Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Humbled in San Jose

Episode Date: March 28, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look back on the Leafs' 6-5 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks, getting swept in the season series despite the late rally to force overtime. They discuss Scott Laughton finally getting on the board in his Leafs threads, a tough blow in the team's division title hopes, what's behind Joseph Woll's recent fall-off, blue-line inconsistencies and much more. Later, the three go to the Leafs Line to answer your questions!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 affiliate.

All right, giddy up. It's Friday. No Kipper and born show. Nick Kiprios, Justin born Sammy McKee, Derek Brandeo, Jen roll Nick. Did I get it right? Jen's really here. Cool. So cool. What a start. We are live on sportsnet 590, the fans, Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet Plus on this Friday Off the Rails. Can we just go straight to Doug McLean because something tells me he's gonna have more energy than the three of us combined right now. And Sammy didn't even work last night. but he's a good he's a good soldier he watched the hockey match which is pretty insane hung in there uh the game you speak of obviously in our leaf edition hour of our program san jose sharks and the toronto maple leafs

i should have stayed at the ball game and i just should have let you do the show by yourself. I went to the Blue J game. I figured three o'clock, 1030 puck drop, no pregame show, plenty of time. And I had one beer. I figured it would wear off completely. I should have drank six or eight. I'll tell you how bad of a day it was

for Toronto sports yesterday. I really believe that we might have a podcast, even if it lasts only three minutes, they should do a podcast combining the Blair and Barker show with real Kipper and Boran show, because the three minutes on the exchange is awesome. It's honestly, you would call it the exchange, which is a great name for a podcast.

And at the exchange, we do like a five minute where we ask them dumb questions, big questions. How many are they gonna win this year? What would happen last night? And we just get our five minutes and off we go. And Barks, as he so many times does over his show, just rips it out. Like he looks at me and he goes, whose team sucked more yesterday? Yours or mine? My darling mother texted me from Spain this morning They've been in Spain for six weeks good trip good timing. Yeah, and she's you know, she still watches the show

She's still she said well, it's a tough day for Connell sports fans today. I said yeah, what else is new mom? Like this is it was I was simply born in it like the fire Whatever it is like I know this this is old hat the Thursday. Yeah, I don this. This is old hat. It's a Thursday. Yeah. Do you have fun at the game? 12-2? Is that what it was? 12-2? I always can have fun at a ball game

because it's just a different pace and you could look away for a very long time and not feel like you've missed anything. You had to. I did. I did. I went down and I was sitting in my seats with my brother-in-law, my nephew for a little bit.

Then I went and kissed some babies, met some friends, you know, saw some guys from my hockey team, met a little bit, and then I went and kissed some babies, met some friends, you know, saw some guys from my hockey team, met up with old JD and Ben Ennis. Oh, beautiful. Just, I took it a little deeper than I needed to. You know, I was just, I'm hurting a little bit today. Yeah, how did you hang in there

till like 1.30 in the morning for San Jose? Couch now. Passion. And I stepped through the second part of the second period. But other than that, I watched the whole thing thing and I was woken to the dulcet tones of Nick Kiprios and Justin Bourne Breaking it down on our sports at Ontario broadcast. What a job by you guys You know, what's funny is we actually I think it was the second intermission where we had a bunch of Positive packs put together. We're gonna try to like let's not of positive packs put together, we were gonna try to like, oh, let's not be too hard on him here.

Here's a good thing, here's a good thing. And like three minutes before we went to air, we're like, we can't do this. Like this is just not accurate. And we immediately were just like, show them being terrible. Let's get back to our roots. Yes, let's be who we are.

I was not, how could we watch that game and go, oh, I really liked the third line, the third line because we that was part of what we had built and it was like Every other player is bad We suck You're thrilled for Scott Lawton though thrilled thrill was their best player last night. Yeah, I mean that's not great no If you can't feel for that guy then something's wrong with you yeah, yes, and he was good last night You know he was good. He the touch is he played quicker. He looked quicker. I don't know if he played quicker I mean he skates he skates and there's some games that you think he's really slow, but

Not last night. he played quick last night. He skates it out of the corner instead of just you know staying in mud so I I feel like he had something going yesterday that was good. I think the most positive thing was teeing up the game by our very own David Ambers talking about how a win could make everybody feel like they're on top of the world or at least on top of the Atlantic Division and You could be staring at third before the game. Yeah, so They're still right there, I mean it was a An important point last night that they salvage but I don't think it really

point last night that they salvaged but I don't think it really comforts anyone today. Can you really look at it like that? Like can you really squint and look at it like that? We are still kind of trying to see the Sun come up today, no? It's just, well how, what do you think the point of margin, the margin of points is gonna be that wins this division? At the end of the year on April whatever the last eight two three tops, right and If they don't win the division and they end up playing Tampa Bay who is just a wagon like they are so good right now Yeah, they end up they've been good and if they end up playing them In the first round and they missed the top of the division by three points, you're

going to have to go to sleep at night and think about the four wasted points against two of the worst teams in the league in the last month of the season. You may be right, except it won't be Tampa. Tampa will win the Atlantic. They'll play Florida. You think so? I like Tampa right now. Okay.

But also I got two thoughts on this. One is that that point matters and I can squint at it and say it's a good thing because tied with Tampa in games played, they have one more point than Tampa. So it does matter. They very well could, you know, that could be the separator between first and whatever,

second, third. The other thing is just, we have this like recency thing of like, okay the month of March They've given away two points to San Jose two points to Nashville That's what you're gonna look to and say you blew it But if you go back over the season, we got a great tweet from Key on Goatman Who who sent us Tampa Florida and Toronto against the bottom five teams in the league and us Tampa Florida and Toronto against the bottom five teams in the league and Toronto's missed four points between San Jose Chicago Nashville Philadelphia and Buffalo Florida's missed six Tampa's missed six you lose to bad teams

sometimes so I don't think we need to over react I really prefer it in November or that first better it's better to not do it at all do you know when those losses were because that's to me the most important part and Looking ahead to playoff type atmosphere in killer instinct type games when you know, what's at stake Mm-hmm, they went into all those games against these crappy teams knowing if they win they solidify their division lead more they solid It's not about like of course everybody loses the crappy teams the NHL Yeah, but it's more about them knowing what's at stake going into that game last night and Losing to the Sharks two times this year. It's crazy

It's pretty bad or how Florida beat them seven how they are there. I don't know you see the how part is the most bothersome not even How part is the most bothersome? Not even giving up a point. Or what should have been losing two points last night. Like they, it's a 6-3 final, right? Yeah. Like that close to a 6-3 final. One of their dudes banked it off the post and, you know.

And so. Okay, we need a Craig Berube silver lining here. Will we find it in his overview? I would say it was his shortest press conference of the year. I would say He was tired and not wanting to talk to the media, but we'll play the clips that I got We got three clips from will play the first one the overview of the game You know did a great job at the end of the game to get a point You know we had a lot of good looks and OT didn't go in but you know

We didn't play very well in the first period. I mean we were there they were all over us. I thought You know outskated us in the first just Look quicker in us Quicker. Yeah, and the first period thing I think is super relevant. That was one of the things that we keyed on Kipper had a pack put together of That was one of the things that we keyed on Kipper had a pack put together of McMahon ices it in his first shift turns it over in the neutral zone

Turns it over in the D zone a hat trick of zonal turnovers there And that was kind of the theme is just guys couldn't handle the puck and god. I'll be honest San Jose looked faster Look faster There wasn't even close guys Yeah, and their power plays been so good and it was great again last night to get some two goals They were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were,

they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were,

they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were,

they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, they were, Didn't bother me. What? Yeah, I drove me crazy We often talked early when we first heard about five forwards about this being an issue and it hasn't been all season So I'm not worried about the five forward thing It's just a point of the game where you're at where you have a chance to step on young crappy. It was you give up Kind of a colossal few mistakes including Mitch Marner getting picked I think off of a colossal few mistakes, including Mitch

Marner getting picked, I think, off of a great pack of a back check that I really was involved in that too. There was like three of them all together there. But it does happen. You do give up a shorthanded goal. It hasn't happened as often as we probably would have thought with five forwards months ago To hear the three worst teams the NHL have given up short-handed goals are Boston Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers Yeah, I think the Leafs are you know there I think given up seven this year given up a Shorthanded there or even the fact that the power plays

Really hot which is great awesome, but that the power plays really hot, which is great. Awesome. But it's not even close to being their issue right now. They can't play five on five hockey. What did we say last night? They can't go against. They never have the puck. They cannot play even strength with San Jose last night, five on five.

But you know, do you believe that they can't or that they played bad? They can't come out of their own zone and they cannot have a sustained four check. How many times do we see, did we see last night or in the last few weeks of dumping it in and then either the team skating it out or making one or two passes and it comes back out. Like there's just, there's nothing that is sustainable in their playbook right now. It just feels like a lot of ozone turnovers, a lot of like trying to make a play on by the blue line or trying to get too cute.

Do you remember, you know, I know when I was younger and I'm sure when probably when you were in the NHL Like the cycle was a thing where you just took it up the wall and banged it back in the corner and you literally just Like have we seen them cycle? No, I don't think they've sustained any sort of like You know motion with the pot the first players you think of when you think of sitting Yeah, that's it. Well. It's just like you'll be those they do it for five minutes It's like someone attacked do something like no, it's just like you'll be the state do it for five minutes It felt like someone attacked do something to the hook. No, no, it's gonna keep cycle It's a little sedans to do that all the time. Oh, you're right. Okay, let's What do you want to clip the second clip? Cuz I think it's interesting. All right, you guys well they are a quick team

but I think that You know, maybe the travel yesterday and everything, you know, we just weren't on our toes we got better as the game went along You know We knew we know we made some mistakes Maybe the travel yesterday and everything, you know, we just weren't on our toes. We got better as the game went along, you know? We knew we made some mistakes. We all gotta be better, goalie included. You know, it's not good enough. I'm not a big fan of pulling in the traveling. Yeah.

Don't wanna hear it after that one. If I gotta hear- Traveling. Energy levels or road trip or travel anymore. It's like I get, but doesn't every team travel a ton like, I don't know. No, you're talking wrong. It's just like how many times have we talked about it this year? Have you talked about it more with a team with the schedule and the travel?

It's rigorous. It's hard for everybody. I don't know. Yeah. And everybody loses. Yeah, it's true. You know, it's just, it's tough to know which games to react to Appropriately and which is like yeah, they kind of mailed it in

It's like well, that's not very good 11 games to go in the season. Yeah with the division on the line I Don't know what the issue is. I really don't or is it just that I mean they are the first they full Jorthart they are in first but but But last night is a recipe for a first round exit you understand that right? Absolutely, but you'd like to think that the game won against whoever you're playing Wherever it is you're gonna be a little bit more locked in than you are to start that game You'd like to believe that there's some switch

that you can flip. But they're not gonna give the San Jose Sharks ever. And that's at the heart of the conversation we're having is, does that switch exist here? Can they do that? I don't know. I don't know. Any time, guys, any time. They're all just hanging out at the switch. What do you wanna do?

When should we flip this thing? Yeah. Ah! Someone will do it. Is the time yet? Someone will do it later. Is there anything fundamentally that needs to change? I still think the third line is not going to be the third line. Like Nick Robertson took a couple, what game was it he took two penalties?

Too Many Men, followed by the Slapshot against the Flames, I think? Yes. And then they scored on that power play. Last night he turned over the puck 1104 times, then took a penalty, and then they scored on that power play last night He turned over the puck 1,104 times then took a penalty and then they scored on the power play and I could not be more Confident that he's gonna watch the Kings game on Saturday night. There's no chance he plays on Saturday and if he does He's out of the scratch rotation. Well, like I'd be fully floored about what they're saying the statement that would be making Yeah About his spot in the lineup, which I don't think is secure enough

for him to play like that. Yeah. And take penalties. The coach mentioned in that clip, Wall. Yeah. Worthy of a conversation here. My stance a week ago, 10 days ago, was that this guy, unless he falls off, and last night was a fall off. It was, now.

You didn't like some of the saves he made when we were watching the game last night. I just, I just didn't see the same calmness, the same crisp movements that we've seen earlier this year. That is by far his worst game. Maybe you gotta go back to when he first got called up. I don't know, I have no idea, but the puck that went through him was Wernberg's.

Wernberg, yeah. Right? Yep. And then the complete. The full mark on Dre Flurry. Stick a dynamite up the middle. Yeah. See, are you more prone to write that off as a one-off weirdo thing or is that like a... No, no, no.

That's not enough for me to say, oh, I'm gonna go to Stoller's necessarily. Like Stoller's has got a big game tomorrow night in LA. Does that bad goal mean anything to you about where he is? Yes. game tomorrow night in LA. Does that bad goal mean anything to you about where he is? Yes, there is somewhat of a concern of where is his mindset right now and what's going on between the ears and last night we talked about go back to conversations in training camp for the first few weeks that these guys you're really banking on guys that have never been there to hold the fort like that on a contending team for a Stanley Cup.

And where are they going to be when the chips are down between the ears? They're going to be able to stay as calm as they were in November, in March and April? Right now, I hope it's a great learning experience for him last night. And that's, he's going to get another crack. He's going to play against Anaheim. So just, you're going to got to rebound well and look no further than Stolarz starts Saturday night and you go from there. I'll say the scary thing, which I think it probably in the back of people's minds that they don't want to hear is like, you know, I spent quite a bit of time in the minors,

whether as a player, as a coach, and you would see guys go up for a few games and they can do it for a few games, right? Adrenaline, they're fired up and everyone goes, this guy's all right. And then if it's a prolonged injury, they can't sustain that, right? Like there's a reason you can't go max out 82 games and they start to get exposed over

time. Wolan Stoller's entered this year as like, let's see what they can do. This is their crack to be starters, big year, money on the line. And both of them came out of the gangbusters. As the season is getting on here, I'm worried that both look pretty average. Just the last month or so. And, you know, what is the true... Obviously, they can be the guys they were there for a while,

but are they getting tired? Are we likely to see that best version of them we got at the start of the year? I don't know. Can we... Can we... Is the term quantify how much stress has been on the two of them all season long to be really, really good? Like, has their play come down 15 or 20% and it exposes the Leafs for not being that strong

of a roster as you would have hoped when they were At the top of their game Yeah, I know if they're pulled down 10 or 15 percent Does that mean like now the Leafs are gonna give up four or five or six goals a night? No, what was your no, I mean, that's a big jump from I'm just saying like if they're if they're pulled back and They're not the best to tan them in the league Is it is it an extra goal goal and a half a game on this roster? I mean, I have no idea that the math on it's probably that it instead of giving up 2.9 they give up 3.3 or something which yeah

There's a couple games where it's four instead of three and that makes a big difference Yeah, I think you look at oh the I mean look at the games played totals now. Like if Stoller's is now at his career high and Wolves... Let me rephrase the question. Let me rephrase the question. If they had played all season long like they're playing in the last two or three weeks, where do you think this team is? Dogfight with Ottawa right now. No question. Yeah. Battling of the you know, whatever seven points last year That's what I basically wanted to yeah get to yeah No, I definitely they've been huge and and definitely have them at a higher position in the standings It's crazy. Like they still have a very they've got a chance to finish second in the conference here with a

Good run of play. I was looking at Wolves March last year and remember it kind of it slipped like I forgot I mean it was not pretty last year in March either like I'm going through the the goals against per game here a lot of fours a lot of threes a couple fives mixed in there like he he really did kind of and I think it was when he came back from injury right he had hurt his ankle and he came back towards the end So maybe that was part of the reason that he was cold and then they started Samson off to actually start the playoffs But I do think you have to worry about a guy that's played 13 Games above his career high. He was in 884 in March last year. Yeah. Yeah, I remember that not being great. So

Is that not a factor here that he's playing way more than he ever has I don't know How can it not be part of the it's thing in the back? It's not a new conversation We've been talking about this all here. Yeah Offseason training camp. This was the conversation so I think it's legit and I do believe that people have the right to ask the question right now. Is he in a place now that should make Lee fans nervous? It's funny, you know, looking back at last season and he enters the playoffs and his three games played in the playoffs.

You know, he was wonderful. Brilliant. It, you know, missed out all five in replacement and then won a game with a 964 and won a game with a 957. You know, he was the one to one to one when he played last year playoffs. So I do believe that he's a guy that if he turns that focus back to it, that that it's there for him. So but it is it's on the list of things that you go. Okay, keep an eye on that. You don't want the stat from Luke Fox that he allowed nine goals in his past two starts against the 31st and 32nd

Ranked offenses. Yeah, that's not what you want heading towards playoffs, but I do have confidence you can pick it up One surprise I'll say that's a positive. I mentioned Scott Lawton was pretty good Oliver Ekman Larson. Hmm, you know, he led the Leafs in ice time last night. He played almost 25 minutes. You know, that's, I don't want to say it's a trend, but like, you know, they have McCabe and Riley and Tanev and they're using OEL more than anyone else with some relative frequency. And I know you said before that like Florida won the cup with him as a five. He's a five right now for them. But when he looks like last night, it's hard to not put him on the ice

over some guys who look not as good. Yeah, I think, I'm really concerned about the blue line. And I'm with you, like he was pretty good. And it just seems like there's pretty good Jake McCabe for two or three games, and then it maybe shifts over to Oliver Ekman-Larsen and Benoit's hot and cold.

And then there's Morgan, right? Then there's Morgan who's fighting it and had that disallowed goal against Philadelphia. And you see his arms go up. fighting it and had that disallowed goal against Philadelphia. And you know, you see his arms go up, I think it was for this seventh goal maybe, or it's like that guy wants it really badly. He needs one really badly right now. Yeah, I don't think he scored.

They had, they just overall together though, a cohesive group, they are not right now. And it's a good sign. They are not right now and It's a good sign. Yeah, you're right. Like Oliver Ekman Larson needs to be really good for them down the stretch here, but how good like a Three but the reason they are so much is cuz Morgan who we've talked about has not been very good in that If you go to my Twitter page at JT Bourne I tweeted a bunch of D stats today one of them for Morgan Riley is his percentile rank in skating speed over the past four years and you know he's an excellent skater but his like speed bursts over 20 miles per hour you want to be at the high of the percentiles being in the 99th percentile is very very good four years ago 97th

percentile elite elite then 94 next year 96 this year He's 86 Wow, you know, it's a pretty big jump down and it's no good But not yeah if you're and top skating speed last few years 88 90 85 this year 80 so he's slowed down this year and That's physical. That's like we that is an actual that's not an observation. That's what's happening. Well, I said it a month ago. What do you want out of Morgan? Play faster.

Yeah. Like he... Looks heavy. You think he's out of shape? You think he's carrying too much weight? I mean, I wouldn't have, I wouldn't want to speculate on that, but he's not skating as fast.

So unless he's just gotten older. Yeah, I mean, how old is he now? But I do think of like guys got lighter like when they want like LeBron James is a big heavy guy as he's gotten older the last seven eight years he got really lean so he can kind of keep moving and keep staying light on his feet. Maybe that's the next step for Riley is hey we need you to be five lighter. I don't know. Yeah. Is that enough? We did.

We were positive on the power play. You want to listen to Craig Brewie on it? Sure. It's been better and better as it's gone along here. We just, it hasn't gone in. Tonight it did, which is encouraging. Power play was good again. I didn't like the shorthanded goal. You know we have guys back that shouldn't happen

it's just another mistake that led to the loss of the hockey in my opinion I Am really encouraged with the power play and I'm really hoping that next year that can get hot in April instead of March the one thing I really like about it is attacking and I think The one thing I really like about it is attacking and I think Kneelander is all around the zone when he has it he's looking for a way in and Marner to a couple times got the puck And one, you know, they're kind of threatening in downhill at it rather than just standing around passing it out above the you know They're looking for a way in. Yeah, it's flipped. It's it's a real threat danger. It is and

If you got to pull whatever positive you can, but Craig Simpson who we love on the show, anytime we can get him on, talked about how a hot power play could win you a series. Right now, even that hot power play cannot win them a series unless they start cleaning up some other things. And you're just not gonna get the opportunities that hot power play cannot win them a series unless they start cleaning up some other things and

You're just not gonna get the opportunities on a power play in the playoffs. There's One or two played three five in the first, you know first round last year Kipper. It had a ton of chances in Seven games. Yes, that's a lot. Is that not a lot over and a half per game? That's quite a that's a lot of chances to go one If they scored two different times, they win that series potentially. I Just don't want anybody to depend on A power play being the difference Baker in a series you have to your first priority is Five on five play guys. Yeah your first priority is five on five play guys. Yeah, of course.

It won't matter, it won't matter. They are so bad right now, even strength, that I don't believe that even a 30% power play could be the difference for them. And it should be like a cherry on top of power play. And it's great that it's going well going well right now and did it save them a point oh yeah right so good on it but like I have another addition to the what we've learned you know a lot of people have been talking about Riley's plus

minus and I was like yeah yeah but all the empty netters against And you watched Mitch Marner last night 58 seconds left finds a way through Tavares gets a tip on it and then you know with Then they need one more and Morgan's on the point and Morgan's got the puck and it just Sticks to his tape for a quarter second longer than I needed to and I don't think he's gonna be a part It should be a part of the six man unit. It hasn't worked with him on it. Mitch's gotta be the quarterback.

You wanna put another forward out there and just go six? Fine. I think you're better off adding McMahon than you are having Riley back there with Mitch. Even if you have Willie come up high and give Marner a flat outlet, I just, I don't, he doesn't make quick enough decisions for me the play that they make to tie it is just so brilliant oh I mean the pass from Marner the shot by well even that

the Matthew shot and then immediate follow the rebound dig it out right to Marner pass being Bama yes yeah in my living room, what am I cheering for? They just tied the worst team in the league. What am I cheering for? What am I doing here? It's just baffling that you can have this sense of urgency and you can move the puck that well in that stressful moment. But this has always been them. You can't find a way to make three passes

between the first minute and 55 minutes? Not three. I don't know if they made three good passes for 59 minutes. Kipper, this is the one. And then they were the red army. Why can they pass the puck so well? Why can they pass the puck so well in those moments, but during the game, you don't see it? It's mind-boggling. It is one of the defining characteristics of this era. And I'm watching the game, they don't

they didn't even come close to passing the puck as well as San Jose last night. Those two kids between Celebrini and Smith. Celebrini, Smith and Eklund are all pretty good. They all played Marner, Matthews, Tavares, Nylander for 55 minutes. Celebrating is so good. They just schooled them. And Tafoli is so funny to me. I love Samuels, but Samuels is like, ah, you know, it's a really frustrating year for Tafoli. Like, not winning a lot.

He's got two cops and he's playing in San Jose. He's making four. I think he's okay. I don't think he would expect to win the cup there but he's really good to fully do. As like a support guy like he's can always shoot it in the net. Kipper's killing me last night going like that's the kind of type of guy they needed to get and I'm like I know. No he would be perfect. Perfect. Just a guy that can really really alleviate some of that off of four guys. Red hot. Not a goal score, buddy.

Not a goal score. It was telling to me the reaction. They seemed to genuinely love him already. The Scott Lott. And Tanev, after he scores that goal, Tanev does a double fist pump, like grab. I'm so excited. Well, that's nice It's nice. They care. Well camaraderie

They're not like the media where they go. He's a flop Right, you're bailing on your teammate, but they just seem to like him. Yes for sure They'd like anybody that could just supposed to come in and help them win Right enough fair enough. All right calls okay I love that player take a quick break and we were when we returned Sammy our brilliant producer Barry what do you got for us Sammy we have 13 calls 13 what do we call this Sammy leafs line just leaf line no Sammy McKee leaf line or anything you don't want to throw your name on something else? Oh my god.

Well, they don't put my name on the show, so I gotta do it somehow. All right. Sammy's calls when we return to The Real Kipper and Bourne Show. The best Blue Jay show out there, period. Blair and Barker. Be sure to subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. This hour Real Kipper and Bourne brought to you by Bet 365, top of the hour.

Welcome in Doug McLean. What are you looking at me you good don't look at him am I oh my oh there we go I don't know sometimes he looks at me like I've got a third eye on my forehead I know it's what I'm like what where did I screw up it's the producers it is I alright yeah you are somehow so produce. Okay Who do you want to start with here? Let's go to caller number six Steve from the hammer The new segment you guys introduced recently lot and talk where you guys talk about Scott Lawton for 20 minutes a day. I also love your other daily segment, Jets Talk, where you guys talk

about the Winnipeg Jets for 20 seconds every day. Now, I totally agree with Kipper that we shouldn't be overly critical of 16, 17, 18 year old prospects, their kids. And for the most part, we should probably just leave them alone but on the flip side of that I totally agree with Borny that once those kids are in the NHL they're fair game NHL players that are making millions of dollars don't need to be protected from unfair criticism so my question is actually about your third funny little segment that's not really a segment. Crumblin' Talk.

I'm not really okay with Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin thinking that they're going to use NHL players in their little Cold War on Ice fantasy camp exhibition series, but I got no problem with them using AHL players so my question is Who do you guys think would win in a seven game series? between the best team in the AHL and the best team in the KHL and guys Please don't all three of you die of a heart attack at the same time Really bad and they probably give your time slot to Blair and Barker

and nobody wants that. So keep up the great work guys and stay healthy. That's a great call and a happy birthday to Jeff Blair that reminds me. Steve's got a little bit of that stand up thing going right now. Yeah, good call. Stuff in there, lot of good stuff.

Impressed. I will say, you know, people have tugged me like, hey, my tugged tugs me like hey my buddies like I'm gonna call in I'm gonna call in and then they like do like oh I was too nervous it's like that guy just came in ready prepped good takes he was ready to rock so anyways have you ever left anybody a messaging like that I sounded like an idiot yeah and then it was like the time like press seven there nine and you're like oh I press the wrong button it's gone my whole life yes so who wins in a series who's the best team in the aHL the Marlies I don't think so you know I go KHL I yeah the best team in the KHL definitely KHL but like Josh Levo just

scored a goal a game mm-hmm and you, I he'd probably be a leading scorer in the American League to they're probably not that far off. I Just very different much younger in the American League was you ever watched a K a full KHL game and like No, ten years. No. I haven't. No. I haven't either. I have watched. Intermittent chunks. The feeling is that the KHL has kind of regarded the second best league in the world. Yeah.

I think that's safe to say. Yeah. So we're going to give it to the K. Okay. There you go. Steve from the Hammer, thank you for a great call. All right. Let's go to Phil from Oakville.

Hey, Sammy. Hey, guys. I listen to you guys all the time in the car because I'm going here and there for my job. Look, I really thought of something that's important. Fans have witnessed great players fight in the midst of organizational incompetence. Sitler, Wendell, those eras, Sundeen never having a proper winger. There's probably three or four others. Now we have stability, organizational stability, and even better talent. No wonder why the fan base, especially older

ones, can't tolerate indifferent play. Thanks for listening to my So box long-time Lee fan, but man is it tough? Amen brother. That's a great way to put it. So they've had great players who've worked their hearts out Yeah, but it it's been poorly run. Mm-hmm. And now it's well run. Mm-hmm and the players are questioned He said stability, okay, oh ten Okay. Oh. Ten years of Brandon. I'm just like, buddy, losing in the first round, there's no stability. I would argue stability could be part of the problem. Right? Like, it's stable.

It's stable, but there will be changes if they don't get out of the first round. And now you're talking about Matthews and Nylander and obviously Marner with his pending UFA, but who's coming in? To what degree? Who's in charge? How many people are leaving? How many new ones are coming in? What's it going to look like?

This is fork in the road time for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yeah. It's funny seeing Colorado move off Miko Rantinen and look, everyone consensus like one of the best three teams in the NHL post Rantinen trade. It's funny to see that and then be like, you can't trade D-Lander. You could never trade a guy that good. And's like you can and it's one of the options Yeah, I'm not saying you do it. I'm just saying these are I know it's all doable but

That goes for Matthews to it's all an option Hmm the final verdict is Still there to figure out whether or not Colorado ultimately made the right move or not true And when randin shoots six in in the ground against the car maybe maybe blows the province for up after Or he never regains his touch and they're out in the first round Dallas scary, so That's That's part of making big decisions, big bucks out of Colorado for Sackick and McFarlane. So much easier to take a risk

when you have a company in your back pocket. It is. Leafs will be there. I mean, I appreciate Phil talking about stability, but there's gonna be major changes here if we don't see a team In the final eight final four, I don't know you tell me Yeah, let's go to Jordan from parts unknown Boys it is it has got to be said and I'm you pressed my hand to do this with all the

heavy-handed Scott Lotton talk and just how how tough it is to play in the city of Toronto and the fish bubble and or fish bowl you know whatever but it it has got to be said guys there are 18, 19-year-olds playing college football right now in the states of Mississippi and Alabama that have more pressure and more eyeballs on them to perform and to win than anyone on the Toronto Maple Leaf has literally ever had ever and will most likely ever have ever. So I promise you, I promise, I promise the city of Toronto that the reason that the Leafs have not won since 1967 is not because the pressure is too much, it's because the teams just haven't been good enough. You haven't put a team together that's been

good enough to win the Stanley Cup since 1967. It's not because, oh my gosh, it's just so hard to win here in Toronto. It's ridiculous. I'm so tired of hearing it. Kipper's got to calm down on it. There's not enough, there's not been enough shredding on this line. There needs to be more shredding. I'm here to shred. What would you know about this? I like that call. Yeah, thank you to Scott Walken, Christopher Walken's son,

apparently with that dynamic. That was great. Jordan from Parts Unknown, good job, buddy. I got a few things to say about that, but you wanna go first? I'll just say that just because there's pressure and even more pressure other places doesn't void the pressure that people have here and that it does affect performance. So it is an element that goes into it.

He did make a very valid point that when it really, when push came to shove over the last, what are we at? 58 years? It's 1967. I don't know. that when it really, when push came to shove over the last, what are we at, 58 years? It's 1967, I don't know. Sounds right. That max. You could look at each roster and say, this is where they fell short, this is what was missing,

this is what didn't get it done. It wasn't because the guys cracked under pressure. But. This era is. No. Feels like the temperature is greatly affected. The blue line was never good the last 10 years to, except for this year.

This year's the best blue line for depth wise. For depth wise, is it missing a true number one offensive type of threat out there? Yes, but it's a lot better than we've seen in the past. So I think if you want to talk about the blue line, a big reason why is because they paid all the money to all those forwards and they weren't able to do and get one of those top demand. So I think this, but I think to take his point and be like is Scott Lotton feeling the pressure or a Scott Lotton?

Not that awesome Yeah, you know maybe a goal last night for our boy lots. They'd love lots. What a lot But he was he was he had one bounce over stick at the net He was you know getting into the hoop he made call that place call that the lot and hat trick I'm goal and one bounces over his stick. I'm not really sure I buy into his four years of college having the same feeling as a guy making $11 million in this town over eight years, nine years.

The problem is, it's not year to year, it's when it builds to like seven or eight or nine years and where mitch Marner is right now with a fork in the road his contracts up What do I want to do here? There's so many things going through his mind besides how much money he's going to make this year which includes Where's this team heading and can I win here? Blah blah blah blah blah, blah, blah. So it's not crazy.

He's right. He can win here. I assure you, you can win here. It takes a special group. It's not for everybody. Playing in Toronto is not for everybody. There is guys that can handle it, welcome it, no problem. There's a Tyson Berry who says,

get me the heck out of here. Ryan O'Reilly, who's an Ontario guy, comes and lives it. I would have loved it till I was like 28, but those older guys, I'd be the same way. I'd be like, I'm not doing this every day anymore. I got a kid. Yeah, tell me if you're in it, was like 28, but those older guys, I'd be the same way. I'd be like, I'm not doing this anymore. I got a kid. And Ryan O'Reilly's like, yeah, tell me if you're in Florida, please. Thanks, but no thanks.

I'd rather go stink out loud with the Predators. Yeah, and have nobody ever comment on it. Guys get followed home here, right? It's different here. Can I, but you look around the teams that have won other championships. So if you look at the other like, you know You don't think there's any pressure in Philadelphia on the Eagles like you think they care about the Eagles that you think the media talks But the Eagles a bit in Philadelphia. Yeah

One the championship in Boston, you don't think they put pressure on the Boston Celtics. It's like go go miss a field goal Yeah, get yourself to a Super Bowl and tell me that guy's not having a for sale sign up. Right. Good conversation. Everybody feels it. Let's go. This is a longer one.

So let's avoid that one for today. We'll save that one for a little bit later. Let's go. I know but he's been on before so we'll save it. Let's go to nice Lady from Parts Unknown. Hi, good afternoon, Sammy. Thanks for taking my call. We are a couple, 79 and 75 years young.

We reside in Belle River, Ontario, home of Max Domey and Aaron Echblad. We've been Leaf fans our whole lives. We were on our honeymoon in Niagara Falls in 1967 when they won the last cup. So just wanted to ask you if you think we have another chance to see another cup in our lifetime. We keep sharing every year. Go Leafs Go. Love it.

We're waiting. Just wanted to see what you think. Well have a great day. I could always tell it's four o'clock because it's coffee time and kipper and born in our Toronto Maple Leafs heated garage Oh my god waiting waiting waiting. Have a great day. Thank you. You guys are the best nice Thank you so much Bell River from Bell River. I wish she'd say her name, but I You know, whatever your name is Lovely woman. Hey, if these guys don't get done, I'm worried about my

lifetime. Let's just say that. I've got an article right now on SportsCent.ca and it is on the groups that I believe can win a cup this year. It's 11 teams, which is so many teams compared to most years. And basically my point was whoever is healthy at the right time. Say the Leafs win the division, Patrick Reddy comes back, Matthews is feeling great and looking good, you know, maybe

they get Hock and Poback. There's no reason they're not a part of the group of teams who could win a cup this year. They can be in the conversation for sure. It could happen. Miracles happen. It could happen Miracles happen it could happen it could happen. It doesn't happen this year 9% chance and by chance I need to come back and be president and you general manager and Sammy rink host There's no there is no job that I am less suited for buddy coast I would be the worst job that I am less suited for. I would be the worst. I hate these guys. I've got you raincoats. I can't stand watching this. Just to balance it out. Okay fair fair. Alright. Let's go to John Doe from Parts Unknown. Hey Kipper I'm gonna talk to you. Borny, I just want to let you know I just bought an Airbnb because I've heard it so many times.

Why don't we just sneak in there, grab Blaine and Barker. What's their name? Barker? Get them out of the thing Kipper, use those myths of yours, grab them and throw them out. Send them to Rogers. Nobody wants to listen to them talk about Vlad. He's standing on first base for 30 million. Oh, and Sammy, he's not doing a talk that night because the Jays are on.

Him and Bunky are gonna sit in the stands and they're gonna box score the whole thing. Let's get to the hockey playoffs where the real sports are played, please. Thank you, Kipper. Get some things done over there, Kipper. Show them my boss. It's gotta be you. We. Thank you Kipper. Get some things done over there Kipper. I'm working on it. Show them the box.

It's gotta be you. We need you Kipper. Really appreciate it. Sammy, no more baseball. Oh, it's the same guy. I love that guy. Are you a ball guy who does the box scores? Buddy, I can't hold a beer and box.

I can't. Are you nuts? Think of anything like. Door cutter. Sorry if you're a listener and you do that, you're the biggest door cutter. I'm wearing glasses today. So I would go to the door but there's no door. Sorry if you're listening you do that you're the biggest dork on earth For like having some weird like I don't know esoteric hobby that you do

So satisfying score it properly I can dig that but it does seem like an awful lot taking it to the game Like you gotta bring a pen and like if Kipper was going he'd be like Oh, I don't have a pen Bartman with a head Where can I get a pen? I'm still in the guys pen next door. Okay. I've got a story for you The pen that he is holding right now mark baffle brought around a card for everybody to sign Kipper I was like sign this card and then I walked away he comes back inside he picks up this phone oh I can't believe Torch last and I picked up the pen he's got I'm the worst I told my wife in like November I was like can you add like 50 Bic pens to your next Amazon order I said what for I was like for camera

The other day I looked at my desk. There's like seven left So for 20 years at Sportsnet, I'd start every meeting Pen me Pen me one per day. I don't care who it is in the room put it in the budget me Okay, apparently so we just text in and said, Sammy, the lady from bell river is Edith. No idea. Wayne from st. Thomas. Thanks for that. Who says Doug McClain is the star up on off the rails Friday. It's Jen just said she made it up. So I'm lost. It's Friday. Let's go to break. Good Lord. We're only halfway through. We didn't pick up the energy. Our next guest will Doug McLean and he wants a little bit of Tortorello.