Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: The Battle Build-Up

Episode Date: April 18, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look back on the Leafs' 4-3 overtime win over the Detroit Red WIngs to close out the regular season. They discuss Philippe Myers' highlight-reel goal and Scott Laughton's OT heroics before prepping for Game 1 on Sunday against the Ottawa Senators. They get into what to expect from the inexperienced Sens, how the Leafs counter the dynamic defensive duo of Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot, the pressure in Toronto and why this year feels different. Finally, they go to the Leafs Line to answer your questions and get you set for Game 1!The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Live it in color. Real Kipper and Boran show. Leaf Hour edition. Nick Kiprio is Justin Boran. Sammy McKee, Derek Brandeo, Jake the Snake Shultz closing in the week. We should have seen the videos we had from Shultz yesterday. Highlights all show long.

No, stop it. Yes, bring up a player in the league and he had a highlight package for it. What is going on? I don't know. He knew you weren't here and he was like like, oh are they starting to pay him now? You guys drove in today I took the subway and then are we talking to ourselves today she's quiet out there Oh, yeah, there's not the the roads are all quiet a Easter weekend wherever you are

Text us and tell us you're listening. I love these tell us. Yeah, is this a friends and family show? That's okay, and even my family's not watching or listening I think we have a lot longer leash to talk golf you guys want yeah I'm playing a moral wherever you are watching and listening if you happen to be we are live on sports at 590 the fans sports That 360 and sports net plus as the Toronto Maple Leafs close out the regular season Red Scorching what was it? It was it a game that we thought we were anticipating Including what should have been or looked upon going into the third period as a

Comfortable lead by the Detroit Red Wings. I don't know what happened. Did they win, at least one? I did least tackle. I'm actually embarrassed by least talk last night because I don't even know if we should have done it. I could not bring myself to pay attention to this hockey game and I said that Peter Muraszek was in net and it was somebody else in net.

Dakota Murmas was on the ace in overtime. I could have hit anyone. I had to rewind because I physically missed a goal. I was like, oh my God, they scored? How did that happen? Like I was never more checked out of a hockey game. Even if you were checked out, even if you didn't pay attention,

there was enough of the game to understand that there's a lot of nice things going on right now for the Toronto May Places. There's a lot of vibes that they can't do anything wrong right now. Yeah right you can be outshot at times you can look like you spend a lot of time in your own zone they're gonna find a way to get a save they're gonna find a way to get a goal. Lawton wins it in overtime on a on a field goal, field good goal that maybe can go right into Sunday's

game one or Tuesday's game two. He's buzzing. And it's a real good feeling for the Leafs. I mean, they got goals from Phil Myers, Chris Tanev, and Scott Lotten to win the game. I got, you know, there's been a lot of probably down periods over the Iser plan in Detroit,

but them losing that game may be a new low for them. Red Wings? I've never seen a Toronto Maple Leafs team like, not, or any hockey team, in fact, not try actively. Like the Toronto Maple Leafs were not trying last time. If I'm Steve Iserman last night, and I know it's a nothing game But I'm up 3-1 and you guys find a way

Give it away. I can't think of a cherry on top of a Horrible feeling which and that last night for the Detroit Red Wings. Yeah, I mean It's been bad year for them. It's going good for the Leafs. I think they enter playoffs on a run of 13-2-1, something like that. The Maple Leafs ended the season with a streak of five or more games for the third time in franchise history. The only other seasons were in 51-50-51 and 58-59 and they made the Stanley Cup final in each of those campaign, the championship in 1951 so that's definitely you know, there's a lot of crossover there. I don't know what again

not paying a whole lot of attention to the game last night, but you look up and Is it surprising or not surprising anymore? Or does it even matter that they're being outshot two to one anymore? Does that bother you? Does it not bother you? Should we not care? I don't like it personally. I don't like it. No, it's not great. But I mean Doesn't matter anymore. I mean it probably does matter but I'm so desensitized to it watching this team that they just like I mean What's the record in games that got outshot and they've won? So many of them it just feels like it happens every game. So I'm very it's probably not good to your guys point, but I'm just that's what I expect going in and I'm totally desensitized to it.

Yeah. Yeah, it's not super comforting. I'd say I'm more uncomfortable with the idea that like the possession time, the ozone possession time is always five minutes in favor of the other team. Just the more team they're around your end, the more things can go wrong and you go, oh, we got unlucky. It's like, well, if you're on your own end all the time, it's going to happen. So yeah, I'm not comfortable, but they seem to have a system here. A knack for playing around it. Yeah.

I guess what it is is, you know, you keep the other team to the outside and there isn't whack, you know, the party around the crease and buddy, they got a lead finishing. That's that's one thing for sure. Just to follow up, I asked if people were listening. People are listening. You know, like in the last 10, maybe five minutes, we've got 150 texts at least feeling listening from this place listening from this place. So people are listening. All right.

So we're glad we came in And people are listening we got to make it good I do like that Phil Myers scored a really nice goal like I like confidence coming along well He's the 70 right yeah, so he'll probably have to play you want him to feel good You don't like it You know beautiful. I'm not sure I want him to try that Sunday night ever again. Do you remember the movie Major League when? Willie Mays Hayes makes that one-handed basket Catch and he comes to the dugout and his manager says nice catch don't ever f and do it again

That's almost like close to like nice toe drag in the middle of the slot, but don't ever try right, it's like Who I could on him? I mean great the move at the net He doesn't mean to do you like here like you just make sure that there's no turnover At that point watch the defensive effort by 24 here. I think it's awesome watching them. We're getting highlights when we like call, like when we talk about something. That's McKee Beer League-esque.

Let's listen to the coach talk about that goal. It's a hilarious clip. So clip one please. He's really come around for us. You know, I thought Buffalo. You think of Robert Gordon Meyers goal there. That might be the goal of the year. I gotta go back and look at it, What did you think of Robert Gordon Meyers goal there in the 33rd? That might be the goal of the year.

I gotta go back and look at it, but I wasn't sure who it was for a while. It was a hell of a goal. I mean hell of a goal. I mean great for him. I'm happy for him. Nice to see him be able to get one and do what he did. He's kind of been sniffing and shooting everything that he can. I did the thing on our Leafs broadcast where he shoots more than any other Leafs D by a good distance. And there was a moment with like a minute or so left in the period where for some reason

Craig Barube had the big boys on the ice and Matthew Nyes is standing in front of the net. And Philip Myers hit a 98 mile an hour blast off the glass. Is it actually 98? Yes, they put on the broadcast 98 mile an hour. And I just put my head in my head and was like, oh my God. Oh my God, man. Wild thing.

That's a major league movie. Oh my god, man Wild thing Charlie Sheen wild thing there's no off switch. There's no off switch. Anyways, all right any other notes from last night's game I don't think we should spend too much time on it Lawton scores the OT winner Yeah, he's really starting to find his game a little bit. Well, let's just listen to Ruby and then we'll move on Yeah, yeah, he's really come around for us. You know, I thought in Buffalo, he was excellent, but before that he was even playing good hockey. Got some chemistry going with those guys. Starting to feel a lot more comfortable. I was happy for him to get that goal on OT. Obviously anybody can, you score a goal, you feel good about yourself. So, but it's not the goal so much as to how he's playing the game. Lawton scored the goal and turned around to be excited.

Like they hit and then he realized that there's not a time to be excited. And he immediately like chilled out. Don't be too fancy. He didn't get to. It did clinch home ice advantage over the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup final. Hey, literally, that's actually kind of cool. over the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals. Hey, that's actually kind of cool. I totally believe like with Craig and everybody else that he is he's playing solid hockey. There's a noticeable feel when he's on the ice. I got to just go back to my original thoughts before the trade was how big of a trade did they

need to make? How big did they need to get another centerman? At what kind of level? I pushed hard, at least my thoughts were pushing hard for more of a legitimate top six guy. Like a Braden Shenn. Clearly that's not him. I think he's starting to do what I think he's capable of doing. But there's just going to have to be some sort of run in these playoffs where he start he has to contribute in some capacity offensively and is he capable of

doing it? Well, I don't know what offensively, you know, he does need to contribute something though, right? He needs to be for the cost they paid and he needs to be whether it's controlling play, you know, physical greasiness. I saw offense. Yeah, offense for me because we can we can point a lot of things over the last few years, but it's always come down to lack of scoring opportunities or lack of offense in general.

That's kind of held them back in game sixes and game sevens. And then we point the fingers to the big boys. You suck. You're soft, you're underachievers, but nobody stepped up underneath them either. And I just hope that doesn't catch up with the third and fourth line again, that yeah, they were okay and they did a lot of nice things and they finished checks, but nobody could create anything.

Yeah. 100%. Yeah. I think that's the worry. And I do think that the way they're trying to go about creating a third line is in line with what you're saying. They're aware that they need to get some offense from somewhere. So can McMahon and Robertson on the same line? Is there enough between those guys? 35 goals between the two of them this year. Holenberg has what two? Yeah. But you know, they give you some.

That's probably why and your point that you just made there Kipper, we talked a bit a little bit yesterday how we know that that line with Tavares, Nylander and Bobby McMahon is really good. But for what you said just there about it being down the lineup, them getting another goal from somewhere

other than the top six, that's probably why McMahon's playing in the bottom six. That's probably why they're thinking of having Robertson because they need a goal from somewhere else than the top six. That's probably why McMahon's playing in the bottom six. That's probably why they're thinking of having Robertson because they need a goal from somewhere else. Anyways, battle of Ontario, baby. Battle of Ontario. Kip, we didn't have you yesterday. We did some preview-y type stuff.

Do you want to give us sort of a zoomed out overview? What do you think? They got the sends, it's official. Well, I expect a fun series for sure. Yep. I think when I look at the Ottawa Senators, I see a team that has experienced something that they've never experienced before, right?

So the question is, kind of team do we see, what kind of, where are their expectations, where are they in their heads? Brady Kachuk is the kind of team do we see? What kind of, where are their expectations? Where are they in their heads? Brady Kachuk is the leader of this team. He's 25, he's not 22 or 23, he's 25, yet no playoff experience. So how does he come in now? Is this a win that they're in?

Will they look at, will they actually feel like we want to beat these guys? Are we just happy to be here? Is this our Stanley Cup if we beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in this first round? So, for me, it's just about, and I think we'll probably know real soon in the first five or ten minutes of this team and if they really believe that despite being very successful during the regular season, this is new territory for all of them. I'm just real interested to see how much juice that they bring. Do you think that that inexperience and sort of all the stuff you talked about there could be a bit of an advantage

against the Leafs or is it a disadvantage? Like, cause you know, the Leafs have the ghosts and all that stuff and like, I think you could go both ways in the conversation, but which side of it would you be on, disadvantage or advantage for the cents? Probably a disadvantage. I do believe in learning lessons and playoff lessons and learning how to

rise when you have to. There's no scar tissue like on the other side in blue and white. And there's no disappointments just yet at this time of the year. But do they go, we got everything to gain, nothing to lose, it wouldn't be the first time we saw a fairly young and experienced group find a way to get a job done. I just think it's against them right now. I think when it's all said and done,

I don't know how anybody cannot pick the Toronto Maple Leafs despite losing to them three games in the regular season. Honestly, Kip, everything I hear that is picking against the Leafs is Brady Kachuk and the Leafs haven't done it before. That's pretty much the whole thing. Everyone loves this idea of Brady Kachuk.

He's now Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindroth combined. In 55 points and 72 games this year, I think it would not serve the Leafs well to get too hung up on Brady Kachuk. He's going to try to send messages. He's going to be falling on the goalie. He's going to be tough and physical and all those things. But, you know, he's one guy out there and I don't think you can let him bring the game to where the Sens are gonna want to play it

And even if they do play it there, like I still think the Leafs are all right Hey, I've done a lot of the analytical stuff. I've watched some video It's tough for me to find a spot where I'm like clear advantage for this. Yeah. Yeah, see Anderson I wouldn't worry about Brady Kachuk is as much as I would think that maybe I wouldn't worry about Brady Kachuk as much as I would think that maybe Cousins and Pinto to me are more keys in this series. Like that's now going into the middle part in the heart of your lineup, right? Yeah. This is where it's like slash two to three.

Like is Pinto going to be a better centerman than what's underneath Matthews and Tavares probably and Like he's got a better chance to be a Nick Paul than yeah right now. Yep Lawton does Yep, you know pinto 21 goals kind of the same profile as Bobby McMahon, but has more Grease to his game probably yeah, he's a he's a good player for them. They're good players, right? They You know, they've they've won a lot of hockey games this year and taken a real step the other thing too for me guys is is how much are you gonna spend how much are you gonna

get Sanderson and And how much are you gonna get Sanderson and Shabbat facing the glass? Yeah, absolutely. You got them facing Stolar's at any point on the ice, then you're in a little bigger trouble. But if you can get the puck behind them, get them eating some glass on a hard four check, take away their strengths, which is puck possession and skating, then you've really advanced your

chances of beating them. For sure. That's the big thing. And Bunk has mentioned this earlier today when I was on the show, but they have 2D in Sanderson and Chabot who combined for over 100 points this year. You know, the least top four, roughly great out to that. So they've got a couple better offensive D-men, on the power play it's not a huge advantage

because the Leafs have Marner there. But at five on five, it will be to your point, can you put it in soft behind their heels and get on top of them? Dumps are gonna be really important. You don't wanna be dump and then change and give them time to get back. It's gotta be well be well placed pucks. And I really think that the guys on the

Leafs can do a much better job and particularly Matthew Nyes again I didn't watch a lot of it but the last week two weeks like there's times when you don't have to dump and chase. There's times when you can enter with puck possession and make plays. You'd like to see that. And I'd like to see better decisions on when to and when not to. Absolutely. There are times when I've watched them try to get pucks in and the first or second four checker are just not there in time and it's been easy outs.

The turnover. Even in Detroit last night, I mean, I know it's a write-off, but there's times, especially that Florida game a week and a half ago, two weeks ago, it's like, but you're not, the first four checkers not even on my television screen. You guys wanna give away the, it's just a 200 foot turnover. That's all it is.

We had for checking and getting on these guys is paramount going to be huge. We had Ruby clip yesterday talking about Domi, Nylander and Tabaras. And he said I like some things I don't like other things. And one of the things is they got to take care of the puck. That's a nerve wracking line for me when you're coming across the blue line making those good decisions at entries and not trying to sauce it across the ice laterally, you know, just inside the blue. So use the word hoper. Yeah. Hopers. No, no. Hopers. Hopers. Hopers. He just gets over his stick and then we're fine if it does. It's like,

well, it might not. So yeah, take care of the pocket should be okay You know they got the best forwards in the series Goaltending call it a wash the the least D shut down D are definitely better D farther down the lineup so and there's One team that has to win, and there's another one that doesn't have to win yep I'll give you one guess on who has to win this series the the sins aren't gonna go away though Like you know like even if you do have them down three nothing in the series and three nothing in a game, I think you're gonna get a Balls out effort from this team. This is hmm. Yeah, I

That's how they play, you know, and it's the Leafs and it's playoffs and I just don't think you're gonna get them to go away Yeah, I think that you know you mentioned about one team that has to win and one team that doesn't From we talked about this a little bit yesterday with Luke Fox Well, I'll give you get your take on it the Ottawa Senators Borny brought up that they're holding the what was the the the comparison you made that there's a boulder the Toronto Maple Leafs are a Boulder and the Ottawa Senators are holding the TNT thing with... So when you press that, they press down on it, it can explode the whole thing. They have a chance.

The Ottawa Senators have a great chance as a bitter rival to really throw a wrench into as the Leafs' era that we've known as it is. They could really hit the dynamite and blow it up here Act me act me this could be they got an unbelievable opportunity So I mean this is this would come across almost like a Stanley Cup victory for Ottawa beating the Leafs right now Oh for sure it would be it would Even if they lost in the second round it would be oh yeah, you could you you could take you could ride this Oh, yeah series win for for a lot of years for the rest of my life

I still hear about this stupid 2021 What would you retire? I you know, we did kind of bat this around a bit But you know, there's the classic Monday After, which we've been doing a few years here, that Monday After, game seven Saturday night, that I would really, really not like that show. I happen to come in here and talk about the potential of that. But-

You've done a few of them. You should be used to it. I've done many non-shows to just Mondays I've had to go on with my life before I did this, where I had to deal with it. So the Sens have a really unique opportunity and If I was gonna say what worries me is that a lot of the pressure and a lot of the stuff that's been there with the Leafs

That is it's still there It's huge pressure to kind of win to stay together almost like you want to stay together It's like you want Marner to resign you want to Varus back you want to keep your president you want your coach to not be under fire the pressure on top of that is huge so it is every team in the playoffs go through that they're just not under the microscope like they are in this market but everybody feels the same way everybody's got guys or you or on the line and and the truth is even Stanley Cup champion teams now there's just no way

as many of them most recently Florida like that is that you just can't keep there's there's no such thing as the same team the following year yeah somebody's leaving someone's cashing out more money someone's UFA someone's cashing out more money, someone's UFA, someone's gotta get traded to fit somebody else in. So, but this is a series that could also alter for the Leafs maybe the next five or 10 years. No pressure. Yeah, so no pressure. But you know, as you said, there's always pressure.

And for the Sens Team, I think it's doing the Leafs favor that so many people don't believe in the Leafs. That so many people are picking Ottawa. I think it's not purely, well, the Leafs can't possibly blow this because everyone's going, they're going to blow it. There's so many people making that call in advance. Yeah. One team won the division, one's in a wild card spot.

Like predictions, there's always the cheerleading aspect of it. Yeah. I think a lot of people are picking Ottawa are just playing off of not wanting the Leafs to watch the Leafs in their misery again. It's an easy, if you're an out of market pundit that's like looking for any sort of attention, picking the sentence to win this series is the easiest pop ever. Like you're like, you know what? Yeah.

The Leafs are going down, those chokers are gonna choke again, it's the easiest thing you could ever say. The same people that wanna pick Tampa Bay or Florida or Boston, anybody else. Columbus or the Montreal Canadiens. It's just their time of the year to blow it Yeah, and that's the basis not necessarily

the transformation of a puck possession team to now a dump and chase team a team that Keeps it simple a team that's getting great Goaltending doing it defensively with blocking shots and taking the middle of the night the ice away or Limited second or third opportunities. They're not looking at any other thing like that. They're looking at oh, they'll find a way to choke So let's have the conversation just briefly then Do you think that there is? something to these guys That they not that they are chokers, but they do succumb to the pressure I you

know me I okay Marner Matthews they haven't been great but they haven't been horrible in the playoffs I'm more about team even around them Brendan Shanahan chose to keep them together and build differently around them. I like that. I do like that. There's been like five different versions of this team. I don't know if it's enough to win a Stanley Cup, but everything I've seen so far this season is it's enough to get past the first round against a wild-card team. Absolutely. a team with zero experience. And that to me is the biggest difference of this team.

Whether they'll ultimately end up having enough balanced offense, still a question mark for me. But they're different. If they're different, their D is just so much more, it's just comfortable and it hasn't been in the past. You get back to Lilligren's there or Timmons or Sandeen or you know, whichever type of smaller guy that was playing tournament That that

Honestly is like the number one Leaf fan thing that I get right now is that it does feel different and like, you know, there's all but it is because it is Different I know but that is scary, Tim. We, me, Craig, Arrube, Hockney. You wanna go back to your original kind of question here? They find a way to lose? Yeah, then you've tried this way. You've tried that way.

And now you're into some serious character character flaws and you know I also buy into four pretty good hockey players in Tavares, Marner, Matthews and Nylander all terrific hockey players but there's a chance that their chemistry together yeah was never that. That would be a better point to me. The right mix. And if you looked at other top three or top four, there's one, there's gotta be, there's most often not one SOB.

One squirrely dude. One squirrely dude, one guy that can run somebody over, and that's the element that those four guys never had yet and probably won't have. They're gonna outskill you. No nice helps because he'll be on the ice of those guys. And this is the first guy who could do it if you wanted to. Nice also had to go get a fast pass at Disneyland because he

wasn't allowed you know, you had to fast track them. Right? He didn't he wasn't. He didn't have to wait in line like everybody else. He got rushed right to the ride. Because they needed someone. Because they needed somebody. Is he ready now to be that guy? Is he got enough under his belt to be now a major player in the playoffs? What do you think?

I worry about that. Okay. There are times when you know he can get lost as any 22 or 23 year old but there's also signs where you're like oh man that guy's a force. Yeah. That guy's a force. You know they have a couple guys who are really streaky. Matthews is included this season but McMahons like that and I's like that where they're really streaky the one thing about the point of like guys choking or feeling the pressure or whatever you hear people say pressure is a privilege I often think you know and I tried to say

this the other day but pressure is earned so like McElroy if he misses the he makes bogey on 18 at the Masters whatever choking dog whatever if Rose holds out from the fairway, whatever. But he hits the thing on 17, under immense pressure to two feet. He plays enough good golf to put, so the pressure's there. That's this Leafs team,

that they're not dogs. If you go back and watch a lot of these playoff series, they play great in some big spots, like some game sixes to get to a game seven. Some big goals have been scored to get there. So it's not like they're always just dogs in these moments. It's that sometimes you lose. Sometimes it doesn't go your way.

Yes, it's been more often than not. They've been on the wrong side of it, and there are bigger reasons for that. But for sure, if it happens again with a group that looks like this, it's tough to not look at and say, hey, that's a fundamental thing. But I do feel like a little bit of help around them, given that Max Talbot two goals in game seven or the Nick Paul goals in game seven, all of a sudden... Brandon Gallagher against the Leafs in game seven. Just a constant big saves, which they've gotten this year.

Yeah. Unlike any year I've seen before. Yeah. I don't know, does it catch up to them at some point They have a second maybe but they're there. They're damn good goalies Stollers in his last eight games 8-0-0 137 goals against 958 percentage in three shutouts 50 to say that we've seen we've seen goalies go on Two three week runs in the playoffs the last five or ten years at like 948, 953, 955. That's what the Leafs may need out of Stolarz. He may need a

940 for the first 10 days or two weeks to get these guys over the hump. You know what happened in the final week of the season? Hellebuck had the goals against, the save percentage, the wins, he had all the season. Hellebuck had the goals against the save percentage, the wins, he had all the titles. Stoller's hit the qualification, I think in the middle of him is 20 or 30 games or something like that. And he had like three shutters. He did, he stole it. He won the save percentage title. Love it. Over the last two years, I think he's won it both times. He's the number one guy. 926 he finished with so, you know, hey guys true living got asked about him I didn't get the clip. It was a longer one of him meandering a little bit about it, but talking about how

You know the experience thing and he's inexperienced in the playoffs and he just so go. He's just he's been playing well We're just gonna hope that he just keeps playing well It's like I don't know what else you can do But they have a really good backup option who came in and relief for Samsonov last year Think about last year where they were at in terms of their D core in terms of their goaltending situation I have to give living a lot of credit for the way he's built up this The the surrounding part having tenev and carlo as options that they didn't have last year is just totally a game changer Think about like the decor itself

You have a top pair with tannin McCabe Carlo they brought in all of recman Larson who's probably gonna be on the bottom pair Jake McCabe's coming in healthy now. He's ready to go. You think yeah. Yeah, I just hope they have OEL I know he's TBD, but yes having McCabe back is gonna be a big deal so yeah, I You look at I went on with the morning show guys today and talked a little bit about the least playoffs and heading Like beyond this round potentially You know, it's It's set up not awfully here for the Toronto Maple Leafs to go on a run Yeah

If Tampa could find a way to beat Florida and that right that series and the least find a way to beat The Ottawa Senators like then you start thinking to to yourself, I mean they've had really good success against Tampa and then you go to the quarter and it's like oh we got to play against Carolina or you know Washington or the Habs or the Devils. Like start with this one right? I know. I know what you're saying. You look at it and it's not as daunting as it's been in years past and I guess That's what you get when you win the Atlantic Division, but I'm not letting myself get too ahead here, but I'm kind of starting to look at it

So last year in playoffs the Leafs had 7d who played games for them and it was Simon Benoit TJ Brody Timothy Lilligran Joel Edmondson Ilja Lebushkin Morgan Riley and Jake McCabe. You know that's a no comparison. No comparison to having Carlo Tanev and O'Neil. Not even close. Okay, we'll take a quick break.

When we return we go to our leaf line, Sammy. We got some beauties today. We got some beauties today. Okay. So we got, did you guys do it when I it. We did you guys do when I was gone? Did we do it when he was gone did we have yellow play some clips? I don't think so We didn't do it. So it's two weeks by you guys were too busy burying me for losing the jersey when I was gone That's right. I will hit the break and then we'll come back

Okay, leaf line when we return and the latest on Matthew Kachuk and the possibilities of him playing in Game one. All right. Don't go away. Real Kipper and Bourne. Hey, it's Ailish for afar.

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 pregame 6 p.m. weekdays on sports that sports at five ninety the fan and

wherever you get your podcasts. You heard the man during the commercial break, two games starting our Stanley Cup playoffs here at Sportsnet tomorrow night, the St. Louis Blues and the Winnipeg Jets at 6 p.m. and then that's followed by the Avs and the Stars at 830 p.m. Just two games, guys, by the way right and yeah like there's a very good chance that they kind of will overlap each other no yeah you think? Are they six and eight o'clock? I mean it's six and eight thirty. Yeah should be clear. If there's overtime. If there's an overtime which I hate I just hate when like you got to start flipping. Yeah you wanted it a little more spaced.

Yeah you got a big match and you you wanted it a little more spaced. Kipper, you got a big mansion, you don't have a two TV setup, bro? I'm just thinking about the guy that has one. Oh, okay, yeah, that's right, Todd. Okay. Yeah, you got two TVs, bro. I need a second.

Yeah, I'm starting to get to that part of my life. I gotta make it up. Before we get to the Leafs, I just wanted to ask you, I mentioned it to Borny before we got back, if you're Travis Green, what do you think his number one message to the group, oh, get a little choked up talking about a group, is heading into game one.

What do you think he's hammering home, his key message? You're gonna have to play these guys really hard. They can embarrass you. And I think that's always been the case over the last few years when you're talking about Marner and Matthews And Nylander you give this you give these guys time and space they will eat you up. They are they are they're finishers They are game changers you give them an inch They'll take a mile and I think you lean into their

Reputations and say these guys will quit you You pound them, hammer them, make them not wanna play. Yeah, they don't, you know what? They wanna go around you. They have yet to prove this time of year, they can go through you. And you'd sell that to your team like crazy. Yeah. We got a highlight pack ripping here right now.

This is unbelievable. Yeah, it's like we're almost like we're on TV, this professional show. So before we get to your leaf line, Sammy, I Tampa Bay and in Florida. I don't start till Tuesday I know who's so yeah, it's I think the league wanted to give Matthew Kachuk like three extra full days off Yeah, so he's gonna practice with the team this weekend. He has not been cleared as of yet, but Depending I guess what they see out out of the next couple of practices. He could be cleared.

What do you think, Sammy? You guys made fun of me when I sat here and said, he will play game one, obviously. And you were like, oh no, this is different. This is a different one. I'm like, I promise. I think he went to Germany, by the way. That's another joke.

Oh no, he definitely went to Germany. Healing Hans. Glorious Amulet. Oh yeah. Healing Hans? Glorious Amula. Alright, Leafs Line boys? Leafs Line. The Leafs Line is brought to you by Muskoka Bay Resort, a top 10 ranked Canadian course and part of the

Freed Golf Network. How nice is it that sponsor and the Leafs Line What a fitting sponsor for this show. The golf thing, there may be some jokes, but we'll go past that. When's our tee time up there? haven't booked it yet, but I it sounds like they're gonna. All right. Let's start. Let's start This is a longer one, but this is a follow-up call when we had back in the day This is from Ben and st. John's Where you to boy

Do we have Ben and St. John's? Where are you two boys? Last time I called it was immediately after my engagement and thanks for making that day much more special for me and Megan. But this time I'm calling to congratulate you. That's right boys, congratulations to the Kipper and Bourne Trolls in the Vance on his longest season yet. That's right boys, the Leafs hour is going right till the end of June. Why? Because this year is the year. Sportsnet, get out the overtime checks for these guys.

Kipper, get out your fancy suits. Borny, get out the beard oils. And Sammy, take out your nicest ball cap. It's game time. The Stanley Cup is coming back home. The Canada's team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Let's look at this year's competition or lack thereof. For a laugh let's start with the Boston Brooms those bears are still in hibernation nowhere to be seen. Vancouver who hates Toronto well I've had more drama than a Jerry Springer show. In the Florida Panthers come on Sammy give us a bring on the cats meow sound drop for the 300 fans in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Listen.

No Coop, I'm not gonna listen. The only thing I'll listen to is the door shutting behind you. You're out of here. Until the Olympics, Coop. And then I'm sorry, we love you. The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Centres, while it's about time, welcome to the party. They're probably making a miracle on ice still don't them finally make it to play us Boys putting on my good luck maple leafs underwear this year and a better watch for that. You could not take it off until they lose

Enjoy the playoff run Lord Stanley's coming home to Toronto. I'm traveling Toronto for game five So I'll bring the wedding invitations to you then and if not, I'll see you at the Stanley Cup parade anyway. You see me? Don't forget the invite on the bus. This is like the Boston Pizza ad campaign that planned the parade here. That's a beaut. They're getting jinxy.

Ben, who is like, you know, maybe a lost, lost, long lost brother to Sammy. Yes. He really represents why people across the country you know, maybe a lost, long lost brother to Sammy. He really represents why people across the country hate Leafs fans. He's a good guy. Great guy. Fantastic guy.

But dumps on every other team, except the one that's won one round in 10 tries. But it's so many Leafs fans are forced to come at their fandom with this like shrinking like, well, we know, we know, you know, like it's nice to meet someone with their chest out and wear a little bit. There's a lot of talk about hockey gods and like all the curses and all sorts like what have they done for me lately? Like when's the win?

All the way to the God. I've been given. I've been trying to be such a good boy and pray and be like good with the juju and it's like it's never happened. So, you know. But it's full Cesar mode now. This guy's like Ben that MLSC sits there in their office and goes, let's add 20% next year to the tickets. Let's go to Rico and Barry. Alright guys, Stolar's Con Smythe plus 9500.

You heard it here first. When the Leafs win the Cup, he'll be the biggest reason. Also glad you got the jersey back Sam. I legit felt nervous for you. Go Leafs go. Bud's over Sends in five. Hey, did you we're just going all in did you hear the song someone made about the Jersey no it's in

our group chat Kipper is going to kill me for this it's very good the song really yes someone made a song of Sammy losing the Jersey Sammy. Where's the Jersey? Yeah, can we get it on before the show ends? Oh, it's I don't I don't know where it came from I don't know Copyrighted I don't know where it came from They're cursing it. I don't want to play no, but I don't want to play it. I don't want to play it I'm already I move past the Jersey thing. Okay, I'm a new man. I don't want to play it. I'm already I move past the Jersey thing. Okay, I'm a new man I don't want to play this. I mean listen to me very carefully

We don't care how you feel right now. We're playing it. It's a little Okay Let's go to is it all about you. Are we in the song? Really? Okay, Sammy themed then I really want to play it now. Okay, let's go to Sammy themed then I really want to play it now. Okay, let's go to John Doe from in Ottawa in Ottawa not from parts unknown in Ottawa He's a huge fan of the show listen to most episodes most days I've got Sam here in Ottawa my roommates at diehard sense, and I got all sense fans around me. They're nervous They're nervous. I got my tickets for game four

He couldn't keep us out. We're coming. They're nervous. I got my tickets for game four. They couldn't keep us out. We're coming. They're nervous. They're excited because they know we have more to lose. But I'm telling you, there's a buzz in the city. It's great to see just as like a hockey fan. But as a Leaf fan, I got my jersey on today. I'm fired up. I think the Leafs are going to take it home.

Let's go. Love that. So well, that that is a true representation of like, especially for Leaf fans. We've done the Boston thing, we've done the Tampa Bay thing, we haven't done the Ottawa thing in a very long time. It is that alone is a fresh coat of paint. It is.

It's nice. Nice to have a whole new group of opponents. Have you heard anything about Ottawa on the tickets or like any no, but in your in your leaf and you know, they're You gotta they're gonna find a way to get in there So it's not gonna be a it's not gonna look or sound any different Than it has in any playoff game or regular game. They're trying Trying they're there they're limiting so season ticket holders can buy their tickets They can buy two or four more, but they can't transfer them freely has to be like with them

So family or friends or something there's a colleague of grassroots fan coordination trying to say don't sell your tickets You know, it's been so long So bad they're trying to keep Leaf fans out. Good luck. Yeah. We're like Leaf nations, like cockroaches, man. They'll find a way behind the refrigerator. I'd love to see some people walking in Santa's jersey, unveil the jersey once they get in.

Let's go to... You can't kill them. Nuclear war won't take them down. They just keep coming back. Let's go to John from Michigan. Good afternoon fellas. This is John from East Palace, Michigan. I've been talking to my boy Ridley Gregg.

He wants to know how much it costs to live in Sammy's head there rent free. Well, John, you kind of contradicted yourself when you said how much it cost to live in Sammy's head there rent free Well John you kind of contradicted yourself when you said how much it costs to be rent free. I mean, it's like Sorry to make fun of you bro, but bit of a brain buster on that one pal But I have had people message me about how Sammy's gonna be on tilt about Greg and Pinto and cousins and Perron and Kachak and all these guys that are good players and all they all they want to take heavy big heavy players run their mouth You know the Leafs by weight are significantly heavier as a team than Ottawa. No, I did not Yeah, I can get you that data if you're interested. That's that's the blue line for sure

They're 204.7 on average Ottawa is 198.4. Can you break it down from defense to forwards? No But you're a stat guy You height I got a couple more calls here. I don't remember I cut these this morning I don't remember any let's go to fris bob inriz Bob in Toronto. Friz Bob? Friz Bob. Yeah, Friz Bob. Big fan, big fan of the show. My question is, how much do you think the playoff past is going to play a factor into this series for both the Senators and the Leafs?

Obviously, the Leafs having, you know, playoff failures in recent memory, and the Sens knowing that the Leafs have their number in every playoff series of the last 25 years. Wondering what your thoughts are. Big fans, go Leafs go. Thanks for this, Bob. I don't think that plays any factor at all. Like, they're not gonna be like,

oh, they beat us when I, like, you know, in 2000. No, but is he also asking about the mindset of going in after all these failures too? And can the Leafs calm themselves down in areas where they probably had the high heart rates in years past? Yeah. Craig Bruby to me, at times I would have liked to see a few decibels added to his The sound of them, but he he never went there consistent all year consistent all year and I think that Could play a key role and keeping calm when maybe things are getting a little hairy. Yeah, I think so, too. So Yeah, I think I think. So yeah, I think all that scar tissue in the past will come into play a little bit for

them. Failures or not, the more times you put yourself in those spots, the more you know what to expect and you can plan to handle those emotions. I'm a big believer of experience, right? Going through it constantly and what you what lessons you've learned from it yeah but let's sneak loading building the roster rebuilding the roster let's sneak one more in let's go to Terrace and Hamilton here's my theory of how we're going all the way this year and breaking every

curse they could ever throw at us let Let's go! Round one, Battle of Ontario. Pretty obvious how this is gonna go. Five, six game tops. Yes! Round two, little bit of an interesting round. Really hoping it's not the Panthers. That's gonna throw a bit of a wrench in the whole thing, but I'm predicting probably Tampa.

They're kind of feeling themselves. We got their number. So that brings us to the Eastern Conference final. Well, who do we need to beat their really and this goddamn curse? Why it's our old friends the Montreal Canadians. That's right They've upset the Metro and they've come all the way to the Eastern Conference final and of course we slay that dragon But here we are Stanley Cup final Who's left at this point to even slay the other original six teams are all gone at this point They were the only ones there last time we won

Well who messed up our chance to really win the cup? last That's right 1993 the Los Angeles Kings tried to take us down, but we're back and we're gonna beat them in the Stanley Cup final And every single curse you could ever imagine is over And that's it That's it a new dynasty. Thanks boys. Love listening to you listen all the time The only thing that helps me survive the qew

Thank you to nostradamus from france with the uh prediction I'm telling you boys vibes are too high the hives are too high with the prediction. I'm telling you boys, vibes are too high. Vibes are too high. Vibes are too high. Well Sammy, you picked every single one and they were all like a 10 out of 10 on vibes. There is no bad vibes.

I tried to find bad vibes. There's no bad vibes. There's no way. All the calls are just like that. I could do, we could have done five more just like that. You know what the most incredible thing about this is? When they lost last year. Oh, it's over.

I would never. When they were eliminated to get back to this. What an accomplishment. Truly. I mean, they're, they're sissabiss with this rock right near the top now. I'm sure nothing will stop it from coming back down. Keep that thought if they lose in the first round. That it's possible to get back to. No, there was still a great turnaround. I mean, it's just incredible they got back here, okay Get all the hope and all the love back. It's just it seemed impossible. It seemed like this Can we get here we are we have 30 seconds of the song do we have it? No, no, no No, not yet. Yeah, come on. No, no, we got time. No, we don't have time. We don't have Derek

Did you find it? We actually don't have time. We gotta go. Uh Anyways, play it play any part of it. We gotta go. I gotta play any part of it. God. I'm actually sour You can't play it Do we cut that thank you The leaf slime if we found Where's the jersey? Can we cut that? Thank you. All right. And the Leafs line. Hold on. The Leafs line. If we found... Come on.

We got a brand new sponsor. You guys are jumping all over me. Holy. The Leafs line was brought to you by Muskoka Bay Resort, a top 10 ranked Canadian course part of the Freed Golf Network. Yes. What a golf course it is too. If we could find someone who had the jersey, we can find out who wrote that song. That's the guy named, I know the guy DM'd me,

but I just don't know who wrote it and if it's AI or whatever. Can we, for Monday, let's open up the show with that song. Okay. There's bigger fish to fry on Monday. Who cares about the jersey? You can't keep us contained, McKeen. It's been found. The story's done. You what's

happening. Thank you very much. Oh my God. Sammy, Sammy, Sammy, Sammy, Sammy. All right. More Sammy. When we return, we go national on the real Kipper and born show. Don't go away.