team. I don't know if he was officially, he cleared waivers, but I don't know where he officially is right now on the roster. I believe he's with the Marlies, but I do think that you'll see him with the Leafs in the coming weeks. He'll be around, guys love him, they want him around. For the record, we went through this with Wayne Simmons, and I don't think he ever played for the Marlies but I don't think it really helped him either not playing for the Marlies.

Right. It might have been better to stay fresh, play games, handle the puck. Something. Just stay in a routine of prep. But after years and years of playing in the NHL, real tough to take that Busta Utica suit up, you know? This is from Ethan member of the passion zone Nuclear scenario because we're not allowed to have nice things in this market

Would you guys rather have the Leafs enter the playoffs with Matthews in his current state? He says just over 40% which is that's pretty harsh to all how he feels Yeah, and the rest of the team in decent form, or have the 70 goal version of him with the D and goal-tenning of years past. I'll take the 40%. Yeah. You have no shot with a hundred goal score if you have no faith in your goalie.

Yeah. I mean, every game was two, one, or three, two in the first round of the playoffs last year. That's the points and one more save there. Maybe you win one nothing. Yeah, I don't know. It's illegal to win one. Nothing.

Well, they could have won one. Nothing in game seven, I guess. A chance at it. They did have a chance at it. You need, you need your best player to be the goalie even if a guy scores a hat-trick I'm telling you that it's Everything it is so funny that we spend so much time picking through detail systems players Whatever and the whole thing can get under kind of a goalie just stinks. Yeah, that doesn't even matter if the goalie stinks That's what keeps you up at night. If you're a general manager this one from average Joe's gymnasium

Relevant because they're playing the Panthers tomorrow. Have you guys covered the Echblad suspension yet? Well, we mentioned it, we talked about it briefly, we found out about it on the show, I think. And I don't know that there's a ton to offer. Here's what we know, he's been suspended for 20 games, performance enhancing drugs. He says he took something without consulting the team.

It's gotta be it, right? They don't don't look any further than these guys. They they take stuff for healing He was an idiot Yeah, he did not so you don't think it's like something nefarious where he's like, I'm gonna take knowingly take a steroid. That's illegal No Absolutely not. I think this guy, there's multiple people around these athletes today, including the guy

in the corner store at the nutritionist, who's a nutritionist, and it's like, try this and try that. There is a list of substances that are banned to the players. You give it to your... Which by the way, no one's ever done that. You give it to anybody that wants to prescribe something to you or give you something.

You have to go back to the trainers before you pop anything and say, can you look at this? Am I good to go here? Because people will be like, ah, it's like a cream of shelled ladybug. And you're like, sure, if that helps. I don't know, it sounds herbal.

So it's like... And if it is on the list, you're done. Now, the one thing that makes people skeptical is he's an oft injured player who... You know, the NHL testing is pretty porous. It's not impossible to slide through the cracks, random testing once a year sort of thing. And they're in their cup window.

He is incentivized to be the best version of himself. So people- Contract here. Yeah, there's a lot of people being like, I get why he'd want to be healthy at all costs. But he's not an idiot. It's- No, okay.

I mean, you are JB. You are if you take something and you don't check with the proper authorities on the subject. And I will say having seen, you know, like the Marley's and their training guy, people come in and say, hey, can I have life cereal?

You know, like just the most basic stuff because you don't want to run the risk even, right? There's nothing in. And if he got lazy because he thought the percentages were, I wasn't going to get tested this week and it would be out of my system by then. It's just, again, it's just dumb. It's just dumb.

Don't do anything, don't take anything. Put it on the trainers. He told me I could take it. Put it on somebody else through the team, though, to take something orally without the team putting a stamp on it is just now I don't know how much money you cost him millions probably crazy it is crazy though that like you don't get tested in the off season and if you're not on a contract you're not tested at all so your team misses playoffs it's April 15th the next time you're

at a camp is October you know end of September whatever whatever what is that four or five four months that's the window where if anyone does anything it happens not saying it does just saying that's the window important question is from Ernie important question when Mike Liu pitched a punched kipper over a cribbage game did he punch him in the face or punch him in the shoulder? Big difference. Yeah, shoulder.

Okay, good. Yeah. And I'm like, what are you doing? I just looked at him and said, what are you doing? Yeah. Like. But I mean, things escalate. I remember punching my friend in the face

at a McDonald's over a fight attack. Could have been a real bad reaction, right right back at him, right? But I'm like, he's a veteran. I'm just this young punk. Give him a dead arm and now he can't lift his glove hand If the Leafs beat Florida tomorrow night, is it a statement game or because they're missing Kachak at Platamarshand? It's not Oh, it's a nightmare. You don't get to claim it. No, I got full statement game. Oh, yeah full statement game I it doesn't matter. In, out, doesn't matter. If you have a good look to your game,

then you can ride that going into the stretch. Particularly because the Panthers are going to look something like this. They don't know that they're going to have Kachak back. They're not gonna have that They're coming in pissed right now. They blew a two-nothing lead Big point right with what 11 minutes to go Yeah on a team that has had the last two weeks of barely giving up a goal and this is just a

Earlier about the dump and chase of this is from officer nasty Earlier about the dump and chase stuff. This is from Officer Nasty on Twitter Craig Brubay is a dump and chase coach Is it just me or did this team execute the dump and chase his poor? I don't know if I can say that but I just did feel like the majority of the dump Dump ins this season just become passes to the other team This feels like a big contribution to them not controlling much of the play these days and what was what was the number for them? Was that recovery or dump in? Dump in. They dump it in about 50.5 percent of the time and how often did they come out with the puck remember 36 percent roughly 35

points on and the Panthers dump it in 55 percent and get it back 40 percent so there you go yeah I don't ask you there you go buddy I just think they put it in bad spots a lot like not thoughtful too often rim to the goalie not enough as I said the support doesn't seem to be there I don't think they set their teammates up for success with the way they dump the puck in no, it's it's it's an art It's what angle you're coming in How far is the part off the board do you want it on the wall do you want it rimmed you want it? Coming back out

Towards a goalie where he has to make a tough decision? Do I go get it? Do I not go get it? Too much soft rim goalie stops at other two rims. But they are not on the same page right now when it comes to getting pucks in deep. Part of that, sorry, is the lines. They haven't had steady lines. When you know how your linemate likes to get in after pucks, you can put it somewhere better.

Hopefully they have some line consistency going forward yeah that's it all right lines right now same as last game it looked like Jaren Croc still with Tavares and Nylander they kept that fourth line together Holmberg Camp Florence I would be surprised if we see a different fourth line without injury the rest of the year Holmberg Camp, that is a fourth line. Yeah. Now McMahon, Lawton, Domey, Robertson might get plugged in at some point. Someone's gonna get a reality check at some point because they're not gonna sit Robertson for 18 games. I'm looking for Max to hit a bit of a stretch here where

we see some good hockey. I like him on the wing right now and having some flexibility and some movement to work anywhere in the lineup from here on in. So made a great pass the other night. I think it's a good time to kind of get Lawton going as well. Lawton, Domi, McMahon should be a good line. Yeah. Confidence, boys, confidence's a confidence. Great line. Great line. All right. Our thanks to nobody who joined us today. Our tweeters. Yes. Our mail bag followers. All right. Big game tonight on the network, a West Vancouver Calgary.

We're all over it. Coming up next.