Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: The Message in the Locker Room

Episode Date: December 17, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look back on the Toronto Maple Leafs' 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. They review Craig Berube's post-game locker room address and discuss the team's slow start, Auston Matthews' response to the fans' third-period boos, and whether the Leafs can take any meaningful takeaways from the incomplete effort. Later, as the Leafs prepare for a Thursday-night matchup against the Capitals, Washington head coach Spencer Carbery joins the show (32:27) to discuss the Caps' recent form, Alex Ovechkin's usage, navigating Pierre-Luc Dubois' absence, the importance of locker room speeches, and the lingering Olympic question for Logan Thompson and Tom Wilson.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.

All right, let's get her going. It's the real Kipper and Bourne show. Jake the Snake Shultz, Derek Brando, Nick Kippreel, Justin Bourne, our very own Sammy McKee. It is the Leaf Hour edition of our program, but you would never know that based on the Edmonton Oiler jersey. Oh, my God. behind Justin Boren.

No. No. No. I'm just looking up and I see Euler colors. All right. Well, we're back in people under the truck. At 356. Hey, could you cut a bunch of clips from something that I didn't bring up until two minutes before the show? Swear to God. Yeah, let's back it up.

Back it up. All right. Hey, I'm okay. I'm all right. Leave the Oiler jersey. Not, there's not a chance he would leave an oiler jersey on on his Leaf Hour edition. doesn't have to. I don't blame them. I don't blame him either. No, no, no.

It's right. And I swear to God, Sammy, I just I zone in. I'm, I'm zoned out. We don't even speak before the show. In fairness, we don't. We're all zoned out. We're all in a different world. Completely zoned out. The show starts when this show starts. But it doesn't sure. I'll tell you something. I've learned nothing from Sammy an hour before our shows for five years.

today I learned that he doesn't like cream and his donuts right to tell him the conversation we had moments before I noticed that there was an oiler jersey tell me what you were uttering to prepare ourselves

for a big show today what did you say that I hate Boston cream donuts thank you as I consumed a whole Boston cream donut moments before the show and you don't like sandwiches or you don't like sandwiches

we don't like big sandwiches we like sandwiches not this like the big one that this is the important. Vertical's good, horizontal is no good. This is really important stuff. Well, this is what makes our show so successful is the fact that we don't talk. I had that bad.

You can't handle the truth. I think that, I mean, not to get too inside baseball, but I think one of the calling cards that does make our show great is that literally, we have literally no idea what anybody's going to say until the show starts. We are very natural when we come on here with our reaction.

So there you go. So what did you guys think of the hockey game last night? They won. What a win. we said two points two points we said three two points must win can't lose

I just said it was a free two point night that's all come get your two points come pick them up so everything's hunky dory I can't see anything that is less than perfect except for some of some things that we'll get to listen they got two points

everything's great we got two points figure things out well we're settled in we got our leaf jersey We know Sammy doesn't like anything in his donuts. We know that we're live. Hey, don't get me wrong. I love donuts.

We're a daily donut show. We do know we are live on Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet 590, the fan in Toronto, and always streaming on SportsNet. Plus, and always available to you at your convenience, Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube. Yes, the Maple Leafs completed a late rally

against the Chicago Blackhawks with two goals in eight seconds. Matthews, Joshua, late in the third period, when we had basically talked about yesterday's show about the game last night. The one thing that stood out to me was Sammy saying, we need to see a certain something.

I think that's the way you phrased it. Out of the leaders. Yeah. You need to see a response. Yes. And did you? I said, I said, I said I want, wanted to see Matthews do his thing in a game like this

where he'd get a couple of goals or whatever and you said it needs to look a certain way is what you said, Kip. You were about to look. I cared about the look for sure. I got my two points, a goal and an assist, maybe not exactly what I asked for. Play the right way.

Yeah. How did you think it looked? Do you want to go to Craig Bruby first or do you want to go to us first? Yeah, probably let's go to Craig Baruby. Which one do you want? What the way? a room one that you asked me to cut two minutes before the show started you know what that one stood

out the most for me so you know the Toronto Maple Leafs with their uh social media and and many teams they they do this now they as soon as the guys come in and the coach addresses the team they cut it can I admit something to you and they put it out there I absolutely love it I do I love it as a fan I love I like getting that access as well and the NFL does an unbelievable job too their speeches are like out of control coaches be performative. I love it, you're right. But that, unfortunately, is the trade-off.

Yeah. I am a little bit with Sammy on this, even though I can play the dinosaur. I get it. I get where the value is. And I clipped it. I asked you to clip it five minutes before because I think that there's value in it. Yeah. And it goes back to our Amazon days where we watched the Leafs three or four years ago.

And you can really get a sense of who they. are on a day-to-day basis a lot more out of it, even though we think it could be performance-driven or not, it's still fairly real. Yeah, that is the part that I'm worried we're going to lose, right? Like, as a team, when you sit in that locker and wait for your coach to come in and get a sense of what they thought of the game, it's immediately now it feels like it's going to be PR, right?

Like, I don't know if you're really going to get the actual take of the coach. You know, you see, we got Spencer Carberry coming on today. and I've had several people send me Washington Capitol's clips and be like the Leafs could never have this. Carberry is gassing the boys up. You know, franchise leader and this, whatever. You know, hey, just a round of snaps over here. Somebody sent me one of his the other day.

Yeah, they gave him, where he gave him two days off, and the whole room went insane. And they said, oh, lay, oh, lay, oh, lay. They all were, like, jumping in a circle in the middle of the room. And since then they've given up 13 goals of three games. Do you know what I'm saying? Bad response from this team. They've been crap ever since.

I'm the dinosaur. But I just, I don't, I don't, I think we're stealing an important part of the coach team relationship, the post game, I love it, I want to see it. There's no such thing as intimacy anymore. Everybody's out there for everybody to see. And that's the demand right now. So it is. At times, it's Truman.

I'm watching the Jim Carrey movie. Like I wonder if the coach gives a speech and then they go, okay, cameras out and they go, boys what is that like do you get a second version of the speech the whole world gets to judge you now 24 7 with the cameras I would say that the Leafs put out one where they did win I don't know if it was earlier this year or late last year or whatever where Brubay was like yeah happy we got the win but there's a lot of work we still need to do and like there was like a bit of honesty so I don't know if they do two takes I don't think I asked you to clip this one because I think it's it is raw I don't think that Craig Bruby is thinking about a camera in the room. I think they,

I hope that they, they covered up a few F bombs in it. Okay, perfect. So let's have, let's have a raw emotional Craig Bhruby addressing his team after last night's come from behind victory. Welcome back, Walsie, good job.

A little good job by everybody hanging in there, big character win. That's a great comeback. This shows perseverance and character how we came back and won the game. Great job. Boy, it's Warren, great job.

Let's go in the back. Thanks, Beastie. Way to grind that one out, boys. We got to get on a roll here and keep this thing going. I think I'm going to admit the reason I like it is I get to hear the nicknames they have for each other because I'm so obsessed with nicknames, but Beastie is unreal.

Monty, Beastie. All right. This is where I may differ a little bit here, okay? And I wouldn't have come in as positive as Craig. I wouldn't have yelled at them, but I would not have gone into this whole schick about character and perseverance

when basically for 57 minutes I didn't see character and I didn't see perseverance. But this is, I think you're trying to put it in them, make them believe that that's what it was and instill that confidence, truth or not. See, that's interesting. But I, yes. And I'm not saying that you're wrong.

And I'm not saying that my way is definitively better or it's what the team needs. Chiefs around them all the time every day. He knows them better than I do. So that's where you're in there This good cop, bad cop parent thing where Someone says he needs a kick in the ass

Or the other one says no, he needs a pat on the back Me personally My first instinct would have been Shut the door and sit down And please tell me Why And let's go down the list that we went down yesterday Okay

no Connor Bedard I called out the leaders Joe Bowen Knight we're at home we get Joseph Wall back that we can come out and as Craig Barrowby well documented on all our Instagrams

last night he can tear a strip off of them with one shot on goal in the first 14 minutes then go into a second period where everybody's calling maybe the worst second period all year long. Okay?

I don't know. Whatever the case is. And we're watching TSN. They had the broadcast last night. Tomorrow night we'll have it on. Those guys start having discussions on whether or not they've quit on their coach and whether it's the right decision

if people are contemplating about firing him or not. And if I'm not mistaken, our group chat also had someone insinuate like should they fire somebody. No, no, no, no. It was kicked off.

I think it was 2-0. I put in the chat rebuild. So we've got rebuilt? I was joking. We got people insinuating whether coaching change is coming on. Okay, if we're doing group chat confidential, which is a great segment I want to do

in a show one day, I said, I think Craig could get fired tomorrow if they lose this game by margin. Okay. Yeah. You get my point. Which I think is actually somewhat. You get my point.

Yeah. Now we're going to a third period. And at the 10 minute mark, I'm hearing stereo sound of booze. I haven't heard in a long time. And I'm thinking to myself, man, they are within a whisker right now. of waffles on the ice.

Jersey's on the ice. Okay? Here come the pretzels. So at some point after the game, I would remind the players of all of this, but somehow we take three minutes of last night and we flush everything else down the toilet and we're just going to focus on character and perseverance

and let's build off of this. It sounds like Daddy came home and decided it was the pat on the back rather than the kick in the butt that the team needed. Is that a good thing? Is that okay for you? Listen, I think it's a very good question. And I don't know. One thing we have been surprised by has been Burubi's penchant to use the carrot more than the stick.

I think we thought when he came here we'd see a little bit more of the stick. I would say there's more longevity in the carrot and the back pat if things. come around. You know, it's a long season to be, you know, laying into guys the whole time through. But Kip, to your point, you know, we weren't the only group chat that said rebuild, fired the coach, whatever. We, the fans in the building were starting. Everybody.

Right. I'm looking at the hockey news right now, Ken Campbell said, you know, Leafs played like they wanted their coach to be fired for 50 minutes last. That's the opening line of that article. Like, it's out there. It's out there. We're not it. No. We're not it. To both of your conversations, I would really hope it's the pat on the back.

And that's not his actual thoughts on the hockey game. Like, I hope that's not what he thought. I love that because I agree. It's like if that's what he thought. I hope it's PR spin. I hope he's aware that that was no good. No. No.

That was downright bad. Like, if he's going in there being like, boy, you guys showed a lot of character tonight on that wrist shot that got through and barely went into the net and then got a gift power play and then got a goalie coughing one up to you in the slot, like. Don't read into anything like that. So I just hope that that's P. I do.

Sorry, but, like, it's not, there's no PR fooling here. Not on this show. I mean, no, we're too. We're hip to the game. Oh, yeah, we know everything. But I, I don't, I believe that Craig Bruby believes that he, he needs, he needs to do this with love and support. Yeah. And I, I don't know how long, like we're almost half,

through the season. Like, hasn't he tried this already? But it is telling, I think, that the stuff that we're not privy to, the only place we see him and we don't hear the message, we see him losing his absolute mind.

Right? Like, we don't get to hear what he's saying here in this clip on the bench, you know, one freaking shot or whatever he's, we know he's hot and yells at the guys and gives it to him in the one area where he's telling him what he truly thinks. So I do believe, to Sam's point, that he's not...

But then why portray that other BS then? They get the people off. They get the flies off. I think the flies are a little bit more intelligent than that. Yeah. I mean... I actually, I mean, what I said last... Yeah, that's a good point, too.

I said on least, like, I think the Leafs crowd did a better job of inspiring the players last night than the coaching staff did. Like, that was a early, loud boo. 11 minutes left, 10 minutes left. It was definitely loud. I think Oliver Ackman-Larsons scored right after that. It was immediately after. I wouldn't even want to know if they would have gone in late into that period

what it would have sounded like down to nothing. They got a goal right away and it just, it nipped it. And give credit to the crowd. The pop on the Matthew's goal and the pop on the Joshua goal were playoff type pops. They want it. It was a natural reaction for sure. Yeah. And they've been starving.

for one totally and oh go ahead i just want to get this out of the way with like the matthews giving it to the crowd like you know i thought that was great and i you know i know there's going to be yeah i didn't i didn't think it was appropriate yeah i knew you wouldn't yeah i didn't think it was appropriately inclined that's not you want to let's play let's play the clip two for matthews on on the boo birds you know the boo birds were coming down rightfully so and um you know i think after that first that first goal the you know the crowd really got into it which was grade and then after the second one the place is rocking so and then after the third one even more so it was just good to get that one and obviously good for the power play as well and

nice way to finish off the game you put the hands here here and you made gesture to the crowd what's going on through your mind when there's such emotional thing like that not much to be honest just excitement and it's just kind of all in the moment you're not really thinking too much I guess yeah to me I'd like him to think a little bit more though to me though that's like uh we hear you let's pick it up let's turn things around let's get the volume you know like let's let's get her going that to me is like we got one here we go inspirational stuff you know what you know what it's like to me yeah the illusionist watch this hand don't think about this hand watch this hand watch this hand and I'm like no but listen you haven't liked anyone celebrating anything that's not true that's a

great play by Willie off the board that's not true and I shot uh I just think that you know he says oh, and they were booing us, rightfully so. Yeah. And then he's like, but forget about that because we got it going and we got rocking and now we're rocking again and then we're rocking again. And it's like, okay. And it's great if this is truly

the pivotal moment where now you can focus on rocking the rest of the way, but can you do that without truly understanding the part that was rightfully so? Like, have you absorbed what was wrong? Can you look each other in the eye and have half decent answer to why? Why they were rightfully so? Can you focus?

Follow up that. Yeah, they were booing and it was rightfully so. Okay. Why? Why was it rightfully so, Austin? Well, because, you know, we didn't play for 57 minutes. I didn't play for 57 minutes. I didn't skate hard enough.

I didn't back check hard enough. I didn't I didn't do this I didn't do that but it's like like I said it's like don't focus on this hand just look at this hand I you know I think they're trying you know like I think he's trying as much as you know it's not

been his year he doesn't look as physically capable it's not going great but I do think there's this element of they want it to and you know when good things happen you're trying to pick it up and turn it out turn things around and get going in a positive direction to me that's like

The rest of the game's a massive problem that we need to assess. But I just, you know, I saw a couple of tweets out there not liking that. And I was like, of all things to pick out from that game, that to me. I would be closer to Kipper's side saying I didn't love it, especially when I think they said that he had the puck on a stick for 11 seconds all game. And that's his first attempt towards a net that goes in. So I don't necessarily love it. I watched all his shifts.

But at the same time, at the same time, at is like any signs of life out of it. Like, I mean, there's just been so few signs of anything from him where there's just been this massive malaise, this meh, this blah, whatever. I just want more ownership. Sure. I just want more ownership to why you're in this mess. I agree.

No, it's tied together. But it's not asked in that instant. That answer is not an answer to, you know, what was your overview of the game? It's, you know, what is that reaction to? I just. I, you can't brush. 57 minutes under the carpet and just say

we got to just continue this momentum of three minutes. Hold on with a 57. Like, what are you doing to 57? Like, it's not like Chicago touched the puck in the final 10 at the game. It's not, I'm not saying. 47 minutes. Yeah.

You're okay with 47 minutes? 50 minutes? Well, I'm just saying let's not. 50 minutes. Sure. I'm just saying let's not exaggerate for effect here. Like they got outplayed in the first period for sure. They weren't the, I think by and large,

it was a pretty even. game they played like crap because that's a bad team they should be contending for the stanley cup i know they are supposed to be one of the weakest teams in the league yes and they were they handed them points last night if they're playing any of the top half of the league last night they don't get any points all right let's get Craig ruby's overview of the game you heard i was the one that he said in the media not the one they send to the room that's right yeah actually this first part of the first period wasn't a terrible start it was actually a good start to the game Give up a shorthand goal kind of, it's a tough one.

But, you know, second was a little better. And third was our best period, which was great to see battle back. I thought our top line was really good tonight. Can you repeat that question? You just said, if there was such a good start, then why are you berating them? Good question. Really good question. I thought that the start was arguably the worst part

if I was going to make it. You know what's really hard is like so much of how you're feeling watching a game is dictated by what the score is and to just trail the whole night, it just felt bad. That's such an interesting point. You're still right.

You know, like if it just... The overwhelming feeling is they're actually going to lose this game, the entire game. Right. Where you have a harder time looking through rose-colored glasses. The, uh, I'd be...

Last time I checked this, The Leifes were in the bottom few teams in the NHL in time spent leading. Like they are behind all season long. It has felt bad to watch the Leafs this year. And a lot of that has been just they're chasing games. And they've come from behind in multi-goal leads multiple times here, which only two other teams in the league have done to get some points. It's just felt bad so often they're always chasing the game.

And. I can't give that guy the goal. by the way. They took away that goal from this guy. Like, did somebody really have a bet on this? Just let the guy hadn't scored since 2020 or something. The guy that shot that. Was it Kaiser?

No, the other guy, they got it. The guy that was standing for the net. I forget his name, but they took away a goal from him. He hadn't scored since like 2020. This is a good play here. Will he turn over? Morgan Hightails it. Tavares works so hard to come back, gets a stick on it.

Not enough. But are we in agreement that the Leafs didn't win last night? Chicago gave it to them? Yes. Please. Give me that. Yeah, okay. Okay.

All right. Sure. You know, it's, it is another game. I just wish somebody would have said that last night in so many ways. Yeah. I'm sitting here trying to provide a level look at it because I recognize that that's bad. When your goals of the Stanley Cup, it's bad. I don't want us to exaggerate it and make it that that was a, you know,

you know, they won the high danger chances they had more shots, they end up with two points. It's not good overall, but it's not a disaster. It's just frustrating that this team won't then come out and say, we can't be splitting coin toss games with teams that are going to be the 20th best in the league. So it is a matter

of living up to expectations and the expectations are higher than that game. No doubt about it. Okay. That's, I mean, that's exactly right. It's just, but I mean, that's been at the core of a lot of fans of this team's issues with them for 10 years where what pisses a lot of people off most

is not on the ice and boy it's been it's pissed a lot of people off on the ice but it's what's followed that that has really stuck in the craw of a ton of leaf fans where there's been a lack of seeming like borderline delusion over the years where it's like do you really believe what you're saying like it's just it's i think that's what's at the core of it if they come back tomorrow night against Washington and somehow put together like even 40 or 50 minutes and win

that's something that you can really build off of last night's not it please right it's just one of those where for whatever reason you dodged the stars kind of bounced your way in the last three minutes

you got a couple of breaks Willie made a great play on Austin's goal really nice right Yeah. And that's one that probably Austin has missed for a long time because Mitch probably did that two or three times a game and gave him looks, right? For sure.

So that was typical of Matthews being opportunistic and seeing a terrific shot. Yeah. I told you I watched every Matthew shift today. I sat there and did the 20 minutes or whatever it was he played last night. And it's obviously he misses Mitch. Like he goes to soft areas a lot. And there's no one able to get them the puck in these spots. He's also, he's often two guys are between him and the puck carrier.

He's like hiding in the weeds. Like if someone can sift it through two skates and sticks over here, I'm wide open. He's got to go help more. He's got to be in the play and in the action more. And he kind of moves with the pace of the play. You watch McDavid lately and those guys, they pull the play behind them. They control it. everyone else is hanging on for dear life.

And Matthews is kind of within the play a lot this year. He was like that early in his career. Matthews was, yeah. Yeah, where you're like, oh, that guy's draped all over him and he's still pulling him to the net. And he's not as forceful. He definitely seems like it's tender to touch him out there. All right, let's go to Austin Matthews, clip one on his overview last night. Yeah, I mean, it's obviously, it's a nice win.

I don't think, I mean, I think other than maybe the last 10 minutes of the first period, I thought we played, you know, pretty solid. I think it just got away from us there after 10 and a couple bad breaks. I just think we stopped taking care of the puck and turnovers were obviously an issue. But, you know, I thought the second period we at least played harder, competed harder. Those were really much going on. But, you know, it's nice that, you know, we come in the locker room and, you know, guys are staying positive. We're holding each other accountable.

I just got to go out there and compete a little bit harder and, you know, play the right way, keep things simple. And I thought we just grinded out that third period and we were able to get a couple goals and tie it up. and then obviously, you know, Dack finished it off there. What was Knight doing on the Joshua goal? Oh, that's, yeah, it's just... Is he putting it out to Crevier there?

Just giving the game away. Even Stetcher to shoot that on the net was a heck of a choice. How does he not just get the red and dumped this in? He's trying to make a pass? Yes. Look at that crowd pop. God, I'm impressed with them last night. Could have pushed it in the corner, could have gone.

on up the boards and out. And he thought his defenseman was just going to skate into it and pick it up. My boy, Stetch. What a heads up play. Great play by Joshua. Bad dump. Great play by Troy. Bad dump.

That's the Valley thing. With a bad goalie. No, disagree. Perfect play by Stetcher. No, I actually think Stetcher could have, he would have iced it if he shot it from there. And there was a guy holding the red when he's approaching it. Show it again from the faceoff, if you will. So he's kind of got no choice.

Either put it on net or make a direct pass. And he was good. too. Spencer and it was good. Look at the guy holding the line at the red. He can't, he's got, he can't go there.

Yeah. Hey, listen. 60 minute game. Chicago learned a valuable lesson right there. Jeez. But, Chicago's about to learn a whole bunch of valuable lessons. Yeah, they're about to,

they're about to lose six to seven games in a row. I totally. They, not a good squad. No. No. No. No.

Did you want to talk about Joseph Wall? Yeah, I do. Because I don't know what the score is without, them past 2-0. I think the big save for me that really would have brought out the Waffles. Bertuzzi? The second shorthy.

It was late in the power play that they had already given the shorthy up on it. I don't know who it was that came down, but maybe Tara Vinen and he came across, made a huge blocker save. That was the one that really stuck out to me. Made a good one on Bertuzi towards the end of the game. But yeah, he's good. Look like Joseph Wall.

He can't give up the third. He didn't. No. But it is, I'm telling you, It's going to be so stressful to be a goalie right now for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yeah, you need to make a lot of saves. I will say they're power play. I don't even like them that they scored a power play goal because it's not like a set up, well-executed power play goal.

They just, you know, they're so bad. So bad on the power play. It's insane. They're giving up way more than they get. Yeah, it was just a puck battle one below the dots, good pass, shoots it in. It was not like a set-up, cross-theme. They've had one of those. it feels like in the last month and that was the game that we were at the cross seam

shooted in yeah yeah emminton does that every night it is insanely bad did you want to listen to the coach on wall quickly yes clip five please on wall yeah great great to see him back in there and um he had a good game i thought he got better as the game went along a little more comfortable in there but it was good to see that um he held us in there and we got a win we got to win and a big part of it was him. All right, I got my list of, you know, beefs and stuff to talk about. Lawton, Lorenz, Cowan,

played 11 minutes in that game. Is Scott Lawton, am I seeing something different from you guys? I'm with you 1,000%. Every time he's on the ace, he's throwing hits, he's drawn penalties. Something positive happens. Every shift. I mean, he also said yesterday that he used to listen to Bonesy at the least game in the parking lot with Harvey's with his dad.

I'm like, give him the C. Get him in the top six And get that guy to see Cowan played a team low 1058 Cowan's one of their best players right now What's going on? Like if What is Lawton to you?

What is Lawton to me? Yeah. I mean he's there You know, probably a middle six guy And a guy who should play 15 minutes. I'm not arguing at all. But what is he played as? Oh, fourth line center.

Yeah. You don't give up a first. round pick for a fourth line center and a prospect and a prospect yeah grubanking grubankan that's not what you do no and if that's all he is i got news for you yeah his contract's up at the end of the year he ain't staying no it's not staying to be a fourth liner he's not staying for 11 minutes I can assure you. And you can't give up a first

and a prospect play him as a fourth liner and then walk them right to a free agency into another city. You're right. It's almost better if you're going to do that

you might as well trade them. In my head, I'm like cooking up the best Leafs lines and I'm like, if you took Lawton with Cowan and put like Nyes on the left wing or something,

did you play him for 15, 16 minutes is a great line? Kate, oh, we should go. McMahon? We should go. All right. So much I want to say. We can say it after Spencer Carberry.

Okay, you're the boss. You got your Christmas sweater. Yeah, I can't believe we've gone 30 minutes. We haven't mentioned that sweater, which, by the way, is beautiful. Beautiful. My wife's Christmas, we're a Christmas party tonight, so. Awesome. I'm supposed to wear an ugly sweater, and I did it.

It ain't ugly. No, it's not ugly. There's skaters on the bottom. Yeah, if you can see that. Is that our line from the Eric Lindros? Yeah, I actually got it enshrined. I got an enshrined on it. All right, who's joining us next?

the head coach of the Washington Capitals. Who the Leifes are facing tomorrow, former Leifes assistant, and Borny's going to ask him about OV's 0% zone side. Spencer Carberry, head coach of the Washington Capitals when we return to Real Kipper and Bourne. Diving deep into Leifes, Raffters,

Jays, and NFL. The Jady Bunk is podcast. Subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. as promised before the break spencer carberry head coach of the washington capitals will join us now as the leafs prepare tomorrow night to go back into washington spencer how are you good how are you guys yeah we're good um just you know as we close in uh spencer to the the christmas break here uh just watching your team right out of the gate uh six and two i think to kind of start

then you went into a bit of a tailspin I think two and eight you guys also managed a six game winning streak and now losers of a four or five here so I mean streaky would be putting it mildly right now for your team it would be I think we hit that sort of rough patch and we're able to respond and played really well for for a good stretch went out west to California and had some three really strong games for the most part came back home and we're able to grind out a few and now been a little bit tough for the last couple games playing against Winnipeg and Winnipeg and Minnesota a couple of really good Western teams and so sort of trying to get this thing back in the right direction. Carbs, Justin Boren here. Appreciate you joining us, man. Hey, Borto. Hey, man. I want to see your thoughts on one of my favorite topics here, which is, you know, coaches utilizing players trying to get the most out of these guys you do it really well with Alex Ovechkin looking at his defensive zone starts this year I've got zero through 30 some games

this year 132 Ozone starts how intentional was that going into the year and or is just kind of played out that way saving them I think it's just exactly what you said is it's my job from a deployment like that's one of the the things that we can control as head coaches is deployment and so trying to set up each individual player as successfully as you possibly can and so oh trying to maximize what he does well and and his strengths as a player and so I'm trying to get him in the offensive zone opportunities to shoot the puck opportunities to start with a possession in the

offensive zone I'm on a one draw those are all things that we try to do and I try to get him out and as many of the bots as I possibly can And I think limiting the D zone starts, I think it's just a product of, yeah, I mean, we can put someone else in that spot. And then it frees up a few more minutes for him again to be able to play in the offensive zone and play to his strengths. It appears anyways, as long as he stays healthy, that he's going to fall into that 35, maybe 40 goal season again for Ovechkin, which is great for you. But at times, I think, can get challenging for your group. you know, Pierre-Luc Dubois went down early, Spencer, and I look at your line up here,

and it's not typical where you still got like a big horse down the middle here. You know, they're Strom, McMichael, and they're good players, but you've got to kind of work around that as well. Yeah, yeah. And I think that's honestly, in my time in Washington, I think that's been our recipe for success. We're not a one-line team. Mike, we're a team that is able to beat teams and have success in the NHL through depth

and through utilizing our entire lineup. And so some nights it might be line 1A, the next night it might be line 1B. It might be Protas. It might be McMichael that night. Then it's Strome. And then, you know, Nick Dowd's lines chipping in. So I think that's sort of how we are built as a group and how we've been able to have some successes, is we just utilize all four lines, all three sets of D

and try to use our strength in numbers as opposed to being top-heavy or just relying on three or four guys. Carnes, one of the things I've enjoyed this year is watching your guys is post-game chats. You know, you come into the room and talk to the guys. You guys are close. You can tell it's a really good vibe in that room. Do you have a philosophy with those post-game chats,

something that you're trying to do in particular there? Yeah, I just think. think it's a long year and I've always felt like it's it's hard in certain moments and we do this even on practice days to try to you just get so busy with the season and practices and games and pre-scouts and then days off and getting guys away from the ranks so it's it really is sometimes hard to just take a step back and go okay what are we accomplishing here who's done really well and I feel like trying to highlight those moments is what I'm trying to do after games I I kind of not in love

with the fact that it's all over social media but it's important I feel like through a long year to highlight all the little victories and all the positive things that guys accomplish even if it's not lighten the score sheet on fire and little things that happen through a game so guys

are recognized and feel good even you know guys that earn contracts in the season long term deal whatever it might be to celebrate those before practice or things guys are doing in the community I think is important to your culture and so I try to do that as much

as we can. So who helps you with the research on that? Is that Sergey Kacharov? Who you got doing that stuff? No way you're doing it. Sergei tips me off for sure on any milestone. We have literally detectives in this. If you and

John Carlson's great at this too because if you hit a milestone, that means a certain thing needs to go up on the board so it could be you might have gotten your third consecutive game with an assist on the road which ties a record and that is going to be it's going to cost you that is going to be noted that's great Spence just just a follow up on these post game videos here because we've kind of had this conversation and I hope you can be as frank as you can here but because I wouldn't be able

to do them personally because I'd be so scared about what I'd say how it's saying how it came across like you ever I mean do is it is there a thought in your head going all right what's it going to be this time or you know I better get this right or oh okay can I start again can we do it I can do it better I can do it better well well that's why I'm like I'm trying to get Sergey and I I'm not a huge fan of them going on social media because of that exact reason because I feel like it's choreographed and that and I just wanted to be just completely organic with our group and thankfully like gargars are great they don't care what is recorded and they celebrate and have a good time with it so that that's been a great part of it is they don't

get camera shy or anything like that and I just try the other thing that I get worried about is forgetting something of like did someone do something tonight or did I not highlight the right thing that you know whether it was someone making a big play at the end of the game to get a puck out on the wall under a heavy pressure from it like little things like that that I'm always like did I forget anything I'm always asking our staff and our video coaches I forget anything hey that's I mean you're younger than me but like these kids need that too I mean they are sensitive they're like how could you forget about me I made a really good play no I don't I'm just I'm just Just in terms of now, two faces clearly that are pushing for Olympic status here,

Tom Wilson, of course, Logan Thompson. And as a coach, you know it's there. You don't want to make too big of a deal out of it, but it's there. And do you feel it? Do you feel it as well? I definitely feel it from someone that, you know, is a little bit anchored. and wants it to come to fruition and wants this for them. But I

will say this. I have not noticed one bit one moment in a game where I felt like Tom or LT has been affected by what's going on outside and what each game means

to them and people in the building and whoever's watching and scouting. I haven't felt like it affected their game one bit. So that's a credit to those guys and how mentally focused they've been to start the season. And to be honestly, I think it's shown in how they've played with the start of the year. Elty has been phenomenal this year.

I don't see how, you know, he couldn't be on that team, Canada, representing the nation at the Olympics. And same thing with Willys. He's just been such an important part of our team to start the year, leading our team, doing all sorts of different things, power play, penalty kill, five. on five. You need to protect a lead. Tom Wilson's a guy. We need to score a goal late. He's a guy that's going to be at the

net front or digging a puck out on the forecheck like all these different things that he's just done such a good job and it just tells you he knows what's at stake. He knows the eyeballs that are watching. So for him to be able to perform at the level he has NLT has been incredible. Yeah, and John Carlson too

still quietly, really good. Unbelievable. Yeah, at his age. And I was disappointed he got left off that the orientation camp because I felt like he had a good argument to be there as a veteran defenseman that's done a lot, not only in the NHL but on the international stage,

but he's had a phenomenal start through his year as well. Yeah, I'm a big fan, big fan of Johns. Hey, Spence, really appreciate your time and good luck tomorrow night and the rest of the way and always appreciate your time on our show. Absolutely. I love chatting with you guys. Thanks, Carbs.

Appreciate your time, man. Spencer Carberry. All right. Spence and Borno. Borno. Borno. University of Alaska Anchorage alum. But, I was, I mean, I was this close to just going to sit with Sammy there on the side

and letting you guys kind of get reacquainted. I just couldn't believe. I'd say Ward and Bourne and those sort of names tend to end up in O's in hockey. Yeah. Borno. I'm a borny all day. Interesting. Before we move on here, boys,

SportsNet 590, the fan is all in supporting the 50-50 fortune for sick kids. It's a 50-50, so the more money we raise, the more kids we can help, and the more holiday cash you can win. This is your last week to buy tickets as the final draw is on Thursday morning, tomorrow morning, I believe, is Thursday. The current take-home prize is,

let me just quickly pull up 50-fortune.ca, is over 551,000. dollars boys so buy your tickets at 5050 fortune.ca or text word money to 59590 we'll send the link right to your phone 18 plus please play responsibly standard message and data rates may apply lottery license raf 151 8410 so just to follow up a little bit on Washington and what the leifes could be seeing tomorrow night like this is a good hockey club yeah we're all in agreement there they they work hard but like I said that uh without pierre luke de bois there now like Strome, good hockey player.

McMichael, good hockey player, but five goals. I got to tell you. Right, six goals. As we're talking to my boy, Carb's there, I'm looking at the Capitol's roster. And I'm going, boy, Carberry was with the Leafs. Remember that?

Yeah. He's a good coach. Really good coach. This team is not much better than anyone else. They're leading the Eastern Conference in goal differential. Great goaltending. And great five on five. Yeah.

They control the play. He's got a team that is playing for him. They've, good defense. And they took it on the chin, the last two games, Minnesota. Well, they got the Quinn. That's true, goal differential. And they're minus 10 in the last two games. Minus 10.

They got the Quinn Huis show last night. And he played 29 minutes last night for the wild. Quinn Hughes. 29. Electric right now. The wild are never going to lose again. It's December. 29.

You couldn't find a shift for somebody else, coach? I guess when he's on your bench, like, yeah. Yeah. What about that guy over there? 43? I really like wild fans are finding clips of Quinn Hughes disassociating on the bench

the way he just like stares up Did you just leave him alone? Yeah, it's like knowing Don't worry about that guy Before we had like three or four minutes here Did you have something more You wanted to say on Lott before we went to break You seemed like you were sour way to go

Do you remember it's gone But I don't even know what I had for breakfast this morning Please It's all good I just wondered There was some TOI discussions going on about the maplers I think they need to readjust some

some time on ice is around. I like, I thought Nick Robertson was very good last night. I thought he drew the penalty that they ended up scoring on. He did. He had great pop. Cowan, I like it again. Cowan beat an icing out. Yeah, that led to the face off that led to the drawing of the penalty.

Here's what I was thinking when I was watching the game last night. I was asking myself this question, who do I like seeing out there? Like, who am I, like, for the Leafs? When they're on the ice, I'm like, all right, I like watching this guy right now. I like this. Mr. Larson. Okay. For me...

Statcher. Actually, yes. Cowan, Robertson, Scott Lotton. I always like watching William Nealander. Whatever you think of us play. I like watching them. You do. It's a pretty short list.

Yeah. It was a tough watch last night, right? Yeah. Until you're 10 minutes or three minutes depending on how far you want to go back. Right. But it's not engaging hockey right now. No, they never have.

have it. They never have the hockey puck. Which is why I was doing this in my head. Who do I like? How can you build some lines where they have the puck? Each line has a guy who can carry it and distribute it and, you know, and I was going, okay, well, how one does that?

Willie does that. Do you know when John DeVars' last non-empty net goal was? At least 10 games. November 20th versus Columbus. So, yeah, we're coming up in a month here. Yeah. What's going on there? kind of

he could play third line or wing and still help the team you know like he's still happy with his contributions he works hard makes plays have you live for him still at this point he's at the point of his career he should probably be playing on the wing and having the goalies though

they beat him into the ground oh that's what I wanted to ask tomorrow night back to Wall or are you going to Hill to be oh geez that's a good question thank you it depends on what Wall's injury was do we know something that kept him out a week and a day

I'd love to know what it was Because there's certain things We're like Ah, this is growing Let's just give it another day After a game I'd go to the beast on the weekend Against Nashville

It's but it's a back-to-back on the weekend They got four or three games Oh they got Saturday Sunday Yes Saturday Sunday Yeah you're working two of those To check in pal That's right

That's right Yeah It may have to I go Wall Beast, Wall Beast Wall Beast Wall Beast Wall.

No, no. Oh, but I'm talking about last night. So I think I'm starting Beast Thursday and then Wall and then Beast. You're just going back and forth. I am. It's too important to this game. I'm okay.

Baltimore night against Washington and win and win. You want to build something. If you really want to build something, build it off the Washington Capitals on the road. This sounds an awful lot. Like, got to build something going into Carolina here. This is a big

measuring stick game. I told you. Oh, my knee. I told you two out of three. Okay. Two out of three. Okay. From Joseph Wall to Hill to Beast. I go Beast tomorrow night.

And then you get a couple days off before a Sunday start for Wall. He doesn't suck. We're not, we're not treating him like he stinks anymore. No, we're not. He's a good goal. We're giving him. What do you believe he really is? A decent goal that can give you a chance to win.

What's his true save percentage talent? Sam McKee's true safe percentage stat, 9-07. Ooh. What a man. 9-0-2-ish in that range. Now we're talking. Between 902-907 for Sam McKee's real, say, percentage. I got him at a 900 flat.

That could be right, too. Let's, yeah, I think I'd, I think, I'd go wool next game. Wall, beast, wool for me coming up. All right. Good hour, boys. Thanks to the head coach of the Washington Capitals, Spencer Carberry, Leafs in Washington tomorrow night. If they can gain momentum off those three minutes.

Hey, you're going to start somewhere. Start somewhere. Our boy DA's on the other side of the door. Nice. David Amber in studio next when we return to real Kipper and Bourne.