Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Cats Wake-Up Call

Episode Date: March 14, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look back on the Leafs' 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday night. They discuss the Leafs' lack of energy after Max Domi's fight, a recent increase in careless mistakes, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner's struggles, Chris Tanev's return and much more. Later, they go to the Leafs Line to answer listeners' questions!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.

closing out the week on the real Kipper and born show. We are live on sports. That five 90, the fans sports that three 60 sports net plus Nick Kiprios, Justin born Sammy McKee, Austin Mackie and Jake, the snake Schultz with you. For the next two hours in about 35 minutes, we're going to do a Leaf Line where you guys call us up, vent, and we listen. Are people mean today, Sam? Are they nice? Our callers rock. I would say that there's some frustrations.

I'd say there's some fun. I'd say there's lots of different things. Top of the hour. We'll welcome in on a Friday, Doug McLean, former NHL president, GM, head coach. Now we had him on last week after the trade deadline. We're giving him a week to see how things have settled in on certain players on their respective clubs. We'll get his thoughts as well. But in the meantime, let's focus on our leaf hour edition of our program. And might I say, we're gonna need the full hour

on this one. Yeah. Well, we have our Leafs callers, so they'll help too. They'll help us. They'll help us use the full hour to say, what exactly did we see last night in a 3-2 victory for the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. JB, you go first. Well, I will say that all of the things that we expected to see between these two teams, I think we saw,

we saw a very good pace, good effort, good energy in the game. I think you saw a Florida Panthers team that was really hard to get through a lot of interference and picks. And I thought they were physical and they were hard on Stolarz, falling all over them, digging at them. The Leafs, as has been the case when they've come up against this team or teams like this in the past, couldn't create,

which they haven't created in some while now. The special teams left them down, and in the end they fall just short. Which if you had put into AI what's gonna happen tonight, that would have been the output, based on the past. Do you wanna respond or? No, you. Okay, I didn't see just short. Way short.

Yes. Yeah? Yes. Yes, I didn't see way short. Did not like a lot of what I saw last night. I didn't see just short. I saw last night. I didn't see just short. I saw substantially short.

I think when you fall just short enough times, I should probably tweak my thoughts because they're clearly not that close. It's clearly not one bounce away. Listen, I mean, we, we do know there's a good team somewhere there, right? And I can't, I don't know, contending team, maybe that's too strong right now, but a team that is amongst, we thought, seven or 10 that could win a Stanley Cup, or contend anyways. So I get what you're saying,

but last night I thought was a measuring stick. They had enough time to come home get a good practice and Really show the Florida Panthers that they're gonna be a team to be reckoned from here on end and Just didn't get it last night. We I did I, I called for a start, which I got. Right? Thanks to Max Domi. Like, say what you will about his season.

That's as good as it gets for Max last night. Yes. That is everything he can do in a nutshell. And through, at least my television, I did not go down there live. I didn't get the vibe live, but it certainly came through my television that it was electric after Ty's hit.

Max, I saw Ty last night about 10 times. Max's hit, his fight, the energy that it brought the building came through right into my living room. And at that moment I'm like, yes, that's a statement and let's go. And I didn't get the let's go after that. Well, listen, we saw that a couple of times

because we didn't get the let's go after Nice fought White Cloud in their game. But even to the let's go factor, you could argue, depending how you feel about hockey, that the let's go starts with Nylander to DeVara's five on five goal. They take advantage, get one less than two minutes in. Great start. Everything was coming up Leafs for seven minutes.

What? Usually we don't talk about anything about what we saw last night until we're on the air and that's the case right now. But I had a sense that like you have not been well all day. No. Well, it's a good sense. Leaf's talk is you have to go on right away. And it's like immediately like however pissed off you are about watching what you just watched, you have to do on right away and it's like immediately like however pissed off you are about watching what you just watched You have to do it right away. And you know last night I went on there feeling pretty down

Not gonna lie and I slept on I woke up. I felt worse. So oh You you're hard enough the thing that really no I'm not even that the thing that really hurts me is what you mentioned there Kipper Is that it's been bad starts and it felt like they haven't been engaged in the games and it's like, you know It got exactly what I wanted from the Leafs last night big play by big players They were excellent to start and Max Domi goes flying through he couldn't probably believe that Carter Verhaggie wasn't gonna pull his head up and he got the tee off on him

He gets to beat the crap out of Schmidt the crowds going crazy and I see the Florida Panthers respond ten times better to that than the Leafs did they took the game over right after that happened where is the energy through it to go right through your building off of max and I'm not saying that we needed two more fights, but you needed a little bit of that Canada, US moment where it's like, you want a second one, we'll go a second one. You want a third one, we'll go a third one,

but we're not letting go of this energy. And where was McMahon? Where was Nice? Where were the rest of them to go? and where was McMahon, where was Knies, where were the rest of them to go? If Max at 5'10 and 175 pounds can do that, where's Matthew Knies to go? I'm 6'3, I'm 2'40. Let's go.

Yeah, I think there's fundamentally different in that he's on the top line and supposed to be part of a line that scores goals And I don't think that his mindset is this is an alley fight It's we're trying to beat that team Justin. You don't need to be one or the other There is such a gray area Where you can pick and choose what that means to you if it's a scrum if it's a if it's a an Fu is it going by their bench and giving them a hairy eyeball?

I don't care what it is, but it needs to follow up and it just dies on the vine I think there's not enough from this team of recognizing that it's Florida's right now It's not you guys are them you guys are them. It's Florida. They won the cup They're the big dogs. It's there in first that you have to go take it from and There does seem to be this sort of it's competition. It's like no no it's Florida's and so you're right that there's not enough Alright, this whole thing is gonna have to be a war Yeah, I want to come in here and boys I'm a Leaf fan. I Really? Really want to believe in this group. I really want to have hope

Going forward about the potential of this team Giving every leaf fan what they really have always wanted for their entire lives and we all felt at the start of this era That it was gonna be you know, this was the era that would do it or this is the era that would get close like I want you to to talk to Leafs Nation talk to me and Tell me after watching what we saw last night with no more. Sham could Chuck and act glad I might add what

Should give us hope that The Toronto Maple Leafs could beat that team four to seven in a playoff series? I'm happy to be the hope guy, because I didn't see that game and see a lopsided. I think we go into that game with sort of this bias of, you know, Florida is whatever, that they're 10 times better than the Leafs.

You know, in that game. You don't have to be 10, you can be like one or two. Right, that's fine. And I think that's what we saw last night. Well, see, to me that game... You don't have to be 10. You can be like one or two. Right. And I think that's what we saw last night. Well, see, to me that game is very even. Some of the... in terms of chances and whatever, Florida didn't get much at all last night. Florida, five on five, didn't get anything. But they move...

Actually, they got the fewest expected goals against. But they have the puck more. They spend more time. They didn't have the puck more. No, they didn't. It looks to me like they move the puck better. They're quicker on their decisions. Their forechecks are harder. They spend more time. They didn't have the puck more. No they didn't. It looks to me like they move the puck better. They're quicker on their decisions. Their forechecks are harder.

It looks better. Yeah, and that's it. Maybe it does look better. I don't, I don't think any of that is, I don't want to say it's not true because I know it's Florida and I know I'm, you know, people think I'm overcompensating for the Leafs. The numbers like the Leafs last night in that game by a bit The eye test to me is Florida gets to power play goals The Leafs gets skunked on their power play which stunk and otherwise I'm like this. I see a special teams loss last night

The Leafs were pretty bad on that power play. So can they be good on the power play? You want some hope for Leafs nation? Can they be good in the power play? Yeah two years ago in the playoffs They were good in the power play? You want some hope for Leaf Nation? Can they be good in the power play? Yeah, two years ago in the playoffs, they were good in the power play. It's possible. Can Florida, you know, can they keep Florida to one five on five goal and tighten it up from there? Sure. I didn't think it was that lobside.

I don't see a team that moves the puck well. I see a defense that stopped moving their feet. I see stretch passing. I don't see a group coming stopped moving their feet. I see stretch passing. I don't see a group coming out together with great support. I see constant turnovers. I watch and yeah, okay, specialty teams, but like bad mistakes. Like Jake McCabe taking his eye off of Bennett

and just not knowing where he is no awareness whatsoever Bennett not in a million years should get a free pass to go get that that tap in in front of the crease without paying a price from puck focus day like the Mikolo game is the same thing everyone's on the puck and they're oh right coverage penalties like camp. What world do you think you can get that path behind Bobrovsky and keep a play alive? Like it's not there. Don't go in there. Okay and here's the biggest one that would have pissed me off the most if I'm Craig Berube. And I'm not even sure it got a real mention last night. We know TSN did the game last night. And we've done enough games where you do get focused

on wanting your clip. We've done enough games where it's like, you're like, okay, I want that. And you build it like 10 minutes before that and all of that. But last night, no real mention out of anybody on too many men on the ice. Late in the second period, it's 2-1. And you give one of the top power plays That opportunity to go up to 3-1 on a too many men on the ice

like That is just Brain dead you cannot do that against that team and you know, it's even worse Same thing happened the game we covered in Utah. Too many men on the ice. Go see which guys were involved. Last night, Matthews and Knives. Monday, Matthews and Knives. You see the McMahon change last night though?

The foe change? That McMahon change was camo. That was brutal. So who's... so you blaming McMahon I mean you can't take McMahon off the hook that's what you're about to do you can't take Matthews off the hook either it's there they're both on the hook you got to make sure the guy changes okay I get that McMahon probably gave everybody on the bench the feel that he's coming but You cannot take your eye off the guy that you're changing for right okay, and they slept

That's fine. Absolutely slept. Yep, so nice goes out and He's got McMahon Okay, right like I don't know I don't know who is for who but come on And he's got McMahon. Okay. Right? I don't know who is for who, but okay. Well, come on. It's like a center man takes a center man. Right.

So if I'm not mistaken, it was Lawton for Matthews and Nyes for McMahon. Okay. And like Nyes jumps out there. And then by the time he realizes that, oh my God, my man didn't come off or I don't know what happened Now Matthews is out there thinking he replaced Lotton. Yeah, I mean if you think it is a symptom of a bigger things the Leafs need to address

That's fine. If it's just a one-off guys being dumb have be focused twice in two games Yeah, same guys not focused not paying attention. I got a real issue with that Can we know how to look up how many bench miners? I yeah, I have no idea that but it felt like it feels like they've had a few of them I feel bad changes or whatever, but you know the game right there three one Last year they had a bunch and it was Sheldon Keith's fault and we were all over him But you can you can kill a penalty too There is also leak there you're allowed to kill a penalty allowed to get a big penalty kill always find a way to bite you in the ass here's the problem

that I see I see a team that came out of the Four Nations break with their top two players Matthews and Marner playing significantly worse than they played before the Four Nations break I see a team that is more top-heavy and built on the success of three or four players than any other team. And so they're more hurt by the lack of success from the top guys. I did some research on two guys who went to the Four Nations. A lot of the top guys have seen their production dip since, particularly the Canadian and American guys who had the week long build up to two big games. They haven't been as good. It hurts the Leafs more than other teams that their top guys played in that event.

Matthews missed a game in that event. He wasn't right to begin with. And so, I don't know if they're tired, I don't know if they're hurt, I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's contract stuff with Mitch, I don't know what. But the two of them are not good right now, and so they're losing. I don't even know why then Matthews is out there killing penalties get him off totally get him off PK yeah Why is he out there? period

like, you know everybody Yelled and screamed about how stupid would be to consider the LTI our stuff before the deadline. We talked about it all the time It's not Close to what it's been in years past. We all know that. There's something bothering them. We've talked about it at all times, like a million times in this show. They need him to have a cold splash of water in the face

or something to wake up or let him sit down and find some rest or whatever, some treatment, fly to Germany, whatever it is, to try to get better for the playoffs. Because it's not close to what it's been. It doesn't look great. Marner in the same boat. I don't think he was very good last night.

And that's what, you know, these Leaf fans in general have these huge blow-ups over regular season games have these huge blow ups over regular season games against big teams that resemble what they know happens in April. And that's to me like, you know, it's a regular season game. Everyone talked about how it was a really big game, but it's still ultimately, it's a game in March.

It's not the playoffs, but when it looks exactly, it's a reminder, like every heartbreaking loss that this team's had where they've been close and they've come out in the media and they've all been like, yeah, the, no, the shots just didn't fall. We had a lot of great chances. We were close. We were close. They've been close a hell of a lot and it haven't been able to push it over the line. And last night is just, it's the guy who always shows up in the big game shooting two in the net and breaking your back and the guys who don't get nothing so It's just it's a really tough pill to swallow for Lee fans and they're emotional today

I know it's simple for you to sit there and go. Okay. This is exactly what we see in the playoffs It is but it's also exactly what we've seen. Maybe the last in the playoffs. It is. But it's also exactly what we've seen maybe the last four weeks, five weeks where they just even prior to. But not against that opponent. Their numbers have been bad. No, but they find Vegas. Sure. Against Colorado. But they find ways to win against other teams Kipper. They've had lots of wins. They had a good stretcher, nine and three. That brutal road trip. Weaker teams. For sure. And like you can talk about being on the road in Vegas, one of the hardest places to play at Altitude in Colorado, whatever but when you come into your building

after two nights off and you play against a team that you've very well could see in the playoffs and They beat you the way every team always beats you in the playoffs Leave fans are beside themselves. They are having trouble putting together 60 minutes They are and you know what's worse about this is the next six today. They are having trouble putting together 60 minutes. They are. And you know what's worse about this is the next six days, they play four times. They play tomorrow, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday. So if you're talking about rest or being tired,

four games in six nights coming up. Okay, let's get, you got a little taste of our thought of last night. Let's go to head coach Craig Brubbe on his overview Last night. It was a good battle. I thought five on five was pretty even game. I liked our third period a lot You know differences, you know, we we they scored two power play goals and we capitalized on our PP but You know

We got to get that puck you know the one there and the second PP goal their PP goal like we we got to get that puck out yeah that was the lot a lot in play a lot was better last night noticeable at least yeah had way more physical which we talked about gotta get that pocket got it bear down yeah gotta get that puck out. We have an overview number two. Why don't we follow up with that one? Well, I knew going in and we all knew going in, it's tight.

It's not the way they play, there's not a lot of room and you gotta stay patient within your game and not force things. And I thought we did a good job of that. We limited them shots and they limited us shots. I mean, that's a high volume shot team. So I thought our checking was good and I thought we did a lot of good things. You know, you always want to be better.

Trust, like, you know, we, we got to push through this and get better. Um, but you know, we competed hard and it was a hard game. It was a tough, tight hockey game out there. And again, you know, we, um again, you know, we had power play opportunities and we didn't capitalize on them and they did. I got a... Oh, go ahead. No, go ahead.

We were just talking about Lawton before that. I hate, hate to say this, but he might be great on the left wing with like Tavares and Neelan I know the need of a third line center man and you're pushing him to the wing already I you know, I did he just he played some shifts up there. He's physical It gets an impacts if it comes to him, you could put it away. It's like and that's not to suggest you're wrong. No, I Mean bright spot Pontus Holmberg, but very good lately.

Pontus Forsberg. He could be getting back in the sea. He's been very good lately. Florida's harder on pucks than the Leafs are. Yeah, definitely. Is that fair? I think they're harder on getting the pucks. One of their guys took an interference.

Bennett took an interference play on Benoit. But that one gets called, but they do it 300 other times. Yeah. It's so hard to get to the puck. That first penalty in front of the net too with Oliver Ackman Larson. Just bad call. One guy bad call the scrum he refused to whistle it down and when Stoller's the puck. Of course guys are going to be out there pushing and shoving and fighting for it. One guy throws a little bit of a jab, the other guy cross checks back, take them both off or let it run. Just leave it alone. And even Benoit's interference call, please don't call that in the playoffs.

I actually agree with you. Please. It is interference, but it's like no not enough Yeah, not enough guys are fighting for space God, I just wished all games would be called like four nations But also like you know to your point Bennett is a step ahead of Benoit and can choose the lane He wants to skate in so it's kind of tough to call that one interference I don't know the one thing I will say about the OEL thing He was a bright spot for me last night. Do you think they notice him at all played hard played hard?

He's involved physically. I like his touches right got buddies over there. You want to show them screw you you let me go You didn't want me back. Yeah, I thought he was a bright spot, but that's there were there weren't too many Oh, yeah, go ahead. Just you nailed it though with that scrum around the net like I don't know who the official is But hey hero, maybe just blow the whistle. Yes, like come on, you know, I'm sure if you follow the Panthers But they're gonna be in there with Think emotions will get going with Sam Bennett's allowed to just keep spearing his glove on your injury prone So ours is can I tell you though like God? He's such a gamer He was she's like just right it knows in everything

He takes awesome to the net he was so good, and he just he just refuses to be denied He actually changed my mind on him because for a while I thought he was like yeah a brute who was like, you know having a high shooting percentage run on a good team And you watch him handle the puck. He's making good decisions a brute who is like, you know, having a high shooting percentage run on a good team and you watch him handle the puck. He's making good decisions. He's a lot of good things. Scored one of the three goals in the biggest hockey game in 15 years for Canada where it's

like a huge clutch moment after they score a goal. It's like he's going to be so rich. Could there be a better time for him to be a free agent? Honestly? All right. Let's go back to another Kippers Clipper with Craig Berube on those penalties we spoke of moments ago. The bench minor was unfortunate.

Obviously. Yeah, that's, you know, we, you know, we got, we can't take that penalty. Those are the ones that kill you. And OELs, what did you think of them? Well, you know, we talked about, you know, they're going to do all this stuff, you know, in no whistles and they get in there and get involved, you know, so he, you know, he punched a guy but, you know, they all, they two-handed one of our guys too and like they just take us but we got to be more disciplined, no doubt about it, you know,

when you play those guys and, you know, you can't retaliate. I love hockey. I love hockey. I love hockey. Like what other walk of life? Why? You can't even punch a guy anymore? You just punched him. All right, we should get to Max Domey.

We started him off the top of the show. We loved everything that he did. Let's get to his head coach's thoughts. Had a heck of a game in my opinion. Big hit, fight, scored a goal. I mean, he was skating and working. So I thought he was good. Yeah, pretty simple.

He was that. I mean, that's why he's in over a guy like Robertson is he can change the pace of a game, the course of a game without having to get points. Yeah, I saw a bit of like the Robertson buzz bubbling up. Like, if you're watching that game and be like, boy, this game could use Nick Robertson. We're a different type of hockey fan.

I'm sorry. Like, I get that he can shoot it in the net once in a while, but I'm watching that game like, you know what would really help these board battles against this mutant team, Nick Robertson. That's what they need. Yeah, I saw Max be the Leafs answer to Sam Bennett last night You know, I mean say what you will but that's the closest version that the Leafs have that's scary, right? I mean no disrespect to Max because he had a great game. He did everything you could ask him

I don't he probably did it all in 12 minutes or some I It's amazing how quickly I don't know, you probably did it all in 12 minutes or some. It's amazing how quickly watching him play in that game and getting himself into the game with one of the biggest hits. That'll be, when they do top 10 hits of the year for the NHL, that'll be in it. That's one of the bigger hits you'll see. How immediately into the game he was

and how immediately as a fan watching that game, I wanted him involved. I wanted the puck. And before he got him back out there right after too. I wanted the puck in his stick. I wanted him out there. I thought he was so just engaged and ready for the challenge.

Even Verhagy's reaction was like, okay, who was that? Like, where did that come from? Yeah, he was bailing out as it was happening. He was like, I need to go the other direction here. God, I'm looking at natural stat trick. The Matthews Marner line Had 87% of expected goals scoring chances were 8 to 2 and high danger chances Were 7 nothing when they were in the ice at 5 on 5

Didn't see that a did you I thought Matthews had a couple around the net, but no I didn't but I think the point people Are making defensively they were good sure They didn't give up anything the other way. Like who offensively did you like aside from Bennett? He's gotta shoot it in the net. He does and Marner's, you know, typically when it's, it's those two carrying the offense. Marner passes to Matthews, Matthews shoots it in the net. It doesn't have to be on a pace of 70 goals

a season, but it can't be 30 or 35. Yeah. I thought last night was an obvious night to split them up and just say they don't have it. They haven't had it. Matthews in a slump. Can we just get a different look for a bit? Didn't do it. The thing I noticed about Matthews is he feels like he needs to get way closer to the net to score. Like he feels like that in his mind, you know, the one where he goes in on the power play where Martin does a little chip pass and he gets that lane to the net when he's scoring 40

or sorry 70 last year. It's once the candle. Yeah rip and he's trying to get right down on top of the goalie to score feels like he doesn't trust it as much as he used to the thing that all the great scorers have most often than not is Separation space separation speed quickness separation He's got no separation right now. He does not have that jump to give himself more space. It's gone. There is no separation space for him.

He's a lot easier to check today than we've ever seen really. I don't know how far you wanna go back, his rookie year, and he still scored 40, but there's nothing there. There's not that extra juice, that extra step, that separation space for him to go in there and pick his corner. It's like gone.

Well, it's an inch, right? You need like, the difference between the guy getting a stick on a tip or not is an inch and... He's mishandling the puck? Yeah. Did he not have the puck, uh, late in the game last night and the thing... I'll hop the stick. Yeah, I know, but...

We never really saw hopping of pucks over his sticks over the years. Yeah. See, some of this stuff, it can't all be... You know, if you think he's hurt, that's not, you know, a bad change on a too many men call or the puck hopping a stick. But I do think this physical stuff is real. I do think he's not getting separation. And he picks his spots when to be engaged and want not to be engaged I you're I'm still thinking he's either hurt or

Psychologically, he doesn't want to get hurt. Yeah, that one of the two that certainly can but I'm seeing at times this guy push snow Yeah, just looks tired compared to usual for whatever reason but It is certainly a problem. They can't win without him being a better version of himself So, you know to Sam your point like would you want to rest him four games and six nights? Do you want to just give him a let him take a knee here to find the best version? But I remember having these conversations two years ago when he scored 40 after scoring 60. I Remember these very well. It's like he's not quite right. It's the absence of greatness. I don't know Not like this was he just like this was he hurt? Yeah

Not people had thought that it was a risk. Didn't he come off the wrist surgery? We never did find out what we never find out anything. Yeah, I listen you may be right and I'm overthinking this but I don't remember Stretches like this for him. Yeah goals per game are pretty similar pace But you're maybe not like this. This is bad as it ever has been in his career one five one five goal in 16 games. It is On a not on the five on five king. Yes. Yeah, and I said it yesterday I'll say it again a lot of the reason like one of the reasons they're struggling So might lead a score of five on five is because the best five on five goal score on the planet isn't really there right now so anyways

Can yeah Tana, certainly it does feel differently when he's back. It seems like everybody slotted a little better, but I think there's there's so much cleaning up to do back there that even 10 of coming back isn't enough unless these guys start playing better. You know, I thought the other guy who had a really good game was Brandon Carlo. Brandon Carlo, you know, there are signs that it can work with Riley. Like last night they controlled a lot of the play,

didn't get beat, he wasn't on for any against. Like I thought a good sign that he could hang in a game like that. Morgan, I know you didn't like as much. Yeah, Morgan, to me, I hate it when he doesn't move his feet and then he starts looking for these stretch passes and just not a good look for me. His first instinct, when he was playing good,

it was before Four Nations and he was just like, Western road trip. Just go, go. Yeah, I don't know if you guys saw his first shift ice two pizzas up the middle One came right back from the neutral zone another one Was a almost a suicide pass to To Matthews who got buried at the top of the blue line he came right back into the the end. If he's skating and moving his feet

and gives the opposition a thought of, hey, I could give and go here, I could make a pass, or I can skate it out, it's a different world for him. But his whole key for me is when he's skating and moving his feet, different player. How do you arrest these guys between now and playoffs? How do you get them?

Well, I think you're going to keep playing and you're going to keep trying to win the division clearly. But last night hurt for that pursuit boys. Like there's no way around it. What do they how they they were points back. Yeah, like it's just, you can still, it's not insurmountable clearly. But they gotta turn it around,

they gotta go on a little bit of a heater here. They need four or five in a row here. They need to, they need a good strong finish to the regular season, which has to include consecutive wins here. Yeah. I actually thought the two games of this slump where they played pretty well were Colorado and Florida. They lose both games to better teams, presumably. If those are, you know, tomato cans, they probably have a couple of wins. But they need a run of those games against beatable teams.

And we're going to go here soon as we get to Leafs Line, but Leafs have the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night, and I don't know if you've been keeping up with the paper, boys, but they're first in the, since March 1st, first in wins, best record, second in goals per game, second best goal differential, first in even strength goals, coming in here, something to prove, Hockey Night in Canada, what are they?

Four or five points back the Leafs. And their game last night isn't good enough to beat Ottawa tomorrow night. I'm terrified. I was rolling. I'm terrified of that game tonight. Terrified. Yeah, it's a scary one.

It really is. Should be fun. Yeah. All right. I just love watching this team right now. That's why we do this. All right. Let's go to break.

We'll take a quick break here. When we return, it's the Leaf line. That's why we do this. All right. Let's go to break. We'll take a quick break here. When we return, it's the Leaf line. We sit back, we relax. It's the end of the week and you all do the rest of the work. Back after these words. Hey, it's Matt Marchese. And I'm Mike Fuda.

We're discussing the top stories of the day across the NHL and the hockey world weekdays at noon. It's the fan hockey show on sports net five 90, the fan and wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to our leaf. Our edition of our programs where you get your say You've heard from us either over, over emphasizing or under the Leafs loss last night. Take your pick. Me or Justin or Sammy.

I think it's just, it's so hard to talk about this team. I really find that. Hey. I do. Why do you think we have a whole hour? It tires me out, man. Five days a week. It's a blessing and a curse that people care about it

and we get to do this as a living, but after it's just like, somebody asks me about the leafs on the street, I'm like, I don't care. I live alone. Good God. You wanna talk about tariff? Look at you.

Jacob Marley carrying chains of the leafs around. Anything else. Care Jacob Marley carry chains of the leafs or anything else Easier much easier to be okay Let's go to Johnny from Ottawa. Deep behind enemy lines. I'm here to tell you boys that Calvary is on its way. Sends are coming to town and they're just about ready. I mean, the Leafs are just ripe for an absolute Saint Patrick's

bloodbath. Those stupid uniforms are not going to save them. Might just distract us for a second and look away. But the sends are coming. Leafs are in trouble. What is it with this team that just can't compete when it gets hard? What is it? What is it with these guys? I swear to God we're sleepwalking into another Playoff Disaster with the same cast of characters the same amount of excuses it is honestly

So bad so bad Tell me that I honestly we should go off- because he's just like, God, he's so right. Like Johnny, I brother, I love you. I can just sum it up this way for Johnny. You just got to want it bad enough. And I'm not sure at times over the last few years if a lot of these players have hit that point. Is this the love to win versus hate to lose conversation?

Definitely. This is I'd rather then lose. Yeah. then lose yeah, and Stupid saying it when you're 58, but when you're 25 or 27 or 30, it's like Gotta be close to death. Yeah, I'd rather die. I'd rather be carried out in a body bag than lose You know what the so potentially if you have so many of these generational talents these superstars success on the way up and cast of people around them and all you do is have success and first overall and you know are very high and you just everything's come easy and all of a sudden it's not easy. You know it's it's taken some years to

see if any of them will go okay. It's different here. I think the team that we're gonna see tomorrow night went through a lot of top picks, a lot of success early with points, a lot of success with eight year deals, making eight million. And then there's a new ownership group, there's a new management team that says,

too easy, too soft, we gotta break this up. And that to me is the number one reason why you got rid of Josh Norris. I know he's had some injuries. He's hurt? Hurt. I know. Okay.

I know he's had some injuries. He's hurt again. Got hurt. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah. In Buffalo? Yes. Okay, whatever the case is.

Yeah, I'm just saying you're right. Whatever the case is, it's because of that comfort that it's just, you don't hate losing enough. It doesn't bother you enough. You can hand in the contracts, hand in the captaincy, hand in the success. We've got to break some of that up. That's why a guy like Dylan Cousins comes in, because he just changes. He needs that too though.

He went through it in Buffalo, where they gave it, here's Samuelsons money, here's Powers money, here's Cousins money, for nothing. Very fair comment for sure, and something needs to change, right? Something needs to change. And that's where I think people the last few years have been saying, Marner, Tavares,

Nylander, Matthews like change it. Change it and no, no, no, get another crack. Get another crack. We all agree if it happens in the round first round again, we come in here. It's just like it. I'm not convinced. You're not. Why would I be convinced?

They would change it? Yeah. Of course they'll change it. Yeah, we would've said that four years in a row, boys. No, no, Marner will change it. Yeah, well that's a point. All right, speaking of Marner. He's not staying if they lose in the first round. Speaking of Marner, let's go to Gail from Parts Unknown.

Hi Sammy, it's Gail here. You are on my bad list now. Yes, the fans in Toronto are passionate, but they don't control what the players can do. Marner is the engine that drives this team, not Matthews. He has the right to be respected for his choices. He's equal to her better than Matthews. No one has a problem with Matthews' salary or Lazy Nylander's salary, but Marner is supposed to be the whipping boy, and yet he wants to be here more than anyone, perhaps, except Tavares.

Kipper, thank you for giving Sammy a smack across the side of his head. Sammy, next time your boss calls you in to give you a raise, tell him no thanks. That's it for me. Bye. Wow, Gail. Gail Marner, thank you. Appreciate it.

Appreciate it, Grandma. What's his grandma's name, Gail? I have no idea. Next caller. Thank you appreciate it. Appreciate it grandma. What's his grandma's name Gail? Yeah Next caller. Let's go to jelly Ian and jelly be There's often a connect with Chuck Nelson and his buddy pancake Pete Along doesn't know that I'm gonna be with my friend Jim from Waterloo outside the bank tomorrow Prior to the game. Yeah, we're going to be selling customizable paper bags along with TUMMS, which stands for Sausable Used Maple Leaf Sweaters.

We are looking for donations and all proceeds will be going to the Bring Back Wendell and Dougie Relief Fund. All prices are going to be in Canadian dollars with tariffs and taxes applicable only to sweaters with American players on the back You know seriousness tomorrow night's gonna be the biggest statement game of the year I feel the sense they're gonna make a bold statement. I think the Leafs are just gonna give us the same old excuses Your thoughts gentlemen great show cheers This is how far

Like how badly beaten down these fans are is that they're scared of the sense I'm scared of the sense like they've been a punching bag for eight years where everyone's made fun of them They said they've been great and now it's like they're gonna rinse the leaves tomorrow There's nothing like being a hundred point pace team fighting for first in your division Have people talk paper bags. That's why Love it Welcome to Toronto, baby. He's not wrong when it's like you're going off of one statement game right into another one here, so

Maybe that's what the players need is us against the world mentality right now. But yeah, they need 60 minutes tomorrow night. They need a salute gate. Hey, how's how's the nice lady from. I know. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. She put that on there because I don't want you to control the narrative. Let's go to another uplifting call. Sam from San Francisco.

Born into the least die-hard realm I'm I'm struggling this morning Feels like it's mid-april early May and we just lost another close playoff game where the penalty kill sucked powerplay sucked Everything came from the perimeter. I don't know. I don't know the last time I felt this, this weighted and disencouraged after a regular season game.

So, Chipper, I know optimism isn't your strong suit here, but is there anything to take from last night's game and make my day go by a little bit better? Other than Max Domi, who I thought looked awesome, I don't really got much. Okay, well Sam clone of our Sam. Sammy from San Francisco. But it's like you were separated at birth. I'm telling you man.

That was you. There was more of this. This is how people, what I told you, the relationship between this team and the fan, because of what you said to Benguetta for so long, that every loss like this in the regular season is like a smack in the face to them to remind.

I believe they call that PTSD. Kadingo! Nailed it. Okay. I'll take a page out of my good friend here, Justin Bourne, and say that they are still in hockey games, right? They're still within a shot on goal of getting a point or two or winning a darn game.

It was a late post as well last night. I think a Marner and their goal-tending still is good enough where they hang around they're in it they're they're there so there yeah the goal-tending still for me hasn't been as good it hasn't been as good but it was because it was so freaking great yeah and it hasn't fallen off a cliff here. They're still really good. So they're in hockey games. Okay. Let's go to Kevin from Pickering. Listen, I need to clarify something. Just because I phoned in a few weeks ago and said the lethal curse doesn't mean I don't already have my spot picked up for the parade. I've been taking a lot of slack for that one.

So anyways, here's my question. Maple Leaf, seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals in Toronto. Where are you watching it? Are you at home with family, friends? Are you in a bar, you downtown, where are you watching that epic game? Anyways, cheers guys, have a great weekend. I think what comes to mind first for me is in this scenario, Sam, you would have to not work Leaf Talk. You can't do Leaf Talk after that. Either way. I would argue that that would be the reason you start doing leafs talk is to do that show well

That's why sports that would pay you to do it yes. I would I mean I would love to do it So let's say I'm not me and I answering that question Dark dark room alone No, what about if there are two do you go it into the public no other light other than the TV light? blanket overhead That's it. You know that is a Really good question is because I don't know I don't know I've never thought about it before I cannot I cannot I Couldn't be in the alumni room. I couldn't be with a large amount of people

There's just no way I could watch it. You might have to be and be that distracted by I Couldn't yeah, you think people are gonna be talking to you about the stock market Seven of the Stanley Cup final in the alumni box. It's gonna be watching trust me. They're still Chatty people you also just don't want it's nervous opinions. Your ear. Yes What's wrong with him and like yeah, and last night it was a big game. I just needed my coach I needed the TV I needed my prepped the remote and I I needed like Nick time I gotta tell you if someone offered me tickets that game wouldn't go What are you talking about?

But there's the side of you that says you'd have like in the building you have to you have to kind of you've waited Your whole life for it. You're you got it You got to be somewhere in the building. I also got a disagree. Let's assume that This you know if this were to happen, let's assume Sportsnet would have us involved in some way. I think, I think, I think this is all under the, like, oh, we're not us. No, no, no, no, we're 80 now, right? What do you mean?

Oh, in the year that they're in the final year. How old are we now? That's my great- We're assuming it's this year? Yeah. Or are we assuming this is before we die at some point? That's a good point place This is my great fear Like they show all those cubs when the cubs won and there's that like old guy in the recliner Me that's not a fear. Don't know what would happen. I don't want that

I want to be able to be like walk around and enjoy it but I would watch it my basement and then go out into the spots as Being a part of a Stanley Cup and watching the fans reaction from a game They thought we were gonna close out in game five to game seven that less people wanted to go to the seven than the five Because of seven to me the disappointment of losing right? Yeah There'd be tears streaming down my face the second the least guy if we went they went down one nothing I'd be balling I I couldn't do it. Uh, you're stable. Let's go. Yeah, let's go. That's I'm not here cuz I'm stable good question No, let's go to think let's go to nice lady from Armstrong. Shadow Armstrong. Hey Sammy

I don't need to be on your leaf line but I'm calling from Armstrong BC and You need to change that Jersey at the national hour and get other jerseys up there because in the national hour it is not maple leaf jersey time. Thank you, love you guys, bye. Can she produce for me and Justin please? Can she come in? Submit a resume and we'll, shout out to the Whittells from Armstrong. Armstrong's like, I don't know, an hour and a half from Launa and I once drove there and forgot one skate and all.

Yeah, we don't have time for anymore. Yeah, we went all shallow and called out Ryan Smith to send us jerseys of Utah and he did and we will debut them in our national hour. Yeah. And a hat too. We're actually debuting. Hey, that's a good looking hat by the way.

We're actually starting on Monday boys. And you look good in it. Thanks. Yeah, you do. The dad hat works. Just a quick note for our listeners. On Monday, we're gonna be doing viewing our new segment called hockey club hour.

And it's our first hour. We'll be talking about the hockey clubs and no Leafs talk anymore. All the Clayton Keller talk you can handle. God, I love that Kesserling. Look at you guys. You like, chilling for Utah. You're pathetic, you two.

Buddy, we told you, absolutely for sale. Never been more for sale. That makes it three. All right. Our thanks to all of our callers on our Leaf line. Always great to hear the passion and the love, even in the tough times. Hey, Sammy.

When are they good? They are. They'll get good again. All right, stick around. More of Off the Rails Friday when we bring in You Know Who.