Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Confronting the Cats

Episode Date: April 1, 2025

Justin Bourne and Sam McKee are without Nick Kypreos for the week, and they start by looking ahead to the Leafs' matchup against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday, a pivotal game for the division standings. They discuss Max Pacioretty's return to practice, Nick Robertson's role, Anthony Stolarz getting the nod in net and the challenge of staying disciplined against Florida. Later, they go to McKee's Midweek Mailbag to answer your questions! Finally, Leafs writer Anthony Petrielli (29:26) assesses the team's approach to the playoffs, how they'd match up against Florida, Tampa or Ottawa, the sustainability of the power play's recent production, expectations for the bottom six in the postseason and much more.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.

Welcome in to Real Kipper and Born and McKee. I'm sitting here today with No Nick Kiprios joined by my boy Sammy. Sammy, how are you doing? Well, buddy, I thought we might hear something from Kipper today. Like, hey, boys, have a we might hear something from Kipper today. Like hey boys. Have a good day I'm on the ghost So I'm gonna take the day off today and I mean I'm taking it off You know, we had a weird week got a couple of baseball games

It may take us off the air in a couple days So Kip took advantage of it going to get a little sunshine in Florida play some golf which hey Totally appreciate that Rest up for the long leaf Stanley Cup playoffs run. Oh, yeah, you don't you got to be fresh We may be working on the weekends once they're in the conference final Oh, yeah You don't want to be missing any live on location in the Stanley Cup finals that we're gonna have to do So I gotta believe what I gotta believe if they went on like a deep run

We would do some stuff. Yeah, we some like, hey, seems like we're throwing some money around. So maybe we're chucking a couple of dollars around here. Who knows though. Anyway, that would be that's the hope for now. So to set the stage for everything right now, the Florida Panthers play the Montreal Canadians tonight. Then on a back to back, they come to Toronto and play the Toronto Maple Leafs. So the Florida have a couple of, I guess, meaningful matchups to their opponents.

The game tonight is one that for Montreal is pretty crucial. They do have a pretty soft schedule after this Montreal game. Or sorry, after this Florida game game Montreal then would have Boston, Philadelphia Nashville Detroit so some winnable games for them, but Florida coming in tomorrow night What do we know Sammy is it lineup decisions goalies? What have we heard? so I'm just looking to see if the starting goalies tonight for the So the Panthers are starting that Vana check tonight so against the Habs and then they're gonna go with Borbovsky tomorrow against the Leafs

Which you know they tomorrow tonight is Really important for them because if they lose tonight potentially too And it's hard to picture them losing twice in a row to the Montreal Canadiens when they're in a playoff race even with Vtech Vanechek behind between the pipes Then they come into tomorrow three points back of the Leafs, and potentially with a loss in regulation, five points back. So tonight is a sneaky, huge game for them. Yeah.

Get that, you almost wish it wasn't on the second half of back to back in terms of, I don't know, quality-wise or whatever, but it's a good break for the Leafs to get. Pay for them to have an excuse. Yeah, you know, but it's a good spot for the Leafs to get them coming in off the back to back, and they're gonna get, you know, they're a a good spot for the Leafs to get them coming in off the off the back-to-back and they're gonna get you know

They're they're a older team played a lot of hockey. It's a good chance for the Leafs to potentially, you know Put a little distance between them and them. Yeah, there there is a fantasy world here where you know Florida is scuffling a little bit Matthew Kachuk Still not in the lineup though. He is skating. Yeah, which is Development cuz you gotta believe you're gonna get him in the playoffs wonder when he'll play Yeah, well, that's exactly it. What's the least first playoff date? What's their first game they're gonna play but he's not in right now Glad's not in right now. They haven't exactly been on fire. So there there's a world. Mm-hmm where the Leafs could be

Three points up five points up with like seven games left if things were to go over the next couple days. So needless to say, want to start your best guys? Yeah, you want to have a playoff lineup? I don't think we're experimenting anymore. No. Now is it as the coach you're saying this is the lineup I think can win for us. I do think that the scratches that are coming in and out, whether it be Holmberg, Jarncrok, Robertson, whoever it may be, this is what's gonna happen in playoffs. This is not a one-time thing, Robertson's never getting back in. They're gonna rotate these guys who are out of the lineup.

So for tomorrow night, looks like Robertson is not gonna be in again, and in net, Anthony Stollers. Yeah, so a couple things there. I think them starting Stollers, and I know that they play Florida again in a week, but tomorrow night Them started that it you cannot take that as anything other than a statement first of all and we'll go back to that But you look at this lineup that we have in front of us here And the only real change I can see in the playoffs is patch ready potentially coming in he's getting closer

He you know he was taking part in practice today. You know, he's skated. Yeah, he really looked like he was flying around. So it looked like he's gonna be a potential option for them in the playoffs when it starts. Hakanpah was out there, but I'm not, I mean, I don't think you or I are either holding our breath for the potential of him playing any hockey.

Well, two things on this. Hearing whispers that not as ready as Patcha Ready. Yeah, he's not on the same timeline. And let's just say he was 100%. We even sure he's better than Ben Why hasn't played all year. He played twice, which is crazy. Yeah, two games. I don't know when or where they were, but he did play two games.

So I'm gonna go ahead and say it like I don't really care. Like, you know, great if he gets healthy. Maybe he can go play with the Marlies and get some reps in, but your starting decor is going to be McCabe 10 of Riley Carlo, Benoit Ekman-Larson in game one, assuming everyone's healthy. And looking at years past, I think that's deeper than it's been in a really long time.

You have to feel good about that. But no, I think Robertson going, sorry, Patch Ready going in for Holmberg is pretty much the only thing you could picture for a potential game one difference. But Robertson, listen, like, he had a good stretch this year where he had some big goals for them. He contributed. He was great. But when it gets to this time of year, I don't think he's just really an option. I find it harder and harder to believe that

he's going to be a really big contributor. Maybe when they go on further in the playoffs, potentially they get past the first round, somebody gets hurt. He has to play more. I could see that. But to start the playoffs. I don't see him being involved. I hope by now People have listened to me enough on radio. This is you know many years of doing this I hope by now they know that when I say in January February Lillagran's not playing in playoffs or Robertson's not playing in playoffs. It's not my personal vendetta The coaches don't want to play those guys compared to the other guys they have and so for Robertson's not playing in playoffs. It's not my personal vendetta. The coaches don't want to play those guys compared to the other guys they haven't. So for Robertson, I can see a world where he gets in game two or game

three where they haven't scored and they need something, but I think we're pretty clearly at a point where he's not the first man up. So he'd be the first man in after. So to go to Stolar's tomorrow, surprised? Or is it a statement for you or is it natural rotation? Here's the thing that you just said, you know, this seems like a statement. It does to me. But to me, it's a statement without meaning to make a statement. But you have to start one of the two guys.

Yeah. And start bringing up Matt Murray for the start or something. It's one of the two guys. One of the two guys. And starting Joseph Joseph wool would be almost bizarre at this point Yeah, you know given he didn't look great in his last start Stoller's did look solid Yeah, to me. It's just like one of them is playing a little better than the other guy you need to win the game Yeah, I mean you're right. Maybe I'm trying to read too much Toronto narrative into this, but it just feels like Tomorrow kind of feels like a game one to me where it is of huge importance and then

this is all relative to setting up a first round matchup with the Ottawa Senators who have owned you for two seasons like that That's the that's the prize in all this but it's definitely better than playing Florida or Tampa just is so I Think for me for them to start him is a pretty Not big statement because he's you did make a good point, but like you're saying it does mean something It's the biggest game of the year and they're starting Anthony's dollars. There it is. So there's the after tonight There's seven left. Yeah after tomorrow night. There's seven left They clearly have made a decision here that he gives them the best chance to win Which is the calculus is gonna be the same two and a half weeks from now and Next week next week. I think it's Tuesday Wednesday

They have Florida in Tampa back-to-back one of those guys is gonna get Florida one of those guys go to Tampa So maybe you flip it next week and you go You go wall I don't think stole ours. I think still ours has gotten Florida both times and lost both times. Yeah, so yeah I mean they they asked Ruby about that a little bit and he's like, oh, you know the. He's 0-2. So, yeah, I mean, they asked Berube about that a little bit. And he's like, oh, the whole team's 0-2. So I love that answer. I love that answer.

He didn't go out there playing around a golf. Yeah, the whole squad lost. Yep. All right. Well, let's get Craig Berube's thoughts on facing Florida. Yeah, I mean, I think the last game we played them here was a good hockey game. Five on five was tight obviously, they scored two PP goals. The game for me could have went either way, I think we played them the right way.

This team is going to check you, they're a hard team to play against, there's no doubt. There's not a lot of room out there, you've got for your ice and you know, I can go over the whole thing like it's just you got to you got to Be solid and all all areas your game against this team What I think of the way that people talk about Florida I think about their forwards, right? You think about Barkov and Reinhart and Bennett and now Marchand and Lundell and Luster rein and and you know, these are Hart and Bennett and now Marshawn and Lundell and Luster Rynan and you know, these are solid defensive forwards. You know that back end, I understand they're going to get Eklat back at some point. Perfectly rested. Perfectly rested Eklat and also perhaps more muscular than he was several months ago.

Or like chip on his shoulder proving to everybody that it wasn't just the Royds. I do want, the whole like steroid punishment is so funny to me. It's like you get all the gains from having done whatever substance you took and then you get rested up presumably more gym time, lean it out a little bit. And if you've made the money in your career, it's like what is the downside of this? I just got a bunch of rest and a nice boost and here we go. I saw Jerick's profile for the Braves. Yeah, you got an 80 game suspension. I'm not sure it might be his second suspension So this is maybe why it is but he's not playoff eligible this year. Oh, wow

Yeah, so we got an 80 game suspension great without pay who is good, right? Yeah, so he's not playoff eligible like one can be a mistake or a toll or whatever But I thought that was pretty interesting and I don't Know or you know, I'm not saying that but that I did something on purpose but definitely you do it twice it's like okay well at that point it falls on you. Yeah. But yeah so their back end the bottom pair is Tobias Bjornfot and Uwe Spalinski's not saying these guys are not. I'm saying the Panthers are a bit flawed this year. For sure. They're on pace for low hundred points or whatever.

This is a team that I don't know that the Leafs would be massive underdogs against. I think it would be minus 115 minus 105 for the Florida Panthers. Absolutely. That's nailed. And if Ye went into a series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, if the Leafs end up winning this division down the stretch here, and it's Leafs-Ottawa on the first round and Tampa versus Florida in the other series I'm not necessarily sure I would pick Florida against Tampa. No. I think Tampa is a better hockey team

I think they've had it they've shown better all year there I think they feel like a little bit younger a little bit hungrier like the new wave of guys that have kind of taken over that franchise, they've done such a great job of like the Haggles and Gensoul, bringing in these new... Bjork's training Gord was like such Tampa Bay. Yeah, really good. So I think that'd be a great series. Just stay out of that series so you can let those two teams have war crimes against each other.

Let Sam Bennett separate two shoulders, then send us to Amphibay. That would be ideal. Yeah. So, but they're like without Matt. Okay, we can play this clip. Play clip two on the Panthers and the discipline against them, please. You know, they're going to do their thing that they do and they're going to try to disrupt you and try to draw you into a penalty.

You just got to, you can't react to it. You got to initiate and stand your ground. But you know, you got to be careful with taking the extra shot or swing or, you know, it's, you know, it's hard. But at the same time, that's what they want and can't get drawn into that. I don't know. I think back to that Panthers game, they were, they gave up a couple. I'm trying to think of the penalties, but the difference in that game was those two

power play goals. Sam Bennett scored one. Or David Camp tried to skate behind the goalie? Was that in that game? Yeah. Was there a, I'm trying to think, anyways, I'm trying to think of the penalties in that game. I think there was a punch by Oliver Ekman-Larson.

Hey, it's gotta be so hard. Reverse hit, was it a reverse hit? Yeah. Anyway. I just remember them being, one of them being a stupid penalty in that game that cost him a goal. Right.

And it's gotta be so hard going up against these guys and trying to be like, this is a playoff intensity game, it's a playoff intensity game, we gotta be so hard going up against these guys and trying to be like this is a playoff intensity game It's a playoff intensity game. We got to be juiced up, but then have Sam Bennett and now Brad Marsh and and if you ever play them in the playoffs potentially have Matt Kachuk added to that Like having that element is such a huge advantage for them because I don't think it comes naturally to any of the Leafs So their natural response is retaliation and that's always what gets called. So for a coach, that's got to be a hard thing to like coach up. Yeah.

Like he says he wants to be on the front foot initiate, but like they never really do. No, they've stood up for themselves better. Like we talked about yesterday, but it's never been like we're the ones falling on a goalie. So this is actually a perfect time to bring up a conversation you and I had the other day where when I played junior hockey, our coach would put the opposing lineup on the board, on the whiteboard, we'd have a team meeting, and he'd say there's circles and there's squares.

And he would circle certain numbers and there'd be squares around certain numbers. And the circles were guys who you never, you talk to them every chance, in their ear, talking to them, trying to get them off their. In their ear, talking to them, you know, trying to get them off their game, pokes, punches after the whistle, because they were either soft

and it would make them back off and be hesitant, or their snap shows and they take a penalty. Squares are guys that you would engage by doing that. So you just don't hear them. You look down. You don't talk to them, they don't exist. You're a robot to them. You know who would be a square is Jerome McGinley.

Remember Jerome McGinley? Like, when you sleep in it through a game, and then someone would punch him, you'd be like, the best player of all time. That's a perfect example. And to me, the Panthers, you would really have to be selective with that lineup about who do you want to engage and who do you not want. And this is something that Kip talks about a lot, is kind of knowing when it's time to punch first and read the game situation and stand up for yourself and knowing when to not take Stupid penalties, you know, we're talking about Robertson off the top of the show. Yeah, sir. Yeah, total circle and he's a guy who can't Take penalties and stay in the lineup and here he is

He's taken all three or penalties in the last couple weeks including a slap shot after the whistle for no reason Yeah, real Nico Mica. La move Yeah Including a slap shot after the whistle for no reason. Yeah real Nico Mica. La move Yeah, but you know who is it another sneaky circle on the lease if I was in the Florida Panthers room is all recommend Larson Try to get him he is taken like I've I've thought that he's given them great value on the contract Maybe actually probably perfect value exactly what they sign him for. I think he's given a value 21 minutes And I he's been he's been good for them. He's been a good signing Yeah, but if there's one nitpick that I've had of him this year, he's been pretty willing to take a stupid one from time to time.

But you like that. I do, but in a game like against Florida where it's going to be tight and it's going to come down to special teams, if I'm Paul Maurice and I'm doing circles and squares, circle. It is funny that there are games where you're not the tougher team, and so you're all amped up to be like, okay, we can't let them push us around. And then you take dumb penalties because you're overreacting to things.

It's a hard balance, and that's why teams where the initiators, like Florida, are so hard to beat because they piss you off so bad and you want anything. They have a killer power play. They have guys that just live for that stuff. So tomorrow night, night should be fun. I'm really looking forward to it. It's funny if you were to go through the Leafs lineup and look at those guys.

Marner is definitely Circle. He's a guy who in the playoffs has not. And Matthews is a Circle too. Willie doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. You can try, but it doesn't matter. I gotta tell you, buddy. They got a lot of Circles.

There's a popular convenience store in this country called Circle K. That's the Leafs. It's just, convenience store in this country called Circle K. That's the loose. It's just, it's only circles, buddy. Oh no. Like, who are you, like I guess? McCabe's a square. Yeah, yeah.

I don't want to get him fired up. But he starts jumping up and trying to do crazy stuff when he gets mad. Like, it's, you're a bit of a circle team, buddy. Oh no. Yeah. So, I got some questions because tomorrow as you mentioned We're not on it is the first work from dome day for the Jays. Is that a phrase you made up? No, no, that's the thing

So it's like they're they promoted as you go down there and work for your laptop Yeah, sure like I'm sure everybody does it tons of laptops quick zoom meeting in the flight deck But anyways, so we're off tomorrow and we usually do the midweek mailbag on Wednesdays So I thought before we get the Anthony Petrelli Petrelli always screwed up. It gets mad at me He he's coming on at 430. I thought we'd get a couple questions from our listeners for the mailbag. All right, so the a lot of these questions are playoff sort of related and This one to me is a perfect sort of

encapsulation of how Leaf fans are... And this is from Frank Sterovich on Twitter, maybe that's how you pronounce it. Can you tell my Debbie Downer Leaf friend why this year will be different? He thinks out first round guaranteed. And I have been Debbie Downer Leaf friend. I haven't really been able, and maybe we'll talk about this a little bit with Anthony too at 430,

but I haven't really been able to, maybe it's just guarding, maybe it's just not letting myself get there. Oh, it's guarding. But I kinda am the Debbie Downer, and it's like what is different? It's the goalies, and that's the biggest difference. The defense is deeper, that's a big difference,

but when it comes down to it, you know what we're gonna talk about It's gonna be the forwards it's gonna be the stars are they gonna be able to score when it matters the most Yeah, but can you tell the Debbie Downer Lee friend? It's gonna be different. Yeah, I can do my Frank on Twitter I can do my best. Thank you First off I do believe that there is a layer of guys behind the top four that they haven't had in Knives and McMahon. Who has been there that could be that in the playoffs? Bunting.

You know, to me, Knives is leagues better than whoever their next best fifth forward has been. So you got a couple guys who could score you a sneaky one when the puck gets on their stick. I do think their depth is a little bit more physical, maybe not fighty, but they're still more physical. I like the D depth is a little bit more physical, maybe not fighty, but they're still more physical. I like the D depth a bit better. I would say a lot of the reasons the Leafs don't look good by underlying metrics are the reasons you think they might be okay in playoffs. Like they dump the puck in, they don't try to hang on to it,

they just kind of flip it out. These are all kind of playoffy things. And then I think a lot of their underlying metrics have been hurt by the fact that Matthews stunk for half a season and they were without you know certain pieces at certain times and I Can see a world where it comes together at the right time and if you win the division I know Ottawa's no pushover. No one is in playoffs But it isn't the team that's gonna go in the Stanley Cup the last teams they've won to or they've lost to I mean Florida went to the cup final a Tampa Bay I don't know if they come final what they did they went to the cup final and lost to Avalanche

Yeah, like, you know, they've had they've lost to Tampa Bay when they won the cup They bought Boston won the cup when they beat him. They've lost to a lot of good even Montreal that one year They went to the final. Yeah, like they've lost to real teams daddy teams daddy in Ottawa yeah no offense to the Sens fans but they're not there okay Kyle Hodgins with a very related question is it it just idiotic fandom to not to want to not want to play the Ottawa Senators with the risk of losing to them or is there logic to it yeah should I say I'm an Ottawa area Leaf fan okay now we're starting to understand some of the reasons. Dominated the Sens in playoffs when I was in high school Yes, brother. You're speaking my language Kyle and as pathetic as it is, that's like my best memory of being a Leaf fan

Yeah, this could be me in the Ottawa This is Ottawa me yeah Yeah. But I think... San Maki. Talking about... Talking about the guardedness. Yeah. And the... We talked about this a little bit last week where you guys made fun of me.

But I don't think it's just Ottawa, area Leaf fans that feel like this. Where when you've only had bad memories with a team like this, where you've had one great one when they won the first round Series and kipper loves the crap on it, but since he's not here that was great I love that so much and that I'll always Great series always cherish that party ot winners that puck trickling over the line to various turnaround resistor I will cherish that with all my favorite sports. I mean, it was great first round don't care pathetic Don't care kipper not here to make fun of me, but I think building Like just on all the heartbreak and all the bad ways if it's gone

I do think there's some Lee fans that it's like We're gonna add in a first round loss to the Ottawa Senators to that brew to that like that You would never have to wonder what if that which is brew that lost to Ottawa? You would never have to wonder what if okay, they were never good enough to beat anyone. Yeah, but yeah, but Like are the leaves gonna win the cup? Well, that's several steps down the road. I that's the question. That's like seems unlikely even if they just beat Ottawa that's a great win for leaf fans everywhere that means a ton, but the I Just I think what Kyle's saying is not just Ottawa area fans.

I think a lot of Leaf fans myself included. You know I actually spent a little time today in the car thinking about that Ottawa team and just playoffs in general and how you do you know the 32 teams they cut it to 16 you're gonna get hockey teams and you're gonna get a team here with some excitement that hasn't been in the playoffs. Energy you know pace they're gonna bring're going to bring a lot of things that are going to be super hard to contend with. Yeah. And I think you would have to go into that series understanding it is a best of seven and that, you know, the first game is, it's going to be frenetic and you don't even have an advantage when you have a maybe slightly less talented team that works as hard as they're

going to work. But you can't pick through their lineup and say they can match up with the Leafs in many places. Like, yeah, you know, except the five straight victories against the Leafs. Yeah. And I know the regular season has gone their way, but you know how hockey is. So anything can happen. They certainly could lose, but Matthews and Marner are supposed to be, you know,

McKinnon and, uh, whoever other good forward they had there. I don't know what it was. Ranton. Yeah. And Drysidle and Leon. Like they're supposed to be that. They're supposed to be difference makers where Stutzla, he's not quite there yet. Brady Kachuck is kind of hurt right now.

He's not playing this week. You know, David Perron's on their second line. Michael Amadio is on the third line. There's holes. So. Okay. I know it would be scary, but you gotta beat someone. If you can't beat them, you can't beat anyone.

Absolutely. All right, this one's from Budget Boss on Twitter. Okay. Can we please start referring to Tavares, Nylander, and McMahon as the number one line on the Leafs? No. Okay. They have 20 more goals in the Matthews line, 97 versus 77.

Even if we strip out the power play goals, Tavares line still has 13 more goals 70 verse 57 and by the way the gameplay is almost even to 207 verse 202. What's the ice time? I don't know Yeah, well a budget boss left that part out. I Haven't even looked at it So I will give it a quick toggle But you know it's it's the guys who get the most points and score the most there and play the most is your first line Right. Okay. I let's have a quick summary here. Can you look it up? Yeah

Okay, as I see I per game played I can read a couple box scores while you look it up though We're fine top forward tab forward top forward Mitch Marner 21 24 second best forward Matthews 20 36 Willie is a under 20 minutes and John DeVos plays 1820 a night. Okay, there you go. Sorry budget boss. You can't refer to them as the first line Phil Kessel Claus on Twitter Okay, all of this nice offer sheet talk has me really spooked What's the number in term to get a contract done before the postseason? Well, brother, I mean that's in two weeks before the postseason. Well, brother, I mean, that's in two weeks.

You're never here. Or three weeks. We're there. Yeah, like, I mean, it's gonna be starting anywhere from the 19th to the 21st, so we're a couple weeks away, three weeks. I don't think it's getting done before the playoffs. And I do think there's a world where that's really scary.

I also wouldn't wanna burden him with the weight of a new contract. Players, often after they sign a big ticket, like there's this new pressure on them and it doesn't go great for a bit. If they gave Matt and Nye's an eight year deal and it's for whatever $64 million or something like that, I don't wanna add that to a Rapport playoffs. There is something to like making one of these guys

stay hungry, you. You know? Yep. And having, it's a real chicken and the egg situation here, but if you have Matthew Nyes, if he's going to a great playoff run this year potentially, Matthew Nyes is gonna be a big part of it. And the best problem you can have is that he earns a big contract.

Is that he's a stud for them. He scored an overtime winner against the Bruins last year. He was on the ice for all three overtime winners against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has scored overtime winners in college. He is not afraid of the moment. He's not, he to me feels like a little bit different than a lot of the Leafs stars.

He doesn't have the scars. He kind of feels confident in these bigger moments. Like I really do feel that he could be a bit of an X factor. And guess what? That may drive the price of his contract up. Great. But if it costs driving up, if it costs $2 million more per year because he's unbelievable and leads them to the conference finals or the final, yeah, it will spend the extra money. Yeah. So I understand that it's spooky and there's already talk about I saw a fridge talking about the flyers got seven first round picks Maybe they'll do an offer she didn't make he didn't mention knives

But that's that's gonna start bubbling up here and I get it cuz he's a stud Yeah, but I'm really not too worried about it. Just have so much cap space Yes, like without Marner and Tavares that they can play with that like they're gonna match Whatever the only difference that Kip and I have on this and I know he would push back on this very conversation, is that I do think he's so valuable at a time when other people are appreciating that offer sheets can work, and that yes, you would match,

but you don't want to let someone else set the number. You just don't want to let someone else, they're gonna keep them, you just don't want someone else. That's fair, quick one,. We have a couple more minutes here This is a bigger picture one. We've talked about this before but I love this conversation and I want to bring it up This is from Noah chant on on Twitter. Oh, no, it's not from him. I'm sorry. I screwed you up there. Where did I lose it? Oh, yeah It's from DS eSports story. No a chant don't have time

DS sports on Twitter if Toronto ever got a second NHL team, would you guys cheer for them too or stick with the Leafs? I know that I know that team would win a cup first. That's for sure. Of course. Oh for sure. That is no question. Yeah, but I think That is my like that is my absolute dream from their team. Mm-hmm because the G Joe ship. Oh my god No immediate chastise like there's no Like I'm telling you right now that yeah, if you jumped yeah, you're like, I'm a Toronto whatever fan now You are the biggest loser ever. Yeah, like like it sucks to be a Leafs fan. I understand it

It's there would be a line up at the door. We don't root for the Huskies No question and you never whenever you go to a lead whenever you watch a Leafs Panthers game on TV Or like a Leafs avalanche game on TV or a Leafs whatever Random team there's always like five guys in the crowd that are like cheering with their like Panthers jerseys on Those are the type of guys that are jumping shit the guys are like I'm in a Panthers fan for a shut up You're from Scarborough like why are you like? What are you talking about? It's like? Oh Oh, shut up. You're from Scarborough. Like, why are you, like, what are you talking about? It's like, oh, I love the abs. You're from Thornhill, brother.

Like, why are you doing this to yourself and everybody? It's like an attention seeking thing. And everybody who is that type of fan would immediately jump ship to the New Toronto team. And it would be such a great rivalry. You know what always killed me was, if you're a New Yorker, you're on Long Island, you are, the teams are divided, Nets, Jets, M nets jets mess islanders and then it's Rangers Giants

Yeah, he next yeah, yeah Breeze dad so Clark Gillies always you know he's kind of killed me He just cheered for New York teams outside of of course Islanders not the Rangers Yes, he just liked the action in the city loved that he liked when there were events and parties It's what you win four cups for a team. You don't care about You like when there were events and parties and this way you win four cups for a team You don't care about rivalry. You're like I like it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Probably changes Yeah, the vibe nobody's gonna be like Clark get your cheering for we don't like you It's like but I do think that there would be Toronto sports people are like we just want to see a parade

No, no, if you're that type of person, we can't be friends All right, that's it. All right, well, we're going to check out here and we're going to come back with Anthony Petrilli. We're going to ask him how to say it. Writer at Maple Leafs Hot Stove and someone I think does a terrific job covering the Leafs. Happy to get him on and we will talk to him after this break. Blair and Barker. Be sure to subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or It's me and Sam. That's who it is. You can see if you're watching on TV. We are now joined by Anthony P.

I say like I'm in an AA meeting. Petrielli. You guys, is that right? How's it going, boys? Good, buddy. Hey, can you say it for us? Petrielli. Petrielli.

No, we're right. Petrielli. We're right. All right. Or you can roll the R and get the Italian in there. I'm not gonna attempt to do that. We really appreciate you joining us, man. For people who don't know, Anthony is at Maple Leaf Hot Stove

and I check out your Monday column every week. It's one of my favorites. You follow the team extremely closely, do a lot of lineup machinations, as do I, trying to figure out what the best version of this team is. So we'll keep it general for now. Robertson out, Patcheretti out right now. How do you like the state of the least forward group heading into playoffs? I mean, the way it's kind of configured is it all it all falls on the top six, right?

Like, you're not going to get much offense here from the bottom six lines. Like, that's just the reality of it. But their top six is really good. Like their top six on paper is fantastic. The Nylander, McMahon, Tavares line is winning their minutes. Like the top line is like, they're a legitimate top line. Like they're one of the best top lines in the league.

But we've kind of seen this before. I think this might be the best second line they've ever had going into the playoffs. I don't know if that's a controversial take. I don't think so. Like Nylander's second in the league in goals, Tavares is shooting the lights out this year, like McMahon is a legitimate 20-goal power forward.

It's probably the best second line they've ever had going into the playoffs. So we've seen. Go ahead,. So we've seen this where like they need the top line to win their minutes and is the top line going to win their minutes notably against you know, Barkov against some level of matching up between the Sorelli line and the Braiden Point line and then if don't, is that third line giving you basically anything to hedge against them just having like a reasonable goal differential? Like that's the question.

Like is the third line giving you anything? Lot, Lot and Domi, Yarn, Croc is the third line right now. Yeah. So all that stuff you said there, Anthony, is you can talk about the fear, and we talked about it a little bit in our first block there with one of the Ottawa Leaf fans chiming in on their fear of playing the Ottawa Senators potentially.

But when you lay it out like that, the way you just did in terms of who the matchups would be for the first line for the Toronto Maple Leafs with some Barkovs involved, with Braden points involved, you know, four nations stalwarts. I guess, you know, Brady Kachak was pretty good for the four nations too. But when you put it like that, it really you should get over your fear if you're a Toronto Maple Leaf fan because it is a much, much easier task for the top players of the Leafs that it is going up against Florida or Tampa.

Yeah. And then their power plays also humming, right? Like they haven't had the benefit. I'm not ready to say the power play is officially going to be good in the playoffs. Like, I don't think anything they could do would make anyone feel good about it until they actually maybe play. Maybe next year will get hot at the start of April as opposed to the start of March. And last year it was February.

They'll still start closer to the month. We'll see if they carry it through. I mean, you got Florida this week, you got Florida again next week in Tampa. So it'll be interesting to see. And at the same time, if they're going to give up anything the other way, which we kind of saw some cracks last week, like the shorty again, it was a LA could have scored twice. But all that to say is a good power play would negate some of the lack of offense from the bottom six and any potential

you know the top line goes against Barkov and they're you know, they score four and they give up three kind of thing over a series a Really good power play makes up for some of that. So we've kind of seen like both worlds, the power play hasn't done the many favors basically any year and they're probably a little bit deeper in the, in the top six. Like if we go back to that LA game, I thought like nice was amazing. That game. He was, he was unbelievable. They haven't like you're talking like Michael bunting. You're talking like like Zach Simon was good here but he wasn't like what he is in Edmonton. He never had 50 points did he? I don't think. Oh right so like Nice like

this version of Nice is probably also the best left winger that Matthews and Marner have ever had and it's probably the best top six in general that they've had. We already talked about the second line. So I get why they want to go with it. Like it's a really good top six. But if the third line is just getting tilted by Anton Lundell, who like he had 17 points last year in the class. Yeah. Yeah. Like he was like they're good. Like Florida is a nightmare for matchups for anybody. That's why they've won seven of their last eight playoff series. You guys know, playoff is all about matchups and Florida is a matchup problem. But this is also the benefit of the Leafs improving their defense. It gives them a little bit of wiggle room.

So does Pat Ready make you feel better about the bottom six at all? Not really. Can he get you a goal? Like one goal a series? Yeah. I mean you're not even joking. Like can they find you a goal here? Yeah. That would be a big deal though. Like I know last year when Florida got Teresenko at the deadline, that was what Marie said to him. We just need a goal from you every series. You got one notable goal and that's it. I don't think Pacioretty now is as good as Teresenko last year, but all of these guys,

like Lodin, Pacioretty, even Domi, it's like, can you get a goal? Like can you each get a goal, a series kind of thing? Because the top line and the power play should theoretically produce. Yeah. And then the style of game that Borube seemingly wants him to play, and like you think about LA Kings game,

which I thought was one of their better performances of the year, it's a two one game. You know, look at every game last year in the playoffs. These are two one or three two. They're all these really tight checking games. So like you're mentioning there, the margins are thin. It's not gonna be like you're getting blown out

or I mean there may be one or whatever, but like if you get a couple from your top line, get one from the power play, get one, you start to add up the goals that you actually need to win a series. It's not as many as you think. You just gotta keep it out of your own net. Yeah. And like they're again, like they're not that I want to sit here and

and totally talk up this team, but like again, like their goaltending is some of the best goaltending they've they've had. Stolaris for you to start. I mean, it's probably easier to turn to Joseph Wohl if Stellaris doesn't do well, but I'm mindful that Wohl's the only guy between the two that started a playoff game before. And he's been good in the playoffs. I'm still kind of of the mind of just like, let the season play out. Like, Stellaris is going to go tomorrow.

We know Wohl's going to get one of the two next week and it's still ours as well. I feel like we'll probably have a better indication after these three, these next like three to five games, right? Like in there you have like Columbus who's been a problem for the Leafs this year. Like they play Montreal coming up, which like, you know, Montreal is fighting for their lives right now. So like, yeah, I kind of want to see those games kind of play out. Because like, you know, again, Wolves been really good in playoffs. Yeah.

Yeah, I don't I don't know if you can necessarily go wrong starting with either guy, to be honest with you. Yeah, which is a position they haven't been in in the past. You know, as we sort of pick through the various matchups and the way they're shaping up, how confident are you that Morgan Reilly can be the guy we have seen him be in the past? Do you think it's behind him? Where are we at with Reilly? I saw you had some stats last week about his speed, and it's kind of, it's been down this year. And like, that's the problem, right? Like his game is predicated on skating, right?

Like we're watching Tavares have an unbelievable year. Tavares was never a strong skater in the big, like 18 years old, like he was not a strong skater. He scored 72 for Oshawa and he wasn't a great skater. He can still score well, not skating great. He was, he was heavy below the top of the circles in Oshawa. He's heavy below the top of the circles in Oshawa. He's heavy below the top of the circles for the Leafs. Like, you know, he's playing with two guys with speed

and they get him to pop down there and he does his thing. It's like, you're Riley, you're kind of looking at going, well, if the skating is kind of on the decline, like you're in tough. Like he's, I know you've kind of had this complaint with him previously born like on the power play. It's like picking out the right pass, even like just putting it in the wheelhouse. Like he's not like a pastor, like he's a skater. So I'm a little

bit worried, but you know, if we talk about that LA game, what they tried to do, which I think makes sense is they had the McCabe--Tanov pair try to play with the Tavares line, especially against an LA team that was trying to match up Deneau against Matthews. So then they're putting their top line, the Kopitar-Kempe unit, against the Tavares line and trying to exploit a matchup. But the Leafs are countering with one of the best shutdown pairings in the league so then on the flip side now you're playing Riley and Carlo with Matthews Marner and Nyes and It makes their life a lot easier right like what what does you know, just don't get burned basically and Move the puck up to those guys and let them do their thing. So

You know, they're gonna try to shelter him understandably so. And Carlo is a big help. Like, Carlo is a legitimate top four defenseman. Like, this was, like, they needed a righty. Like, kind of been saying it all year, right? Like, they needed another righty that could play in the top four and kind of move the defense around a little bit. And, you know, I know it's not like we're kind of complaining about the third line. It's like, did they do enough forward? Maybe not. But on defense, it really kind of opens up their options and their matchups at the top

half of the lineup. And defensemen just play more than forwards. That's just the simple math of it. So that's why it's a big deal. So I think we had the conversations going into the deadline that It was almost maybe even more important that they got a defenseman to kind of round out the depth and boy they they left There to the last second But then they end up they end up with with Carlo and do you think you've seen an improvement in Riley since Carlos?

I do think they've been growing together because there's been games where it feels like they have looked better But that sometimes it seems like the chemistry is off the communications off I think of that goal who's that against where they're pointing in the wrong direction and Sinks low anyways, whatever it was I just I really do think that that car that Carlo pickup was an incredibly important one and a really good one and he's Grown in importance to them, grown in, just been impressive. Do you think that Riley has gotten better with him

or it's been a lot more the same with him? I think it's been like somewhat the same, but he's just benefiting from playing with a better partner. Yeah. And it's like the lack of ambiguity, right? It's like we know every night who he's playing with and it's a lot more settled.

I honestly think where they get into trouble a little bit is how they kind of, they might move around their defense a little bit too much. Right? Like in the sense that Riley takes a lot of shifts with Alrek and Larson on like for offensive zone draws and whatnot. And I was looking at it over March, Agnum Larson was second among their D-Med in time on ice per game. He plays a ton.

Yeah. But he's good. He is good, but probably too much. I don't know if he's second in Time on Ice among D-Men good for a Stanley Cup contender, but he is good. I also think that they're realistically, like they're resting Tanev. Oh, do you think so? Yeah, like Tanev's playing like 19 minutes a night right now.

I have noticed that every night, it's like he's like the fourth most used guy. And I'm like, yeah, Tanev's fourth most. Yeah, right? Like there's, they can't possibly sit there and think that Tanev is their fourth best even. No. Right, like Dallas did the

same thing last year like when they traded for me played like 19 night and then playoffs he played over 22 a night. So like the dompect. I'll be interested to see tomorrow night though I wonder because who was it that he him and McCabe met hard matched against Colorado when was that when they when they ended up winning that game and I think him and McKay both played like 25 in that game They were hard matched against McKinnon be interested interested to see tomorrow if they you know Take the sports car out a little bit right and actually Let him match up or they still try to keep because tomorrow like you know The state is a massive game in the standings with this was so few games left

It rarely comes down to the end of the week. It's been nice for the Leafs because every year we've known since December that they're either playing Boston or Tampa. So to have this- Oh, it's terrible for the radio. But no, but even for fandom, you just kind of know what's happening. You kind of disengage to have this huge game

and maybe they'll take the shackles off Pan and have a little bit tomorrow and play them a bit more against the Panthers. Tomorrow's a must win. Like you can't possibly lose to Florida at home at like on a tired Florida team that played the night before it's their third game in four nights in general yeah like you're rested you've been home for a couple days here in your home barn you haven't had success against Florida this year like you can't like you like you just can't lose that game. Like I'm like, there's no excuse for it. And I can't,

and I already saw Florida's Florida starting Vant check tonight. Yep. So they got Bob tomorrow. Like they, like they know, like there's, there's a chance here where, I mean, Florida struggled with Montreal was here and now they they're putting in Vant check who's not a Congolese. They lose that game. You're looking at putting Florida in the dust if they lose tonight, and then you've got

Take Care of Business tomorrow on a tired Florida team. They're going to mount Montreal by like six tonight and arrest everyone. That's what's going to happen. Yeah. Right? And now you've got to worry about Tampa. Tampa's gonna happen. Right like and and now you gotta worry about Tampa like Tampa's right there like we've they probably haven't received enough love but like Tampa's like they're in the conversation like they're oh yeah they're really good and Tampa's got a softer schedule down the stretch too yeah and and the Leafs play them tired right yeah they get them on the second half

to back to back next week yeah that's not great that'll be an interesting matchup to watch. Last one from me and then Sammy have one more and we'll let you go. Just the thoughts on the fringe of the D-Core there. Myers hasn't played in quite a while. Benoit has kind of just become the guy. Are you down with just we're doing Benoit and if Myers needs to get in we'll see. No I know you got a hard time on the panel for the Sunday game but like. Not by anyone who knows what they're talking about. Like they got like you got to start giving it to Friedman like I don't know what he's going on about like you got this righty D man like he's got to play. Yeah.

Like. Get him in. Like. Borubi last week said. I don't know. He said him to the Marlies. What's that sorry? Ruby last week said I don't love OEL on the right side. I'm like, how are you justifying?

You've got a right shot D in the garage Yeah, like play them like I don't like I don't even know if if it would be better But I don't know how it's not worth trying like is Simon Ben was such a good Second unit penalty killer on the left hand side? He's funny. Like that's their justification at this rate, right? Like it's definitely the penalty kill. Like you're making all of Rekhman Larson worse.

And like we saw this with him earlier in the year where they put him on the right and then like his game, you know, I don't want to say fell apart, but it definitely went down. And then they put him back on the left and he looked really good. And now he's back on the right and it's like he struggles, like he really struggles to make passes on breakouts. Like he just, it just backhands off the glass and out, like he's not even looking for outlets half the time. And I don't blame him because he's turning and it's awkward and the game tightens up. And so like, I just, I don't know what the return on investment is here. If again, like it's second unit PK, like all of rec and Larson can't second unit PK on

the left. We like even Morgan Riley on occasion, Like also their penalty kill is not good. Also, there's that we don't have a ton of time here, but let me play Devil's advocate here on. I'm a proud homeowner on Myers Island. Like I have praised Myers at times this year, but I know what it looks like. Yeah, he's going to come in.

He's going to try to shoot the puck really hard. He's going to try like seven shot attempts per game. He's not like I love that though. No, but there's something to be said for having a guy that knows what he is and knows what his role is and Takes a puck bangs it off the glass hammers guys physically engage versus Ben one who's like, I'm sorry versus Myers Who's beaver tailing for a pass every time and like yeah, you every guy has a role and like what? Was a rare punch first guy. What's what's Ruby? Oh, sorry Lou saying it's the orchestra. Yeah Not everyone can play the flute everybody needs you need a butcher once in a while and like I know Ben was far from perfect

But I know what the Myers experience is and he will get in but like I'm not pining for it I'm not pining for it and I'm not pining for it. I get why they haven't put him in. I do if Ekman Larson is a seven on the right with Ben wall. Let's say yeah, almost. I think it's a generous number. Well, we'll talk about. Yeah, like what is he back on the right on the left?

Yeah, there's no question. He's better on the left. I understand that but then in a playoff game it we got to go here quickly, but even in a playoff game it we got to go here quickly But even in a playoff game Myers is gonna play what seven eight minutes and then you're gonna be playing Oliver I can learn on the left anyway I mean on the right anyway, like it's gonna be I don't know. It's pick your poison It's the lesser two evils for me. I'm gonna get a little cardio moments. We're trying like yeah sure sure To borns point on Sunday like you're gonna to need 78 D minutes over a long playoff run.

Like if his last game is March 10th and then, you know, three weeks from now someone gets hurt and Myers playing for the first time in like a month and a half, you know, sit there and go like, what was, like, was there any, you just wait till Yanni Hock and pop plays the Tampa Bay Lightning first game since 2024. That's the real plan. That's right.

Waiting on Hock and pop at this point. All right. Well, listen, thank you very much for your time. I appreciate you coming on, man. Thanks for having me on boys. All right. That's Anthony Petrioli of Maple Leaf Hot Stove. I really, I get your point.

Yes. And I think my point is more just like cardio, game speed, reps, get them in. It's crazy that Myers didn't play against Anaheim. Yes. And Benoit had his best game of the year. I know he did. He was awesome.

But then you look at the schedule and you go, okay, Florida, you got Florida, Tampa, maybe it's Columbus he gets in. Yeah. Yeah, Benoit playing great didn't make me change my mind that it was the wrong decision. Full of credit to him for playing well. And then Sunday against Carolina on Masters Sunday at 5pm. That I'm working on.

That's when Myers will play. Alright, well when we come back we're going to talk to Jason Bucola and Riccio. A lot more in the National hour after that.