Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Offence in Focus Against the Bolts

Episode Date: December 8, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee recap the Maple Leafs' 2-1 loss in a shootout to the Montreal Canadiens, Dennis Hildeby slotting in to start in net on Saturday Night, Alexandre Texier's one-handed shootout goal, and the top six struggling to produce on offence. The guys shift their attention to the Monday Night game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with Calle Järnkrok slotting back in for Nick Robertson, and Jonas Johansson taking the recently shelved Andrei Vasilevsky's place in Jon Cooper's net. 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.

Just like that, another game day for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The real Kipper and Bourne show, Season 5, Jake the Snake Shultz, Derek Brandale. McIntyreos, Justin Bourne, and our very, very own, semi-McKee. We're live on SportsSat 360, 590, the fan in Toronto, and streaming always on Sportsnet Plus. Always, but always, he can catch us as well on spot. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. I just finished watching our baseball boys leave the studio. Yeah.

Barker and Blair. Yeah. Like, it's December. There's news, though. I used to seeing them in December. There's news. I love our undying commitment to the Toronto Blue Jays. It's four-step, fine, under the fan.

I care about it deeply. My microphone's doing weird things. I'll probably should figure this out before the show started. But it's great to see. those guys. I'd be lying if I said it didn't bring back horrendous memories to see both of their faces. But it was nice to see their voice or see them and hear their voice. You know what dawned on me as they're leaving the studio. It's that, you know, say what you will. This is not for us to go any deeper on whether baseball needs a salary cap or not. Okay? I don't want that. I don't want this

to turn into that. But how lucky is it for baseball fans that like the ability of you know ed rogers who owns the blue jays now just to go and sign a guy and create this amazing energy and feel and it's like that that's gone for for hockey it's gone for the Leafs oh yeah we we've only you're only giving my my take I'm the last years back to me what was the last like it was Tavares wasn't it yeah free agency July that was a underselling christie Tanov pretty hard here. That was eight years ago.

Yeah. Love Tanov, but you're right. Not Tannov. Tant of at his age now with the wear and tear that he's had on himself was a nice pickup, but it wasn't like the recent baseball one. Who's the pitcher? I don't even know the guy's name. Dylan C's, the guy the J-side?

Yeah. Dylan Cis. All right. I got to tell you. What, 200, 300 million? He signed a 7-year 210. Oh, my God. And tomorrow, if you're listening to this show, our show may be starting a little bit late

because there's a press conference that we're introducing him to the media. Tomorrow, Scott Boris will be there, super agent, so he'll be droning on a little bit. And I got to tell you, I really enjoyed on Twitter yesterday, seeing stuff about the Yankees and the Steinbrenners and how they used to just outspend everyone. And they're crying poor.

And now it's like, well, you can't keep up with the Guggenheims and the who owns the Dodgers now. It's like Madge Johnson and Rogers and Canada. And they're like the poverty Yankees. I saw them call on. Hold your money, y'all. There's poor people around. Yeah, yeah.

It's like, we're one of those spenders. now. I just missed, like, the buzz of something like that. Then tell every free agent not to sign a team-friendly deal for 25 years in the NHL. And then maybe we'll be able to get, like, because it's just what they do. They all are just really

loyal hockey guys. Like, even Kyle Connor, who's American, like, it's like, you can't even get, you can't even get the flashy Swede to leave Kempai signs too. It's like, come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Missed you on Friday. Our very own

Gort Stelik. You did a great job filling in for you, but great to see you back, J.B. To be back. And let's start with, all right, glass half full, half empty after Saturday night. There's a sense that it was a point lost, not a point gained Saturday night. But your overall thoughts of a 2-1 overtime shootout loss, whatever you want to call it to the Montreal Canadiens for the Leafs.

Yeah, you know, you say it's a point loss, not a point gained, Considering the way the game play went, I think they're fortunate to leave there with a point. I'll say my glass half full is we didn't know what to expect out of Dennis Hill to be this year. And thank God he looks like he's taking a step. Everyone talking about his confidence, 927 save percentage now. I don't know how long he can be this Dennis Hill to be for, but the more games you get like that while you're waiting for Joseph Wool and Anthony Stollars to be back,

gives you a chance to get points. I think that the first game back from a long road trip is always a bad one, but the least have also been bad a lot this year. So I was trying to figure out throughout that game, whether it was just them flashing back to earlier in the year, that sort of trend that always happens with that first game back. But I thought they had their moment, second period, they were brutal again. So that's a trend that's been bad all year.

But good in the third, I thought, pretty good in the first. But, yeah, I'd say lucky to get a point with the way he'll be played was, I think, the biggest reason. Let's go to Craig Bruby for our first Kipper's clip. of the week on his overview of Saturday night. Good first period. You know, I thought we came out with the right mindset, did some good things. Second period turned bucks over.

That's basically what have boiled down to. Got put ourselves in three-quarter ice. Basically Montreal own that period because of turnovers, in my opinion. Third period, pretty good period. Overall, missing that like 15 times tonight at least. I think that's a number. Good opportunities, too. We've got to hit the net on those opportunities.

And the P.P.'s got to come through for us, and it didn't. But I thought our goal tendon was good. And, you know, we got a point out of it. It couldn't hit the broadside of a barn on Saturday night. Yeah. What was your overview? Yeah, still some bad habits. That second period was as bad as a lot of the second periods that we've seen.

And it's like, just why? Why do they get caved in like that? Montreal should have put the game away in the second period. What was this shots on goal, 14-4 or something? 13-5 or 14-4 in that range. It was just ridiculous. And only because of Hildeby is only because of Joseph Wall or stole ours a lot earlier in the season on a game or two.

But like, I don't know what this is going to do now moving forward for Hildeby. with his lack of experience and being asked to do it 48 hours later against now a Tampa Bay team. We'll get into Tampa Bay a little later, but it's a lot of weight. Point and Kuturov return to the lineup tonight. It's a lot of weight on Hildeby, and you like what you see. Big guy seems to have some poise now, some confidence. Hopefully the shootout didn't bother him in terms of his confidence. but uh can i can i ask you guys about that shootout yeah okay so the first one i mean

coffield's just he shoots it in the open net he gave him a lot of net all he does yeah yeah but i mean that's coffee he scores yeah the texier move from like why do you he doesn't even need to take the hand off the stick the hand off the stick is total just an f you move like you can't just do that with both i don't think so you can't just do both hands on the stick it's this one hand shovel is a it's a thing no it's a really effective move it's it's a really effective move It's the goaltender watching the body, Sam, too, right? But to me, you could have just done that with two hands on the stake. It's a harder, longer reach if he's also got his bottom hand on that, I feel like.

So nasty. So nasty. Yeah, but the Cahone. I love it. Pocketting, Canada, 18,000 people in the building. It's pushing the puck in with one hand, which is faster than two hands. That's what it is. He's a reason they're sending this guy.

He was a waiver claim, and they've sent him in two shootouts so far. He must be a specialist of sort. I'm not up in his career numbers, but got to be good. At the end of the day, ballsy move. Loved it. I mean, I got to tell you, I had the pre-scout on him. I've watched a lot of shootout highlights over my ears. Love the shoot-out highlights.

And he's done that move probably five or six times. And I said to Allie, I'm like, he's going to go, I'll do this one-hand move, and he did it. So he's just, that's what he likes to do. Go-to. Go-to. The one thing that Bruby is becoming aware of now, the possession game is, like, on their mind.

They're talking about it. That second period is another one where, they just they don't do the right little things you know a good dumps you know a connected breakout a little chip support they just don't do the things that lead to possession like i'm talking league worst like they're the bottom three in the league and a lot of these possession numbers and they know it now and they're trying to figure what to do but i'm trying to figure out how much of it is personnel because they they are without

marner and they're without camp and they're without holmberg and they're without these guys who did little possessiony things and how much of it is Barubi because immediately after his arrival the possession numbers went in the gutter so I don't know which you know cart horse that sort of thing can't tell yeah I mean it just doesn't specifically if you can do the second period

possession yeah they had to be far in a way the last team the league I would imagine they just they can't where is this affecting even the big boys here because with all in the D zone all due respect here you know

Hildeby bailed them out Scott Lotton bailed them out my favorite moment of the season okay for sure bailed not even close heat not even close but tovaris nyes and austin how many total shots on goal in that game who offhand two i was going to say under three two yeah yeah two like no shows didn't have it like those are your big boys and how does How does that affect Like where they're I don't know Sometimes it just looks like

I don't know Lack of interest I don't know But like they're just I liked Austin's Three on Three I mean he was He looked like more of himself In three on three but Maybe Willie should have passed it to him then

Oh that was gross But like for 60 minutes These guys like There was no puck possession There was a lot of time in their own zone. I'm trying to find it quick here because I saw it somewhere

in the internet today, but Tavares, since they had to lean on him without Matthews, has been a different player. Like Matthews was gone. They said, we need you, play 22 minutes a night for five straight games,

and he did, and he was great, and he gave him what he had. And since then... He's lost his legs a little bit? Totally. Yeah. Kip, I don't know if he has a... Does he have a point since then?

Like, he's really... He hasn't scored since then. He scored an empty netter. The one empty netter, he had the breakaway. I don't know where that was maybe one of the games. Maybe Florida. Florida was, I think, the M-D-D-N-D-Nor. Yeah, so DeVars is on pointless and four or five.

It has scored only once in the last seven outings. Was that against Florida? Empty-netter? I'm not sure. Oh, here I'll look it up. Yeah. Anyways. Either way the point stands, right?

Like, it's, I don't know if that's the reason. I also know that over 82 games, you go through some bad stretches, ups and downs, whatever. It would be quite the coincidence, though. You know, as they say, water finds its mark, right? Yeah. Like he's level, he's, at the end of the day, he's an 80 point guy. He's been knocked away his whole career, pointy game kind of guy.

So this season, he has his best start as a leaf, maybe his best start of his career. I don't know. It was he on pace for 105, 110 points. Everybody got excited. He was smoking hot. He was smoking hot. But he's going to end up probably between 70 and 80 points. 49 and 28 right now.

At his age, he's not hiding who he is, his whole career. Yeah. No, you're right. He is very effective. And he'll get hot again. He will get hot again. He also works hard. Like, that last game, you didn't like a lot of the guys disappear.

Tavares, he's hounding puck, he's chasing it down. He's working. So I'll give him that. Willie, you know, three-game, pointless streak, first sort of stretch of the season. And not just pointless, like, just wouldn't know he's playing the game. like wouldn't know he's out there which is really unusual even if it's you know he does something terrible or awesome or whatever but he just kind of existed out there for me on Saturday yeah you rarely he used to have these stretches a lot when he was younger like

before he signed the long contract when you'd have the the real lightning rod conversations about him he had these long stretches weeks at a time maybe not week yeah they'd be 10 games long and he would you just wouldn't see him but this is an old school three gamer here where, I mean, I thought, I don't know what you guys thought of them on Saturday night, but, I mean, the only time really saw him was in overtime and he wasn't very good in overtime. So I can't believe he didn't give that puck to Matthews for a breakaway. Anyway, I mean, the conversations we've had about him where you've gotten mad at me and I've gotten mad at you is that I'm completely willing to excuse his faults that he has, obviously, when he is. And this would be one of them.

This will be the week where you go, Willie's just Willie. let me finish i'm exact i'm very happy to exclude them talk when he's shooting in the net when he's looking dangerous offensively but when he's not doing that part of it that's when the criticism comes in for me like you have to have the offense if you're going to have the other side of it and the offense hasn't been there for a little while now yeah that's where i'm at on yeah is that fair keeper looks smiling like it's not fair i just think uh yeah it's just this is what we've been accustomed to probably for a very long time with with willie but you would say he's engaged he's all in and then there's sometimes when it just looks like he's for whatever reason maybe he's not feeling 100%

right now but i saw someone say that it's like it happens you can he can look checked out at times would you say that in the past couple years those inconsistencies have gone away a lot more than they used to be there like that that might be fair to say yeah i think so i think there's a there's been at times a look of maturity for Willie and the sense of you're older now you're going to be asked to do more things in a leadership role I think they've tried to nudge them towards a leadership role he seems to have this I don't know

at times maybe kind of gritty relationship with this coach but at the end of the day they know they need each other right But I'm Craig Barubi I'd probably start leaning on them a little bit more You know you had three kids And did you battle at times with how much Like at the risk of them tuning you out Of being like oh like nattering nagging

You know it's tough to find the line right? Yeah I don't think I don't think you're far off on you know the comparisons of parent, child, coach, player. Come on, Willie. We know you can do this.

Kicking the butt, one kid, pat on the back, the other. Which one is which? How do you decide what, who needs what, when? Willie, people who got coaches just throwing carrots and sticks at him. What do you want?

What does it take? Yeah. No idea how to motivate it. But just to go back to what you said earlier, uh, I don't know why. Willie didn't just, like, he had, Austin had three feet on the closest Montreal Canadian defender. Right.

And all he, he needed a, he needed a, a Texie, just one-handed push. All he needed to do is just push, right? And it's so much worse watching. I forgot how bad it wasn't. I am now thinking if I'm Austin right now going back to that bench. I was begged. I didn't need to do that sprint. I wasn't getting the puck.

You don't even need to say anything to Willie. Just look at him and go, why. Yeah. Why I'm ahead of you. Push it. I'm in. You know, I guess Willie's thinking it's a two and O and he can look him off and it'll help his chance of the scoring.

I don't know if we can see it. And I know probably Austin's 30 or 40 seconds into the shift. Yeah. But watch Austin when he doesn't get the puck. I don't know if we can play it again for those of you that are watching on TV. but it's almost as if Austin shut down. Well, he was at the end of a long shift. I know.

He was definitely going right to the bench. It was about 45 seconds. Yeah. But at that point, if you still got three feet, I think, there you go. I think if Austin kept going hard to the net, maybe there could have been a, I don't know, there's not much of a rebound, but it was an almost.

And then he just, he's going to skate. He just, now just lay it in, laid in. But. Oh, just a muffin shot. That's hard to want. Anyways. Okay. Tired brain.

I just, tired brain. I don't know if Willie's frustrated too on sometimes, I don't know who he plays with. Is he happy with his line mates? He's had a lot of Cowan lately, which is okay because Easton Cowan is going to be a heck of a player. But he's going to go through times when he looks good and when he looks like he's a rookie. Yeah. And we're going through a rookie stretch, right?

And we're going through a rookie stretch right now. So I don't know where he feels that that frustration levels at. And the one thing about Willie is, like, who's he? You'd say in the past 10 years, he's had the best chemistry with. I can't give you a name. See, but we think, Tavares. But they played it just because they played it. Well, that's, yeah.

Nothing about them makes me go those two together. Oh, exactly. We're not going to remember the Tavaris, Nielander. connection for eight years. Not exactly the sedes. The two good players were on the ice together a lot.

And he doesn't have, he's never really had truly great chemistry with Austin either. Right? He did early. First couple years. But it's the same way where it's like who does he want to play with?

Answer me that. Who, like in a perfect world? I assume will Austin. Given his druthers, he'd rather have the good guy. Austin feels that way after that overtime. Probably not. not give me cowan but the one thing I do want to say about the Leafs so last game they get outplayed by Montreal we agree high danger chances in the game looks like last year it's like 1210 I think one site had them like 8 to 8 at even strength the game before Carolina had 10 minutes more possession time than the Leafs high danger chances were 1412 or 1413 last year this is what they did the other team had the puck a lot but the high danger chances were in check the goaltender played good they came out on top enough to win the division this early in the year,

they weren't back in those high danger battles like they are now. I don't know if it's good or bad, but this is how Barubi had them going last year where they just kind of, the other team had the puck a lot, but they didn't get a ton better chances than the Leafs ended up getting.

I don't know if that's good, bad, or otherwise, but that is what I'm seeing in the numbers over 25 games. I would say, especially during their winning streak, it looked a lot more like it did last year for me. Just in terms of, like you said, they were better defending in their own zone less high danger stuff more from the outside shot volume whatever opponents have less time and space yes yeah right if they don't have the puck they were on it yeah i mean this is anecdotal but they've cut down the guys flying through the slot

uninhibited right a lot more in the last little bit the transition stuff's a little better so i don't know maybe it's coming around a little bit um but yeah our play's not what's the biggest frustrating. What would a Toronto Tampa Bay game be without John Cooper, Kipper, Clippers? I mean, we don't have to play. I don't think we have to talk about Pontus Holmberg before we talk about

the power play. Because there's been, like, I mean, oh, everybody loves Pondas Holmberg. We're beating a dead horse. We got a beat at it here. It's terrible. Okay. But you're 30th in the league. Maybe we can bring it back to life. Beat it enough and it'll reanimate.

And now they're going back to just the first thing they had at the start of the year. You know, you guys are not going to want to hear what I have to say now. But that's the right call. Okay. That's what you're going to say. Yeah, yeah. The underlying numbers.

They didn't score early in the year, but that, of all the things they've tried, this has been their most effective. It has not been effective. It has definitively been their most effective. Do we have Craig Burewry on the power play? Okay, so do you want one fresh off the game on Saturday night, his feelings? And then we'll go to today. Let's play the first one.

clip two on sorry go ahead you know right now what I see when I watch it is you know they're unsure of themselves that you know a little bit and we're not a there that in particular the power play in the second period you know moved it well we don't take a shot we don't you know what I mean the shots are there we're not taking them then when you know we do take a shot it's probably the wrong time it's just kind of it's they're not feeling too good about themselves out there. Obviously, they're not seeing it right now. You know, so I've got to work through it.

You know, that's all you can do. We've got to work through it and try to create some chemistry here. They're not seeing it reminds me of putting. Where you're just like, sometimes you just not seeing it. Sometimes you see the line every time you step up there. Well, they're not seeing it to the net right now. They're going out there expecting not to score, it feels like. Like it's like they know it sucks.

they know we know it sucks the coaches know it's just the whole it's the yips they have the yips it's yippin hard shanking everyone like everyone when they're like they're pulling up to watch somebody chip and they know they have the yips you're like oh jesus frankie for elli he's like here we go oh god this is gonna suck you i love you when you've needed the power play in the most critical times in the past five years but they've had the yips for five years but this year specifically they've had nothing well hold on what do you mean they've had the yips for five years the power play when you've needed it the most and the most critical times over the last five seasons have had the yips yeah was it round one of last year that they were good they're really

good last year and they're really good the two years they won playoff series yeah their power play was remarkable coincidence how that's wow wow yeah yeah it's just i think it's it it has been an ongoing struggle and you know i i don't know is is it mark savard is that his baby is he the The guy is... Everyone wants to blame savvy, but the head coach has to take some blame in it, too. Like, it's not just the assistant coach. I am interested to hear,

because Bruby had something on the power play. At some point, people are, you know, you're hearing... Okay, can we do two units? Can we try? We've talked about it on Saturday. Okay. Does Max Domi had any looks on the power play? Yeah. A second for 25 seconds.

So how about just starting him somewhere with the big boys? I'd be all in on putting a couple passers out there. Maybe you have Domi and Micelli on, Out with Nealander and Matthews So a couple guys can pass I don't know Machelli Pass it from the press box

Pass it from the press box Elevated sauce Chuck a puck Well Kip they got two passers On the hockey club I think the names that came to mind There has to be a level of sometimes Taking your big boys off

On the first unit And just Okay how about Cowan and Domi They've tried Cowan And he made two or three huge mistakes in the third period on that power play that cost them an ozone type.

Dying to think of another passer. Who else did you call a passer? Oh, I mean, if we're looking for that, we're going to be searching, but it's just Domey. Just put Domey on the top unit. You're putting them on the top line. If you're putting them on the top line, try them on the top unit.

I don't know. You want to hear the two? Yes. Domey's going to sauce one over three sticks and have it get knocked down and I'm going to have an aneurism. Just is mad. Let's go to the second one.

Which clip is that? Clip six, please, Derek. It obviously comes up for sure. I went back to this unit looking at some video and going back to some numbers and stuff early on in the year. These guys were actually pretty good and they created a lot of opportunities, didn't go in the net. And a lot of times it doesn't go in the net, you make changes and go from there. So that was my reasoning for that. But what you brought up is a valid point and I've definitely thought about it.

they go one for three to win the hockey game right yeah like they were just dying for a power play goal that's what was it five minutes left it's like they're worried about being embarrassed more than they are thinking about scoring a goal yeah can we just get set up and move it around and look like we have some sort of plan yeah it's it's a concern it's a concern like i actually think they're in 30th how many points in the standings has their power play costs in this year yeah i mean if they're 20% or whatever they usually are. I was going to say four to five points. Did you know where four to five points would get you in the division?

That's the place. First place. You'd be in first. They're four points by in Tampa right now. That's crazy. Insane. How bad. What a crappy division.

Thank God for the Atlantic. Praise, B. I think Tampa's lost three in a row, right? Three in a row, yeah. Florida, Ottawa, and Toronto. Like sniffing the basement. They're all tied to. at 30 points, Florida, Ottawa, Toronto, and they're all, I mean, Buffalo could catch them

in a weekend for last, not to mention they could catch any of them, could win a couple of games and be in first. The Sabres just never going to happen. Buffalo, the division could not be worse. If you can't do it now. Oh, man. What are you doing? Every year, it's just last place.

Have some pride for God's sake. Last place again. You're watching team after team bottom out and bounce. back bottom out and bounce back get a dead count cap bounce one year all right now you want to talk about Holmberg there at Kip your boy um all right we good well yeah i guess you want did we give hill but he'll be uh his quote from hillbilly hillbillie hillbillie hillbillie no no i don't know you have a i tell you i don't think we'd play brobie on him's he going to say he played good no no the seven clip seven yeah i want to hear it

clip seven he seems really good i mean he's got a really good head in his shoulders he's a very prepared guy um you know he seems like he's the first guy at the rink every day and he's preparing so i think he's prepared he's done a real good job his work ethic has really gone up this year in practice and um you know he's gotten some real good coaching from our goalie coach um so he seems he seems really confident and good hillbilly By the way, his NHL salary is $841,000. He makes $350 in the minors. So, yeah, I'd work hard too for double pay.

I just think that there's a lot of people are going to be looking for things to trade if the least are in a playoff picture here. Is Kipps named a lot of people? A lot of people are going to be looking at assets that you can fit. I would just be careful trade in the Hill to Beast. That's it. I don't know if he's necessarily great. I don't know what his future is going to be.

But what is going to... It all depends. It's going to burn me. He's a 6'4-year-old goalie. I'll say it. Not afraid to trade him. Yeah, I am. Not afraid.

I'm not afraid of... I see a team desperate for assets. Really? And you don't see that? I don't see it. You are married to four-year deals and three-year deals left. Well, maybe he started thinking about a divorce. He just signed Stolars.

Yeah, and then... And he disappeared. I wrote my article. last week in the Toronto Star on You did this by the way. You! It was you! Trade them. We have too many good goalies.

Both of them. It was on the premise that everybody came back and got healthy, okay? Which was apparently a pipe dream. Hold on. A pipe dream. Derek, could you please play the

Barubei Clip 12 update on Anthony Stollars? There's actually not right now. No. He's still not. on the ice, so I don't, you know, I'm not sure yet, where is that? Okay, that was just the latest update. Is that Keefe on Freddie Anderson?

Yeah. Anyways, I'm just kidding. Like, this is now really into a area of, like, can he, can he save his season? His season, eh? Yeah. I don't know. And when I say save his season, I mean, even to come back and

get to the place where we were all expecting him to be the number one goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs or, you know, slightly ahead of Joseph Wall and it's like kind of work

what kind of work does he have to put into getting to that spot again and, you know. It's not close, right? He's not on the ice. He's not on the ice. Put the work in. So like, that's not for today an appearance in a game

before Christmas is like oh my Christmas after Christmas tomorrow New Year's when's Chinese New Year Lunar New Year March

I don't know November 11th he played the first period of the Boston ruins game when in three goals hasn't been seen since all right and wall

is a week is a week a very confident a week. They have stated definitively a week. So he said that that should be Saturday yesterday. Or on Saturday. To me,

a week for a normal goalie is fine. For Joseph Wall, I... You don't believe it. I have a tough time. Do you believe it? I'll have a tough time thinking he's going to be ready in a week. I don't know. I don't believe.

And I would protect him more because of his history and you know, who who he is. Yeah. To me, that's That's not a week, but maybe they know more. Archer's Actiumov in for a game here, double A. Did you see him on the bench?

He is a child. You know what he looks like? He is a you. He looked like big Braco. He looked like a tall Jeremy Braco to me. Like my nephew, who is in university, looks older than him. Oh my God. Yeah, but this is just the product of you getting older.

Definitely. This is players in the league are now young. Definitely. Yeah, yeah. Definitely. Anyway, we should break. Oh, actually, before we go, we just got to talk one more moment about that slap shot on Saturday Night. Do you see the video compilation?

I did. I knew he had that in the arsenal, but I didn't know he was going to crack it out. He's done it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I put out a tweet with a three of them that I remember. The one on Philly is the most ferocious bar down, I think, I've ever seen. Like, he just, you know, split the fucking... I think the one that didn't go in against Carolina, it's just as heavy.

He shot it. I put the stat in here. Yeah, it's like 80 miles per hour. 80 miles an hour. But when it comes from the hash marks... Yeah, it's hard to stop. I really do think that this is an excellent way to score. Well, if you've been watching him in the last little while, he's

sniffing for that that short-handed goal. Yeah, well, it's good, because they used to have that with McKayev and Engval. No, no, he's always got the threat and he's a good enough skater that if you make just a slight mistake,

if you turn the wrong way, you're looking at minus one on the power play, and that's what happened to Montreal. Let's name some guys. Who do you remember taking Slapshots on breakways in the NHL. Malkin.

The Malkin won is the all-time best. I think it was Mike Richards, the guy that hammered him behind the net, and then he was cherry picking. I'm going to date myself, but Steve Larmor is way up there for mentions. New York Rangers, I think, against Eddie Belfore. Rolston. Rolston is the one I

remember, but Thomas Vannock was really good too. Then he brought in the fake clapper into his arsenal, like the really hard fake clapper. Yeah, yeah. I think it's awesome. And I just think that that that, I don't know if you could ever feel better than how Scott Lotton felt in that moment. Must be like hitting a home run or something.

Honestly. I had someone, the worst tweet I've ever received. Actually, worst reply, if you're listening, it was the worst reply I've ever said. Someone said, that should be illegal. A legal. And it's like, what do you mean it should be illegal? Because he hit it in a head and had as hard as he possibly could. Shouldn't be allowed to shoot it hard.

That is the worst. How many guys have tried it and like, shot it into the crest? What's the success rate of that for? No, I feel like. We'd see a lot more of them in shootouts if it was that successful. For sure. But why isn't it more successful? I think it's very simple, right?

Like, you have to hit your spot with a hard slap shot. Goleys are big and square. You got to hit a tight pocket with a skating full speed clapper. That is a hard shot to execute. Yeah, you're right. But if guys tried it more, it would probably have a more high. It depends on how quick you can sell it too. Once the stick goes above the hip.

like the goalies are out I think part of the value is goalies don't think you're really going to do it like I think they're lining up and they're like this is a pump fake and do Golbish loves playing the least he's had out of the game while he's playing the least I bet because he gets 10 shots a game

fall on them all right we'll take a quick break here when we return John Cooper are Sammy's favorite clip after clip we got one for the national hour too from him.

It's not personal. All right, Elieff and Tampa Bay tonight. More from Real Kipperman Bourne when we return. Hey, it's Aylish Forafar. And I'm Justin Cuthbert. Join us as we discuss the most important sports stories of the day and tee up the biggest games of the night. It's the fan free game.

6 p.m. weekdays on Sportsnet, Sportsnet, the fan, and wherever you get your podcast. Welcome back to the program. Nick Kiprios, Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee. lineup changes tonight for the Toronto Maple Leaves guess who's out out again that poor guy Nick Robertson

I don't even every every time it kind of looks like he's in they pull him out is the opposite godfather he's the reverse godfather just when you think you're in I think he's a little stupid pulling him out

yeah I do but he's you know I saw some of the bottom six has been good it's fine That's the reason they've won games. He's got an assist in seven games. And he scored two. He's got one goal. Yeah, I just, sorry, he has, sorry, he has one point and it's a goal over seven games.

It's just so easy. But, I, like, Callie Yarncrox is going to be the difference? No, but he's not, he's not above getting pulled out, like. I just, I listen. Flexi. I know this is a very shocking defense of me of Nick Robertson, I've never been his biggest fan, but like at this point, just let the guy play 10 minutes tonight on the fourth line. For who? He just, if he's not top six, then you're not using them right, right?

Like, he can get points and contribute to the top six. He's not top six for Craig Barrube. Well, what happened when they put him in the top six? He did good. He lit it up. Perubi doesn't want him there. It's stupid. He doesn't want him there.

Let's go to Craig Barubi on his thoughts on taking Nick Robertson out for Yon Krook. Just more penalty killing for me. You know, it's a good Pee over there. We know that. and I just wanted an extra killer in tonight and that line, you know, a lot in Lorenz and Yarncroc is a good check-in line for us too. We'll need that.

Okay. Yeah. I mean, I could tell you. Junkroke is going to check more than Robertson. I mean, I would. I love that player. I love the guy. Yarn croak?

The Montreal Canadians, by the way, have a way better power play this year than Tampa Bay. Yeah. So if the justification. Although Tampa just got back. Sure. But if the justification was you want more penalty killers and why doesn't Yarncock play it's Saturday night? Like the power play is the penalty kill has been one of their, like it's been one of the bright spots here.

I think at some point they looked to get a guy back in the lineup. And maybe it's less about Robertson himself than who would be the guy to come out if it's not Robertson? No one. Just don't just keep Yarn Crook out. Yon Kirk and Mitchellie out. Like I don't know. I don't really want to sit here and die in the hill of the fourth line winger. but it's just it just it's it would have been McMahon maybe a week ago a week and a half ago

it would have been that line's been good yeah um domy's come out he's been a lot better since coming back right mm-hmm a lot more engaged yep you're unless you want to make a statement with one of your big boys there's really you're limited there you're limited if you want to get the guy back in i don't know yeah you got it is shuffling deck chairs but you kind of want to keep everyone happy. Fair enough. Poor Nick Robertson, though. It is like...

Guarantee goal Thursday against the sharks, by the way. He has to be like, let me do the math. I play in the top six. I get a bunch of points of goals, and I play good and you like me. I don't play there and get no opportunity with guys you don't get points, and I don't produce.

And then you help these scratch me for not producing. I think I put a clip in here. Yeah, play clip nine, please, Derek, on Nick Robertson. What are you about with Robertson's game? Well, it's dropped off, and I talked to Nicky this morning, And, you know, some of it's, you know, ice time, obviously. And he was playing in the top six and he was doing a good job.

And then things, you make changes. But I have all the confidence that he'll get it back, you know. To me, he's lost a little bit of his jump and his tenacity he plays with. But at the same time, that's a little bit ice time and getting the opportunity, too. that could have been a clip from any time the last four years but it's such i mean but no i don't i disagree with that because he never got the ice time that he did right and when he was good okay important things to talk something that we haven't really looked at important things to talk about for tonight uh mermis in over myers we got or the

Tampa bay lightning we can talk about them they're probably more interesting talking about Tampa Bay uh just quickly i wanted i sent you the the tweet about the chances with Mermis. No, sorry, with Myers. Oh, yeah. Who's, oh, yeah, this is from Matthews fan on Twitter. Myers over the past, Mayors, Benoit over the past three games, chances are 8 to 47.

Shots are, they've had 2, 4, and 17 against. Three goals for 19 against, and their expected goals are 29%. Like, they've been getting absolutely changed in. Yeah, and you know how bad Myers has to be for a right-handed shot to come out? Right. Yeah.

It's quite the statement, isn't it? Maybe the last. Myers go. Yeah. At some point. Anyways, we can talk about the light. Mermis, he's been very good for them when he's been in, so that's good. Okay.

Talk about your boy, Pontus. What do we make out of Tampa Bay here? Because this is a team that got off to a bad start, then got hot, and obviously are still floating at the top of the division, but is this a team hanging on here? and Vasilevsky is out. Vasilevsky's out, but who's in? Point and Kutrov that were out? Yeah.

Pretty big additions. But to me, this is still a really good team that has been marred in inconsistency, I think, with Vasilevsky for the better part of, what, a year and a half, two years since he's come back from surgery. Like, I... He's been good this year, by and large.

He's just not the same reliable kind of guy that we've been accustomed to. Often regarded as the best goalie in the league. I mean, him being out is not a bad thing. For the Leif, the Leifes, the Leifes have hung a number of goals on Johansson before. He's been good this year, though. Yeah, he has been. Yeah. But he's breaking down, boys.

No, no, Johans. The backup, Mike Kelly on Twitter sent out that, I think, he's of his eight of his nine starts eight of them have been a quality start so far so he's he's a decent backup but the leaves have definitely lit him up a little bit in the past tonight haggles serrelli kutcherov genssel point paul homberg gorgorgansonsolvis finley bork strand all right is this the time we talk about your boy pontus uh sure listen to this john cooper is a big fan apparently well we just been saying like the leaps haven't been as defensively responsible their possession numbers good and it's no martyr no camp and then i forgot about holmberg homeberg actually always had good

numbers and i think cooper appreciates that yeah let's uh let's play the cooper on i love that kid and he uh it's a new drop the puck first his his strength on his skates and the puck he protects it like you can't take it from him and so when you need to kill another team's momentum just put it on his stick and he'll do it all by himself But he's a competitor, he's big, he's strong, and, you know, he's a foundation of a really good line for us that may not score every single night, but they can tilt the ice, and he's a big part of it. Yeah, they definitely don't score every single night. He has one goal. So let's not get a little too horned up there.

That was a direct shot at the Leafs. I love that player. He knows how bad their possession numbers are, and he goes, if you need to kill another team's momentum, just give it to that guy. They tilt the ice. He plays with a broomball stick. He beats it to a square every night. Yeah, but it's square in the other team's corner, not your own crease. I, for the life of me, did not understand.

You were always pro-pont. Taking this guy and walking him to the curb. For nothing. For nothing. He said, I was ready to come back, but something happened. Dun-d-d-d-d-d-d-d- I do think that's quite the line. He left. They didn't qualify.

Yeah, they cut him. They cut him. So he was ready to come back to the Leafs, and they just didn't even, even at. No qualifying offer. Just walk him out the door. And then you let Camp go. I don't understand how you can put that much time and effort into bringing someone that far and then decide that he's worthless to you.

That's when you got to step up as an organization and say other team has put this much into this guy, brought him along, let's get him while he's 20. 26, 27, get his peak, and then see you later. So how many more games of the least one this year with Pontus Holmberg in the lineup? One? I think that's even strong. He's fine. He's fine.

I don't know. They could have used one better play on Saturday. One better play. Yes. Pontus Holmberg? 100% yes. No question. Maybe Machia.

You can talk me to Magelli. Lorenz? No. No, you can talk me. Josh was that way better than Pontus Holmberg. Yeah. I don't know. way better. I'll say that the ceiling

for Joshua in every facet is higher. I think Pontus on a night to night basis was just so reliable. Joshua, you got no idea if he's there or not that night. Fourth line left wing, that's been, you know, yarn crock or whatever. You could talk me to that as well. Yeah. But I am not too broken up about it.

Yeah. As you could probably tell. The coach loves them. Loves them. He said too. We don't have this quote, but he said that the boys had a rookie party in Hamburg was MVP. He said the boys love him. His English has gotten better. He's just a great fit. Yeah, he walks.

He walks, he walks, coops, dog every day. Just the sun shines brighter. Whatever it takes to stay in the lineup. Oh, my God. Nick Robertson ain't walking. Broby's dog. That's for sure. Cut the problem.

First in the Atlantic every year. That's all the line of this guy can't miss. You guys, so I guess maybe we'll talk about this more in the national hour, but did you see the USA? No, I saw it, but I didn't watch it. I have a really tough time. Like, you have a strong. gag reflex on cringe. Yeah, there's just some of, like I just pass.

I'd rather not watch it. Anything where they make the players say anything, it's not going to go good. Remotely, that looks like you're acting to me, I cannot, and I shouldn't say this because I did it when I was like 30. I used to do those things for Sportsnet. Like I did a few of them.

Yeah. I get it, you know, it's like, look at me, look at me, look at me. No, it's like, Pay me, pay me, pay me. That's what you're doing. You weren't doing it for attention. You didn't get paid to do it. It brought you attention to one day get paid.

Okay, okay, okay. But, yeah, I don't know. It's just where I'm at my age. That's all. I'm sure it's very entertaining for a lot of people. I got no problem with it. Here's what I'll say, though. Cooper this morning, like he, I think he did 10 minutes with the media.

So he gets to come here and just everybody's eating out of the palm of the head. Because he's smart and funny. It's not complicated. And 10 minutes in Tampa is stretched over a month. Yeah. It's one guy talking, it's Erlinson talking to him for 10 minutes. DeAndre Lou? Right.

How else they got there? But he got asked a ton about the Olympics stuff. Like, it was like more about the Olympics than it was about the matchup tonight, I would say. Did you get a couple of Olympics? He talked about the, he talked about the rink size and nothing really groundbreaking. Did he ask him, like, I know Point was named? to the Olympic team, but that guy has not been

Braden Point-like at all, all season. Here's my take on that. Braden Point, we'll be fine, I think. Just fine. Tonight, will he be fine? Hope not. Did you want, well, maybe we'll save it for the National Island. Yeah, because I'm going to watch it.

I'm going to force myself to watch it between breaks here. Good. So what's your feel going into this game tonight? What do you expect? Yeah. The Leafs have to They can't afford to have a second period

Like they did Saturday night But they have one of those every night They should They should be able to kind of stop the bleeding A little bit from Saturday night In terms of consistency Why don't we go

I don't listen to Bruby there Cliff 10 On Tampa If we can His thoughts Yeah that's same thing A lot of injuries But well their game They got

They got some elite players We all know that. They've got that core there still with their goalie, too. But they're a very good rush team. You know, that we all know they can make plays and they're dynamic. Power play can be dynamic. So we're going to have to be disciplined, but we're going to have to do a good job with our PKK tonight.

We're going to have to do a good job against their skilled forwards tonight. And headman's back, too. So, you know, it's a challenge. Before we go, boys, who wants to win a bunch of cash? we'll doing the best thing this holiday season. Sportsnet 590, the fan is all in support in the 50-50 fortune for sick kids.

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18 plus, please play responsibly. Standard message and data rates may apply lottery license, R-AF-151-8-4-10. beautiful great read i think lees win tonight there you go i do they got to get to this goalie i like their odds you know they they don't have churnack they don't have mcdonna they got a backup goalie in net maybe they can play a little bit more in tampa's end maybe maybe nice Tampa bay and the Toronto Maple Leafs puck drop what 730 740 a little late yeah a little late tonight 749 i saw oh nick

elberg a tweet boy wow that's late nice I like a get home on time to make dinner, relax a little bit for the game service. You know, I got to watch the kid tonight. They have another one. Back at the ring. Oh, my God. Oh, I know. Plenty more still on the real Kid Toronto. Show. Al Arbor over here. We go national next.

Vancouver Canucks coverage. Oh, boy. Out of the gate. Quinn Hughes, out of the gate. Elliot really stirred it up Saturday night. We'll get into that with Ian McIntyre. Sportsnet.coma's very own. Thank you.