Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Game 1 Win Comes with Cost

Episode Date: May 6, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look back on the Leafs' 5-4 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of Round 2. They get into the Leafs' physical start before discussing Anthony Stolarz's exit from the game, Sam Bennett's dirty play and whether the league should have disciplined the Florida forward. Then, they break down Joseph Woll's effort in relief, the plan in net for Game 2, line matchups, and Matthew Tkachuk going after Mitch Marner late in the game.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Welcome in. It's the Leaf Hour edition of the Real Kipper and Bourne show. Nick Kipriels, Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee, Derek Brandale, Jake the Snake, Schultz with you for the next two hours. We're live on Sportsnet 590, the, Sportsnet 360, and Sportsnet Plus. Good day to kind of calm down, dissect. We get ready for game two tomorrow night. Got in here about, I don't know, a little after two. Saw my boy Sammy deep in thought. You know, JB, like like you know those thought bubbles

you see in the comics? You know like when Jughead's ready to decide on whether to ask Betty or Veronica to the prom. I saw those all afternoon over Sammy's head. He's been thinking thoughts. Very, very deep thoughts to the point where He shushed me he did yeah upstairs. Oh For the show yeah, save it for the show. That's what he said today

He's loaded today is the ultimate like listen we have a lot of days where we don't say much But today is the ultimate save it day. I think you know after what happened last night You didn't want to have any of the takes or any of the thoughts come out But we had to wade through all the free candy we had first so we have lots of We have lots of time before our show to do something else instead of talking with the Leafs. Yeah, what was this? Stork Stork Canada sent us a huge box of chocolates tough iffy which is You're I'm powered by tough iffy today. I'm not sure I've ever seen so his eyes light up huge box of chocolates. Tough Iffy! I'm powered by Tough Iffy today. I'm not sure I've ever seen someone's eyes light up.

Like, this is good quality stuff, oh my God, oh! It is really good, really good stuff. It's none of that waxy stuff. I think we're good for the rest of the series. Should see. We'll see. Okay, so Leafs win an all important home game to start this series off and

you'd think we would've started today off with, you know, the chances of going up to nothing back to Florida and what that would mean, but something tells me we're gonna take this thing right to a different direction. Can we start with that? That they did win? Yeah, no, 100%.

All right. 100%, you know. I'm not sure where it is in the pecking order when it comes to Leaf fans right now. Well, win matters. I think that we should push it to the forefront because that's a great hockey game. And that, you know, I'm not gonna say

it's a roadmap for them, but it's, you can see a world where they can have success here. They not only played with them in the first 40 minutes they Exceeded hmm the game that Florida We felt like was gonna play I I thought from if from a four check to a physical presence Night and day from whatever we saw two years ago. You know, I could have seen a world

where they went through this whole series without having 20, 30 minutes that looked as positive as the start of that game. I thought given the stakes and the context, the opponent, that's as good as I've seen them play. A lot of it was how many guys did, well, I'll say Max Patch already But how many guys did the Leafs put on the ice at the start of a series, you know

Where usually Florida goes out there and mows down a bunch of guys you saw Seth Jones hit the deck and Kachak and Barkov and a cool a cove off the head by McCabe reverse hit Yeah, like a bunch of Panther jerseys ended up on the on the ice. That was nice to see No overview from Craig Borube today? I will say that Craig Borube was pretty short last night. And there's probably a reason for that and we'll get into the reason about that.

But he did talk today, he was a little bit, I would say he was cooler head today. And we could go down to clip number nine to start to talk about the start what they look like at the start of the game last night. It was good period I thought we were very aggressive on our toes you know you know if you look at the gaps and the reloads by our guys that's crucial and just getting pucks to the net, you know, and attacking.

So like I said, you know, it kind of backed off a little bit too much later on, but the start of the game in the first period was very good. The visual of Max Patchretti crashing Barkov down to me, Max Domi knocking Matthew Kachuk down and then going down on a two on one forcing Babrowski to make a great save. Those are images that should excite Lee fans. Yeah. You know, those are the guys that we thought could matter, might matter, and Domi lived up to it.

He had a great game, and Patoretti just, you know, Sammy, the one thing we did joke about before the game, the only person who didn't enjoy watching Patoretti last game was Nick Robertson. Because, you know, not many guys in the league can look as big and strong as Patoretti did there, and also make plays and hang on to pucks They have two assists and four hits you see was all over it, man

I I think we laid it out yesterday during the first hour that one of the big fears for me at least Was the least looking intimidated by the Panthers and looking a little bit scared and getting hit and going away Yeah, and all three of us can sit here and say, that was absolutely not the case in game one. This is a long series, the more it happens, more stuff that goes on, it could go away as it goes on, but game one test in terms of physicality, the least pass with flying colors. Even the first ridiculous penalty, ridiculous penalty.

I liked what was happening there, because Marshand was, for the first time in the game, kind of giving guys a couple, and I liked that Domi there because Marchand was you know for the first time in the game kind of given guys a couple And I liked that Domi was there in his face, but we're not doing that even though Domi did Nothing and they called a cross checking penalty in what is the worst call I've seen this hot ridiculous That's yeah, maybe the worst call in the history of the league And if it happened it was the other guy. In a Stanley Cup playoffs? Game one of a playoff series.

It's where you'll ever find a cross check. Marshand is like starting to stir it up a little bit. Yeah. He gives a little something here, a little something there. He says, hey, that's enough, grabs his stick. Oh my God. Domi didn't even have two hands on his stick to cross jack grabbed March and stick. Yeah ridiculous Now do you want to do a Paul Maurice overview? Let's do all let's do Paul Maurice's overview

Okay, one clip one for a bummer ease Clip one palm race Yeah, I mean you're not gonna expect that you can look either way again. You're hopeful that you don't look the way you did at the start, but the other teams protect an elite at that point, so they're not going to look like that either. It was the perfect storm of, that's not the way you want to start when you're, everybody's got lots of energy and jump, but there's some tension to it always at the start. So when you're behind one, and that was our first period,

you know, we just, we didn't look like ourselves. And then right at the second, and after that, had a pretty good push to the third. Okay, that's enough. We're, what, seven minutes in. Okay, okay. Get to the elephant in the room here, for goodness sakes. Okay. Sammy. From one Sammy to another Sammy. Seven minutes in. Get to the elephant in the room here, for goodness sakes. Okay.

Sammy. From one Sammy to another Sammy. Sam Bennett. Okay. No one's putting on their surprise face on today about the way this guy acts and how he conducts his business this time of year. We talked about this at great lengths yesterday.

Why should anybody be surprised? No one is surprised. Sports news Chris Black has quite the thread together of the Bennett hits. I don't know if you went through them at all, but over the past few years, the amount of like sneaky punches and hits and the whoopsie daisy moments,

this guy obviously does not get the benefit of the doubt. We knew this coming into the series. He does. No, he does get the benefit. Oh, well he does from the league. Yes. Nobody but the league gives him the benefit of the doubt. Zero people.

But that's all that matters, right? It's all that matters. Well, it matters that the players know he's full of whatever too. It doesn't it doesn't make a difference. The only the Leafs or the league can make a difference on this guy. But I tip my hat to him, man, because he is sneaky. Good. He may be one of the best I've ever seen in the game since I've said the right word. Best watched at concealing at hiding your your doesn't

hide it Kipper well no he doesn't get in trouble he doesn't hide it Sammy he does he conceals it yeah you cannot we detect it everyone knows but he gets away with he gets away why because he hides it better than anyone else that's why did he hide yeah he hit it he hit it Sam can anyone else. That's why did he hide Can make the case on that play I looked at that play and I was like, I don't know it's If it's not him, no one's where he's great at is that he can make it look like anyone else's play That that that little bump Anyone else makes it

and we're not having any type of conversation about it. Yeah, but it wasn't anyone else. No, and that's why we're having this conversation at all. Because otherwise, they'd be like, of course you're not suspending for that, but it is been it. And you probably should. The league wants to stay consistent is that no one's history comes into play until unless

we deem it a suspendable act as is. Yeah Kip you're 100% right on that point which people have missed. This is why he's so damn good at hiding and concealing. Yeah, God, I hate the word good. Effective, it's just, it's not good at it. You're not the best at it. They won't, they won't. Has he been suspended before in the past?

Oh yeah. Okay. Yeah. So then he does have a rap sheet. But the point is, it doesn't matter until- Prior history doesn't matter? No, only once the incident is rule suspension worthy. Is worthy, and then his history doesn't matter. No, only once the incident is worth mention is worthy. And then his history comes into play. Okay.

Then you start tacking on more games. But this guy is like three seasons in a row. You go back to two years ago with, with Matthew Nyes. Yeah. And last year. Andy also cross check bunting in the head that same game. Game. And then last year, game three crushed like bunting in the head that same game game Yeah, and then last year game three teammate now Brad Marchand

Right knocked him out. Yeah knocked him out for two games. So let's continue to let him play unhinged. It's good for the league I don't think that is that what they want. It's great for Florida Panthers. Yeah, and that's in turn great for the league because it's their favorite team They don't get to spend it unless it's a blatant elbow to the mouth of Brandon Hagel. I you know, I just You can make the argument that it's not suspendable or whatever But it's a clear blindside elbow to the head of an unsuspecting player clear Sam It's not clear, but how is it not clear? I know it's because

It's because that. But how is it not clear, Kip? I know. It's because, it's because that this time of year, the mandate from all teams is to crash a goalie or take his eyes away or make it difficult for him. This is what happens this time of year. And that incident looked pretty much common with what you generally see, and that's the concealing part.

Do we think that the initial shot from Ryan Hart had an influence on the resulting? Sam Reinhart hit him with a shot, 80 mile per hour wrister in the mask, influences the concussion factor? In the first period. Yeah, he plays long after that, obviously. I can't answer that.

No. I can't't I know from my history and ultimately kind of shutting it down because of my last head injury that you everyone can be affected differently there's different symptoms and different effects this guy I think Elliot Friedman had him at 10 minutes last night on the show between Sam Bennett hitting him. In real time? In real time, 10 minutes. Came back to the bench, went back,

and then 10 minutes later, he's thrown up in his mask, and then he threw up in the bench. Is that shaky does of the head after I saw a concussion guy saying that that's usually You know can be a sign of some sort of damage, but I will say so Sam I am making these points about stole ours and how he disguises it the contacts not that obvious that it's like for sure a suspension I Think because of who it is and because there's no shouldn't be benefit of the doubt I do think he should have got a game. I do think that that that was enough for me

You know, we want to protect these goaltenders. I mean, but the thing is this is the second straight series with the Florida Panthers have looked for a star and Done something greasy to knock a star out of a series. Did it with Hagel, just did it with Stolarz, and guess who gets to play next game to probably do it to somebody else? Because if you continue to get away with this stuff, why the hell wouldn't you go out there

and run around and try to hurt people? I am curious to see if he's either emboldened or if he feels like he's playing on his final foul in the NBA. I mean, he didn't get fined, Borny. And be kind of like he's more careful. He didn't get a fine. No. Like they didn't, it was like, it's not even a thing.

It's like it never even happened. They close their eyes and pretend it's not Sam Bennett and it's fine. You can just continue to go unchecked. Let's go to Craig Brewer. We clip one on the shot to Stolarz and we'll pick it up after that. Craig, what was your view on the Sam Bennett hit on Stolarz? Elbow to the head. Yeah, clearly.

Yeah, clear as day were you satisfied with your players response that like did they handle it the way you would like or yeah I mean I don't know what you I mean I think at the time I think you know we handled it the way we should handle it. I'm not sure why there's not a call on it. But you know, I get it, they missed calls. But it's clearly a, it's clearly a penalty. Yeah, it is a penalty.

You make contact with the goalie at that at that spot It's it's at work at best or worst whatever however side you pick it. It's a penalty ten out of ten times That's a penalty. Yeah But they got it, but they got it, you know Every touch of the stick on somebody's hands They put the hand up but like a lot of calls the goalie The guy goes flying elbow into the goalie's head and they're like yeah Let's play on here the dirtiest guy in the league. No problem. We talked about the way it's this the series would be officiated and it really did play into the Leafs hand, although the power play didn't come through on on five attempts, but

Taking those penalties for Florida kind of derailed them. Yeah. Well in the third period too is the game got close They took two penalties that the Leafs game got close, they took two penalties that the Leafs, by the way, they took two penalties. They weren't called for two infractions that weren't there. Those were penalties. So yeah, they wanna play that way. I think the officials called penalties where they saw them at the end,

but some of that stuff was missed earlier in the game, not overly well-officiated. So I think we all know where we stand on Bennett now. So can I just ask you guys like what quantifies? Like what is it that like allows a conversation about a suspension to be had? Well, I mean they had one about it. No, but like I mean what fits the criteria? More violence. how's that?

More violent, more impactful. Do they like blindside hits? No, I know, I know. Do they like elbows to the head? Do they like guys knocked out of series? Do they like guys with prior history? Like check, check, check, check, check your boys, it's the same thing.

But it's not check, check, check, check. It is. It's not, listen. What am I, like, there's a level of force that matters. I would love to tell you that that is a suspendable act, but I can't if it was anyone else but Sam Bennett. It's not, Sam. It's not enough to get a guy suspended.

It is when you factor in Sam's history and motive. Motive? All of it. Is intent matter? No. It's not a suspendable act. And the initial point Kip made is that if that is Mitch Marner that does it to someone else, everyone goes, well that's not a suspension. You massaged him, you know, you fell kind of into him softly, you know, and we go, that's not a suspension. You massaged him. You know, he fell kind of into him softly You know and we and we go it's not a suspension if Marner got suspended for that play We'd be like, what are you talking about? Yeah, but it's it is Bennett. It's true. It is Bennett So we all know it's on not so we know what enough is

Right. So you have to look at it like it's not that him. Yeah, which is absurd Totally is one of the more absurd like it's not Ben. Him. Yeah. Which is absurd. Totally. Is one of the more absurd things. It's like, oh, yep, that's just player B that just never does anything. Like it's just, it's the most absurd thing ever. I think we've reached the, yes, that's exactly where if it's Nick Cousins or it's Willie Nylander doing it, it's doesn't, no name bar on the incident.

Also add to the fact that news broke fairly quickly that either he was, I don't even, I don't know if he was taking out on a stretcher or not, but ambulance, hospital, now this story grows legs. And, you know, I don't know, like, of course, if you're the Leafs you want to take all the precautionary measures that you can but I mean that certainly Grew legs on on the whole thing and of course Florida Panthers today behind the scenes are accusing of the ambulance in the hospital to be You know of the ambulance in the hospital to be, you know, a ploy to get him suspended.

Yeah, they should know better. They should know he's not gonna get suspended. Why would they worry? It is, this great drama, Florida's mad about that. That's not that they're mad at that. It's just, we know, they're sitting there going, oh, come on, come on, a little nudge to the head, the guy goes to the hospital.

I guess they went to the Jim Montgomery school, right? Doctors. They're, you know. Doctor, doctor, doctor, and doctor. What's the hospital, unless you're going to the hospital to get an MRI or a CAT scan. I thought maybe vertebrae, like the way his head twisted or something,

maybe some neck thing. It might be a whiplash. It could be a whiplash. It could be a whiplash. And I don't doubt for one second, I mean, he's either dizzy, clearly there's nausea involved, he threw up. It could've easily had come from the whiplash. Yeah, I don't know.

All right, we got a number of clips on this. So I think the one we should, there's two Maurice ones. So these are hard for me to play. We have Borubi too on it. So okay, let's start with Paul Maurice too from last night on the Bennett hit. This is after the game from last night, number two. Just the Sam Bennett elbow on Anthony Stoller's I You're gonna light your hair on fire and I'm gonna let you

The referee is standing right there when it happened and then You will do your thing and the league will do its thing and I'll coach the next game hopefully Okay now You will do your thing and the league will do its thing and I'll coach the next game hopefully Okay now pretty simple This is from today and this is a the whole press conference From this morning with Paul Maurice was Sam Bennett related

All right, and this was towards the end of the press conference when he was getting particularly perturbed about the topic. Line of questioning. And this is a longer one with a couple questions mixed in. So let's play number three. Oh, no, sorry, number four. Paul Maurice, four, please, today, Toronto. He plays hard. Like there was a hit two and a half years ago that you guys have shown 4,000 times. There was a parking ticket seven years ago that I think actually made the video. Like he's got the puck, he's on a power play, goes to the

net. But not even, not through the play. He's got the puck, he's going to the net. I understand, like call the fire department, put your hair out, let's move on. Please. Like the edge. The place already has the puck, a lot of you doesn't have the puck. We've got a system that says you got to hit the guy with the puck. There's your line. No, I knew you weren't letting this go. Right. There's been, as long as you've been around, and I've been around, the players on teams that

you love them when they're yours, and you hate them when they're not, be it Dale Hunter, or whoever it was over the years. Where does Sam fit in in that group of guys? I don't think even close. Like we're six games into the playoffs and he took a puck outside the crease and now he's a villain. But I expected that when I got up this morning. It just still surprises me fellas. Like I mean there were far more egregious collisions in that game last night but we won't be talking about those I would imagine today No, it doesn't I'm actually and I'm not actually not upset about it. I'm really not I know you know what you're getting this morning or this is going

Honest to God, I mean I've seen every hit the San Benet song since he was 12 years old on TV this morning Go ahead He's the puppet masters at work. It's pretty good though the puppet master that works. It's pretty good. Sure Pretty good. Yeah, it's great You know, I give him credit for hanging in there and defending his guy, you know as much as nothing there nothing there Oh, it's a lot easier once you know the league's on your side. Yeah. Now you can really go to town with it's you guys.

Yeah. Not us, it's you guys. Right. But I do like, I like that Maurice is agitated early because that's agitated Maurice. The problem is JB that this is right into their wheelhouse Yeah, right, right. You're playing into something that they've already proven. They can be very successful No, no, no, they're the best at it

Hockey they love being agitated. They love like they want this During opponent they want to get your point man. I got it. They're really good I could have a babe that's here. No one is focusing on the Leafs being up one nothing right now, right? We started right we led with that. Yeah, because we chose to But that that's they brought the Tampa series down to that level and that's what they want to do and if they This is their sweet spot and you know, they want to play the game on their terms so this is a big challenge for me for the Leafs is

You can't make the guy who had 51 points this year the focal point of the series You can't chase Sam Bennett around They did last night. Who did? Well, post. Post. Everything's now, now, today on an off season. And clearly by the sound bites, it was all about Sam Bennett today. But the team can't.

That's what you're gonna see now. Does it get dragged into game two or does it get left behind? Also doesn't help that who would Sam Bennett not beat the tar out of on the leaf You know like this is a pretty sturdy boy. Well, that's yeah, that's a Conversation do you guys want to play? Barubei let's do Barubei onolarz, his little update on Stolarz. Let's play Clip 5. He's doing well.

Yeah, he's here. He's doing good, so, yeah. Will he be available tomorrow night? We'll see. Don't know that yet. A concussion? Don't know that either. Did he go to the hospital?

Well. Get evaluated. Yeah. How he go to the hospital? To get evaluated. How long was he in the hospital for? I don't know. I'll call the doctor today and ask him. I don't know. What was the question? How long was he in the hospital for?

I moved on from it. He was released last night. The end of that clip is he's like, I don't want to talk about it. Yeah, nor should he. Nor should he, it's not his business. He's not that guy. You're asking the wrong coach.

We've seen it all season long. This guy is not a kiss and tell guy. Let's just stick with the theme, finish this off. We got Berubi on retribution. Let's have him follow up clip seven from Berubi. You moved on from it, but retribution is part of this off. He's got, we got Borubi on retribution. Yes. Let's have him follow up. Clip seven from Borubi. You moved on from it but retribution is part of this sport. It can be, what do you talk to your players about this or? Well I talk to my players about focusing on the game and playing the game hard and playing it the right way. Like I said there's an opportunity to take the body on somebody. I don't care who it is, you go through them.

But you know, you can't just, you're going to go out and think you're going to get back at Bennett and you end up in the penalty box. And we don't need that. But it's the focus is we got to focus on the game, okay, and playing the game the way we need to play it. And that's got to focus on the game, okay, and playing the game the way we need to play it. And that's got to be the focus. Why is there a Maurice clip on this clip sheet using the Stolar's injury as motivation? Some guy asked him about that. We don't have to play it. But just put it in there in case we needed it. But I couldn't love that answer more.

I couldn't love that answer more. It's the right answer, isn't it? It is, but there should be somebody on the Leaf roster that needs to find a way to answer back without derailing what Berube's talking about. Fight? Maybe, maybe, I don't know. Who could that even be a McCabe

Nice nice nice and go Bennett. I yeah, I'm telling you nice could go back But he's not their biggest strongest guy, but I don't think I want to know I'm not sure I do either Yeah, but I'm just telling you yeah, he could yeah The Cape could too, but I'm not sure I want him either and was the answer but our answers can come from McMahon driving hard to the net losing an edge Same thing with Homburg. Uh-huh. That's another well angle. I'm sorry, but now we're we're opened up to It's open season. It's open season when you can't say that Florida would be like, ugh, you know, like get my fainting couch. The series before, there's a clip of Kachuk saying

to the Tampa Bay bench, I don't want you, I want Kucherov. You know, you got them targeting the other guy's stars too. They're familiar with how that game works. Now it's a fine line between a two minute, five minute charging. Listen, that's the nature of the game is like you're always on a fine line this time of year. So you got to make some hard decisions on when to get a lick in and when to back off.

That's the experience part of this time of year. And I don't know what the answer is right or wrong until at least as a player when I was in the moment. That's when you decide So let me ask the question that people who? criticize hockey culture Would say how does that help them win the game and i'm asking that sincerely not from a sarcastic whatever How does that help the maple leaves get past the floor? whatever. How does that help the Maple Leafs get past the Florida Panthers in round one? Well, we won't know until we see the hook come and maybe it's a rallying point. Maybe it's a power play that ends up, you know, I fell into Grand Führer. We got a power play off of that.

Okay. I made the decision that if Chris Pronger is going cross check me from behind, I'm gonna drag everybody into the fight here. And that's the gamble that I took that I could ended up with a the penalty, I could ended up with getting thrown out of the game, intent to injure, or I could end up with a power play of our own. That's... we don't know. I agree, it can't be premeditated, right? Maybe there's no answer to it until you're in your moment and you make your hard decision. You take your shot. And you take your shot.

And you hope and pray for the outcome that you're in that dressing room and it's like, hey, look how hard he played. Look at what he, he went out there and he made something happen. He made, he got a reaction. And that's what Florida has been built on through Bennett and Matthew Kachuk is that they go out there

and their answer is, I'd rather do this than nothing at all. Like chase Mitch Marder around with the final buzzer. You know, even in that game, what was the horrid game that the Leafs played in the first round there against Ottawa? Game five. Game five. It's like, boys, would you rather do something trying

than do nothing at all and then watch your whole city go, what the hell was that? Right. So that's- So are you okay if that doesn't become available to them in game two it doesn't show up till game three and a half I think or I think there's there's a time and place for everything and they're up when nothing and your coach wants you to not worry about things between whistles but there

might be a time and place it might not be in game two might not be in game three But there might be a time when you can get a lick in and you're going That's the one I'm picking right now and I don't know what Well, we'll see how this thing plays out, but that's that's how you go about this I think it's a real valuable the team the fundamental difference between this year's version of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers is the Leafs have shown to be a much more physical team

with the new personnel under Borube. They have been physical, but they're not dirty and they're not a dirty team. And that is the fundamental difference where who on the Leafs is going to go out there and take your dirty shirt? Because they're not a bunch of dirt bags. You told me me right. And it's like that's the fundamental difference where you say it's a you know, it's really great that they do all these dirty things and they're just so gritty and dirty. Good for them.

But I just don't see like is it lot and is it the rents? Like is it these guys just don't have that dirty side of them. And that's an unfortunately passed without these guys just don't have that dirty side of them and that's an Past without it. I don't know But the Panthers get away with it So you guys do you have to try to get away with it? But then do you get dragged into doing stuff not not to get ahead of ourselves here But if the Leafs get past Florida and and Washington gets by Carolina you Tom Wilson coming up next. You're right back into a guy that will... Yeah, you gotta deal with these people.

You gotta deal with these people. So, I don't know, I don't think that there's time to turn Knives into this type of player. I mean, we saw him, his strengths driving hard to the net, his strengths are his hands Scoring a big goal that they didn't necessarily have two years ago So can they win?

Turning the cheek somewhat I think if they're still physical and in your face that way they can yeah But you got to keep that element off think that's their best strategy Yeah, I don't know we haven't seen them sustain that level of physicality for five straight games That way they can yeah, but you got to keep that element off think that's their best strategy to be honest No, we haven't seen them sustain that level of physicality for five straight games at any point I don't know how that to be desperate enough for a nice or somebody to go out there and and Try to take something on their own I'd you almost have to see the series completely turn into florida's you almost have to see the series completely turn into Florida's favor, where it's now you're in a position

of if I don't do something, we're just gonna quietly fade into the sunset. And to me, they showed enough in game one that they don't have to go for a retribution. They don't have to answer, fight fire with fire here. They just gotta keep doing their own thing here to find ways to end up with W's. So in that moment after it happens, Carlos right there, he gives him a shot, gives him

the cross check in the back, would you have preferred just the flippers off jump kind of thing or like in that tight, was it 3-1 at that point when that happens like what? What would you have wanted with Bennett hitting soars? Yeah, I Don't believe for one second Carlo or anyone else could have read it I don't think that was that bad they know no one thought it was that bad and You you are now you got a coach that is instilling discipline and stay within the game plan It would have been out of character

For Carlo or anyone else to jump Bennett at that moment on something that wasn't that Prominent of a of a toy want to hear any of the Bennett thoughts or we they are triggering so maybe Do we want to break first of the Bennett thoughts or we they are triggering so maybe Do we want to break first? Well, no, let's Bennett let's play Bennett clip one and then you'll see if you want to play Bennett clip to benefit one. I mean, I think I can understand why people react that way because stole he's injured and Yeah, that's that's

of course when you're starting goalies, gets injured, people are going to be upset. Looking back at the video, I mean really the contact that was made was, in my opinion, it's really just a bump. There was no forceful action. I wasn't, I mean, I'm trying to score. The last thing in my mind is thinking about, elbowing him in the head.

Yeah, and like when it happened, I didn't even realize that I had made contact. So yeah, there wasn't a ton of force in it. One of my favorite drops from my good friend JD Bonkets and Ben Ennis used to have a thing on their show, a good show, today on Liars Who Lie. Yeah. It's the cookie monster going,

I wasn't even thinking about the cookies. The cookies were the last thing on my mind. Cookies? Cookies, who wants the, I was thinking about the cookies cookies were the last thing on my cookies Who wants I was thinking about salad cookies? All right, take a break. Yeah, take a break. Yeah More hockey to talk. Oh, we also have Hendrick Lungfist coming up at one o'clock. We do. Yes, you guys are Henry today Yes, yeah also Joseph wall kind of been calling on him lately.

He ends up going in, not the way I would have thought. I want to get your reaction on Joseph Wall coming in. Relief when we return to Real Kipper and Born. into Toronto sports and the NFL, the JD Bunkus podcast. Subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the program. Leaf our edition of the Real Kipper and Bourne show kipper. Yo's Justin borns, Sammy McKee Going into this series I did mention that I

It's your fault would have liked to have seen a tad of a break a tad of a break for Stolarz. If there was a window, I saw another one to get Joseph Wall in in game one. It didn't happen. I gotta tell you though, watching the first Seth Jones goal, did not like it at all on Stolar's part again, but certainly made some key saves before being pulled out of the lineup, but

How concerned are you now that Joseph Wallen came cold didn't look great guys didn't also look great and Where are you now going into game two Wednesday night? My initial thought was that this was a you know, because I didn't think Stolar's injury was serious at first And so my initial thought was that this was good, you know, we had talked about wool getting in there I like a world where they kind of can you know step in for one another or they go back to playing not so? Heavy a workload and wool has been good historically in the playoffs when they set him in for a couple of games he's done a great job so I thought it was a good thing yeah he didn't play great I know you know I

don't mind the third one that's a tough tip hate the Belinsky's one but the other one I didn't mind either was the in the middle of the ice I think it was Lucerne is it Lucerne? The one handed, the one handed redirect. Yeah. But I will say in one of the things that's I think kind of getting lost in this is tough spot for wool. Hasn't played a long time goes in cold big pressure game.

He also wasn't terrible. You know, he made 17 to 20 saves in the first period. High danger chances were five nothing for Florida. By the time the game's over. It's 1412, Florida He had to make some saves along the way and I thought he held on to some pox and got pieces and First shot of the game you see is a Reinhardt risker from the top of the circle like almost so I Don't think he was terrible. Yeah. Yeah, I think he'll be good. I think last night on least talk I was too critical. I was just upset about stole ours upset about the whole situation a little too hot under the collar like

It is a hard situation to come in. I think he made it look hard at times I thought he looked timid in there but like I guess it just looks so much different than stole ours Stole ours is feels like he's double the size feels like he's flying around a lot more Walls is a completely different stylistic goalie. So it takes him getting used to to your eye I have full faith going into tomorrow night that a prepared, rested, ready to go wall will look good. I like I'm not worried about it. Didn't love a couple of the goals last night, but ultimately they got the win.

That's what matters. And I do think, you know, let's say Stolarz is ready to go in a few days here. There's a great scenario where wall plays really well and they go, what what are we gonna do here? And you have a tough decision to make. That's a situation a lot of teams would love to have. So I don't think it's necessarily all bad. I don't know they're that much worse off. I like Joseph Wohl going down to Florida. There are times when you've watched this year that Joseph

Wall can go on the road and like steal a win. He's got that type of game. Because he's pretty calm right? Like you talk about Stowellers, there's much more going on than when Wall plays. Okay let's get Craig Berube's thoughts on Joseph Wall. Not an easy spot for Joe to come in just just a word on his performance in a difficult situation. Yeah, I know it's a tough situation for sure, especially in a playoff game with this magnitude and everything. So, you know, he handled it well, I thought.

And listen, we got the win. All right, did pretty good good exactly how I feel yeah I did it did send a shiver up and down my spine when they flashed to the bench It was and it was Dennis Hill to be sitting there. I was like, oh my god, and then who was it 17 Rodriguez? Backed right into wall like, you know three or four shifts after he comes in the game I'm like they're gonna try to take this guy out too Yeah They're 100% gonna try to take this guy out too. Yeah, they're 100% gonna try to do the exact same thing that they

did to stole our I don't think that's the last goalie contact coming this year. No, they're gonna be the Leafs do have two goalies that they have had in this is a report. This is every team's game plan. Right, right. Get in traffic. Couple bumps here and there. Let's test this guy out It's coming for Joseph wall, too. Yeah. Yep. It is so we'll see if he can sort it out next game By the way, he's had really good numbers against the Panthers in his career I guess he's only played three games against them But 940 save percentage and a two three three goals against so in three games against them. He's been really good. So

any concerns on The checking line particularly in the third period I don't know what Lotton's Ended up minus three Lost a couple of times on on a few of those goals any concerns there You know, I'm not that concerned about that line kept like I they didn't have a great night. No No doubt about that. But like

Do you think that this is camps time? after a win maybe To quit I I Thought there would have been Probably half a dozen other times when Berube would have gone to David Camp and it didn't happen. I don't see it now. It's tough because there's just no one to take out. The only name you might consider is Holmberg. So they've been really good. But he's a big strong guy and we saw him get to the net.

Who ran him over? Kulakon? Kulakon murdered him so hard. And that guy got up like it was nothing. Leafs have played seven games in the playoffs. Do you know how many goals against Holmberg has been on the ice for? A zero.

Yeah. You know? I'm not taking that guy out. In fact, that's fine. I just keep playing. I want everyone else played 11 plus. I want him to go to the net as hard as he did before he got hit. But go another foot. Go one more foot. Yeah. Yeah. And get cool. I have to drive you right into Bobrovsky. Yeah. It was a great play. So I just camp is a good fit for this series right like he's a smothering defensive guy if you want your fourth line to be a little bit more locked down. Yarncroc maybe. Yarncroc sorry. He's a bit of a water bug too for me

last night. I didn't mind him. Okay. Well then you got the win. Okay, I think though that that is a Match up you need to watch because that Lundell is to Ryan and Marchand line is a nightmare. They're really good They're really good really good. So after the game I Will not even like with a few seconds left I went down to do it do a hit for sports at Central So I didn't I didn't catch the end of the game with Brad Marchand going after Mitch Marner. That was Kachuk. Or I'm sorry, Kachuk.

Sorry, Kachuk. But I did see it. And I'm telling you, I'd be fuming right now if I was a Leaf. I just thought it was incredibly cheap on Matthews. Like if Marner doesn't dodge him, that's knee on knee. And then the cross check, and I get it, you've lost and you want to send a little bit of a message, but that to me is a green light to go right on the ice. You got to pay attention to that stuff too. I know you're trying to close out a win here, but that's that's your most important player

on the line on the ice there where Matthew Kachuk is going after him. No, make it ugly at the end there. He started it. Yeah, I mean, I mean, this is it's not surprising. That's the ML. Injure. I do I do vacillate on the is it better to you know, he wants that right? He wants a big scrum.

He wants to look like they. Yeah, I know. But you can get a couple free shots in there at the end. Yeah. What happened? What's the rules of fighting on the at the end? That's not it's just one punch. I don't want to fight Sammy.

I just want to get one really good lick in. Yeah, that's all. You know, while we're, we got a few minutes left in Leafs Hour, Power Play could have been better. What do you think? You know where I have a problem with the Power Play is like, it looks great when you win a draw and you score it nine seconds in,

but when it gets iced down there and you guys got to come back in and who's carrying the puck and how clean do you get in? That part gets ugly for the Leafs. Sketchy entries. Sketchy entries. You know what I hate? I hate, hate the backhand chip.

They love the little chip backhand sauce that a D just goes bank and knocks it out of the air. We know you can backhand chip sauce it. That's great. It's not a serious play. Chip it past his feet and skate onto it. Like I hate this little chip. Neelander was unbelievable last night. Loves the backhand chip entry. I can't snog it down.

Yeah. He's the best finisher out there last night by country mile. He was second in the NHL on goals this year and he looked like it. He was, you know, he's just had that. And you just live with the fact that he could do what he did in game seven and game one. And then there's other times when it's like, what's he doing out there? But that's okay. The highs are high, but look at that play.

That's where you accept him. That's right. And this toss, this touch. Berube's done a nice job of really truly knowing what he is and hoping that like the good Willie will overcome the bad Willie. And while we're getting in stuff before the final buzzer here, Morgan Riley was up in the play more in that game than maybe the entire Ottawa series. Yeah.

Yeah. That's encouraging. For sure. Yeah. Loved Willie last night. I love if the captain could hit the net, but what is going on? Am I allowed to say that he's like he couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat the empty netter was Unbelievable that was just that was like watching me on a three-foot putt miss it by a foot shoot it in

Yeah, I don't know. I said my article today He needs to sacrifice chicken switch a stick switches tape colors Yeah, something needs to happen here. You know he had 11 shot attempts last night. He had five good shots real scoring chances But he's just he the one where he misses the net after nice bulldozes Jones It's just like make the guy make a save. I mean I've watched him his entire career Him when he's right What is the like percentage of that shot hitting the back of the net in your mind? like it's like an 80% shot over and it just

Bangs it off the end glass from the hash mark. He's like what is happening leading? Sorry. He's second in the NHL in missed nets He's got 16 missed nets in playoffs. 16! Who's leading? You say he's second? Kale McCarr. Wow. And tied with like,

crushed. The good news is you found a way to win without him shooting it in the net, but at some point he's gonna have to Big time. Be the guy. Barkov for you? Did he play? Bark barcode Reinhardt

Verhege quiet not great not great not great but Bobrovsky three goals on eight shots again another opening series where the Leafs get in a comfortable lead and bring it home so Bobrovki was really good at the, in the back half or the third period. He actually gave his team a chance to tie the score. I thought when Domi got stopped in that breakaway, I was like, oh, that's the one that we all remember. Poke check there by the way.

He still catches it. All right. 28 minutes for Seth Jones regulation. Yeah. Eckblad back in game two. So that'll alleviate some of that. Keep your head up. They'll take a super sniper Belinsky's. All right. Just like that. One hour done. And we've solved nothing. That's fun. We'll get another crack at it this hour. When we welcome in one of the most winningest goalies in NHL history, King Henry Lundquist.

NHL on TNT will join us next. We'll talk Stolars with him as well. Don't go away, more real Kipper and Bourne. Right after these words.