Real Kyper & Bourne - Leafs Hour: Woll's Workload + Treliving's Midseason Address

Episode Date: January 14, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee kick off with a look-ahead to the Leafs' matchup against the Dallas Stars. They discuss Steven Lorentz's move up to the top line, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner's low-energy play, Joseph Woll's workload and more. Then, they review Brad Treliving's midseason availability from Monday, centres for the Leafs to target at the deadline and their reported interest in a John Klingberg reunion. Later, Stars executive Marty Turco (35:36) shares his thoughts on the state of the team ahead of their game in Toronto.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.

It is game day on the real Kipper and born show. We are live on sports net 590. The fans sports net 360 and sports net plus Nick Kiprios, the very dapper Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee, Derek Brandeo and Jake the Snake, Snake Schultz with you for the next two hours. In about 30 minutes, we'll welcome in Marty Turco. We haven't had him on for a while. Sammy's on mute.

No, I'm good. There he is. Special Assistant to the President of the Dallas Stars. while. Sammy's on mute. No, I'm good. There he is. Special assistant to the president of the Dallas Stars, Steve Alliquette for our Tuesday edition national hour. We always have fun with him. And in the meantime, JB will get ready as you are already for what? 630 live on Sportsnet?

Yeah. What you got going? We got the Hockey Central pregame show cuz there's five Canadian teams in action tonight Maybe six and yeah Later in the night. Oh, okay. You're not gonna come to our show tomorrow tired. Are you? Do I exist any other way? Middle-aged life with kids I just exist just look good. I'm exist. Just look good. That's all. Just look good. It'd be weird if like we all weren't tired. Came in fresh like, oh, had a great sleep. Yeah, that would be the way. Been eating vegetables and exercising.

All right boys, the Dallas Stars make their only visit here in Toronto to take on, shall we dare say it, because it's written in my Sammy program, the slumping Toronto Maple Leafs. Sammy. Two losses to two good teams. They come off five wins in a row, they lose two, and they're slumping. Yes, I think the temperature around the Leafs right now would say they're slumping.

They're trying, I don't know if you've noticed the lines for tonight, but I think they're trying Steven Lawrence on the top line tonight. I think I don't- You should have the sign of a red hot team. If you're not slumping, you don't usually put your fourth line winger on the first line.

What? No way. I don't mind it at all. Listen, he's- I don't either. He comes from my world, man. Fourth line slugs go out there, try to get noticed, try to get bumped up to the third line. Now this guy skipped the third line. He skipped the second.

He just went to the first. He might be the Leafs most consistent player this year, not named Chris Tanev. Like every game, you could count on what he's going to do. He's going to four check hard. He's going to finish his check. He's going to be in the right spots. He's going to get off the rink with a smile. That's going to be his every day.

I would like to clarify my comments by saying, I'm a fan of trying it, but you don't usually do that when you're red hot. No. So, there you go. Of course. And we have the coach on our team. Regardless, you know, where it is, it's gonna be a period,

three periods, two games, but whatever it is, it's got a shelf life. It does. The only thing with that role, which yes, Matthews has typically been good with someone there who four checks hard and gets in on pucks first. I think that's like the biggest,

the most important attribute, but you need someone who when they get the opportunities, cause Mitch hits you back door, you're able to put it away. I know Lorenz has some offensive touch. Oh, yeah. You shoot a puck, too. Yeah. So like, there's a chance. There's a chance that it could work for him.

But you just need to be able to make plays with these guys when it comes time to make a play. All right. Let's go to Craig Berube for our first kippers Clipper on Lorenz on the top line. He just brings energy to that line I think you know more than anything size compete pretty simple game obviously but he's gonna be at the net he's gonna for check for him and he's gonna get in there and create loose pucks and things like that so just to add a little energy to that line.

They were low energy I would say on Saturday night so looking for an infusion of life. This is the rotation of Matthews and Marner together. Where they first put them together. It's fantastic spectacular. The red hot. They cannot be stopped. It's the best line in the league.

What's going on up there today? Anyways, so you reunite them, they come together and then it starts to go downhill, downhill a little bit. They start trying new guys in the left wing. They put a fourth line winger up there. They try to do things and then they get split up and then they go back and they start again at the start. It's a rotation.

They do it. It's a rotation. They do it, it's the same thing every year. It really is. That left side kind of remains tricky for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It does. It does remain crazy, and I just need to say this, that of having the four, the core four guys,

no coach wants to put three on a line for an extended time or one on three lines for an extended time. It is always two pairs. It's like, what about Willie and Austin? No? What about Mitch and Austin? What about Willie and Austin? You know, it's like, not just the same. They're great. I understand it's probably going to end up being the way it is it is so it's fine but no one wants to see it different not for a minute yeah I really thought it would be different for extended periods of time

this year I did too I thought a new coach should be like guys how do you not try Willie here for ten games yeah and they just they just really haven't gone to it so do we got Lorenz part two yeah let's play that second clip yep keep it simple that's what I say to him he doesn't need to change his game, you know, he just needs to do what he does and You know Matthew's and Marner they'll do what they do You know I don't think he needs to try to force pucks and trying to find him and things like that You know just keep playing your game and do your thing

It's just you know, sometimes when you put a worker with two skilled players like that, you know, just the guy that's gonna, you know, meet potatoes guy go to the net, hound pucks create loose puck battles for these guys. You know, sometimes they need that. Okay, sounds way easier. Than that. Yeah. What we mean? Easier said than done.

Yeah, it's easier said than done. And I can- You have some experience with this. I've had some experience with this. Tell us what it's like going into a game being like you're playing with mess today. Rob, and I did. Keenan once in a blue moon,

and this happened to me in Quebec, I'm up and I'm playing the right side with Messier and Graves. Oh my God, what a thrill. I'm in Washington and- Should you leave your stick on the bench and go out there? Me and Alan May wanted to play with Dale Hunter so badly. So badly, right?

Because we had like Rob Murray and a few other slugs just like us, but Dale Hunter had this reputation for being this like heavy, gritty guy, but could make plays and score 60 points. And you cannot just go from the fourth line and think you've got this mindset of dump and chase and hit and dump and chase and hit and dump and chase and hit to Marner and Matthews and dump and chase and hit, which you could

do on the first line. But then on the second one, when you've now, maybe for the first time all season, actually find yourself beside Auston Matthews on the bench, right? Because you never really do. Because it's not your line. And he looks and goes, Hey, listen, I was never do that again. I was open there. I don't know if you saw me, but we had the puck just slide it over and you're like, oh

but he told me not to change anything and it's like Buddy, I don't care what he said. Oh get me the puck. Yeah, Alex Koval have the same thing. I played with him one game He's like, what are you doing? I'm like Coming in to support you he goes., no, you go the other way. Go the other way. What do you mean? Because he didn't want me to draw. He didn't want me to draw attention. Yeah, bring more bodies in. He's like, skate away from the play. I'm like, well, that only goes against everything I've ever done. This is new to me. Right.

That's what's gonna happen to Lorenz is he's going to have some conversations with Matthews and Marner. And it's not going to be like having one with Revo and David Camp. This is what's funny because people say, talk about Sydney Crosby and they're like, oh, it's hard to play with a skill guy. And then you get certain players who go, no, it isn't. They're great. And certain guys go, No, it isn't they're great and certain guys go No, it's different and I think that's why sometimes strange players end up clicking like Chris

Kunitz was the best guy for Sid cuz he has killed the plea and him had excellent chemistry But because he probably did the simple things but could make a play when he needed to and had a good sense for that But it didn't go from Just starting to play for the first time to magic. There's a process, there's conversations, there's learning about your tendencies, what you like, what you don't like. And they had, you know, Kunitz and Crosby had magic enough that they put them together on 2014.

So 2014. Kunitz scored the third goal and the game went bar down over the shoulder of Henryk Lunkvist. I don't think there's time for Steve Lorenz to get on a Four Nations roster. Tonight's start. But there's maybe plenty of time for them to have multiple conversations on, hey, let's try this next shift. Let's do that. Or look for this. Or, you know, come and support me more.

Whatever the case is, Matthews and Marner will have a bigger influence on what Craig Brewvy just told us moments ago. Do you think they would tell him to do anything other than what the coach wants him to do? Do you think they would say, hey, hey, come on? Give me the biscuit, buddy. Have you ever had a coach where you've rolled your eyes and said, no? I have only had coaches in which I've rolled my eyes. Good one, right?

Okay, and then we're gonna try it this way ourselves. But there is a history of guys like this finding magic, you know, and not to say that my father-in-law Clark Gillies was one, but he happened to play with a couple of skilled guys because he could make a play when he needed to, but do some other things. And Hyman did that for Matthews and does it for McDavid at times. I'm not, but if you're Lorenz, you have to be sitting at home thinking of those examples being like, well, there's $40 million out there for me if this goes perfectly, and otherwise, back to being a million dollar guy the rest of my life.

Yeah, there'll be a ton going through his head before putt drop. I think it's, maybe this is oversimplifying it, but there's a reason there's first line players and the reason there's fourth line players, and it's very rare that just a straight up fourth liner, like he's a career fourth liner, he's a good fourth liner, he does what he does,

but like- He's a PTO this year year to go up there like even those guys you're talking about like Hyman you know he has the elite work rate to dig out Pucks and has the ability to finish and like you know he's a five million dollar player like I love Steven Lawrence but like hey buddy oh my god work great getting in on Pucks. Yeah, what's what's got him there, right? Yeah, I know listen backhand like Matt Sandin in the second game We thought he was maybe the best signing of all time about this one. He still might be yeah Anyways, I hope this works cuz he this guy is passionate cares loves the Leafs I really like this guy, but I'm skeptical. Is that fair? I don't know. I'm There's nothing really to be skeptical on this guy, but I'm skeptical. Is that fair? I don't know, I'm still obsessed. Well, you're not skeptical. In fact, we just showed highlights on him. Yeah, that was crazy.

Listen, there's nothing really to be skeptical on. Well, how about you just put, like, switch it up. You don't have to put a, the reason you're putting Matthews, a fourth liner with Matthews and Marner, to get the $25 million combined guys going, you're putting it on a $750,000 player to do that? Yeah, you are. Give me a break break split them up do something else, but that says

Something else should we not be reading more into this isn't about Steve Lorenz. It's about what's why is there no energy? I'm not using Marner right now I would say that they went you know We laughed at the dash six and how impossible that is to roll Snake Eyes that many times in a row. But then to then come out the next night and it should have been a bounce back performance and a, you know, and to not have that they weren't even the best line on the team the next game, you know. But that was like, but one game before that, we're praising Matthew's back.

Well I know. So but back to back games, you would think that the embarrassment of the one game would be enough to get some energy out of them. I do think it says something that they're like, give them the guy who goes in hard and gets the puck every night. Maybe, maybe this is the start of being concerned again. Not saying just saying. I'm just saying.

Yeah, it's a possibility. We're a radio show. We have lots of time. Yeah Good challenge tonight against a pretty good hockey club. You want to know what their coach wants to see from them tonight? Yes Let's let's hear from Craig Berube on that one. Well, just a more complete game I think you know, I thought like last game, you know, I think we were pretty pretty solid defensively But we didn't create enough offensively pretty solid defensively, but we didn't create enough offensively. Power play included, so we need to put it all together tonight. But at the same time, they're a stingy team, so you gotta take what they give you,

and we can't open it up. And we don't wanna play that way either. We just need a real good solid hockey game for 60 minutes a night. We need everybody. We can't have any passengers tonight. We don't wanna open it up. We just got blanked at home on hockey day in Canada. Heaven forbid we take a chance. Sorry. I really like I don't know. He's kind of sounded like Marner.

I mean, well, just we weren't that bad. Right. There's a lot that I liked about my game or game Saturday night. Sure. Right? Is it a sales job? I think it's two days after, as I could have decent defensively watched the tape. I think it's a little different now than it is two minutes after the game, saying, I thought we played well.

Anyways. Vancouver didn't have much yet, but I mean, is that what they want to be? Maybe it is. Maybe that's that. We never did get to all the tree living clips, you had of interest in those or if you'd like To go somewhere else Well, I also want to talk Riley

Let's let's stick with the team before we go into management sounds good Yeah, do you want to talk about defense or do you want to talk about yarn croc? There's an update today Joseph wall also took more ownership about his last start. Where do you want to go JB? Let's just get a quick Yarn Kroc update. I know this is exciting. I know it's going to be 10 seconds, but I do love the Yarn Kroc. You got a Yarn Kroc jersey at home.

Yarn Kroc. I'm a fan. Well, you know, timeline, that's a tough one still, I think. He's a ways away, but he's progressing in the right direction, kind of skating a tough one still, I think. He's a ways away, but he's progressing in the right direction. Kind of skating a little bit now, so which is a good sign. So, you know, we'll see how it goes here,

I'd say in the next two weeks, and then we'd have more definitive timeline. Kali Kuturov. Can I tell you something? I don't even know what's wrong with him. Sports hernia. Sports hernia. That's right, I forgot.

It's just been so long since yeah, we've heard his name There's surgery there wasn't there. Yeah. Yeah, he's coming back April 16th It would make no sense for him to come back a day before that. Yeah That's a terrible thought though. I don't want to plug him in game one, two, three But I sent him down to the Marlies get the conditioning stint down there and. No you can plug them in after the trade deadline. No you can't. No you're not allowed.

No the salary cap so the roster limit does go away. So you can have unlimited contracts. Yes. But the salary cap is still in place until the final day of the season. Final day of the season. So. Okay. Couldn't quite plug them in.

Yeah you can send them to the Marle in. Yeah, he's done with Marlies. Yeah. Okay. Joseph Wall. I think we got a clip on him. He will start tonight. Yeah, he'll go up against Jake Ottinger last time. stood on his head. And Ottinger did the opposite. Ottinger, they I think they're what was the final score that game but they scored a lot of goals on lot yeah pretty yeah Robertson yeah team to play all right let's get to Craig Bruby on Joseph Wall taking ownership for the loss the other night oh I do like that I like anybody that takes ownership of themselves and the team and things like that that's important important. And, you know, he wants to be

better and just like the whole team wanted to be better that night, you know, like we didn't, we just didn't, we didn't play a good enough hockey game to be successful. Okay. And let's just be clear here. Joseph Wall spoke the other night on his performance against Carolina. He didn't start Vancouver with the Hilda Beast. Yeah nailed it. Yep. He got that. So he goes back again tonight. It's good. You guys have any concerns about Hilda Bee? Well I just want to stay for Joseph Wall because I believe he should have started Saturday night. Yes. And I do believe that it would have been a classic scenario where you come off a crappy game and you're needed 48 hours later to stop the bleeding. Craig Simpson said the same on the broadcast.

And that's the playoffs. We're down one nothing. We're down two one. You're no good. And now you need to come and become the best goalie on the ice right now. And I think they missed an opportunity to put Joseph Wall in a position of,

buddy, this isn't about you physically. This isn't about us worrying about you being hurt. This is about you physically. This isn't about us worrying about you being hurt. This is about having mental toughness to come off a bad loss and turning it right around. So my thought was Kip that I totally agree, but I do wonder if they got some inclination of maybe he's not feeling a hundred percent healthy and maybe that's him saying, I don't know. This doesn't feel quite right.

Or if it's some data they have from like, you know, they wear the equipment and practice. How do you get over that? And because if that happens in the playoffs, you're ruined. But they I mean, I think it's not the playoffs. It's January, and you already lost a goalie doing this. So another injury prone goalie that you played on the next night due due to merit so he had a bad game so you're saying there's no reason between now and the end of the regular season to ever consider a scenario where you want to replicate what it would be like in the playoffs because we're playing 82 games for Sammy because Kipper I watch this guy's ankle explode on a floater from the half boards last year and he was gone for two months like

He you have to get rid of that behind you. Yeah, but I put it behind you. You can't kipper you have to Treat this guy The way that it's kind of been merited his whole career like he's been injured his whole career You can't just push push push push you need you can't start him every night No, but I do I do agree with kip that it's like You have to operate like he's someone you're going to be able to do this for sure I understand but you also have another goalie who had better numbers than him So you're hoping he comes back healthy and you can go back and forth and if it's in the playoffs

Guess what if wool starts game one and he's doodoo guess who's going in game two? It's the other guy. So I don't know if it's necessarily something you need to be like maybe when we get into March you can start thinking about it April. Maybe start thinking about it. But like now it's January gonna keep him healthy. Like if he gets hurt then what you got Murray and Hildeby? Yeah, I know it but I do feel like I'm big on experimenting

in the regular season and fine. It's why I get frustrated with the lines Like could we see what this looks like? Could we see what that looks like? I love January. It's a pretty good time to take an injury risk if you're gonna take one I love the saying that 82 game season is a dress rehearsal for the big show Totally understand if you don't Don't practice well if you don't rehearse well, the heck are you gonna do it when it counts? Stolarz is back on the ice, I'm told.

And by I'm told, I mean I read it somewhere. Okay, I thought maybe Jake told you that. Oh no. Are you gonna try to sneak him in a couple of games before the Four Nations? No. I don't think so. What's the point then?

Yeah, I think it should be easier way back. The sooner you get doing it, the better. Yeah, I think it's geared up to when everybody returns. 22nd? 22nd? 21st second. You just, one of the things we talked about before the year with the worry with these two goalies was the lack

of games they've started like in their careers and like the amount they've actually played in the full season. So we're now at 21 starts for Joseph Wall. Yeah. You know, just you don't want to hammer down here. There's no hammering. Yes, we're entering into the unknown. Like we've never we're close to never need the unknown. You might need to need to make it known.'re close to never need the unknown You might you're definitely gonna need you need to make it known You're gonna need the unknown but pushing them to play three games in a week in January when you're four points clear of first place And if you lose him you're hooped I don't necessarily see the value in that if you were gonna do it you started hill to be

Thursday night in Carolina against a better team wall at home. That's what I wanted to do But I understand them back and off wall. I really do. I am curious what they're gonna do between Hildeby. Like Murray hasn't been lighting it up in the American League, if I'm not mistaken. Hildeby, I wouldn't blame him for a poor performance per se, but like always just kind of want him to make another save,

looks a little uncomfortable, doesn't seem quite NHL ready to me. I couldn't agree more. Yeah. I think his things tighten up. He doesn't have the calmness yet as a NHL kind of pro to handle it for me. And I think there's maybe some good stretches

where he can show promise and potential and you just wanna harness that and keep it, you know, going well in the minors but to stick him now into some important starts, I'm not sure he's ready for that or the Leafs should be willing to put him in that position. If the margin between Matt Murray and him are minimal, bring up the guy that can keep it calm.

I don't know. Better in Matt Murray. Might be better for Hildeby to develop. To me, it's like, you're not gonna trade for another goalie. He has to win, he has to win and he has to look good. I think Hildeby just can't. I think Hildeby's look better than Murray looked the two games.

Even if that's true, like you're not going to win in playoffs But if you're you got one of these guys today also coming off two major stories and has had Less than a handful of games totally acknowledge that but that's like right now If you're going to the who's been better in their games like neither of them been great But I think I'd give the nod the only reason he reason Hildeby's up now is to buy Matt Murray time to get more starts in. It's not because he's the better goalie right now or the guy that they envisioned to hold that spot

if anything happens. My opinion. Yeah, it just feels like, you know, I've thought like, should they trade for a better third stringer, how injury-prone these other two guys are But if you get to playoffs and you're turning to that third string guy the David Redditch that you trade a third-round pick for Whatever you're cooked. So Yeah, whoever it is Hildeby or Murray you're right. Are they gonna be that different in performance? Probably not as well let Hildeby start more in the minors

Yeah, I'm just seeing Matt Murray has played four games since in the new year Two three two two goals against you know just not That's just in the AHL. So they're playing them a lot in the AHL. Okay, let's get to some Brad Tree Living Yeah quotes because he met the media and I'm not sure This is yesterday. Why halfway halfway point and he was probably Requested or people wanted to hear from him So I guess that was it a lot of a lot of the team's general manager has been talking like Hughes did it in Montreal

Thanks, I think it's just kind of like, yeah, okay That's fair. It's better than never hearing from them. So where do you want to go first on? Center depth seems to have taken the most Attention power play too, but yeah, let's start. Let's start your topic there. Yeah, we'll go with clip to we'll go with clip to I think we got depth We've got lots of guys who can play the position. Is it an area that we continue to try to you know upgrade?

I mean, I would say this, you know The the guys at the top of the food chain are pretty darn good like Austin and and you know, how can you talk? Anything but positive the dear John's had right like so to say you're gonna go and get somebody above that, it's just not, you know, I don't think that's realistic. Is there ways that we can, you know, continue to look at adding to that? Sure. I think there's some depth there.

Is that an area that we'd like to continue to look at? Sure, sure it's one, but we probably along with about 15 or 18 other teams are looking at center depth. So it seems to be a position de jure. I mean, we knew they needed someone. So you know, we've gone through the list of names. There's not that many names and bunch of teams vying for people like this. Well, the thing to me is when you look at the standings, not a lot of sellers.

That's a problem. There's so much parity. The East, I mean, the West is more so that I think there's more defined sellers in the Western Conference. But in the Eastern Conference, like every team outside of Buffalo can kind of convince themselves that they might have a chance to get in there. Ryan O'Reilly would come back to Toronto? No. I don't either. No, and Elliott had a report on him Saturday night that said he'll be treated almost like he's got a no-move clause.

And I don't think he, I think there was a lot of conversations between Ryan O'Reilly and Nashville when he decided to sign that, like, I'm not jumping around, I'm not looking to be someone's savior again in March. To me, Nashville's maybe looking at this season as a write-off, but one that they can come back the following year and make the playoffs again or compete? Yeah, right Yeah, they're not just gonna be bad. They think that they could be Washington. Yeah The Washington Capitals, so he's not going anywhere. Mm-hmm, but it does spell trouble for Pontus Holmberg I think you know out of the lineup is one of the depth center guys. They've tried in various spots

They seem to have reached a conclusion here that they're not sure they can trust him. I get it. Brad alluded to Matthews and John Tavares. But, you know, John's not having a great, or I'm sorry, Austin's having a year where it's not hitting on all cylinders. And you know, at this point, forget the numbers, forget about anything. You just hope that his best hockey will come in the spring, right? Where he'll hit that high level of he's just unstoppable.

And we've seen him putting the puck in the net in the past. John Tavares, he said he's having an unbelievable season or a great season and he has, but John's kind of been known as a guy that gets maybe a little tired towards the latter part of the season. His numbers are always stronger in the front half than the back half. And you just gotta make sure

that when the center man comes in, you know, he can be one of those guys that can be a almost a 2B, not a definitive boil, plecanates at the end of his career. You know, they're talking about Yanni Gord. To me, that's like bottom six. They need somebody just in case something happens to John, gets hurt, Austin's back, flares up, whatever the case is,

that a guy that can go in there and kind of hold his own. That's, to me, is the center man that they need. Not a definitive third or fourth liner. Yeah, you know, it's so funny though, Kip, like we do these sort of things and talk about what they need. And I agree with that entirely. But you know, it's a matter of running through it. And are we just talking about Brock Nelson? Like, you know, when you narrow it down to who's there for you. He will be the hottest commodity at center. I've said this to you before, we talked about passing yesterday, he's another guy who shoots

it in the net from the net front. It's another, yes it's the best bet and at some point you're going to have to just do what you do and hope it clicks. There's slim pickings. Right? Beggars can't be choosers right now. Any interest in Taylor Hall at left wing? You don't like their left wing? No. No. Yeah, I think just from listening to that...

Listen to that clip. It just struck me that he's like, yeah, you know, it's not going to be basically, it's like, it's not going to be Kadri, JT Miller, Brock Nelson, is what that kind of clip said to me that he's looking for that he's looking well, no, that he's just like, they're not getting better than those two guys. And they're having great like they're great players. It's hard to be above that. It feels like they're depending on him to be the second line center and tomorrow. Any significance out of what he said about Austin and his participation in Four Nations? No, just basically no news and we'll see when the time comes. Yeah, he didn't really like shoot it down or whatever, but yeah.

You want to listen to the power play one? I thought that was interesting. Yeah, well, you tell me. We can talk about John Klingberg. Oh my God, yeah. Klingberg, Titcheron, and Roomer. Oh yeah, we should talk about that quickly. Which is related to this. Let's listen to a tree Living on the power play and then let's do it. Well, the power play, certainly. That's an area I think we should be a top. It has been a top power play for a number of years. So that to me is an area that can get cleaned up. I think the five on five scoring again, you know, it goes and fits and starts, right?

Talk about your top guys for an early part of our season. Kevin, it seemed like we were being carried by some of the big boys. Then we had some depth scoring. So it sort of goes back and forth. I think the pieces are in place here that we should score enough, but certainly the power play is an area that it needs to be a difference maker for us and it hasn't been right now. So that's certainly an area of focus. Let me read you a sentence from my guy, Anthony Petrilli of Maple Leafs Hot Stove.

He says, since the Leafs posted a ridiculous 50% month in February 2024, they're 29th in the league on the power play. That's a 67 game span nearly entire seasons worth of play. And it doesn't even include their seven playoff games, which were even worse. So going on for this is not like, oh, they're in a rut like, this is like a cavernous chasm. Yeah, this is a large problem. This is a a cavernous pit. A chasm? Yeah, this is a large problem. This is a Grand Canyon.

So this is at the point where you hear John Klingberg to Toronto rumors again. Now I want to take everyone back to when he first signed with the Leafs and he played the first few games, I believe it was game two, where I came in here and I said, he looks like Kale McCarr. I don't know if you remember this game. I do. He was dancing on the line. We're surprised you're still on this show.

I know. After that. I am too. He was unbelievable that game. It was, I was like, they fixed it. And then I don't know if it's his injury or what it was, but every game from the moment I said that, he looked worse.

It was just the injury? Is there this great power play defenseman still within him? He was horrific in Anaheim prior to that. But he presumably is related to the needing two new heads. I don't know. I have no idea. But I'm just saying that it wasn't like he was Klingberg, Dallas, turning down 60 million over eight years. Whatever he did.

It was at the height of one of the better defensemen in the National Hockey League. He went in bed on himself, ended up in Anaheim and it was a disaster. Then he signs with Toronto at a minimal deal? It was eight million Anaheim. Four and a half here. One year. One year eight, one year four and a half. No years, no money.

And I don't know, is it all better? Is it fixed? I just, what worries me is them being wrong. Well, if they signed him to a million dollar deal, you could bury it. Forget about that. It's the time and energy that you waste that you needed to put somebody else to get ready for April. That's what is the most important thing,

is you have to win now. You have to get ready now. And their power play stinks and they don't have an internal option. And I think this is the Hail Mary where it's like, what if it works? Where you have an elite power play guy. Can we check under the hood of 800 guys that are presently playing before we do that?

Sure, I totally agree a camper. I'm just like never been set of a guy that just has been out I don't know what he's been doing for the last six months skating in Toronto And that's gonna get you ready to help him. That's gonna that's gonna get your 65 game power play out of a funk oh we should go we're way late we gotta get I don't I mean just I get it you may have to go down that I've said it moments ago beggars can't be choosers maybe that's we are Frankie Valley right now okay let's take a quick break when we return Marty Turco will help

tee us up. Toronto and Dallas tonight, Scotiabank Arena, back after these words. Everything you need to know about the Raptors and the biggest stories around the NBA. Smith and Jones. Subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you, real Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee. All right, let's welcome them. One of the best the Dallas stars. Many moons ago.

Now just sitting back and living the life Marty Turco. Oh no are you at citrus farm are you at a pro shop right now no where are you kind of are you ready to tee it up this is our office no no this is our office oh No, no, this is our office. Oh, it's your office. Yeah, I'll be here. We'll get you down here. We'll be playing It's like a private lake and with a golf course on a on an island it's sick down here in the middle of texas I'm in dallas right now. This is just like our clubhouse office in uptown dallas But this is our logo. It's a peach logo. So it's a peach capital texas. That's why I go to them Buddy, you invite us, we can be there tomorrow. Okay, we'll drop everything. That's how desperate we are.

I'll get the chacutery. Chacutery, you are the king of the chacutery board. Tellin' ya. If you come down tonight, miss the game, we'll have tea time at one o'clock tomorrow. Does it come? He might be there. Does it come with a Dallas Stars win or a Toronto Maple Leaf win going into tonight? Let us know where you think the Dallas Stars are at because we've always had them as a top team,

a contending team. A couple of injuries and not significant ones, one to Tyler Sagan and the other one I guess to Marchment. So where are they right now for you? We're in a great spot. We obviously got some cap room because of the injury to Sagui. And if need be, we could utilize that. But probably most importantly, we could utilize that but probably most importantly what we're doing on this this particular round on the road the way we're playing the way we're looking collecting points and wins and some tough places think is great like we're deep we went some tight games you know we do have a stud goalie it's with a new backup this year to Smith he's put in some good games for us.

But the reason why we're back on track really is because our top line is, and we have four good ones. Probably one of the deeper teams in the league. You see just different guys out there, Blackwell and Steele. At the end of the game the other night, you know, in a six on four situation. We're good. We're good. We're deep. And we've got a few guys in our lineup, but that's no different than most teams. We had a little lull there during the around the new year, but guys are good.

Yeah. You know, it always got me pumped up was a fun trip up to the northeast in Canada. That always helps out because hockey matters as most as anywhere as it does up there. So these guys are always looking forward to going. Marty, you guys are the third best team in the league in goals against per game and I think the the best penalty kill in the NHL. Do you attribute those great defensive stats to good personnel, goaltending, or coaching? Well, all the above, but your best penalty killer has got to be your goalie, right? Yeah.

And our guys have been, you know, they haven't been tasked to make probably crazy saves. You know, there's been a few awesome ones, but you know, for halfway through this season, It's just been a real good combo right a belief of work ethic Believing what the coaches are telling them to do What they're scouting but just being in good places and and I think it goes down to You know what I said earlier just being deep team You know, you don't have to have your best players out there all the time or your best goal scorers,

even though there are at times, you know, Rupi's out there and he's really picked it up, Rubbo's on some kind of heater. So we're good. We've got a lot of hockey smart guys. And I think, you know, when you talk about penalty kill, it just comes down to hockey intelligence, being prepared, obviously blocking shots and work ethic. And we just kind of have that right mix right now all the way across the board Earlier in the season it was Joseph wall versus on Jer. I think

Close to 40 saves for wall and he was absolutely lights out For the win in Dallas and now they go again head-to-head you mentioned on Jer and on Jer has been better there's no question. But he is considered one of the best goalies in the league. And for me, I haven't seen too many games where he's absolutely stolen games on his own yet. And he's got that capability. Marty, so how much more room has he got to go here for the Dallas stars? Yeah, I mean, I remember the game here in Dallas. Um, it was a goaltending clinic.

I feel like we had a goaltending clinic against us for about three of the four games that we played here in Dallas and the wall one, I just, I just love the way it plays. So that was enjoyable, but Jake, Jake did steal some games in the playoffs and his first, not even full year against Calgary, a series we should not have ever been in, never mind gone to seven. So just that alone says we know he has it in him. But he's got really quieted down and he's moving less, which is probably a good thing. He's tracking the puck fantastically. He's going to be on the four nations American team.

fantasticly. He's going to be on the four nations American team. In my world, he probably should have a chance of starting. He probably won't, but I think he does have that pedigree. You watch goaltenders, if you go black and white, which you do because you're just a silly forward kipper. So true. But when you when you listen to people talk about them, especially the players and the coaches, you know, the confidence that they give them the belief that they have in them. And he's just one of those guys with a great disposition and great demeanor, somebody

obviously that can carry the mail, which is important. You know, you used to we used play a ton more games, but still playing 60 games, you know, in this league these days, the way these guys play, you know, it's tough and you can get it from them. So we pay them accordingly. We have high expectations for him and I think even better. Yeah. And he has high expectations for himself and he works hard as a great kid. So I just think if you see what we've seen for the last three years for the next eight, this organization is in a good spot. Speaking of Four Nations, a couple of snubs from the US

team, if you will. Jason Robertson has been very good since not making the team. I believe Wyatt Johnston as well, kind of in the same boat. You think those guys took it personally? I hope so. I would. You know, they're in this league for a reason. Wyatt plays as a teenager for a reason. Jason Robertson plays in all these All-Star games,

leads our team. If not close to it every year, he's a nifty player. They both deserve it. Yeah, you look at the rosters, you blame them. Absolutely not. So I would take it personally. I don't think it says anything about our market. We had the winter classic here. We played a lot of national games this year in the United States, cup finals, or been in the Western Conference final through the last four years. been the Western Conference final through the last four years. It's just hard.

It's hard when they crack, you know, like my days, you know, just not to talk about Canadian goaltending for too long. But you know, I had Brouder and Luongo and others that I had to just in order to get there and now look at our who it is in terms of pedigree across the league. I never say my timing was off because it's not like I pedigree across the league. I never say my timing was off because it sounded like I'm complaining but you know where I'm going with this. Yeah I think you're justified there. So Marty as far as blue liners are concerned we're seeing kind of this new wave you know from the moment we laid eyes on

Cale McCarr and then Saturday night here in Toronto. We watched a pretty special one in in Quinn Hughes Mero Heskinen's another one of those type of guys where you know less Scott Stevens and more just high high-end talent, right? And I got to think Thomas Harley's another one that is going to start making more noise about, you know, being a special player as well. But where do you see this blue line moving forward with those two guys? Well, the third thing on that, those two, we got some younger guys on our team. You know, Dumbo, we picked up, but we feel pretty confident moving forward.

But you know, the lot of the two you mentioned, Harley's been just dumping in goals and overtime for the last couple of years, just giving him supreme confidence. He's a puck movers heads up. He's a big body and he's been getting better all over the ice. And so I think that is his natural progression. I think he is like, you know, a lot of other potential stars in the league that just takes a little bit longer. He has all the attributes. So we feel good about that with our coaches and him. And then Miro, he's a special one, right?

And he's the reason why he got drafted, you know, third overall. He's just, he's super talented and he got drafted, you know, third overall. He's just, he's super talented. And he's, yeah, you're right. He's not Scott Stevens, but he's more Scott Niedemeier where, you know, you cover up for any mistakes that he makes or his partners with his speed. It never looks like he's flying out there, but he's, he's always catching people. But his stick skills, his intelligence, his hockey IQ, his competitiveness is just almost unmatched in many ways. Sometimes he's so good, you're yearning for more in terms of maybe a point production.

But he's at his best in the playoffs. He eats 25, 6, 7 minutes a night. Tough to find, they're good minutes. Seems like he's floating on the ice the whole time. So we've got a lot of good fins. This one in particular has been a real rock star for our group. And when you talk about those deep playoff runs that we've had, I point right to him first and foremost, because he's the guy eating all the minutes and he's playing against the best players every night. So he's good. Sometimes

he just wanted a little more of Miro from a point production side. But you know, I said it when Zuboff was here, he could have tons more points. But he gave you the best minutes out of anybody. And really the game's here to win, not just get points. So we're lucky to have these guys. Marty, last one from me. You guys are just in a super tight division. Winnipeg, Minnesota, Colorado. How do you handicap the division and how that sort of changed this year? Yeah we all assumed Chicago would be a little

bit better. They've had their moments. I thought Nashville would be better, but we knew this was gonna be the best division and it's turned out to be true. You know, didn't know Winnipeg would be so strong. You know, the record's crazy. You know, Minnesota was going to have went either way, but deep they are. And my boy Billy G, great dude, great GM. They just have a great team. When you look at the way they're built, and he's got no qualms of how he does his business, which is fantastic. And Colorado, after last year, they come out strong.

They haven't been perfect all year, but you just watch them play, and they're just a blast. They're fun, they're good, they're deep. It doesn't seem like whoever's in that, they're winning hockey games. Plug in a few players here and there, and they got some really supreme talent. And I'll tell you, they're fun to watch.

So I think there's two ways to look at it. One, this division makes you bigger, better and stronger. And also this division beats you up a little bit along the way. So we're glad. I remember the years back when we were in the Pacific, we had people playing four and four eight games against our division foes those years trying to create robberies. I'm glad that's not the case anywhere for our guys. Hey Marty, quick one before I let you go.

Nick Robertson's brother plays on Dallas. Hey, what's his name? Jason. Jason, do you think Jason would hope one day to be as good as Nick? Try to keep pace with Nick tonight. I think they got some money on it. Last time I checked, Nick got the better of them.

Yeah, I think they're both pretty cheap. So I think there's no money on it. All right, pal. Yeah. All right. Well, you guys enjoy, man. Good seeing you. We're coming down there. We're going to hold you to that invitation. One o'clock T-10 tomorrow. Don't be late. Marty Turco, special assistant to the president.

I also, that's the world's vaguest invite. An island in Texas at a private lake. Come find him. 1 PM. Tomorrow. I'm telling you, you hang with him for a few hours, like it's a blast. Yeah, he's a funny dude. Oh my God, he's the best. He's the best. Alright, so what do we think tonight?

You know, this Dallas team is a little injured, right? You mentioned Marchment and... Yeah. Tyler Sagan. Sagan. You're going to be interested to see how they spend that money because they need some reinforcements to hang in that division. Derek, how much time do we have?

One minute. Okay. Pete DeBoer on Chris Tanev because he had him there. I love the guy. What you see is what you get every night. He never waivers. He was really compromised and you'd never know it. There were some days where he couldn't get his skates on.

He found a way to get through it and help us in a deep playoff run. The Leafs are hoping for more of the same from him here. There you go. What a player. All right, any chance to praise Tanev? We're back live nationally. Steve Alliquette joins us.

You're not going to want to miss it don't go away I'm real kipper and boring show