Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Cruise Control

Episode Date: March 27, 2024

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee start with the Leafs' uninspiring loss to the Devils last night. They get into the Leafs taking their foot off the gas after a dominant first period, Keefe's heated post-game comments, lack of urgency and Nylander notching his 40th. Then, to the crease - concern levels after Woll's rough outing, how Keefe will utilize the trio down the stretch and if the Leafs have the most uncertain goalie situation amongst playoff teams. Finally, standings watch as Tampa starts to catch up and if it the Leafs might prefer to finish in a Wild Card spot.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

here we go two hours just us and a couple of guests no just one guy just one today this one a lot of me a lot of you a lot of sam we are the real kipper and born show nick kiprios justin born sammy mckee derrick brandeo in for general nick james wilson jimmy willie wilson so last night i went to the dundas legion to sign up for my softball league, which it's like a get-together for everybody in the league. You all see each other before puck drop or whatever. So I went there for a half hour to an hour, watched the first period there. Boys have got lots of fans at the Legion.

At the Legion? Oh, yeah. Really? You have a couple of bat blues or what? I had a couple blue lights. Don't tell the bosses. I had a couple blue lights before Leafs talk and people kept coming up to me

I love that show you guys are so great Kipper you know everybody at the Legion loves this show so we're a big Legion show so shout out to Legion are they as big of a fan as Furko yesterday

shout out to Furco and Nelly. His wife, thanks to Ivanka Osmak, brought them in. And not only did they come in and tell us they're big fans, we left with like a package from them.

Like all these Dutch treats were like off the charts. From the Netherlands. You go through that pack? Oh, my God. The chocolate? I know. Toffee chocolate. It's like a soft Toblerone.

And I'm supposed to be off sugar. You are? Yeah. I'm getting ready for the playoffs, man. That's why you wouldn't take one of the Timbits that I was offering. That's right. Okay. That's right.

All right. Well, whether you're the legion or we're glad you're aboard for the next two hours on the real kipper and born show wherever you're watching listening sportsnet 590 sportsnet 360 sportsnet plus from 4 to 6 p.m and when you don't get us live download us wherever you get your pods yes And as we close into the week, a few more texts. Keep sending them. So what's the deal, Sammy, when it comes to texts? Because we tell people to text.

And then you, at some point later on the show, you get overwhelmed and you get all these ones coming in too quick and you can't catch up. So what do we need to tell everybody? I need access. We all need access. You guys don't want access. We have great techs, but they don't get to us because you're slow.

He's the gatekeeper. I am the gatekeeper. But listen, you don't want to hear a lot of it. Really? Are they ripping us? Not as complimentary. Sometimes. Sometimes there's been known to be a couple.

You're holding out on us. The only thing that. We can take it. That really gets to the text line is when Jen or Jimmy Willie, whoever's running up there, puts up the graphic that says text us. Yeah. And we're in the national hour. And the Leafs happen to come up in the national hour.

Pew, pew, pew. They start flying in from. Are they not a team in the national league? You know, what's 780 is Vancouver area code starts flying in. Edmonton area code starts flying in. 6-0-4, 3-5-0s. Well, I'm smart enough. 7-8-0s.

Is Edmonton or I don't know. I'm smart enough in our national hour to avoid the Leaf talk. But, Sammy, you just keep driving us right back into the ditch. I am who I am. That's okay. I'm here for a reason. Well, you've got the first full hour. It's the Leaf edition.

Toronto Maple Leafs lose 6-3 to the New Jersey Devils. But we're going to focus in the next hour just on the first period and how great the analytics were. JB, you go first. I don't think that's what's happening. I don't think that's what anyone wants to do hold on disappointing after a 25 or 26 shot first period does it really matter i mean seriously does it really matter no 25 shots in the dominating does matter for me in terms of how it shaped the game would you like to know how i would love it i have a couple theories about the tron maple

leafs as you know and you hear them often one of them are that when the leafs think it's going to be easy their dog poop and i think a 26 shot period when you go in down or not you could be you know forgiven for thinking it might be easy so that's thought number one the other thing with the leafs is that when they have a lot of shots and pucks don't go in they get frustrated and they cheat and this has gone back to columbus in playoffs, Montreal in playoffs. They leave themselves open to quick strikes against because they push and they push and it's not going in. They get offensively obsessed. And then the puck goes the other way.

So it was the worst case scenario for them. Thought it was going to be easy. Got frustrated. Nobody played any defense. That's been Real Kipper and Bourne. Thank you for your time we'll see you tomorrow how are you feeling if you're a devil's fan watching what jake allen did can we go got him month and a half earlier what did not having alan cost them this year 10 points like they

needed league average goaltending so we'll get to them just all Just take it easy over there. Sorry. Okay? I got to go back to my guy here. What is that line in the movie? You had me at hello. Yeah. Okay? Okay. You lost me at when they think it's going to be easy. Yeah.

I'm done after that. All I need to hear are those words from you, and this team is doomed. If you ever have that in your head right now, you're done. You're done. At what point did you ever think anything's easy anywhere, anytime, anyplace?

Life is very hard. Whether you're playing the New Jersey Devils or you're getting ready playing the new jersey devils or you're getting ready to play florida or boston where after six or seven years some of these leaders on this club would ever come in and think at any point it was going to be easy at the very least you could see them thinking it would be offensively easy you You know, they are, I think they're third in the NHL in goals for per game, something like that right now. And they had the puck the whole first period.

They had the puck and it just, they got tons of touches and it must've just felt like this is a blast. I'm having a great time out here. And that's not a great mindset for an NHL hockey game against Jack Hughes and Timo Meier and Luke Hughes and the rest of very good players. Sheldon, we're going to get to some Kippers Clippers, which are probably going to star our whole show.

Yeah. He had some choice words last night that there's nothing that we can say in the next hour will trump that. No. I have run into a number of people today who have been like, what's up with Keefe right now? What's going on with him? Is he losing it or what? I think he's looking at less than a dozen games right now.

He's not liking what he sees. And he knows where this is heading if this thing does not get straightened out. To the guillotine and then maybe for him after that too? Why wouldn't you think that? You could be looking at 19 more games coaching the Leafs. You just... They have less, right? They have 12 left? 11 left, I think. Wouldn't you think that? You could be looking at 19 more games coaching the Leafs. You just. You just. Less, right?

They have 12 left? 11 left, I think. And then, you know. Seven in the first round? Yeah. Last night, he looked across his bench and he saw a coach that replaced a coach who just signed a new extension before the season. And. Lindy had just signed lindy had just signed an extension

and lindy is no longer there i mean daryl sutter's another recent recent example it's not this isn't us saying like he should get but you would see how he could think no you ask me like what's going on with him yes how is that not in the back of his mind that if this thing does not come together soon here, and we have a very good showing in the playoffs, my ass is on the line here. How can he not feel that? I'm sure he does. I'm sure in his heart of hearts, that's part of what he's coaching for every day, is to hang on to that job, which is the one you want to have.

An Ontario boy. You want to go an ontario boy you want to go to sheldon or you got any let's go to keep clip one oh boy overview of the game you know instead of having a strong period and building on it and continue to do the things that we had done well i thought we thought we just overdid it it was just really immature really immature all the way through our game i thought it was immature from our most experienced players and our leaders. And then our players who are immature, our inexperienced guys. I mean, we made lots of mistakes here today. First period, Bobby McMahon gives up a two-on-one, doesn't do his job there. And Homer Ignizie got caught on one goal. Our fourth line of camp for out there, like our third and fourth line give up goals in the second period.

So top and bottom in the second period, just not good enough. And you're playing against a team that's among the most dangerous teams in the NHL offensively, and they want to play the game like that in terms of countering and getting behind you. Jack Hughes gets two breakaways. You're not winning the game if that's going to be the case. So hated lots about our game tonight. And hopefully the players hated just as much or more than I do.

Hey. You watched some video clips in that coach's room. Got fired up before he did that interview. I would bet money on it. I don't know what is being said, for instance, in between the second and third period. Like, are you – Poach?

No one's saying that. Are you ripping them? Are you laying into them? Can you see it before or after the game? We had heard the post-game comments also from Austin Matthews. He also used the word immature. But that's not

the first. I listened to Matthews in the effort to get something to play today. Because I always listen to all the stuff. I couldn't even cut it it's just it's the same tone it's it's like you see the quotes but to hear the tone well it's the exact same tone it always he would never use the word immature unless Sheldon use it at any point before the game,

during the game, or is it heard after the game? Because to me, that's a big difference. It's too late. It's too late to turn it around and coaches will do some things to try to save a game or to turn a game around it could come from you know a temper tantrum either on the bench from paul last march it could come in between periods periods, trays have been poured over from Gatorades to chairs thrown to punching a chalkboard. There's many ways to try to get the attention of your players. Are those all just Keenan?

While there's still a chance to turn something around, I just don't know whether or not you want to save the word immature for your post-game comments after the game's over so just a guy like Austin can just rip it off and use it himself. I just don't know, right? Like, we don't know. Don't know. But I'm telling you, it looks like the things aren't aren't said until it's over maybe yeah i mean maybe i don't think that sheldon went in there after two and went keep it up you know like that's not the vibe i wouldn't

think i don't know what he would have, but it certainly didn't turn anything because that third period was more... It just seems like we've seen nights like this during the regular season. They can't nip it in the bud. No. I mean, going back to what I was talking about yesterday, it's like, how do you convince these guys, the top guys, the immature guys that he's saying that, or

sorry, the guys that he was saying played immature. How do you convince them that the exact same situation that they've been in for five years at the end of the season where they're cruising to the finish line is any different than the last five years? Yeah. How do you go in there and look at them all where they all know what the stakes are? They all know they're just in cruise control to the playoffs. And I know that shouldn't be the way I know they should be ramping it back up,

but it's human nature. Like it's, you're going to have these duds. I disagree with you. It's not human nature. I, if you told me right now, they sat at the, at the top of the Eastern conference.

Yeah. Then I would be more up to believe you that it's human nature. Yeah. They're, they're in a, they're going to pick up the last wild card spot here. It doesn't matter who they play. No.

The sense of urgency should be that we aren't as good of a team as we were last year or the year before. We've regressed. We all sat here in September and said, and I'm the first to admit it, teams should win the Atlantic Division. They're as good, they should be better than the Boston Bruins. They just lost their captain.

They just lost a great two-way centerman in Krejci. Like this is shaped up for the Leafs to win the Atlantic. They're not. They're not close to Boston and Florida right now. Where is the sense of we're okay, Sammy? Where is it that they should feel like we got nothing to play for here and we're in a comfort zone?

It's not that they have nothing to play for. I just think that they know they're making the playoffs. They're going into this stretch here where they're playing. I guess those two games they have where they have the games against Florida, so those are ones that they can get up for but they're looking at the rest of the schedule they know it's a slog they're making the playoffs they don't care who they play it's all the same to them like oh we're gonna play boston great we're gonna play florida they have ghosts against everyone like there's there's no team that they like own everyone wants to play them like i just

i don't know how keith's message can get through to these guys that they're immature when it's just been the same group doing the same thing for the five years. I don't understand how it can be any different. It's the same thing over and over every year. Cruise control, last 20 games. Do you think last night would have been and i i'm not sure where i sit on his comments on john tavaris but i think he i think he called him out but he didn't really call him out i'm not

he called him out you think we have it before okay let's go to it john davaris has been the example for us. He's been outstanding for us for a long period of time. He himself got carried away tonight. That's our captain. So if that's going to happen, well, like the rest of our benches now, we're just making it up as we go. When you do that, you open the door for the opposition to have a good night.

And they did that, and I thought, you know, the last goal at the end of the third period there, that's indicative of our second and third periods. Okay, yeah. I heard it much clearer here. You got carried away. He gave him a compliment with been outstanding but I'm going to use you as the

example here. I'll go to the top with my captain. Should he have just stopped at Tavares? Could he have not pulled in Austin Matthews, who I thought was... He was asked about Matthews and Nylander. He was asked about those guys, and then he brought them up. He brought him up when he was asked about those guys. So he's very good to Tavares in the media.

I really find that he's very good to devaris in the media like i really find that he's very good to him and i i was racking my brain after the game last i'm trying to think of any other time he's ever called him out like this specifically like he said oh he needs to get going but to really say that he's searching boys like i feel like he's really pulling the emergency levers right now. But last night, the disappointment in his leadership group and Morgan wasn't there and no question that had a different look to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a guy that can't skate. They didn't have too many guys that could skate a puck out of the zone last night. Or break a puck out of the zone. But, like, Austin Matthews was a giveaway machine last night.

I've never seen him give up the puck so much last night. And I don't even know what the final, I don't know what the official word was on his giveaways. But if they were under half a dozen, that would have been generous by the scorekeeper. It looked like a team playing for stats playing for offense just looking to have a seven six night and outscore a team they seem to think was not as good as them which you know they got their kicked teeth in for but you saw like where's f3 he actually called out mcmahon specifically a don't get too big for your britches

here if you want to start playing up the lineup, we need you to cover when a guy pinches. And you give up these kind of quick strike opportunities. That two-on-one goal is a three-quarter length of the rink goal with two very good goal scorers. You know how I feel about the Leafs over the last few years with their untimely pinches and late late period pinches yeah unless you're 100 sure you don't go right that was uh jake mccabe and but i mean he's got a guy that's supposed to

fold under and he has to trust that that guy's gonna do that so he can play aggressively that's his game that's if he's not doing that then what like? You just stay back and play the percentages. Yeah, but that's part of what makes Jake McCabe Jake McCabe. But I get your point. It's what makes the Toronto Maple Leafs the Toronto Maple Leafs too. Absolutely. Because I'm watching to your point earlier, and you said this, just want to trade chances here.

You just want to go and get the next goal and not really deal with what's left behind you if you don't get the goal right and that's to me is just what i've been watching from the leafs the last two years it's it's the mentality of we're gonna trade chances and i got no problem with that and if we don't score with this aggressive play well let's just worry about what happens defensively later well that's like the domey goal that makes it five three they're down a goal in a game where he throws a complete galchenyuk pizza through the gut and you're like uh you know like okay we're getting it out in the regular season we're definitely not

going to do that in three weeks right um so just to cross off or to finish up the conversation on tavaris yeah he was asked about it again this morning at morning skate where he addressed it again so we can play that clip and kind of finish off that combo i brought john up yesterday uh you know as i did in the room with the team because i think he's our leader and he's got to set the tone for our group and that's much sometimes it's part of his play. Sometimes it's as the captain to help bring the group back when they're slipping, when others are slipping. And I just really added him to the list of our best players from last night. So there you go.

He used him as an example in the room. He used him as an example in the media. It's fine. Can John grab anybody in that room by the collar and go we need better out of you well not when he's the guy getting called out certainly not yeah i don't know i don't know really like do they have anybody out there in that room that can grab uh rattle the chain a little bit here do you think so no yeah no Yeah. No, I don't. I don't.

And how much of a problem is that, not having that? Well, it's been a problem the last few years, I think, when the chips are down. I guess let me ask you, is last night to you indicative of the type of team they are? Does it tell you something about their odds of winning in playoffs? Or is that to you a team that sometimes plays these games and just takes nights off which you know maybe

that shows up in playoffs but you think not i i i wish they had the track record that suggests that you're right that they just pick their spots right now. I'm not making that suggestion. They don't. I wish they had a better track record of winning when the chips are down. Yeah. And they don't. And that's the worrisome right now is that when it gets really tough or gets really hard, there's just every man for himself.

You know, you think of some of the best games the Leafs have played when they lost to Tampa. It was in game seven that they lost. It was at home. All of them are seven. Yeah. Well, no,

they won in six last year. Oh, no, the losses all seven. Yeah. Losses all seven. Like there are games like that where like they played a good hockey game against that Tampa Bay team.

They lost two, one Tavares gets one called back on the Justin Hall pick. No, I don't remember that. Yeah, don't you? Don't recall. You know, there are these games where you're like, they can play in these big moments and big stakes and big whatever.

But I know what you mean, Kip, where it's like they can't do it every time. There's that world-famous hockey cliche. Do you know which one it is? All right, well, about to find out. Pucks in deep? No, no. Give it 110%? No.

Feel good, play good? No. You just got to do the right thing, be a good pro? I don't know. What is it? Close. Just play the right way. Oh, yes.

That's it. Yeah. They've never been that. We've all been around the game. We can have a sense when you feel like a team is playing the right way, which means being on the right side of the puck defensively, that if it doesn't work out a certain way, it's okay. I'm covered. I'm covering your back. Like, you can see that during a certain way. It's okay. I'm covered. I'm covering your back.

Like you can see that during a hockey game. For sure. You don't get the sense of that, especially last night in the second and the third. Yeah. That they are willing when the chips, backs against the wall, whatever cliche you want to use on that one,

that they have the ability to play the right way. We do have the quote from Keith on, do you look at it as a one-off, which I didn't even realize and ask that very question of you. So let's hear what Sheldon has to say. Look at it as a one-off. Well, it has happened a lot for our group over the years. And I'm talking about the experienced people.

And that came back tonight. And I thought the game invited it, right? It's 25 shots. If everybody's feeling great, you got lots of the game invited it right it's 25 shots if everybody's feeling great you got lots of puck touches you think it's going to happen again and you're going to stay with it i don't know if anybody's ever got 75 shots in the game before but i don't think it happens usually things adjust and the opposition you know pushes back um the game kind of tidies up a little bit and But I just thought we got incredibly sloppy and careless. And that's disappointing.

But to your point. That's not a one-off. No. The onus on attack had 73 shots in a game once. Wow. Yeah. Petrus Palmy was at 20. Regular OT?

No, regulation. Wow. In a playoff game. So there you go. It can't happen. So I think the biggest worry is that, you know, even within these playoff series that you're talking about, Borny, where they've had great performances and they've played well in big games.

For sure. Even within those series, they've had awful ones. Last year they win the series and they lose 7-2 game one or something? Yeah, I remember game five. They've had awful ones. Last year they win the series and they lose 7-2 game one or something? Yeah, I remember game five, was it two years ago, where they were up going down there and they lost. I remember because my cousin went to the game and he went as like a, my cousin, he's a Floridian, but he was wearing a leaf shirt and he took it off and left because they were losing like 5-0

after the first or second period. They do lay eggs within these series. And it's kind of like a microcosm of the regular season where it's like, I don't know. We think it matters. I don't know. There is a, there is a sense for me that like,

they love their goals. Sure. And they're willing to, they're willing to take chances on their goals. Yeah. And you need them to. But anyway, carry on. You do.

But last night, again, I'm watching and Austin scores his 59th. And Willie gets his 40th. I mean, huge accomplishment for sure. Get all of that but they are typical goals for them where austin's gotta make a great play at the blue line turn around in a fairly goals are stretch goals they're stretch goals but they're individual effort goals they're like get me the puck and i'll do the rest goals and even even Willie's on his 40th. He comes through the neutral zone.

I don't know if you saw that interview with Willie. It's like, yeah, Timmons made a great play. Pass me the puck. He's also pissed off at McMahon for not passing him the puck. But it's like, you just pass me the puck and I'll do the rest. And I'll go in there and I'll dance and I'll weave and I'll shoot it in the net. And everybody's happy. Which is okay on occasion during the regular season.

But those type of goals don't really kind of look consistent in the playoffs. It was the worst of their worst tendencies. You know, like where it is a lot of hope passes well if i throw this in front of that and one of our guys is there it's going to be a goal oh you know it's their team a lot of throwing the puck away not a whole lot of ragging it maintaining pressure um yeah and to your point individual efforts and all that so but it's it's not really an inclusive goal like they're not snapping it around. I'm watching again McKinnon and Branton in,

and it's on Branton's stick for all but two seconds, and it's on McKinnon's boom in the net, and it's like snapping it around, looking great. Everybody's in. Then they lost 2-1 to the Habs. What the hell happened there? Yeah, I don't know. For to the the criticism last night is not their offense was poor that i you know like i just don't think that's a takeaway for me their offense

you know they get three they get 45 shots to me it's that's the end result but the offense is a problem because it leads to poor defense if that's the case then sure it's a good point you know because that is the end result is that they give up so many this way with no one considering it like it's not even a thought it's not even a thought during the play that like if this doesn't work out what happens what becomes of what's next um i do want to hear is clip nine worth hearing now about the the timing of the dip are we concerned with this time because it is 11 games till playoffs now yep here's clip nine you play 82 games. You're going to get a little bit of something all the time.

Yeah, the time of the year. But I hope we don't have these dips. But as I mentioned, it's not common. You go play a game, you get 25 shots on goal, and you're feeling great, and everything's going. And it might have been one of our best periods of the season offensively. Everybody's feeling it, and everybody thinks they're going to have a great night, and then it starts to get away on you. It'sly. Everybody's feeling it and everybody thinks they're going to have a great night and then

it starts to get away on you. It's different. It's not normal. That wasn't the NHL in the first period yesterday, right? Like, that doesn't happen all the time. So it's a different night and then you consider who we have out of the lineup in terms of their leadership and abilities and all those kind of things. And, you know, there's a bit of the recipe for one of those things, some of those things to happen. Third game in four nights, all that kind of things and uh the you know there's a bit of the recipe for one of those things some of

those things to happen uh third game in four nights all that kind of stuff but it doesn't mean i'm not going to bring it up to their attention let them know we're not happy about it and you're trying to make sure it doesn't happen again and based on the way our group has been over the last couple of months i'm expecting that it won't and and we press on it is quite remarkable that you can you can look tight on a saturday night got off to an amazing start against edmonton put the game away and have a feel like they're building towards a playoff right that's why it's series and then you go to tuesday and it's shinny hockey Tuesday night at Cheswood Arena. It is interesting that he noted, you look at the guys you have out

and he's talking about Marner, Riley, Edmondson, who I don't know if you count Edmondson in that group yet, but as I got it. Yarncroft. Yarncroft, like older veteran guys who do it the right way, you know, somewhat defensively responsible, depending on how you feel about Riley.

He at least thinks about that kind of game. You know, I wonder how much of this is a little bit like the the leafs didn't have their parents in the lineup you know they didn't have the supervision of morgan and those guys but i don't know he he seemed to make note of it i thought i think that's interesting that he felt that affected them in some way i mean so no practice today though but they were going to have a practice and then they turned it into a skill session at the last minute so if you are what does that mean skill session like like they invited the fans and then they measured how hard their shot is yeah why don't we listen to clip 10 to hear about it okay a couple things. We were mindful of the fact we just played three games in four nights,

but quite frankly, we had a few players that I expected to be available for practice today that played last night that were not available for practice today. So all of a sudden our numbers were real light. And many of the things I wanted to do today were not going to be possible with less people. So I felt if it was going to be more of a flowing type practice, then we can do that tomorrow morning and capitalize on the rest here today. I don't know who's hurt.

Don't they play tomorrow? Yeah. It is interesting. Turning a morning warm-up skate into a practice. I'm okay with it. If that's what he wants. That time a practice. I'm okay with it. If that's what he wants. That time of year. I'm okay with it.

To say that you don't have enough guys to do what you want to do means he wants to do five-on-five stuff, which probably means he's talking about rotations and stuff like that, which clearly were an issue last night. Okay, we want to take a break? Sure, we'll take a break, and then maybe we'll talk um about marner goal tending joseph wall we'll get into plenty more to dissect off of uh not a good not a good game by the

toronto maple leafs loser six three to the new jersey we're only warming up here don't go away the best blue jay show out there period blair and barker be sure to subscribe and download the show on apple spotify or wherever you get your podcasts the kipper is justin born sammy mckee and our leaf edition of the real kipper and born show uh joseph wall first goal first shot i think uh my alumni brother, Mike Johnson, mentioned could have dipped a little bit, knuckleball. He called it a sinker. I'm not buying that.

I believe him. Oh, I believe him too. Doesn't mean you shouldn't say it. Stop the puck. He got to hit sinkers in Major League Baseball too. Should have sunk right under his blocker but uh this is an opportunity here where samsonov leaves saturday night leaves the week open for joseph wall to pick up some momentum what were your thoughts on him last night well you're right i think that the door was wide open everyone was very excited about how he

played uh in his last start. And I think there was already that push for, oh, he's quieter, he's calmer, he's looking like himself again. And this was like, okay, go do it again. So, yeah, disappointing that the first one goes in to say the very least. And then, I mean, he ended with his lowest save percentage of his career in an NHL game, 780-something or other. So, yeah, not good.

I mean, a little concerned for sure. It's an unscreened shot to to kick it off so it doesn't like write him off or anything for me but tough night and he's getting to start again thursday he is he is yeah still not right huh well he said he's gonna i guess get well they're not practicing right so i, how much. He's in pads or whatever today. That's what they said. But, like, he's not playing tomorrow. Wall's going to go.

But last night, the inconsistency since he's come back from the injury, the up and down nature of it concerns me. Because that wasn't the MO before the injury. No. Where the MO before the injury was that he's just solid you know he's not flashy but he's not going to be letting in the number of goals that he's letting in and it's just it hasn't looked pretty yeah and i i am concerned about it yeah i just want to say the two-on-one goal that he's here the offhand one timer you know how hard that shot is to hit as perfectly as he did that yeah that's a beautiful

shot that's all i'm saying and a great a great move by Jack Hughes to go back in. I hate that one. It's the only place he can go there. What? I hate that one. Oh, yeah. Just one thing on the knuckleball from Luke Hughes, too, is, I'm sorry, but he can also back in up until the tops of the circle.

I think it was Labushkin either. Yeah. It's not an odd man rush. For a guy who's pretty good at keeping gaps. Yeah. Should we listen to the coach? On Joseph Wall? Yeah, let's do it right after the game clip three.

We'll start there. We can't let in the first shot of the game, but, you know, that's two in a row now. But the chances we gave up tonight are egregious. There's lots of issues in front of them. Okay. So then there's another clip in there from today, him talking about him getting the start here.

So go clip seven there, Derek. Yeah, I think it's a good chance for him, you know, right now to get back in there. And I thought he had a really strong game, as we talked about, in Carolina, and then not as strong yesterday, like the group in front of him, which the group in front of him made life much harder on him. But, yeah, it's a good chance to get back in there,

both in what happened last night and also just, you know, with Samson off, you know, on a bit of a pause here, it gives Joe a chance to get his workload up. All right. On a bit of a pause. A bit of a pause here. He hasn't got a clue. No.

Who his number one goalie will be in April. You can't tell me. You're not thinking about the Amazon series either right now. We're going into playoffs. They're looking out at the ice going, is Freddie on the ice? Can Freddie play? Is Freddie, he's in a track suit.

What does that mean? Where you're just like, can we just have a goalie going into playoffs? I i don't know want to belabor the point but if you got two you don't got one you don't got one is that bad english felt like bad english like i mean the quarterback thing you got two you don't got one yeah you got two goalies you're i got he has no idea you're right exactly. Exactly. 11 games left. Don't know who the Leafs starter is in playoffs. Otherwise, things are fine.

Don't have one line combination. Don't have one D pairing you trust. But other than that. So Washington tomorrow night. Red hot. Buffalo Saturday night. Is that just a split at this point? Split?

You need two wins. No, I'm saying wall tomorrow night samson off saturday night and you go from there yeah i we're not going from anywhere we're not going from anywhere we're gonna get to game 80 and you're gonna look at the last two which is florida tampa back to back in the state of florida if i'm not mistaken correct Correct. And you'll decide, is it going to be Martin Jones, Martin Jones, or does someone need to play? Are we still making a decision right up to the end here? I don't know.

No. No one does. I don't even blame him. What more could you do? Like, what would a different coach have done with these two guys the way they've played this year? Nothing. Nothing.

And then game one starts, and from the rafters comes Matt Murray. Six foot fours, two times Stanley Cup champion. Despite losing last night, the Leafs are viewed as a top 10 team in the league. They're definitely on the fringe of that. 10, 11. Yes. All year definitely on the fringe of that. 10, 11. Yes. All year I said that. Top 10.

Is there anyone in the top 10 that has a bigger question mark in net above them than the Toronto Maple Leafs? In the league, the Toronto Maple Leafs by points percentage are 11th by points percentage in the league. They've been the 11th. All right. Wow. So, okay. Carolina, Freddie Anderson. If he's healthy, he plays.

He's it. He plays. I agree with him. If Freddie Anderson is on the Toronto Maple Leafs and they have Wolin Samson off too, who starts game one? Well, Freddie Anderson. Yeah. Probably lets in three cheapies, but he starts. Nashville, no question.

Yeah. Edmonton, no question. Yeah. Skinner all day long. Yeah, Skinner, no. It's not a great option. No, no. I don't care what happens after game one.

I'm not saying who's going to be great. I'm just saying who knows yeah no questions asked with 10 games to go winnipeg no questions asked florida no questions asked colorado no questions asked boston swayman no questions asked with all mark right there to pick up anything. Is Ottinger going to play himself out of chaos here? Ottinger is Dallas's guy. Go big or go home. And Shusterkin.

And Demko when he gets healthy. And Demko in Vancouver. He went on LTIR today. Yeah. And Demko. So that's, they're it. The Leafs are really the only. I mean, it's super uncommon, Kip. You do this any year.

I can't ever remember a playoff-bound team not knowing who their guy is. Yeah. Ever. I mean, Vegas. Last year, kind of with the Bruins, too, between Allmark and Swayman. That was because they had two Vezina candidates. They won the Jennings. It's Swayman.

Yeah, but last year. Last year, it was Allmark. And didn't they start it? Didn. It's Swayman. Yeah, but last year it was Allmark. And didn't they start Swayman game seven? Yeah, and they went six with Allmark when they probably should have made a pivot. So yeah, it's an issue. Yeah. Okay.

So I'm looking at the standings here. I have them in front of me. don't know if jimmy willie is going to pull them up there for us but the leafs now are four points clear on tampa uh tampa they've played i think they played the same amount of games and they play head-to-head twice yeah and tampa has the tiebreaker meaning it is within the Lightning's hands now. So does it matter to you? Are you, like, not trying to lose, clearly,

but, like, do you want to be ahead of Tampa? Like, if Tampa goes by you, is it the worst thing in the world? I think it's such a dangerous conversation you're having if you want to have that leak into the Leaf management. Well, listen, they don't listen to this show. No, no. I'm talking to you guys. What I'm telling you is I don't care.

They play like they did last night. They will lose to Florida, Tampa Bay, Boston. Take your pick. Can I tell you? It won't matter. The worst sports argument that people make, which I absolutely loathe, it doesn't matter who you play.

It doesn't. You got to beat whoever. You got to beat the best to be the best. It matters who you play a great deal. I remember that for years, people have said to the Leafs. But it's not more important than how you're playing. It's definitely not more important than how you're playing definitely

not more important you're right how you're playing is the first that's the top of the priority list yes not looking at the standings like sammy and trying to they shouldn't do it i'm a fan of the team and to me the rangers the first team, by the way, to clinch a playoff spot. So I guess you're still going to end up with Boston or Florida, right? Is that how it works? No, I mean, the wild card one, as in the better of the two, will play the worst division winner.

Yes. So great. As of today, that would be Boston. Correct. You can't escape it. You can't escape great. As of today, that would be Boston. Correct. You can't escape it. You can't escape it. Wild card two, yeah. But I just don't think it'd be the worst thing in the world

to go to just a different division. Yeah, but that was Columbus. That was Montreal. No, it wasn't. Montreal's in the division. It's not that. It's just do something different. Don't go into Boston.

Don't go into Florida. Don't go into Tampa. Try something else, maybe. I'm searching here, boys. I want to be able to go outside in shorts and a Leafs shirt on. I don't want it to be over by the end of April. Please win. Yeah.

Florida. Let's go. Leafs, Florida. TJ Brodydy last night is there a chance that this guy can get back a little bit of what he had prior to all this talk about what's wrong with him yeah there's a chance i i wrote today about uh their penalty kill it's up on sportsnet.ca and about how you know know, the main pieces of what has been a successful penalty kill for them

in previous seasons are there. Their top three penalty killing forwards last year, when they were 12th, was Marner, Kampf, and Jarnkrok, who are still here. TJ Brody's their top penalty killing ice time guy. Justin Hall was in there as well. But, you know, this guy is a huge piece of that, Kip. And it's part of the reason why their PK is stunk

because he hasn't been very good there either. So he's an important piece of development for them. It's like they're going to count on him. Giordano blocked a lot of shots over the years in the PK for them and he's not there anymore. Justin Hall blocked a lot of shots for them and he ain't there anymore. Did they mention anything on Morgan Riley today? They did. more so justin hall blocked a lot of shots for them and he ain't there anymore no did uh they mentioned anything on morgan riley today they did uh there's two updates one on marner and one on uh

clip 11 eric there he mentions morgan riley yeah some yeah some will for sure we think they just needed the day and then and then some that we'll have to see where we're at tomorrow, both in guys that played last night and those that didn't. Morgan specifically. But, yeah, we'll just have to see where we're at tomorrow. A couple things to settle. All right. That was Morgan specifically on needing more time. He's being extremely vague as usual.

But everybody needs more time they better put him in bubble wrap after what we saw last night i gotta tell you they can't win without morgan riley no they cannot no they put you on the radio with that day well listen you can come in here and say they could win without it everyone tells me it's about the core four yeah core four core four core four they can win without one of those guys they cannot win without morgan riley in the playoffs they can win without one of the core four guys unlikely yeah but possibly they can't win with more possibly than yeah i don't get the sense edmondson's coming back anytime soon either what are you talking about well i i don't know what's wrong with him but i know he blocked a few shots in washington and uh i don't know deep bruise

crack i don't know do you know i don't know i'm telling you i know such a good question no i don't then why did you say yeah i heard some things because that's just the sense that i'm getting what i know i'm just telling you what I heard. Thank you. Oh, my God. So he's gone. Eagle. You know how those things, they can heal in 10 days. Riley can't play. 10 days.

Marner's still not available this week. Yarn Croc, they haven't even given an update on. Our pet's heads are falling off. They're resting. Oh, my God. Jeff Galooly at a Mitch Marner's house or something. His ankles keep getting re-hit? What is happening?

He's not available all week. Keep throwing them to the Lions here. All these kids. Better, McMahon, jumps in on a bad pinch 12 games outside of the playoffs. So he can really drive in. You do that in the first round, we're done. Can we listen to the Marner update? Is that fine? Give me clips.

I think the hope or plan was that we could get him going to be able to practice on Friday. I do not expect him to be available or even to consider him playing this week, but he looked really good out there today

and progress looks to be good. I think he's in a good place. We just got to continue to build him up. The confidence on him that some of these things you just mentioned the player health-wise can smooth himself. He looked good. They showed a clip of him. He was spinning off nobody.

The question, if I was there and if Luke Fox is listening, like I always, I know he always is. If I was at the media availability today, if tomorrow's game was a playoff game, would Mitch Marner be playing? But does that answer matter if they're not playing him? Yeah. You know? Like how?

You just want to know where it's at. I want to know where it's at. I feel like that's a good gauge. I feel like yes is the answer. Okay. Kipper? Listen, he finished the game where he tweaked his ankle. They got medicine.

They got all kinds of medicine that can make you play. Oh, yeah? Yeah, you need to play a game. Tape an aspirin to it. Let's go. Yeah, they'll tape all kind of aspirin right into your bloodstream, buddy. They'll get you going. What are you suggesting justin i'm just saying i think he'd be available that's fine all right so all right we solved nothing this hour so the red hot caps come to town tomorrow

we just got a massive win last night against the red wings can i just say a thing that we're rather embarrassed by the leafs a week ago. Yes. What are you going to say? I'm going to say that the Capitals did not want to make people available to us, it seems like today, and they may have heard our Capitals takes. That's what I think about Ovi and the record. Don't lump me into that.

No, that's all Sammy. I'm the guy calling. I'm the guy texting. I'm the guy texting. And I didn't hear a whole lot. PR gone dark on us for some mysterious reason after our boy is rooting. What have I said? Listen. I've never said one bad thing.

It is quite the story if they sneak in here. Yes, it is. I mean, Spencer Carberry and Andrew Burnett should get a lot of Jack Adams love. I will say, B, I know you absolutely loathe this kind of thing, but for me as a fan, it would be cool to see Matthews get 60 in front of Ovi. Again?

Head to head? Maybe that'll motivate him last or next game. Ovi on a four tonight or tomorrow night. I'll get Ovi going. game. I like last night or tomorrow night. I'll get Ovi going. Okay. Still hope, Leaf fans. Don't let last night discourage you or our first hour of the show.

We were really positive Monday. Oh, my gosh. Monday was our most positive day of the year. So we completely. Ying and yang. Got to balance it. And they lost two in a row in regulation. So what are you supposed to do? We're right back.

Okay, still plenty more on the Real Kipper and Bourne show. At the top of the hour, we'll welcome in Jason Bukala, former NHL head scout. He'll give us a rundown on Samsonov or Joseph Wall. Who should be number one when the playoffs start? That and more when we return to Real Kipper and Bourne.