Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Gaining Momentum in Game 2

Episode Date: May 8, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look back on the Leafs' 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 2 to secure a 2-0 series lead. They get into the Leafs' resilience against Florida's best, Max Pacioretty's postseason revival, Auston Matthews' shutdown play, William Nylander's scorching stretch and Joseph Woll's strong game. Then, they discuss Sergei Bobrovsky's series so far, questionable penalty calls and a quiet pair of games for Florida's stars. Later, Leafs radio analyst Jim Ralph (37:05) weighs in on what's led to the team's 2-0 series lead, Pacioretty's surge, Craig Berube's imprint and the top line's defensive commitment.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.

Live and in color, the real Kipper and Bourne show leaf hour edition of our program. We're live on sports at five 90 the fans sports net three 60 sports net plus the Kipper Hills Justin Bourne Sammy McKee Derek Brandale and Jake the Snake Shultz with you for the next two hours as we focus in on our first hour Toronto Maple Leafs now with a two-nothing series lead after an opening round for the first time since 1987 division final. Is that good? Really good. So there was a moment after we won the Stanley Cup and like the initial Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on

Hold on telling a story telling the story, okay There was a moment where like There the initial rush of yeah, I'm piling on. And then it was about like seven minutes, we're on the ice. And we've already hugged each other. So that was done. And then I looked at Brian Leach and I'm like, okay, what do we do now?

Now what? Now what? We've accomplished. And Brian Leach goes, I don't know, we've never done this before. Let's go ask Mass. What do we do now? Right?

I feel this morning, the Leafs are up two nothing in the second round, and I'm looking at you guys now, and I'm going, well, what do we talk about now? We're really good at finding the things they need to work on and being critical, but. We've never been here before. We haven't.

I have never been alive for this. Like, this is, that predates my birth, so. Wow. This is legitimately uncharted territory for your boy here, so. Glory. Yesterday, I did kind of, I suggested maybe that they could go to Florida to nothing.

And I had a sense of, especially from you, JB, where it's like, don't go there. That's like a million miles away from the game tonight. And there's just no reason to have any type of conversation about what would to nothing feel or mean But it does now sure does Yeah, you know the I Anticipated Florida throwing their best punch and if not their best punch a very good punch And I don't sit here feeling wrong about that

I think Florida threw a pretty good punch Brad Brad Marshand at his best game of the series. You know, Bob was marginally better. Whatever, they had Ekblad, they had Samuskiewicz on the fourth. I think they threw a good punch. The Leafs took it on the chin and said, okay, let's keep fighting. I know we're gonna hear from Paul Maurice as well, but.

We had too many clips, 11-D Billing. That's okay, we'll pick and choose. Yeah buddy, look at this. But Paul did reference that he did like their game a lot better in the, I liked their game a lot better. Florida was better, they didn't win. It's a good sign for the Leafs that Florida was a lot better

and they still found a way to win. I think that's the best thing to come out of last night is that you feel like they can get scored on, they can play in their own zone, they can give up on a goal you don't love, they can take a penalty you don't love, and they just hang in there. And they've got this ability now to battle back. We've given Craig Borubey credit all year that this guy's personality, his energy, his calmness has seemed to have seeped

through the team and I think part of that is Tanev and Carlo and some of those guys but it doesn't feel like the end of the world when things start to go wrong and things are gonna go wrong in playoffs so full credit to the Leafs man they hung in there. Craig Barube hockey. Can I, I don't know I mean you guys talked to a million Leaf fans do so I would say that There's in the start of this playoffs up until this point up until last night before the game. I think it's guarded Optimism about the Toronto Maple Leafs. Okay guarded optimism. Yeah wonder why yeah, I know but that it looks different It's it feels great. Like all this stuff is kind of leading towards the the optimism but guarded of course. Mm-hmm

I would say last night has removed the guardrails a little bit. Oh, I Just the second listen under the careful no duh, buddy. Like I know I know what I'm getting myself into yes but I'm just talking, the hundreds of people in my phone that I am in contact with and constantly about the Toronto Maple Leafs feel very good after last night. You're just a four year old right now saying, I don't want the training wheels on my bike anymore.

And I want you, just for at least one game in Florida, to keep the training wheels on. They just never win that game last night Kipper That is a game that sure they can have a great performance in the first game where you know A bunch of pucks go in the net they get you know there they go up big The first of all they blow that game in years past where they end up tying it last night It's just an obvious win for the Florida Panthers an obvious when they find a way to take that punch come back And when it's like holy crap What the hell was that? Okay? That's the that's the general feeling. I'm getting right is after years

I'll have a last night. It went right so I got your view Sammy. Let's get Craig Berube overview That was a little bit back and forth for sure, probably a little too much at times. But I mean, you know, the way they play, they're quick and they do things quick and they, you know, they don't give you room. And you know, if things don't get behind them, then they're going the other way, you know, so but it's worked the other way too, which, you know, we've done a good job of that so far. The thing about the, you know, play going both ways

is the odd man rushes, according to Sport Logic last night, were seven to four for the Leafs. Like only giving up four odd man rushes in the game, pretty good. And out of the seven, they're scoring a couple of goals. Yeah, that is something they have made there and a major advantage in this series is stretching getting behind Florida's D and pressing a bit and yeah, they're There it feels like they're able to create when in the past you've been like, why can't they create?

Yeah, and I mean it helps that the Ross keys light in nine goals. Mm-hmm Well, I've heard a couple people comment on Bob not being great or whatever. I which one you want back You know like no, no, I was partners Okay, okay, and that's in game one. It's a good screen Tannis for sure game one But yeah, you know, he's pretty screened on the Marner one. I agree. Maybe you can find it. He's got to find that puck Okay, he's definitely got a perfect but like the Leafs boys have given up. I know a few you don't like to but This is what it's like on The back of the bus when the guys are talking amongst themselves is that is that?

It's two goals on six shots and it's three goals on 12 shots on our goalie. What are you talking about? Two goals on six shots? That's what Borovsky gave up. Like a cluster in the first game? Two goals on six shots and three on 12. And any way you want to slice it, we can't win when they're scoring two out of six to start, or three out of 12 to start.

And that has to get cleaned up for Florida, or else this thing could be over in four or five for Florida. And I'm not suggesting that there's not gonna be a ton of pressure on Reinhardt and for Hagee to get her going but That's not the goaltending that when you were Stanley Cup, right? Yeah. Yeah, it's not it's not and it's funny because you look around and see These goalies that struggle with traffic in the playoffs. Hellebuck has had traffic troubles vasilevsky It's become a reputation of his in the playoffs

this is like you talk about goaltending different types and Valley talks about a certain guys are just better through screens and playoffs There's a ton of screens. Is it just I mean is this just bird brain Sam probably but like it just feels like every shot from The point every goal in the playoffs is a shot from the point Is it like that every year? I think a high higher percentage of shot you go back to the even the Carolina and Washington game one it's just a flutter puck from the point that finds way it passed like it's just you're just filtering everything from the point the OT winner that the winners the Leafs scored against Tampa Bay two years ago you had Riley off a face off deep from the wall you had a shot from the point tip by your foot

your Dano shot it yeah they're distant shots, man. Yeah, it's true. It's chaos, yeah. Getting pushed to the net. That's what he's been preaching this whole time. Knives is always involved. Or Patrioretta. They do a wonderful job of getting bodies in front. Don't be too fancy.

Don't be too fancy, exactly. Max Patrioretta is getting stronger. He's gotta be at peak strength now. I don't think there's stronger to get for him. Yeah, I think with the way that he was able to show himself early in the regular season with the type of impact he can have with the finishing of the checks and creating room, I think he played out really well. finishing of the checks and creating room. I think you played out really well. That's the guy that you didn't need to play

70 games this year. Yeah, last night, Leafs leading hitter beside Patrioretty is Lawton with five, no one else more than three, and he had seven. Patrioretty had seven. All right, let's listen to Craig Berube on Max Patrioretty. I think it goes back with his injuries and effort and commitment he put back to getting healthy.

And it's showing now, in my opinion, that he's very dedicated in that aspect and didn't want to go out that way, or fought his way back. And now he's doing a great job for us in a lot of areas of the game, not just the scoring. He's played a pivotal role with the physicality and how we want to play the heavy style of game.

And he's been a good fit. Oh, that's turning into a bit of an understatement right now. I mean, I think Max Patch Ready clearly deserves a ton of praise for how good he's been. But everybody and their mother, including me, thank you, were asking to get Nick Robertson back in for that game six against anybody. He played a good game three or four And then he was very bad for two or three games in the first round It was like okay, and everybody was yelling for him to potentially take a patch ready. He looks slow looks old and in game six

against Ottawa elevates him scores winning goal keeps there, has been great for them through two games. That has been an unbelievable adjustment by Barube. And listen, you need the player to go out there and perform to make you look smart, but he put him in the position to succeed and he's been great. You got to give Barube credit for it. What a tip this was. It's amazing tip. It's amazing tip. It really is.

And he's part of the number one line for the Toronto May Police right now with Tavares and Willie Nylander. As far as production's concerned, as far as being the biggest threat out there, this is a line that Lee fans could be really happy about because Matthews and Marner

aren't scoring at the rate that they'd like but at the same time they've done an unbelievable job on Verhagy and Reinhardt which I've talked to you guys in the past about and all that matters is the W at the end of the game. Yeah, you're trying to win games. I'm super conflicted on the Matthews, Marner and I's line, you know, because they're so effective and so good and they're dealing with a tough line. And you know, I said on Leaf Stock last night, but like at some point you got to score like

Marner shoots one in, they get a point and they it makes a big difference, obviously. So you know, give them some some credit there. But yeah, definitely. I don't know. I'm there. I look at Matthewsline from last night he played most on the team 23 30 three shots a block two hits plus one and assist it's it's a great line it's a game and the whole game I was thinking we need something out of this guy and

it's it's just not what you're used to after his nine years in the league. It's a different guy. It is completely different, but is it effective? Is it better in the service of winning? Is this what coaches have been asking of him? Particularly this time of year, right? Where it's, you just need one more than the other team. And it doesn't, at the end of the day, does it really matter who has it

as long as it sits one more than the team you're facing. And that's where Matthews is right now. It's hard to argue that they're now on the longest run in the history of this era of hockey. Like this is now the longest run, right? Like this will be their- Right, they'll get to at least six games as a minimum. Yes, so it's hard to argue with what he's giving them because they're

winning the most they've ever won in the playoffs and it looks the best it ever had you just expect him to be his diamond name itself offensively but it feels like he's yipping a bit offensively it does it does and he is it has been in the past that one of the highest if not the highest paid player in the league and it's It's not that sexy this time of year to say oh, but he's he's winning a lot of face-offs I know he knows and he is and and when you think about what winning a face-off does this time of year with puck possession and the ability to You know get the puck out of your own zone

It's crazy. It's not it's not it doesn't match up with highest paid in the league. It's crazy hearing you You're you're anti Matthews for years and one time everyone's like what's up with this guy? You're like, I love it it's great and Give me credit for at least being consistent buddy By the way, it's Reinhardt Verhege and Barkov, all minus one. No, two of them had one shot. One of them had two shots. Like they got shut down.

Barkov scores his goal on a power play. On a wrist you should save. Yeah. And I'm not saying that between now and maybe June, as long as they're still playing, he's gonna have to step up and shoot one in the net here I mean you can only ask Max patcher Eddie and Max Domi to bail you out

You know like they have in the past here recently, but in the meantime Don't sweat it. I know how many goals how many goals did the goal scorers like Willie aside? Domi had what in the regular season seven goals I don't know five six seven patch already had four goals in the regular season Maybe I don't know something like that and someone else scored who doesn't score a ton Hey, like it's just crazy to get goals from but even six points through eight games Morgan Riley three goals already in the in the playoffs Yeah, yeah points last. Oh, I think he has more you get to get two points last night So maybe that was before those stats got updated.

So he's hot. I have. To me, you're not, sorry, you're not gonna bank on backhand saucer passes from Steve Lawrence to Max Domi to shoot it in the net? You wanna talk about a moment where the game's tied and then it's late in the period, and then they make this rush,

and to your point Steve Lawrence with an unbelievable pass and Domi buries it like that when it went up 3-2 on that goal that was the moment you're like oh god this is really different yes we have a clip on Borubi on the response goals that's a love to hear it clip 13 Borubi on the response goals. That's a love to hear it. Clip 13 Borubi. I think it's been all year where most of the year or in and playoffs where we respond, we get scored on. It's like, well, OK, well, we need a good shift now.

And I think our guys, you know, one through four in the lines and the D go out there with that mentality. You know, we're not going to we're not gonna sit back and oh, here they come, we're gonna go after them. And that's it. That's the mindset you got to have, you know, you get scored on. And there's ups and downs. We talk about composure all the time. Just go out and play. Wow. Yeah, he's consistent, man.

Lots of composure. Lots of composure. And the one thing that in the past where we've seen when they've been hemmed in in their own zone that sometimes it doesn't end well right on those shifts but there's now almost a calming feel that even if they don't have the puck as long as they're standing in the right position they don't have the puck, as long as they're standing in the right position. Doesn't feel like they're, they're, they're like ducks paddling like hell underneath the water.

It does actually look a little calm, cool and collected now for me, which is a big difference now as well. And it, this team is just, it's built from the net on out. I've always said that you win built from the net on out. I've always said that. You win championships from the net on out. And it's holding true so far with what we've seen out of the Leafs. So a few stats, I wrote an article today on sn.ca and you talked about their passing in the past.

They are making more little passes, particularly out of the D-zone, three more per game. Their shot blocks 16.4 in the regular season 21.1 in the post season. Hits per game up from 23 to 32 in the playoffs like there and they're getting points in the back end where they weren't in the regular season. So just to better better better. If I'm going to just go back to Matthews Marner and Nives, they need to raise their level of passing the puck better too. I think they'll get better, even better looks.

They're minimal right now, but they're, people on their team, Max Domi's line and Tavares line are moving the puck better than Matthews, Marner, and Knives. They don't have the puck they don't have the puck much do they know you know like no one on his stick he's not a carry-it guy not a carrier typically does and hasn't had it enough probably yeah that's that's the next step I think that is the next step for them in Florida so maybe a comment on William Nylander here fellas like I know we

mentioned him scoring that goal there but there is it's part of the response but he's now I think he's now leading well well Ranton had a hat trick last night so maybe he's another maybe he's that's unbelievable maybe he's leading now but he's amongst the leaders the coach last night had a great clip on him I'm not sure what number it is everybody knows the talent level that William Nylander has but it's another thing to do it on this stage, at this time of year, the way he's doing it right now. What have you, if anything, learned about him?

Not that there's anything more to learn. Just leave him alone. I learned, oh well, he is, nothing gets to him. I mean, I think of anything like he doesn't feel pressure and I could be wrong, but this is what I see. There's no too big a stage for this guy. Like he thrives on this stuff, in my opinion, and he looks forward to it,

and he wants to be in all those critical situations. And when he smells something, he's there. That goal is just, he's there. That goal is as high end as it can get, in my opinion, with hands. He has great, great skill with his hands. He's unreal hands he has, and ability on his skates, his cutbacks and all that. He's a high end player. He really is. I mean and I don't think that

He feels pressure or anything like that. He just plays and He doesn't want me to talk to him. So Malone, I probably should just leave him alone He doesn't want me to talk to him. Let's leave him alone I will give Willie credit because he's got himself in this sweet spot where he isn't sitting at the very top, but he's certainly nowhere near the middle or the bottom. He is in that sweet spot where he can play great,

obviously with his world-class talent and get the accolades. But on the nights that he doesn't show up or takes a shift off or starts gliding on a line change from his own defensive zone face-offs, he can get away with that because... Matthew's Marner take it first. Because Willie is Willie. Yeah. Oh, he's just being Willie. and now he's got a coach that's saying like leave him alone and I'm sure that there's other players on the Leafs or in any other league where it's like, I wish my coach would just leave me alone.

Well and if you're the, if Willie is the top player on your team it's probably like when Phil Kessel's here in Toronto and everyone's like, oh, he had a bad game and a bad back check or whatever. But he goes to Pittsburgh and he's the third best player and you just take everything he does good, does gravy. I told you, he's in that beautiful sweet spot on the team where he is not the absolute, you know, alpha dog or leader. the absolute, you know, alpha dog or leader and yet he's good enough where he can easily be the best player on the ice.

I think being tied with Connor McDavid in playoff points probably has something to do with the coach leaving him alone too. This guy has scored, in this playoff run already, massive goals for them. He's going, he's going, right? in this playoff run already, massive goals for them. Like, game six, big goal, two goals in the first period and game one of this, that big tying goal, like he is scoring massive goals. And he's smart enough to know that I am so skilled that like, it's okay if I screw up

because I'll get another chance. That's a big deal, right? And you know, like, Marner, maybe to a lesser extent, It's okay if I screw up because I'll get another chance. For sure. That's a good deal, right? And earn the luxury. Like, Marner, maybe to a lesser extent, Matthews, they can't get away with the stuff that he could get away with. Oh, they can't too.

For years. Not like Willie, not like Willie. We never say, oh, that's just Matthews being Matthews, Marner, oh, that's Marner just being Marner. Like that doesn't happen. It's just certain guys, I've played with them, right? It's just that they know they're so good that even if they screw up, you still gotta come back to me

because I can still do it better than anyone else. And they will, and they will. Two things, big talking points for me, wool and the third line on the cats, which yeah Joseph wall because He did everything that I had thought he could do The moment I suggested that they got to find a way to get him in the lineup. Mm-hmm She liked him last night. Yeah. Yeah, I did

again Yeah, yeah, I did again Still relatively inexperienced in these high-pressured moments But I thought he got stronger as the game progressed and then that that save with ten minutes to go off the post sandwich Jackie Samus game. Yeah. Yeah great skate save. Yeah that saved a Two nothing series lead. I think he did look better as the game went on. I think that's stronger.

As you move into this now, he's got a couple of games, he's got a couple of wins, he's got to be feeling pretty good. You know, heading down to Florida, you might have two goaltenders. Like, I don't know what Stellar's status is. Not traveling. Not traveling. Not even going. Not right now. That's the proof I said today. Yeah, I love that Yeah, let him rest. Yeah, let him good

We're fine. Joseph Wall is gonna go there very comfortable Starting Joseph Wall. He's proven on the road. He could steal games by himself He won game four by himself two years ago in Florida. Eckblad went into the crease with his elbow up last night too, so they tried to knock the other goalie out. They did. He took a lot of contact last night and I'm sure that's part of the plan. I will say Bob also took a lot of the other end.

God, he was flopping a hole in the place. Really tried to draw a couple of penalties. There was one where if by chance a puck went in He probably would have got the benefit of the doubt. Yeah, I can't recall who was in there, but He's a smart guy if if he's feeling it man. He'll Listen to Maurice embellishes. Yeah, which brings us to another conversation Listen to Maurice on Bob Ross. You know, I didn't think he took it easy on his goalie Clip three Maurice didn't love his first game. I thought up until

fourth one he was I don't look at him for any of the first three and we've got a Haven't given up a tremendous a lot tonight, but the danger on the rush is significant. So Always gonna be fine Basically didn't love his first game didn't like the game winner. It's only been two. No, and that's all that teammates and coaches have to look at is When are we getting the save and when are we not getting the save and he's not giving them enough right now And I think that message has been passed on now publicly Well, it's been really well documented they talk about it every intermission on hockey night candle, which I absolutely love but up high

Yeah, I shoot it high. Yeah and think about where all these goals have gone in on like, you know Even last night Willie chips it up into the upstairs Patch ready tips it into the upstairs net domes domes his upper net Marner's from the point goes into the upper net It felt like when they played them the last time two years ago, they're just like he was stretching out everything along the ice. They've really done a good job of elevating the pocket and Kelly Rudy keeps bringing it up and I love it. Keep talking about it Kelly. Just shoot it high, shoot

it high. You can't stop anything high. I love it. All right. This penalty, this embellishment penalty that has a lot of people talking today. Ellen McKee, all the Leafs, all the League hates the Leafs, the Leafs never got a call, whoa buddy, the Leafs got away with murder. My theory is. The call the night before was way worse.

All the times that you said the Leafs have gotten screwed by the League and by the officials. That's right, that's the official management. They made it up with this one embellishment call. So now going into Florida, it's even between you and the officials screwing the Leafs. And it was 5.05 after that was unbelievable. Right?

It was right between the numbers, ding. How do you say he embellished? I tried to look up again, I'm dumb, if he had a reputation for diving. I looked it up too, I don't think he has any priors. I got a lot of people, like, because I sent her a tweet about this being like embellishment with a face covering emoji.

And I saw some people being like, yeah, I mean, the way he falls and like, it looks like he thought they embellished or whatever. Like, I am as big a homer as you possibly can get. There are people, I get killed for being a homer. I squinted at that. I can't find a homer angle. I can't see it.

That's just one of the worst calls of all time. Sometimes they get calls wrong. They got the only call wrong, sometimes they get wrong. That's not by accident either so the league Three already this playoff right the league calls everybody up in the second round and said That is ridiculous what we saw in the first round trying to draw penalties. Yeah embellishment. Yeah, and You guys are on high alert because we've told our officials they're calling

embellishment so I think there was a little bit of pressure to... Quite a spot to do it. I'm not... And the numbers. I hated the call, but that's what you're dealing with, right? So all the officials were on high alert now on the event embellishment and that's good You know at least it didn't overall sends a message it ended up being a split right? There's no power play off it got two for jumping lot and a lot and was ready to go

Very least at least it wasn't like a critical power play that Influenced the game right right they did lose control for like seven minutes power play that influenced the game. Correct. Right. They did lose control for like seven minutes. After that it was mayhem. It got a little squirrely. Yeah.

Holmberg got drilled, no call, then he touched a guy and got a penalty. It was like, what's happening right now? But then the game kind of settled itself down and then they called no more penalties and it was good. So I prefer no penalties to way too many and yeah, it was good. You want Maurice on that? It's funny. Okay. Is it? Yeah, okay. It's just it's a very we like funny

I mean, he's not listen the mr. Jovial is gone. Mr. He's down to nothing Mr. You know jokes, you know, Carlin is gone. He's just serious now. So you play that clip Paul did you get any explanation on the Rodriguez embellishment penalty? I'm not sure I've seen that call when a guy goes to the room. No, I didn't. That's all he gave? No, I didn't. Oh boy, that's usually a key off. That's usually a three minute answer.

Should we in game three start the Maurice O meter? No. What are they doing on hockey night the savvy meter savvy meter I want them to do the Sammy meter in my living room Yeah, get the camera in there and you should wear like one of those biometric like a heart rate monitor No, I don't want to know how close I am to death If I was savvy I would politely ask them be like stop that stop it. Yeah, okay Absolutely, stop it. You. Okay. Absolutely stop it.

You show me on a meter one more time. I'm going to wrap a meter around your neck. No comment. He gets a little excited. I hey, I love our sports and broadcasts and everything they do. I would never say a bad word about it. It's great like you.

It's you know, savvy probably doesn't love it. That is awesome. Well. I'm like you. It's, you know, Savvy probably doesn't love it. That is awesome. Well, I don't know. I know if it was on, if there was a Kipper meter, I'd ask them to focus on the players. Yeah, I would be definitely making a call. This is about the players. It ain't about me on the bench.

It's funny how the players comment on Borubi's great demeanor and calmness all the time and Savvy's also on the bench. Like, Marner was literally like, I think it's just the calm of our coach that keeps us at passes through the team, you know, whatever. Meanwhile, Savvy's back there just having a ball.

Maybe one thought on the Florida Panthers and outside of Brad Marchand, like, not much out of Matthew Kachuk. What did he play last? In the first two games. You, like, I got to think that he's legitimately got an issue that's probably costing 20 or 30 percent of what we're used to seeing. I mean, he played like 11 and 13 minutes in games one and two

of the first round or the couple games he played. He played 1830 last night minus two had three shots but none of them threatening. Let's play the clip from Maurice about that very thing. Clip six from Maurice on Kachuk please. I don't know who is 100% this time of year but what are you seeing in Matthew Kachuk's game right now? I thought he was good tonight like he was generating like this was the best game for me that he's

played. I like this game. That's the right thing to do as a coach. Oh yeah. He came down the right wing early, kind of a pseudo two on one. Missed the net. Missed the net. Right? Did the ball get a piece close? Missed the net low blocker. Even if he did, it wasn't a typical kind of threatening shot in my opinion either he didn't have a ton on it or or he just missed the net one of the two but that's one that you usually see that guy very nail yeah we went 32 minutes we didn't talk about Sam Bennett Great That's that's the best part about the Leafs game last night. They executed it perfectly, correct?

They did not make him an issue and I don't think I don't think he was no good. He he pushed it either He didn't try to you know Rip open an envelope as they say. Yeah, dash two, one shot, four hits. Do you, no. 17 minutes. There's no way like the chatter about it like affected the way he's gonna play though, does it?

No, I, yeah, listen, there's some, you hope to play 24, 26 games to win a Stanley Cup, whatever, you know, it ends up being, and there's gonna be some duds. There's gonna be some games where you just don't have it. And I think that was what happened to Sam. No, I don't think all this talk about knocking Stoller has gotten to him.

This guy, it feeds him. But imagine had they made it a thing that fans wanted them to make it, like, oh, they dressed Ryan Ree reeves to chase around the ice like or you know even if they had spent their energy concerning themselves with him you know they they gave him a couple of shots here and there they could otherwise they kind of stuck to their game plan it's not the most thrilling game plan by the way like the Leafs are pretty solid they flip it out they. They defend But hey listen, you can't argue with result Florida's best line is that Lindell? Oh, yeah line. Oh, it's not bad like Lindell is is carrying that that team

He scored a tie last night, right stopped with a skate hammered at home He's kept it close this two points plus two three shots. He's all over the score sheet 14 minutes He's keeping it close for the Florida Panthers, but those other Bennett line and Barkov line, they're gonna have to get her going here if they're gonna extend this series. Yeah, they need more. They need more to those guys, and I think, to your point,

the Leaf Stars deserve some credit for that. Vintage Marchand night last night. Lots of little trippy penalties. Runs wall early in the game, backhand, upstairs tuck, almost scores at the end of the game in everybody's face. Vintage Marchand. And this is what probably gets you more excited is that he's showing the Leafs. Yeah, let's play this clip. A ton of respect. Let's play this Marchand.

Let's listen. This is respect. You know, they're continuing to get better and grow as a group. You know they brought a lot of good pieces in as a deadline. You know in the off season to kind of address their back end. You know they're heavy back there and obviously their coaching has changed and their structure is very, very good right now, especially in the D zone. You know they don't give up a whole lot around the net.

So yeah, we knew it was gonna be a really tough battle. We didn't expect to roll over them by any means. So we have a work cut out. They're playing really well, and obviously they're tough guys. They're capitalizing on every opportunity, it seems like. Did he pick the wrong team at the trade deadline? Were the Leafs an option? Oh, are you kidding me? Of course it was of course they were why didn't we just hold on to him?

You really had to do that leaves a stinking second hang on to him He's gonna go as a free agent if you have to don't trade him with the sand and he's down to nothing Um, I just gotta say do you remember when before the series last year when Boston beat Toronto and he did the Mitch Marner thing? He's my favorite player in the league. He's the greatest. He's the best. He's, you know, he does this. Yeah. The greatest, they're maybe the greatest team in the history of hockey. They have the best players, multiple hall of famers. This is his move. Yeah. And I love it. Like he does the over praise. They should win. They're the best. Who are we? Yeah, we suck.

We suck. All right. Okay, we'll take a quick break. When we return, Jim Ralph, Toronto Maple Leaf Radio Color Analyst will join us. We'll get his thoughts more on the Toronto Maple Leafs in our Leaf Hour edition on the Real Kipper and Board Show. Everything you need to know about the Blue Jays,

Blair and Barker. Be sure to subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. [♪ Music playing. A lot of rock music playing. Welcome back to The Real Kipper and Boren Show, Leaf Hour Edition. Let's go to a gentleman who's been there every step of the way or every stride of the way. Jim Ralph, Radio Color Analyst for your Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ralphie, how's it going buddy? Easy breezy this time of year, isn't it? Oh yeah, playoff period is better than ever. Just overall, your surprise of the Leafs carrying a two nothing series lead and if there's one or two reasons why, what comes to mind for you? Well, it's, you know, Joe and I talked about last night, Chris Tanna might be quietly the most valuable player on this team. And I think when he came in with Brad Jolitting, it changed the

character of the team. And you see everybody plays harder. And what I was amazed at looking after at the ice time last night, everybody was pretty much all around the 20 minute mark, all 16. I think Jake McCabe was the only one that broke 20, 21 minutes and I think Eichmann-Larsen was about 1630. They all had similar number of shifts. And I think everybody's sort of grown from what Chris Tannem has done as a leader back there. So I think it's easy to say the comparison between now

and the other teams has been the blue line and Brad Trelevien set a magnificent job in redoing that. And I think that's the big difference that there's so much harder to play against than in the Toronto end, than they have been over the last seven or eight years during this stretch. It is so funny, like on any given night when you check their time on ice for their D-Man,

there's no telling who's going to have led the team at ice time. It could be Ekman Larson, it could be McCabe, it could be Riley, it's all over the map. It's almost like they just throw these guys, whichever pair is up next, they throw them out over the boards and that seems to be a fundamental part of their identity. You know, going the other way then, what have you thought of the offensive side of things, Ralphie? Has it been surprising that it hasn't all come from Matthews and Marner? Yeah, yeah, the secondary scoring has been there and even, you know, again looking back

at ice time, the fourth line is down to the third line. You know, the, what we perceive the Lawrence line, ice time shifts, everything else. Domi came out with a Lorenzen lot and to be able to score in the second period in a line change. But the, the fourth line is, is quietly moved up and they had more ice time, more shifts in the Domi McBain-Holmberg line. So you know I think that's you know what you love in the playoffs. They came in with a role, with an identity and you know Kipper you know playing on teams that have gone on long cup runs. It's one thing to have the personnel,

but the players have to embrace the role. They have to feel important from the coaching staff, I think, in any line of work, you wanna feel valued by the people you work for. And I think that's what this line has become, is that they knew that they had great value going into the playoffs, regardless of the ice time was gonna be 12 minutes a game or 16 minutes of game. And they've embraced that. And I

think you look at any team that has gone on long runs, you know, the bottom part of the lineup has come up huge at moments in the playoffs and our athletes are no different. Now having said all that, where I, and I admitted on the air that I was so wrong on something and that was Max patch ready I thought to be honest. I thought he was a heavier but maybe slower version of what you've gone on the fourth line and And he's he's blown me away though. The last three games He's had is as you know contributing with with Tavares and the lander on that line You're listening to Jim Ralph Toronto Maple Leaf radio color analyst you know Ralphie I don't think

you'd have to go back as far as our era I'm not sure how many years but there was a time this especially this time of year where our teams would have been spending half a game chasing Sam Bennett around last night after bumping into our goalie and Not only has it not absorbed the storyline throughout the game last night Sam was not a factor And maybe that speaks volumes to either the maturity of this team or the tone that Craig Berube has set Yeah, I'm going to go Berube.

Kip, I think what he has done, you know, right from the start, you know, they won the first game big against Ottawa and he said, it's going to get harder. It's going to get harder. And if you lost, we're not worried. You know, we're prepared. You know, he's been through the adversity.

And I think when you go back, you know, in his prepared. Um, you know, he's been through the adversity and I, I think when you go back, you know, in his realm of St. Louis in 2019, uh, and I went back and found the, um, the interview quotes after, uh, was game three, uh, they were playing San Jose at home and they lost two, one, and then you may remember the hand pass and overtime and Eric Carlson scored an overtime to put San Jose up two to one that's why they changed the rule that you could review hand passes but Brube was come after he said look it was a bad break it didn't go our way we got to get ready for game four and you know a lot of guys would

have been cursing the officials out in the league out in the missed call at a key time and he's got this even keel. We know bad stuff is going to happen and we have to deal with it. Our job as a group is to deal with it, not seek revenge or complain about it. And I really think his influence, you see his demeanor behind the bench, you see him at press conferences, I think. And again, this is Brad to a living. He's made these additions that are so different. Now, let's face it, that way blew a two-nothing lead like this against Edmonton, the team that went to the finals last year with Florida.

So they're not, obviously not even close to being out of the woods in this series yet, but I think it's the start you wanted. Their best chance of being out of the woods in this series yet, but I think it's the start you wanted. Their best chance of getting out of the woods. I think that's a really good comparable, by the way. The other team that went to the cup final just did this coming back down from 2-0 in the series before, so on the guard. With the goaltender, is Joseph, have you seen or liked what you've seen out of Joseph Wohl so far, or would it give you confidence that he can help him through? I thought of Borny to be honest. I thought he got better as the game went on. Yeah, you know, I think the first one

Those aren't usually goals He gives up off the wing and the best two from identical spot back-to-back games, but let's just beat him You know top of the circle, left wing side. The Marchand goal, I think if he's 100% on, he finds a way to get a piece of that and stop it. But the save he made in the third period, I mean, that was a game saver.

And I thought as the game went on, he started to look a little more comfortable. You know, it's different this, uh, this year he goes in compared to last year. It was, uh, you know, we need you to be the savior, uh, because the other guy Sam Sanoff was struggling and this year it's more, well, you're the only guy we got. That's what I used to play. Like you're our last year only option. So I had to play, like, you're our last, you're our only option, so I gotta get in there.

So it's a little different in that he's trying to keep up, you know, with the play that Stolar has had through the first round and the first half game against Florida, as opposed to being better than him. Ralphie, before we let you go, as they depart to go down to Florida here for game three here. Just your overall sense of Austin Matthews and what you see so far out of him. I tend to give him and Mitch Marner and Nyes, for that matter,

a lot of credit for for keeping a Barkov line in check here. Not much out of Verhege or Reinhardt the first two games, but you know, in terms of that still pressure of being the go to guy, the goal score, what have you seen out of 34? Yeah, the we haven't seen quite seen that dominance in the offensive zone, you know, those shifts where he'd have the pocket just don't what he could get it from and he uses his hands and his big frame to be able to protect the puck. We haven't seen that as much but again I'm with you Kipper. I think when you look at their commitment in their own zone I think that's one of

those like if they score three goals a game and they're even after every game we're still going to be pointing out that they've got to be better in their own end. So, you know, again, I think this is the the Breaux Bay influence where it's deep fence first. I think the other good part of that though is, you know, that they're due, you know, that, that Austin Matthews do for a stretch of, of four or five goals in three games. So, uh, it's not that he's been disinterested or he's been soft or any of that.

But I do think it's a matter of time before, you know, you start to see that breakthrough and Pucks start to go in. So I think the fact that they're winning without him dominating the score sheet is a pretty positive sign right now because I really do believe it's a matter of time that you're saying boy he awesome Matthews is hot and it's starting to dominate. Game three Friday night. Ralphie, have a great call my friend. All right.

Thanks for having me on boys. Thanks Ralphie. That is Jimmy Ralph. Yeah. If you get a couple of Matthews games mixed in, I don't know if it's tough when they're up to nothing because I know, I know how this goes after you lose a couple in Florida or, you know, you start to feel like it's scrambling, but it is tough sitting here today to not do the dreaming thing about like, could they handle Washington or like, what would

that look like? And what do I maybe care? Let you know, you start to do the whole training wheels Yeah, don't take them off Listen, everyone's there. These fans are doing that. I know I know that's happening and it's natural My micro, oh, there we go. I'm back. I was off a couple things are doing the least line tomorrow because it's Friday tomorrow, right? Yeah, yeah week week So call us four one six four one three four one four one A couple things are doing the least line tomorrow because it's Friday tomorrow, right? Yeah. Yeah week fast week

So call us 416 413 41 41 And we'll hear from everybody who's probably pretty excited heading into a game day There you go. And the second thing I don't know if you know guys saw today that the year is a new pope Yeah, white smoke. Yeah white smoke. Everybody American Pope pretty fired up with that smoke people got pretty fired up but the reason I bring that up is It's the quickest process that they've picked a pope, you know the last the last fastest time they picked a 1967 correct Oh, no, correct game winner in round one

Good for the portal boys shadow hockey illuminati good for the portal. The Pope is bringing the cup to Toronto. It's the Pope Cup. Sounds like an action movie. American Pope. If that happens. I'll go to the Vatican maybe. Petroredi retires that number. What the hell, yeah.

One year, Leaf, retired. Who would ever wear it again? I mean maybe somebody at the like development camp. It's not exactly the prettiest number the audacity No, I say that I dare not Let anybody else wear it if they find a way to pull this off only Only how many games they have to win now they're only at six and more ten only ten more wins Oh, it's so long Am I crazy these games?

Yeah, because well chapters per game. It's the crippling anxiety for me is why I feel so long. Yeah, there's some nice I'm exhausted. I know I feel like I played Barely, I'm not sitting barely in the second round And it's over backs rounds to win Lord Stanley. All right. Our thanks to Jimmy Ralph for stopping by plenty more on the leaf national hour, including Devin Dubnick, former NHL goalie. Currently NHL analysts will get his thoughts as we go around the table on our national show.

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