Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Game. Seven.

Episode Date: May 3, 2024

The Buds are back as they overcome a 3-1 series deficit to force a Game 7 against the Bruins. Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee start with their takeaways from Game 6 - Nylander's 2-goal effort, the d-corps' stellar shot blocking, Montgomery's panicky post-game comments, Woll's unmistakeable impact on the series and Knies' breakout. Finally, former Leafs GM Gord Stellick (31:37) shares his thoughts on how the series' tides have turned throughout the week, the Leafs' power play struggles, whether Matthews should be rushed back for Game 7 and the stakes for each side in the do-or-die showdown on Saturday night.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.

time to get off the rails friday in full gear on this friday nick kiprios justin born sammy mckee derrick brandeo david sis boom bah you okay over there sammy? Yeah, all good. We're good. We're good. Thanks for joining us on Sportsnet 590, Sportsnet 360, and Sportsnet Plus. Remember, don't just worry about catching us live. You can download us at any time wherever you get your favorite pods. And remember, on this day, Texas 590, 590, Sammy's going to be reading them today. We say that all week but especially today as we go into this very special weekend can we not we just have to talk about your jacket before the show starts yeah i'm going big boys look at this huge weekend here. Okay, we've got... It's the jacket.

We've got... Of course, Kentucky Derby. Ooh, is it Derby weekend? Yes, it is. Oh, great. We've got Game 7 Saturday night. Ooh, buddy. And we got Greek Easter. Oh, Greek Easter.

Greek Easter. Are you hiding the eggs? Look at that coat. I got... This is Greek Easter jacket. Yeah, it's very nice. Don't dare ask me why our Easter is like a month after yours, because I'll give you the same answer I've been giving everybody over my lifetime. Okay.

I don't have time to explain 8th century history to you. No, you don't owe them that. You're not... Wait. It's not your job. Then I walk away looking really busy and important. That's right. Good.

Well, happy Greek Easter to you and yours. You told me you were going to... Come on. I know she was watching. Thank you. You told me you're bailing on the... On what? On a jacket.

No, I'm back. Kipper, listen. You do a lot for me. You do a lot for this'm back i mean i put on a jacket because you wanted me to so there you go i'm not gonna do a tie because i didn't want a tie so i got this sloppy whatever's going on up here but i got the jacket on and your tweet hello uh we're back department i'd like to file a claim is always a funny one what a week start of the week till now i mean what a swing what an emotional swing our boy here i've been through the ringer and you know, I don't really know how to feel.

I loved that game last night. I loved that win. I just can't believe it was back to game seven. We'll try our best to give everyone a sense of where you are in the next hour on our Leaf edition of the Real Kipper Inborn Show. Gord Stelik will join us in about 30 minutes. Toronto Maple Leaf analyst, former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and born show gordon stelic will join us in about 30 minutes toronto maple leaf analyst former general manager of the toronto maple leaves and one of our favorites here and then

fridays just wouldn't be fridays without doug mclean at the top of the hour and we'll get his thoughts on this topsy-turvy series between the toronto maple leafs and the boston bruins who are in full role reversal the The frustrations, the bad penalties that belong to the Toronto Maple Leafs has now swung towards the Boston Bruins. Oh my God! Okay, it's happening! Ready

for Saturday night. Even Derek's excited when he drops it. Derek's horned up. Oh my God, is he ever. Love it. But just give us a sense of uh a small victory and in itself was that the leafs got a home win last night to extend this yeah i mean small victory there but uh obviously a big victory in the big picture and really almost the exact opposite of a way that you would anticipate the leafs getting such a momentous win you know

they don't get some superstar performance where they get you know score seven goals their top guys blow it up or run and gun I mean they just defended well their depth guys look great their goaltender made saves they stayed patient which we've talked about they haven't done at home and boy Boston looks frustrated and I think that's a big part of this story too. I, yeah. Listen, I really, really am fascinated and I know we're going to get into tomorrow night and we'll talk about the game last night.

But I think tomorrow night is going to be one of the more telling games for the direction of two different franchises in the first round that I can ever remember. Just think about what's at stake for both of these franchises in that game tomorrow night. Like, I can't imagine a higher stake. There's game sevens in the first round all the time, every year.

And there could be another one with the Stars. There could be another one with Vancouver and the Preds. But could you ever think of a higher stakes game seven in the first round than the lees and bruins i do want to get in a big picture for sure going into game seven and we will um but just to your point that you made moments ago that when you think about other sports and the ability for players to rise, the stars, the best have to be at their best for sure. But we are one sport where all those stars, and I include McDavid and McKinnon,

play a third of the game where they can make a difference while others can be there all the time. Can't give the ball to LeBron and say, go do it. And especially in this series for the Toronto Maple Leafs now, it is from top to bottom, the importance of every single one of them. And yeah, you would, and we saw it from Willie. And there's mixed reviews on what you really saw

out of Willie Nylander last night. Yeah. But undeniable is that he is a game breaker, and those guys every once in a while find a way to make a difference. Yeah. But this is a real meat and potatoes series, and it's not necessarily just constantly waiting for one of those game breakers here. And I don't anticipate it to change in game seven.

It's funny, actually. You know, we all came out of last year's postseason being like willie kneelander is the guy among the stars who shows up in these moments you know he's always the guy who's the same player but i look back my uh my time hop a year ago the things i was tweeting about one year ago and it was willie kneelander not covering a guy uh know, like bad effort and a long shift and didn't change. And, you know, there was moments where it was like, God, this guy plays it like the regular season. And he ends up scoring some goals and having a good playoff and all that. But the point is, Willie doesn't change.

He's still, like last night to your point, I'm getting texts about this guy's a dog. He thinks it's a regular season. But he shoots two in the net. It's a very he thinks it's a regular season but he shoots two in the net it's a very willy kneelander but on willy kneelanders i saw him hit a few people last night and he had one of the biggest hits i've ever seen him have before i know yeah on this the the boards he got somebody good he got somebody really good uh and i'm like that that's though the difference yeah right that sense of urgency that everybody else is hitting.

And I'll throw John Tavares in the mix here. Like, I don't know how many Leaf fans would have woken up today and said that I knew for sure John Tavares led all Leaf forwards and hits. Yeah. He ran into everyone he could. He's trying. But, like, that's not the the john tavaris we knew in the island yeah and that's not necessarily the john tavaris we've seen in the first five seasons here but he's

finding a way to do something different if he's not going to shoot it in the net i think willie had three hits last night which sounds like a low total he threw 32 all season yeah so you know three in a game is is a big number for willie for the way he plays and just to go to the sort of the clutch stuff with willie uh sportsnet stats put this tweet out today that the most goals when facing elimination and leaves history number one is wendell clark with 10 it's a good number daryl sitler 8 laney mcdonnell 8 dave key on 7 william neilander 7 he's up to seven i mean that's when you look at these stars and you talk about the underperforming it's like we always kind of couch it with willie

scores big goals but you know that's it's i don't think in for a lot of mainstream followers that they really truly understand this year or this time of the year that the little details that can make the difference i i know we're in that come on goose eggs on the stat sheet no good right and listen marner has not produced like he'd like to but he's also been out there most often than not against brad marchand and i haven't exactly seen marchand lighting it up either so you know if if mitch marner ends up scoring three points but marchand ends up with four or five and they lose the game then it's useless but if you know if mitch marner can hold marchand and they can cancel each other out that's where you need others to make a difference and

and yet you know there's be there'll be a few people that rip Tavares or Mitch or anyone else for not producing points. But, like, the bottom line is here is you win the game first before you look at any individual. Like, I don't know how you can't look at that whole team's performance last night and say say success for everybody. Yeah. No, it's a team effort.

And one of the greater takeaways is, I think, a big success for Sheldon Keefe. Because if you said to a lot of people, hey, you're going to go play the Boston Bruins, who's the second best defensive team in the NHL. You're going to be without Matthews for half the series, without Nylander for half the series. Marner's going to have a couple of points or three points in the series through six games. And you're going to be without matthews for half the series without neilander for half the series marner is going to have a couple of points or three points in the series through six games you know and you're going to win games you know you're going to win a game last night where everything has to go right i think the coaching deserves some love for managing a game to that

point and now you hear jim montgomery montgomery talking and he sounds frustrated yeah you know that's a nice flip for them i i do you know a lot of coaching is x's and o's and they're clearly drilled in but i mean the word that he kept saying or stay with it stay with it and the last two games that the least played game five in boston game six in toronto last night it's the hardest i've ever remembered this team playing like just all out effort every shift bertuzzi talked about how tired he was after the game because of how hard they're playing like they are grinding hard on every single shift controlling the play frustrating the Bruins I can't remember them playing this hard ever

I did a hit with uh Sports Central last night and it was either Tim or... I did a couple, so either Tim or Ivanka. Look at this guy. I mentioned that this is a look that we've not seen in a very long time. And I know that I've mentioned to you countless times, like, try to win a game 2-1, and you shrugged me off. 100%, yeah.

And I'm like... So did I, 100%. I'm like, this is what playoffs are about. It's not about running up points. It's not about looking at totals. I know we're in that. Well, you're getting away from this. I'm not about individual stuff a bit much for me.

Two one scores win series. Yeah. And that's the look that you need. it's the look you need when your scorers don't play we have not seen that no we haven't no no no it's not because of the scores it's because of the ask from sheldon okay this is the first time he's demanded that our first priority is to keep the puck out of the net and not go and score. And not cheat. You don't see Willie cheating. You don't. They're back.

They got away with a ton over the last few years. And now with their lifeline in the balance, now he's asking and now they're giving. Oh, you think he wasn't asking before? No, not like this. You think before he was going go-go? No, he wasn't going go-go. He just didn't hold them accountable enough.

I don't know about that. He did not. I don't know. The look, the ask is different. The one narrative tweak that I think you're pushing that is going to be bothersome is, you know, Marner having a goal and two assists in six games. Tavares having, what does he have? A goal and an assist, maybe, whatever.

You have to win 2-1 when you don't get production there. Those other guys, McKinnon and McDavid and the guys you want to be in that class with, they're doing it even though the other team's

saying that's our guy. And I know Mitch's line has been tasked with heavy defensive responsibility. But they're different players. They're different players. They can go through you. We told you this.

The Leaf guys cannot go through you. They want to go around you. Yes. And that's... A problem. That's a problem. I know, but they've done a great job with it. But everyone's going, yeah, he's done a great job in a shutdown role.

Well, why are we not giving Pasternak credit for shutting down a guy who gets as many points as him? You tell me all the time. Marner has top five points in the last five years or whatever. Yeah. So maybe Pasternak is the guy playing great defense and he deserves some accolades. Like you need your top guys to produce, which is why you're relying on, you know,

Yarncroft and Nyes to be awesome. Which they've been awesome. The Leafs depth has been better than the Bruins depth and that's where they had the advantage in the series. Yeah, it's well said. Yeah. No, it's very, very. You guys are on fire i got nothing to add to that no i just i i watch the lanes i watch the lanes blocked i watch them in position i

watch them uh be on the right side of the puck and it's just not any consistency of what we've seen in the past from them and i just think it's that hey if we don't if we don't do this now our season's over and we're in deeper doo-doo than we've ever been as an organization and people are going to lose their jobs and guys are going to get moved and this was that that defying moment where we have to play defense and i'm seeing it for the first time in a very long time. And to your point, Mike Kelly had some stats about how this is the first year

in the postseason. The Leafs have like a over 60% dump-in rate, so they're getting, you know, BXA came in here and said they need to go forward when there's no numbers, they just need to get it in.

So many times they like, like they killed plays by getting the puck out. Yeah, like even Bertuzzi's diving just to get pucks across the room. Blue, you're getting efforts from guys that are sincerely paying attention to the little things, like within 10 feet of the blue line, and that's something we haven't got from them.

Okay, let's go to Sheldon Keefe on how his Toronto Maple Leafs saved Game 6 and forcing a Game 7. The guys have competed and worked incredibly hard they've pulled together uh you know they've they fought you know and didn't lay down they didn't accept their fate they they changed it so uh yeah they've been tremendous in terms of their work ethic. And even tonight, we don't play a perfect game by any means. But guys worked. That first period, you give up one shot. And again, not a perfect period.

They had some looks. But the way that we defended to deny anything clean getting to our net was tremendous. You got to go through two or three guys, the pucks. Like, when you're throwing pucks from 40, 50 feet out, you hope one of them can get through. That was the difference in the hockey game last night, is one, what do you call them, seeing eye singles? Yeah.

I think the Leafs blocked 27 shots last night or some sort of insane number like they were in the way of everything i gotta tell you i love joel edmondson you know on the back end he just has said he's so poised and blocks everything it was that that one and the calls were going the leaf ways no question about that and then boston got their power play and you sent a oh yeah a message last night that would you like me to say what i said sure i said here comes the first of two power play goals in a 2-1 ruins win that's what i said that's the sort of darkness we get that's experience right there oh yeah that's what i said right but edmondson had different ideas yeah that was an awesome kill that was

the best their penalty kills looked in forever. And just seeing guys, the offensive players, like Pasternak on that team, he had a good chance. I forget what period it was in, but Benoit just kept going and grinding him out into the boards into dust. Right behind the net.

Yes. And it's just like, God, he's not having fun. Everyone is finishing their check on him. The first 15 seconds of the third period, he couldn't carry it through the neutral zone in a bucket. Like it was chopped up. You think he's just rattled? Sick of getting hit.

Yeah. I mean, I mentioned this last night, but how many times have you been hit this series? I mean, I think statistically it's fairly balanced, but no time and space when the Leafs are finishing everything for him. And I just think that they're worrying a little bit too much on being hit or at least trying to get a hit in, and it's completely taken away their offense.

Yeah. And then the Leafs' bottom of their lineup compared to past playoff runs like they're able to get shifts from the the bottom guys that are in the offensive zone they had the the doer line had an ozone shift with seven or eight minutes of last night i thought that was a good move uh it didn't affect gregor yes he's fresh yeah he's got wheels he'll finish a check uh as long as you replace something with something that can he can give you the same feel the same guys on their heels and nobody's fighting it so i i didn't think the leafs missed out anything there on that on the on the change don't play game seven eh the oh yeah that's it the, one of our favorite Twitter accounts, The Oak Leafs put out the hits leaders,

like the, for teams in the playoffs. The Leafs had the most hits, 315. Boston Bruins, second, 304. Tampa Bay Lightning, 281. Florida Panthers, 262. So he said that the Atlantic is a, you know what, yard sale. It's like, it's hard hitting hockey. I can't remember watching the Leafs play in such a physical a physical series and they're like how many times has passionate gotten

smoked in this series it's got to be close to 10 it's it's crazy how hard they're hitting it's going both ways too because last night camp got smoked and that would have been an easy he's done for the rest of the game last year it was gudas that got him yeah this year he stays in there he he did he hung in there that was an eye watering it's my nose might be broken it was it was a good sign for for camp in the leafs that i i can take it i i'm dishing it out but i can take it too and last man. We have a couple of clips from Montgomery, one on Marchand and Pasta and one on Pasta. Are either of those a good time for those?

Listen, if you're listening to this, you're probably a Leaf fan. Any of these Montgomery clips are music to your ears. Let's start with that one on their stars then, on clip four, Marchand and Pasta. I wonder who clipped them. I got five today. Your best players need to be your best players this time of year. I think the effort is tremendous.

They need to come through with some big-time plays and big-time moments. I think Marshawn has done that in the series. Posta needs to step up. Wow. Posta needs to step up. Imagine if that was Keefer Nealon. I'm saying that the bad start by the Leafs in this series, you didn't get that same sense of frustration out of Sheldon.

He played it a little differently. And now Montgomery is now in a situation where he's like, maybe it's just the fact that there's no there's no time to recover here right so but this is what makes me feel like last year still exists to him you know like maybe i don't know what his sound bites would have been like last year if he was this frustrated yeah but he seems angry about the way they're playing right now and i don't know if it's the right time for that to your point there's no question he's feeling it and i don't think it's a stretch for me to tell you that Saturday night, one coach is getting fired.

It's a death match. We don't know which one. You think so, eh? Oh, yeah. For sure. I mean, when I, off the top, was talking about the pressure of this game. Yeah. You can't blow two 3-1 leads.

No, I don't think. Especially if you're the Boston Bruins. To the Leafs. To the Leafs. No. I don't see. That's an unspeakable offense in Boston. Do not see Montgomery dodging that one if they lose Saturday night.

I got a text from my buddy. He's a big Bruins fan. Grew up in Boston. He just said three words, Bruins are soft. You know, like that's the perspective of their team from the fans right now is that they just seem like they don't have the usual pushback. One of my buddies sent me in one of our group chats, like the Bruins subreddit and said enjoy.

Like just to read through all. They're down bad. It's like I've said a million times. I know that feeling. I recognize that feeling. I had it on Monday. I know the feeling. And they're there now.

It's flipped. Do you recall any other series where both coaches were vulnerable for one game it is fun it's very wwe like we're entering into the uh the ice whatever you want to call it bill simmons is the best it's the loser leaves town match it really is bill simmons yeah it's a loser leaves town match it 100 is it really is all right where do you guys want to go from here you want to go joseph wall you want to go make me nice great question but you have to do wall i think as much you guys want to go from here? You want to go Joseph Wall or you want to go Matt Nyes? Great question, but you have to do Wall, I think. As much as I want to talk Nyes because I know more about that area of the game,

I think we've got to talk Wall. Yeah. Okay. Do we have a – you have any clips on Wall? Yeah, we've got a clip three on Joe Wall, Derek. Well, obviously, like, you know, he hasn't made any mistakes. Because of that, we've stayed in games.

Scores haven't gone in. There's nothing that's gone in that shouldn't have. It's giving the group confidence. You need that right now. Again, tonight, it's such a tight game. It's such a tight game in game five. You're facing elimination. If you make some mistakes there, it's such a tight game it's a tight game in game five you know you're facing elimination if you make some mistakes there like it's you know it's uh it's curtains so um yeah it's given the group confidence uh it's been tremendous to see you know two shots in the in uh the first

game in the first period that he played and then one shot here tonight the guys are also competing for him giving him every opportunity to to find his way in the series and and then he's rewarding them you know when there are breakdowns he's he's been great it cannot be easy just sitting there and waiting and waiting and waiting do you want something that's totally unprovable but the way i truly feel yes of, of course I do. He starts from game one. We're talking about the second round matchup with the Florida Panthers already.

You think so? Yeah, I said that earlier, but... I feel, after watching him last night, he is so good. Yes, he is. And he's shown signs of it in the past, but that one will be baffling for a while here, but maybe another conversation on another day somewhere down the road. But I,

I, you're absolutely right. I, it's perplexing that you wouldn't have found a way to get them more meaningful starts down the stretch and really, truly give it a feel of, okay. It was up to grabs in the last 10 games.

Yeah. What's funny is the biggest difference in their play might be their mindset their general mind frame you talked about how it's tough to sit there but this guy has this sort of he's a unique cat you know to stick with it it's curtain see sort of theme he's a unique cat this kid he's got an interesting sort of way of thinking he started four games in the postseason in the nhL each time the Leafs were facing elimination. Could have been eliminated. Three and one.

He's just got to stay healthy. With a 141 goals against and a 9.50 save percentage. 9.50 save percentage, yeah. How about them giving one up with 0.1 seconds last night? Thank God. Yeah.

Nylander scored. It was goofy. Like, even the camera cut away, the camera cut away. They went to the Montgomery walking down the bench. Everybody was out. There's no goal call on it. It was really strange.

And it's the game was over. It's a small, you know, but God, who doesn't want an NHL shutout for sure you do for him. But you know what I like about it? Is that this Leafs team has spent all years chasing individual records. And even at the end of that broadcast, they're going,

his shutout streak's up to an hour and 35 minutes. Just so tired of the individual stuff. Like, the Leafs scored, they outscored the Bruins. I know, but we like that now. Put the individual thing away. That's what people think they want, right? Numbers and stats and new storylines. But that's why I'm glad it's gone. There's no storyline that now. Put the individual thing away. That's what people think they want, right? Numbers and stats and new storylines. But that's why I'm glad it's gone.

There's no storyline there now. Yeah. Like, he just gets to play goal and try to win another hockey game. It can be 10-9. They just need more than them. All right. So, yeah, shout out to him.

Good game. He's back in. I know I mentioned Tavares leading the forwards in hits, but the guy that's really leading the charge is a 21-year-old Matthew Nyes. Yeah. There's shades of him, not to be too complimentary here, maybe overdo it, but like minus the fighting, Tom Wilson,

where he's a big body, goes to the net, can score you 20 or 30 a year, can intimidate some people. He drives. He can have an element of the game where you're like, that's tough to find and works in the postseason. Yeah, he drives people. He drives. He can have an element of the game where you're like, that's tough to find and works in the postseason. Yeah, he drives holes. He drives lanes. He goes to the net as hard as anybody with the stick down.

There's no reason why that he should not be able to score 20 goals like that in front of the net. And then maybe if he can work on the overall game. Put him on the power play at some point he can get that number up i don't know what number that that is reachable to me he's almost like a chris crider type yeah i think that's a good analogy a long time for chris crider to be the chris crider we know him today with the new york rangers yeah i don't know if he'll ever score 50 goals like chris kreider did but he's big and

strong drives to the net and can make a lot of people's lives miserable slight differences is like kreider is a straightaway speed guy and nice can make you miss laterally you know but otherwise i see the the comparable too he's a yeah he's just a confident young man right now let's listen to sheldon keith we got clip five here on matthew nize so nice yeah i i thought was i thought was really really good for us you know in that tampa series last year coming in and you know i barely know the guy um and he was tremendous um but i do think it's going to another level here. The confidence that he's shown, the play that he made to send Willie in tonight was just one of the great plays, strong plays he made along the wall. So, yeah, he's been really good in this series and just getting better.

So I think for a guy with his skill set and his size, when he gets confident and comfortable in this type of an environment, it's a great thing. Well, and again, this is his first full year in the National Hockey League, and you think about the number of games that he's played compared to last year, and he's got every excuse in the book to fade, but he's actually getting stronger. Good sign.

And, you know, he seems to have such a good read. He's willing to go forward and dump it in and get after it, but that play he makes to Willie last night is really a sign that he's not just, like, panic playing. No, he's not. He's thinking the game. That was an unbelievable play. Yeah, he protects the puck with his body.

You know what he has? He has the ability now to pick up the pace of play in the National Hockey League, but yet still have a way to kind of slow the game down a little bit in his mind. I don't know if you recall there was a play, I think, early in the first or second where he had the puck in his own zone and he tried to stick handle it out and he lost it. But I think it gives you an understanding and you know the right play would have just been to get it out and feel the pressure but it gives you an understanding of where this guy's mindset is how calm he is you

remember that right yeah and now it's finding the right balance on that calmness, on when to hold on to it, when to protect it. To Sheldon's point, like, it's an instinctual move to turn to the boards away from the pressure, protect the puck, and still put it into a place where Willie can skate into it. In stride. It was fantastic. Yeah, great play, Willie, with the absolute audacity

to go backhand five-hole. 1-0 game with the season on the line. With 20,000 mutants soaked in Coors Light, staring down at him, breathing on him, just slips it five-hole. Yeah, against a goalie who's been unbelievable. Yeah. So big play there.

Quickly, before I know we got to go because gordon's coming uh we got to talk just austin matthews uh do you want to do that in the next thing you're going to tell me that you shouldn't play saturday night right don't mess with a good lineup no you know that's not me i don't i'm not superstitious because i'm i mean uh yeah i think you want him to play. But the last two games, I'm like, do I? No, he won't play. You know what?

Let's think this further. The Leafs are so good without Morgan Riley. Let's scratch him too. Don't think it's not a conversation people are having out there. No way. The Dumbos. Who's having that? If your Dumbo friends are having that conversation.

Yeah, that's a shut down the group chat conversation. Leave the group chat. What? No way. Bingo. All right. We go to a break? Yeah, that's a shut down the group chat conversation. Leave the group chat. What? No way. Bingo. All right, we go to a break? Yeah, we do the break.

Okay. When we return, Gord Stelix, the electricity in this hour of Leaf Edition. And then at the top of the hour, we welcome in Doug McClain to give us his thoughts on the Leafs, Boston, and what's going on around the National Hockey League.

More after these words. Big opinions and in-depth conversations covering the Leafs, Jays, Raptors, and the NFL. The J.D. Bunkins Podcast. Subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. MacCyprio's Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee on our Leaf edition of our show. All right, let's not waste any time.

Let's bring him in. Stelictricity. Gord Stelic, former general manager and one of our favorites. Gordo, I like your shirt today. It almost matches my jacket. Well, yeah, I saw you on a little bit earlier. I ran upstairs and, you know, it's the sincerest form of flattery, Kipper. Atta boy.

Okay, so what do you make of this week? Give us your bird's eye view of what you witnessed from the beginning of the week to game seven okay well i witnessed what everybody did what the hell happened on saturday why they didn't show up it was reminiscent of after the first round last year not showing up the first three games against the florida panthers seen that script seen that tune far too often uh was expecting that if they lost game five, I mean, who knows? It would have to be the end of a lot of things. Right now, Kipper and Justin, I'm looking at the 2004 Boston Red Sox coming back 0-3 games down to the New York Yankees, winning four, winning the World Series, first time in 86 years,

eradicating the curse of the Bambino Babe Ruth. And now the Toronto Maple Leafs have that opportunity to replicate what the Boston Red Sox did 20 years ago. Cause the Leaf fans are long suffering fans like the Red Sox fans were. How about that? Is that, are you guaranteeing that Mark Mark Messier type guarantee? Well, I told you I'm broke already from my other bets,

so I really got no money to, I don't have any money to guarantee, but I'm telling you, this is what this opportunity, way best case scenario, and I'm not totally out of my mind, but I'm saying way best case scenario has become. Yeah. I mean, hey, you got to slay that dragon. Washington had to beat Pittsburgh. This would be very poetic.

So the, the stage is set. The Leafs have fallen short. Once they've set that stage in the past. One of the reasons they have is they haven't scored on the power play Gord. I don't even know the direction to go aside from Gord, the power play.

Well, I hate to be those, all those, all those assistant coaches get screwed now that if you're the pitching coach or hitting coach in baseball and one goes South, if you're the offensive or defensive coordinator, a football team and man, oh man, like it's a, yeah, no, no question. I mean, Justin, let's face it. It's not that, that a big stretch isn't going to happen anymore. Not scoring more than two goals and not scoring on the power play. So special teams and goaltending, bigger in the playoffs.

Goaltending has come up really big. If Austin Matthews can play, I mean, the power play was struggling with him as well. So I don't know what tweak can be left. I mean, it did have its moments where it was going, but the fact is, you know, you break it down a lot better than I do. It's not even really close. It's not even like they're getting glorious chances. So you're 100% right.

Okay, this big vision included the power play, getting their bleep together, and I don't know how they do it, but they got about eight assistant coaches. Let them figure it out. Just in terms of where we are at this moment, a lot of people just still absorbing the wind last night. But you know the conversation is going to kind of push towards where's Austin Matthews?

Can he play Saturday night? If so, how much? And the power play so bad, even him on the bench to play in a power play scenario. Is it worth it to have that discussion, Gord? That's how bad the power play is? You'll take an Austin at 50% now? Well, you know, it's funny.

You remember Zdeno Chera went back on the bench in the final with a broken jaw, and the Boston Bruins just to inspire that team. And, you know, it's not like Austin Matthews has been absent. He's one reason they're still playing game seven, because he's the reason they won that first game number two. So if it was doable that he could play and be a power play specialist, then I 100%. I mean, this notion about, you know, they're a better –

they have great records without their big guns in the lineup, but you still want them in. But I think Kipper, and you've been there, that it's proved that, okay, we have won without him. Guys have stepped up. Everyone stepped up. Mitch Marner stepped up. Most importantly, Max Domi stepped up.

John Tavares. I mean, all these things. So if he's not there, they played without him. They played without Nylander. That's the way it could be. But if he could play legitimately, if he he legitimately could play even the power play only, that's something I would really look at. That's something I'd want.

You know I love you both, but I have to push back against this concept that a guy could come play the power play only. Has it ever happened in the history of the league? If you're good enough to be in the game, you play. And it's not like the power play mindset sometimes. You don't take a beating on the power play. But see, this is the's not like the power play mindset you don't you don't take a beating on the power play but see this is the mindset that gets the power play in trouble

there's puck battles you still gotta work you gotta fight for pucks and skate back and see this is him and him and ov no just sit there and wait for the puck to come to you it's never happened where you've had a guy and just parked him on the power play and said take one time or everyone else will fight for the puck all All right. Nick Robertson, you stay in. So, yes. Go ahead, Gordon. It's different if the power play got going in his absence. That'd be different if

the last couple of games it got going in. And I see what you're saying. And you know what? If the answer coming back for game seven, I'm sure it morphs into other shifts. You're not talking about a guy going out there with a cane or something like that and playing on the power okay so i'm gonna draw the line at something can you take you got a better memory than me what was the scenario in the playoffs with matt sundin was he out he came back in do you remember that

yeah kipper everyone's got a better memory than you. Okay, for starters, I don't take that as a compliment. But that was the ultimate absurd playoff that they're going against Carolina down to the final four. And Sundin was out. I mean, you know, they had, I think they had Carl Pilash playing on defense as well. They had, you know, all these other names of guys that, you know, hadn't journey with players. And they started going,

if they're a better team without Matt Sundin. No, they never were. The fact that one without that scene was a you know was a credit and the other thing kip because you know we were doing the games back then or in around back then and justin that they've got to the final four i know i've brought up this point before but every final four they've got up to in the burns and quinn era they were better than the other team they were the la kings one year the vancouver canucks in 94 that year you're talking about the carolina hurricanes in the final four the buffalo sabers in the final four i mean you know they had made strides and then they didn't run into a juggernaut heavyweight that eliminated

them so that's why it's not 55 years of not winning a stanley cup it's 55 years not even being in a stanley cup fine and that's why i think it when i talk about my best case scenario that it's almost going to take something unusual to get them there so one important distinction i don't think i've heard drawn many places is that when the leafs have blown mind blown when they've lost in game seven elimination games to teams that they lost to the boston bruins who went on to go to the stanley cup final i believe uh the the last time they played them the tampa bay lightning they lose game seven tampa bay went on to win the stanley cup i think those were good teams this is the first time i remember them going actually montreal too beats them in seven they went to the cup final this is the first time i remember them going up against a

team who kind of in disarray, Gord. Like, they're not going to the Stanley Cup final. This Boston Bruins team, full stop. It is not happening. So do you feel better about their chances based on opponent? Oh, come on. The Columbus-Montreal series, you could never feel better than that. Come on.

No, no doubt about it. No doubt. Good point. Pierre-Luc Duboisois they're talking about buying him out in la he was the conspire trophy winner for columbus that one series what you know whatever could go wrong but those teams felt good or that montreal team was happy to push it to seven they were feeling good about themselves well they were up 3-1 they weren't happy like they they should have closed it out they had that monster year in the regular season.

So, the point is, I agree. It's not, like, the opposing presence of Zidano-Chiara was huge. I think bigger than Bergeron, Krejci, whatever. But you're right. Those guys aren't there. Jeremy Swayman, those picked up from Tuukka Rask. So, now the Leafs were able to counter with Joe Wall. Samsonov had been fine, but he was getting out-goals headed. So, you know, and Justin, it's so weird, those games,

that guys like one game Jake Gardner had his worst game as a Leaf. One game Freddie Anderson had his worst game as a Leaf. And early on, you know, we don't look at it enough that Mike Babcock had outcoached. You know, they had to do it the Babcock way. He didn't let the big guns get, you know, be the big guns. He had to put Thomas Placanik and his turtleneck out there for 28 minutes or something like that, you know,

because you got to earn your time there. You know what? He screwed up. Their time was there. That was a good opportunity. An opportunity wasted, and he flew to Phoenix to try to appease Austin, and everyone's just saying, why the hell didn't you play him more? Why didn't you see what's going on in the ice?

We're talking to Gord Stelic, Toronto Maple Leaf analyst for Sportsnet 590, the fan, former general manager. So we were just briefly discussing this earlier. Is the losing coach Saturday night going to lose his job? Good chance. Unbelievable that Jim Montgomery's in that realm. Like, really unbelievable. But, hey, we're talking the first time in, I believe,

history of any team sport, North American team sport, to two consecutive years have a 3-1 lead and blow it. It is unparalleled carnage out there. The NHL coaches just littered across the highway. It was like five years ago, there was not a single in-season coaching change made for 32 teams. And now, boom, just going, you know? Like Seattle, the players should be pissed at themselves.

They factored in the coach being moved from there, even though Ron Francis says that's not the case. And Kippy, I'm not after any coach's job. I know you guys aren't either. I think there's so many positives. You'd make a hell of a coach. I think you'd be decorated in a lot of ways, but I think that is just the reality,

the very likely reality for one of these teams. You'd make a great coach. All right, dynamite. Well, North Toronto, I got it out there, you know? Double A, way back when, you know? It's all coaching. It wasn't the kids. Imagine idiots that think that as parents,

that it's all coaching. It's not the kids. Yeah. You know, there's some unsung heroes having great series for this Maple Leafs team. We talked earlier about Matthew Nyes. I kind of mentioned passing that. I thought Yarncroft's been effective as a forecheck or whatever.

But Max Domi's emergence as a legitimate threat, a creator out there. He made such a great play to get McCabe a puck at one point. He's skating. He looks like a different player to me than he did earlier in the season. How integral has his success been for the Leafs? Oh, huge, because he's filling that void. You know, first, let's go back about some of that you said, Matthew Nyes.

And this is where the Kyle Dubas leaping the draft covered bear. Second round pick, Matthew Nyes. Third round pick, Joe Wall. Guess who's making entry-level money again next year? Those two guys. Great if Easton Cowan gets a big award there in the OHL so I mean that's why it was it was it was wasn't a smart astute strategy to totally go for it all the time not only did you not get it but you passed up the chance for these players to grow

develop and also use the entry level salary Max Domi I remember they tried him at center a few weeks ago he's done a lot of different things. Him and Bertuzzi really seemed to find their way at the halfway point of the season. What was he, 10-0 at face-offs in the first period of that game in Austin? I mean, you talk about a real statement because your first thing is, we're screwed

without Austin Matthews. He goes out and played the way he did. So you're right about, and Lepushkin and edmondson at the trade deadline look at the minutes last night six defensemen with relatively even minutes so it's just about almost like an orchestra the team has really got in sync these last two games the first win it was a good team effort but it was austin matthews game last two all these other components have come have come in and i don't know how much psychologically it's when you don't have a star player i mean guys try all the time so it's not like they

weren't trying before but it just is it just has borne the kind of fruit to get these two very different unusual wins that that's not the leaf style but at the most critical time of the year they've come up with two of them not to derail all this energy, but there's a but here. I'll go to you, Gord, first. Any loss at all throws it right back to where it was at the beginning of the week. Is there a chance that this Leaf Nation

or the media can take anything out of the last two games or an amazing effort in a lost Saturday night? Or is this the fork in the road tomorrow night where you move on and all is forgiven? If not, we're back to square one. So, yes. Yeah, I'm not, like, this does not save or salvage the season.

This saves it being an incredible disaster. But no, continually, whether it's the seventh game and that not getting out of the playoffs, forget it. Forget it. Not good enough. Whatever, whatever it may be. And that's so I'm 100 percent on side of I know Brendan Shannon's always said it's not the sexy thing, but you can't keep going back year after year after year. That's why I think this is just such a great opportunity to get to that next level and hopefully run with it. I mean, Joel Quenville, coaching the Chicago Blackhawks, talked about this team seven years ago that he saw similarities to when Patrick Kane and Jonathan Taveson Company started in Chicago.

Look at the success they had. Well, guess what? That team's now the Florida Panthers. That's not even the team in their own division anymore. And that's where they're looking at being a kind of back to maybe a Midland team and that's not what you want to be. So, yeah, I think it does. I'm not saying that's the air of the balloon. It's just the reality. It's just the reality. That's why this Game 7 is so important. The ultimate reality test, game seven tomorrow night in Boston.

Gordo, enjoy it, my friend. Thanks for doing this. I will do that. You take care. You take care, Justin, as well, okay? Thanks, Gordo. Appreciate it, bud. That is Gord Stelic.

Okay, just to pick up on that a little bit here. Earlier this week, I wrote an article for the Toronto Star. You can find it on my Real Kipper account. I threw in some hypotheticals, okay? And I'll just, I don't know if we discussed this, but a lot of talk earlier this week. Who needs to be fired? Who needs to go?

Where is the cut line for you guys where brendan sheldon rad tree living continue the vision moving forward and they get to go on is it stanley cupper bust is it conference final is it a good run against florida in the next round yeah is it just simply getting through game seven tomorrow night that is a million dollar question oh it's a lot more than a million this is many millions at stake for sure um cut line boys give it to me i think hard i think hard fought seven game series against the florida panthers in the second round, regardless of result, would do it. It's a really good question, and I do think how it looks matters for sure.

I'm with you on one thing. If you lose game seven in this round, none of this has mattered. Bye-bye. It hasn't mattered. You know, you've shown us close. You've battled back. I actually think they battled back down 3-1 to the bruins in a previous series before we're losing game seven correct you know so we've seen this but past that yeah better showing in round two progress can i give

you progress well listen go go six or seven games against florida and that's progress games and they look like they're a better team it depends who who you're talking about, too. Like, if you're talking about the players, I don't know that it would be... Would you go back to the same four-core four, watching them lose? We'll talk Monday. Okay. We'll talk Monday.

Conference final for me. Conference final. They got to get to the conference final, and then everyone can come back. They won another round. Six or seven years in the making to not just get past the third round. They need to compete first.

This is the window of the Stanley Cup now. You're right. And the conference final, think how great that is. That's a lot of time where you're in the playoffs. You're weeks from now, three weeks from now maybe,

where the city has been excited. There's energy. There's Hockey Night in Canada for weeks to come. It's given the people has been excited. There's energy. There's Hockey Night in Canada for weeks to come. It's giving the people what they want. A lot of good coaching decisions between now and that. Yeah. You know?

Yeah. Give the people what they want. There's momentum building for them. We'll see if they can close it out, at least to get through the first round Saturday night. I think Sportsnet likes that they're getting a Game 7 Hockey Night in Canada Saturday night. Boston Bruins Leafs. Probably like that. Do you hear that?

Do you hear that? Do you hear that? That's the sales department doing backflips right now. Ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching. Quick note. Monday will be Game 1 between the Bruins and Panthers or Leafs and Panthers. Plenty of time to recoup. Oh, my God. They're mine.

Matthews would be good as gold by then. There's a scheduled L if I've ever seen one. All right. We're just getting warmed up here on Off the Rails Friday. When we come back, Doug McClain, Toronto, Boston, Vancouver, plenty to get into with Doug McClain. Don't go away. That's an order. We'll see you next time.