Real Kyper & Bourne - Oilers Trends with Rob Brown + The Leafs' 'Flip'

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne are joined by Edmonton Oilers analyst and former NHLer Rob Brown (1:07) to chat about Evan Bouchard recording a 6-point night against the Washington Capitals despite the team's continuing struggles on the defence and goaltending sides, the glaring differences between the top and bottom lines, Oilers' needs heading into trade deadline season, Troy Stecher's time in Edmonton vs. in Toronto, and Zach Hyman's chance at becoming a replacement for Team Canada at the Winter Olympics. Then, Nick, Justin and Sam McKee touch on the New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy calling out his forwards and benching his top line for the entire 3rd period in their loss to the Buffalo Sabres, William Nylander addressing and apologising for his gesture towards a camera during the Maple Leafs vs. Avalanche game, and Bryan Rust's elbow on Brock Boeser. 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 kick it up a notch here. It's the real Kipper and Bourne show. It's our national hour. We are live on SportsNet. Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver, 960 in Calgary and streaming, always on Sportsnet. Plus, also available at your convenience, Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube, where we love a thumbs up and that chat line. I think the chat line gives it to you, Sammy, the most. Chatline.

I don't think it's a chat line. What is it? What do you call it? What is it? What is it? It's the chat. A chat line. makes it sound like it's MSN messenger like ICQ.

Buddy, I am months away from turning 60. Really? You're in your 60th year? I shouldn't have said that. What's your birthday? Stop it. When's your birthday? Stop it.

It's on the internet. We're skipping it this year. Here's my point. Okay. If I want to call it a chat line, I'm calling it a chat. Yeah, that's right. That's right. The chat line.

This hour real Kippering-born born brought to by Bet, Three, six, five. All right, he's ready already. He's June 4th. Really jumping right now. Just welcome in Rob Brown. Oh, yeah. Former NHL.

You see how I'm talking right through you? Edmonton Oiler analyst for Chad. He always does a great job covering the Oilers for us. Brownie, how are you, my friend? I'm doing good. Happy birthday, happy 60s. But can you give me like four more months, please? How's everything out west?

you know, nobody's pissing anybody off out there. Are they? Like a few here in Toronto? Yeah, no, no, we don't have the fingers to the cameras or things of that like out here. Everybody's in a good mood. We're used to the snow out here, so we don't get angry when it snows and we get stuck in our houses.

All's good. We just had a great Euler game the other night, great comeback, Bouchard and McDavid were at their best. So everybody in O'Oll or Land is pretty happy right now. Okay, so let's touch you. on it. Evan Bouchard, a 6-5 win with six points. Is this the best anyone's felt about Evan?

Are they at the point now where they understand where the warts are and they're okay because how many defensemen can go out there and put six on the board? Well, Bouchard's always going to have his guys out here that love him and there's still groups that don't. It does not matter what he does. He'll have six points and people point out to the two mistakes he made in the game. But I think that was the best game.

I think Evan Bouchard has played regular season. I think there's been other games of more importance come playoff time where he's been even better than that. I think you just have to understand who Evan Bouchard is. His ceiling for offensive ability is as high as it gets. I think he's one point behind McCar and the standings for defensive scoring. And this was after a horrible start for him. But Evan is also prone to a big mistake. And a lot of people will look at the big mistake instead of the production.

And right now, Evan Bouchard, over the last, well, probably three months has been excellent. His positives to the game are much, much more than the negatives. Every once in all, there's a slip-up. But again, he had six points. He was plus five. He was the best player in the game. And overlooked in that game, he made a play on the blue line, keeping the puck in.

Had the puck got out on six on five with the goal he pulled, Washington could have changed. The others probably don't come back and eventually win the hockey game. But it was a really, really good play that he made, and it was just subtle. It was simple. But he does that all the time. So Evan Bouchard right now is on a high,

and he's playing as good as he has ever been as an oiler come regular season time. Well, that one we always have an eye on. My God, that's a heck of a hockey game. from a pretty talented guy. We need to check in with you, get an update on the goal tending situation. You know, some moves were made this year, some shuffling around. What is the status of the crease in Edmonton these days? Well, the fan base is excited.

They feel that the subtraction of Skinner was all that they needed. It's funny. He had Stan Bowman made a subtle move earlier in the year getting Connor Ingraham. And I'm guessing that their thought was, going to be Ingram and Skinner as the season moved on. But they needed Ingram to get back to his game. But the team started so poorly, the goal he started so poorly, including Ingram and the miners, that Bowman was forced to make the trade for Tristan Jari.

Well, Ingram has come up, and he's been everything that Bowman thought he was going to be. He's been excellent. Not only as he pushed as the backup, to me, he's pushing as the starter. He's been that good for the Oilers. Thus, I was really surprised he got pulled in the Capitol game. I thought he had earned enough currency with how he'd been playing, that he would be giving the opportunity to get past the one goal that probably should have had.

Jari has been good, but the Oilers defensively in front of them for a lot of games haven't. And Jari's numbers are Stuart Skinner-type numbers. I think he's got about an 880 save percentage in Emmettin. His goals against the average is over three. And you think back, you go, like, I don't remember I'm letting any bad goals in, but the team in front of them at times haven't played. great. The game against Pittsburgh was a great

example. Didn't let a bad goal in six of the six goals, but he let six goals in. And that's what we saw a lot early in the year. I don't think the others defensively have been as good since Christmas. I think they've had good to excellent goaltending, yet they have a losing record.

I think they're seven and eight. So goaltending has been good, but defensive lapses have let them down at times. You're watching and listening to Rob Brown, former national hockey leaguer, covering the Edmonton Oilers, for Ched. So Saturday night against the non-playoff team, Washington,

we saw four forwards play from 29 minutes, Connor to Newgen Hopkins at 22 and a half. So there's Hyman in there and Leon, of course. And then everybody else was under 13 minutes. Like simple math, eh? If you're the coach, just put these guys on. and, you know, win the hockey game. And it's been the fault or the go-to for every coach for the others.

It's not just knoblock. You know as well as I do, when you're not one of those guys and you're on the bench, sometimes you feel left out. When you're getting your 8, 9, 10 minutes and you're just more or less a cheerleader. The oilers got to make some decisions. I think there's about 10 games left before the trade deadline for the oilers. They got to decide do they need a top six, four, do they need a top three or like a third line center? Do they need someone else on their third line bigger, more physical?

But it's a hard time right now deciding what you need because you really haven't put a lot of those players, those depth players in a position to show what they're capable of doing in that moment. Because every time you have that moment rate and how for the Oilers, their top players go on the ice. Justifiably so. They're the best players in the world and they give them a chance. but if there is an injury or an illness in the playoffs, do you trust your second power play unit? Because you didn't trust them against Washington in January

when the Oilers had the number one power play unit vote three games in a row. There was a 6-0 game the other day where the elders went with their top power play unit in the third period winning 6-0. Again, when do you get to see your second power play what do you get to see if they're capable of coming up in a moment to score a goal when you need it?

So Connor and Leon give you your best chance to win every single night when they're on the ice. But at times you wonder if that limits or hampers or hinders other players' growth as players because they're never getting out there in those positions of making a difference in a hockey game. The others will win a number of games because they have Connor and Leon. Will they win a Stanley Cup just not knowing what they have through, you know, as you just said, forwards five through 12, well, sometimes you don't know what you have because those players haven't been put in a position

on certain nights to show what they're capable of doing. We often joked around on our Leaf edition that there's Team A and Team B on the Leafs the last few years. It feels like Team D maybe in Edmonton. Just on the topic of Connor playing anywhere between 25 and 30 minutes, Is there any talk at all about burnout or what's going to be left of him in the end of June through an Olympic year?

Or is it just a foregone conclusion that all our eggs are in this guy's basket? Well, there is some in media here. There is amongst fans. But from what I've been here for his whole career, this is my 20th year with the Oilers. He and Leon, they're freaks of nature. It doesn't seem like they ever tire. You know, at the end of a two-minute shift, they should be exhausted,

yet they seem to have more jump than anyone else. And this isn't new that the others play their star players as much as they do. It's happened in the last number of years, and they went to Game 7 against Florida two years ago. They went to Game 6 last year. I don't think fatigue will be a problem. I mean, Leon Dreisdettled the other day,

just flew home from Germany, and I checked it online. It was a nine-and-a-hour flight is what it takes from Edmonton to Germany. Germany. There was a eight or nine hour time change, landed at 2.30 in the afternoon, came out and played. Like, I'm done a week. I've been to Europe. I come back. I'm done a week. I'm taking a week off Academy. I'm just staying home and rest. And I mean, it's a free, and he comes out and he doesn't look any worse for the worse. So I do believe for the others to be a

Stanley Cup champion, they have to have more players involved. But we'll see moving forward if that's the case with Chris Knoblock. I mean, this, Knoblock's not the first coach to play these stars. players 22, 23, 25, 28 minutes a night. Every player falls in love with McDavid and Dry Settle because A, they're great and B, they don't seem to tire. So then I guess the next challenge is the same that they've had for years is how at the trade deadline

do you give this team the extra pieces they need? What do you see? Are there any names out there or just a generality that you can give us of what are they going to do to surround these guys, give them the best chance? Well, it's funny. I got buddies. They want Ryan O'Reilly. That would be a really good.

Okay, yeah, that'd be good. I'm like, good. He makes a lot of money. I'm not sure he's going to fit in. To me, personally, I think they need a big, solid third line center. And someone with some veteran savvy and some heaviness to his game. The others have been, as of late, have been running a third line of Howard Savoy and Roslavik. I don't think Rosslovick's a center.

I think you take away the strength of his game, which is getting the puck in shooting areas and shooting. I don't think playmaking or having to play deep in his own zone is benefiting him. They're bringing up a kid tonight from the minors, a big German kid to get his first national hockey league game in to see if he's the guy. They have to see what they have before they get to the deadline. I do believe they need a third line center at the deadline. And I think they need some, a veteran defensive presence, probably a four or five type player. Because if anything happens to the top four for the Oilers, I don't. don't know right now if a Stasney or a Regula or an Emberson can jump into a top four role

come playoff time. I think you can get away with it in regular season at times, but we've never seen Stasney in the playoffs. We've never seen Regula in the playoffs. And Emerson last year was healthy scratched at times during the OTHER's run. So I think that a veteran presence, a number four slash five defenseman, is that in the third line center, the two things I think the OUthers would probably need most at the trade deadline.

Brownie, just want to follow up on the D thing. How was Stetcher there in the playoffs last year? Just watching him here with Toronto as an understat. He's just been so good here.

It's tough to imagine letting him go. Yeah, I agree. Stetcher was very good for the others. He plays bigger than he is. His motor never stops going. I mean, you don't play five, six hundred games

in the National Hockey League as an undersides defenseman who doesn't really put up points yet keeps finding a way to stay in the league. his work ethic is great. He understands how to use body positioning instead of physical force.

He was good. Anytime he's played for the odds, he played well. I think they were hoping there was an upgrade with a Regula being a big man that, I mean, you got to go through Vegas in L.A. in Dallas or Colorado, so you want size in your back end. But it just hasn't worked out yet from Rugal. I mean, he missed so much.

In a perfect world, Riga would have been playing in the minors this year, finding his game after being injured for a year and a half, but he has to clear waivers. And I don't think the others feel he could have got through waivers. So unfortunately, Stetcher was the player that was lost. And he played very well for the others. And watching him play, I'm glad he's having success in Toronto. Because he's a guy you cheer for.

Bernie, talk to us a little bit about Zach Hyman. It's probably going to accept Sammy as a leaf fan. But just the chemistry with Connor, and I'm really starting to lean towards him. making team Canada if point can't go and you know just in terms of we believe that it'll be like a crosbie mckinan and then you know maybe it's yeah probably marner and and conner but you know Zach Zach there just the comfort level that he would have and i imagine it's not easy to play with connor as it hasn't been easy over the years with wingers with with with uh cross

But knowing there's a comfort zone would go a long way, don't you think? I do. It's funny. I teach academies. I teach kids. And when I talk to kids, when you go watch an or La Game, don't watch what Connor or Leon do. Because you can never do that. So get that out of your mind.

You can't do what they do. But watch what Zach Heimann does. Because everything he does is the right way on the forecheck, the physicality, in front of the net, on the back check, his work ethic. Everything has done the proper way. He just works hard and he works like you're supposed to. So, Zach Hyman has been excellent for the Oilers

as of late. I think at one point he had more goals in a stretch than any other player in the national hockey league. He had 17 goals and 20 games. Had Zach Hyman been healthy to start the season, he's on the Olympic team, in my opinion. Because if he plays with Leon, but also, excuse me, because he plays with Connor,

but also he does what you want on Olympic team. Last year he was leading the National Hockey League and hits in the playoffs. This is the guy that scored 50 in the season. So he does all the intangibles, and he does them well. He does have a comfort with Connor. It's been funny. Over the last couple of years, Knoblock a few times has pulled him away from Connor

McDavid, and you're like, that one I don't understand. They want to make a strong third line, but the chemistry is so good. I would assume that, well, I'm not sure. I would Bennett would probably be a guy that deserves to be on the Olympic team of point. is not there just because he probably should have been on there to start with. But Zach Heiman has played his way on. He's playing as well as any winger in the National Hockey League. And he's just a good person that you want on your team.

So I hope he gets the call if the injuries are there. To me, a line of Connick, David, Zach Heimann and Maclin-Cellarini. Ooh, I think that would be a really nice line to have for Canada in the Olympics because you got McKinnon on another line. that would be pretty hard to tame if you're an opposition team. Yeah, that's awfully tempting. We've had a pretty good look at Vegas now, you know, covering a couple of Toronto games.

They went there and I would say maybe I'll play them in Vegas, but Vegas came here and gave it to them pretty good. They're chasing them in the standings. It's interesting seeing where they're at in the standings. Like it's kind of been a tough year for Edmonton, right? I mean, no one really talks about them with any sort of concern because they're Edmonton. But, you know, a couple points back, Anaheim actually has

a higher points percentage at this point. Where do you think they stack up against the teams in their division? Well, it's funny. We had a bunch of, we have a call-in show and they say, well, they should beat this team. They're on the outside looking in in the Eastern Conference. I said, well, if the Oilers were in the East, they wouldn't be in the playoffs either. I mean, their season has not been as good as they'd hoped. They will make the playoffs because the Pacific Division is weak.

And the Oilers have Connor and Leon and the best power play in the world. So they're going to make the playoffs. I believe it'll be them in Vegas battling out for the division lead. Probably it'll be dictated on who stays healthier and schedule strength in the remaining 20-some games that are left. Those two teams will play in the second round of the playoffs. The Anderson trade, I thought, was huge for the Vegas gold nights. We see him a lot in Calgary.

He is very good. He will make a difference. I mean, the class out here of the Western Conference is Colorado, but if you're an Euler fan, that's third round. So you've got to get through two rounds first. I do believe the others need to upgrade a little bit at the deadline. But as far as a playoff spot, to me, unless there's major injuries to their two-star players, as I still, as good as Anaheim has done this year and Seattle has pushed as of late. In San Jose, having a nice season.

I just can't see any of those teams being better than Edmonton through 82 games. So I believe the OILAs are a playoff team. Come playoff time, it all depends on how healthy the Oilers are going in. But to me, there's five teams out west. Colorado, Minnesota, Dallas, Vegas, and Emmetton. They're the five premier teams. And I have yet to see anyone else that can get into that top five yet. We'll see as we go forward in the final 30 games of this season.

You think we can feel whether or not Bowman wants to do something before the freeze in the Olympics or do you anticipate this is all going to build up towards those what 12 days between the Olympics ending and the trade deadline? I think they would

love to move Mangia Pawnee's contract between now and the Olympic break. It has not gone well out here from Mangia Pawnee. He's healthy scratched again tonight. He was put on Leon's line to start last game. I think he played six and a half minutes total in the game.

it's a big contract. I think he's $3.6 million this year and next. So I'm sure that Bowman would love to have that off the books before the deadline, before the Olympic break, that gives him more time to think of, here's who we want, here's the money we have left. But I don't know if that's going to be an easy contract to move. All right.

We'll see what happens tonight. It's Oilers in Anaheim tonight. Brownie, great stuff as always, man. Thanks for joining us. Thanks a lot. and I hope you enjoy your birthday, buddy. Thanks, Brown. I appreciate you.

Edminton Oilers for Chad covering. That Majupani one's fascinating. Like, you know, they just take, you roll your dice on some of these signings and they're not all going to turn out. They put it on the hook for the outcomes of those. And you try to cover your losses as best you can now. Yeah, like I saw, I think it was spec tweeted the other day.

Just like, hard to imagine any team wanting that Monjipani money for what he's giving you on the ice this year. It's going to be a tough one to move. Yeah. Sorry, I was just so looking forward to my beer league game tonight. It's been two weeks since. No, the other team forfeited.

Oh, yeah, hobos. Soft. That's no good. While you guys were talking to Brownie, I was listening to you guys, I was trying to feverishly put together a pickup skate because we still have the ice. You're in Toronto and you're a goalie. Text me, 590, 590. All right.

You can play goalie tonight. I just love the way you I just love the way you stay focused I was locked in that whole time locked in that whole time bigger things you know so Hyman Olympic team hey over badard definitely over badard

I'm a banic guy but it's like okay where's where's the fit right that's what you worry about and that's all they've been talking about you know it's hard to deny like you know Hyman did score 50. He scored 57 and including playoffs the one year, whatever it was.

I still can't believe we're going to do this without Sam Bennett. And we yelled about it in length. Yeah. And it's going to be an even harder pill to swallow for a lot of people. Did we have the conversation that? We have not had the conversation. I would love to have it right now. Is there anything to the idea that perhaps going on stage in chanting F. Conner

McDavid? After winning the cup, hurts your chances of being on Connor McDavid's Canada? I mean, that's not the worst theory I've ever heard. I would say, though, that Kippur, correct me if I'm wrong, they were boys, or they are boys, like they played together on the Marlboros, maybe? I think they go way back. Yeah, I think there is a minor hockey thing. They didn't go way back.

But at the same time, that was before he would on stage hammered and yelled at McDavid. So, I don't know, like, is there a, what's the word of, an Isaiah Thomas situation here? A chemistry concern. He's like, I met the criteria to be selected, Sam Bennett. For the dream team. Sam Bennett. Yeah. And a quote.

Okay. I'd like to keep the show national. Yeah. But I'm going to drag a little of that leaf edition in. Okay. I love it. Okay. You know I like.

Where we watched William Nealander give the finger to 18,000 people in a building and tens of millions of hockey fans across the world. And now my kids are in Juven. Kipp, it's not the result. Internet. Internet. Internet. Internet. Okay.

So everybody sees it. And you guys are like, is it a big deal? Is it not a big deal? Is it a big deal? You broke your pearls. And now you're sitting here with Sam Bennett saying, if you in a drunken rage with a Stanley Cup where he's just feeling all this emotion. And you're like, well, that's costing him a trip to the Olympics.

How are these remotely comparable? What are you talking about? I mean, I think you just wanted to talk about Willie. You guys are asking the question whether that has anything to do with him not being on the team. Carter McDavid is the best player on the planet and has a lot of say. I would imagine if he really didn't want someone on his team, I would imagine. And I'm saying this is a direct shot at one man. I'm not saying that he can't say the F word.

I'm saying perhaps this man is not liked by the most important person on Team Canada. And could the, and if the margins are this thing. Why can you say why would you? would that be such a big deal that he said, you know, F.U. Well, if I said F. Nick Kiprios, would your opinion of me change? If you, if it's 2 a.m. and you are out of your tree trunk with a Stanley cup over your head? Morning, it's time to start drinking again. I'm not overly upset, you know.

Okay. And maybe he's not. I'm not saying it is. I'm just saying, is there, if we're talking about paper thin margins for these guys, is it Hyman, is it Bennett? is it, you know, all these awesome guys. But it's not just McDavid. It's Sarelli. It's Cooper. It's potentially Hyman.

Could relationships have something to do with this? Overcompetitiveness for running over us enough to say, I don't want you on my team. So, hold on, let me ask you a question. Yeah. Do your personal relationships have any effect on how they pick a team like this? Well, with your head coach, you have your favorite team. for your guys.

Sure. Outside of that, there's a lot of other people to answer to. And who is it on our show that said, I'm actually going the opposite way? Doug Armstrong, who's the general manager, came on our program and said, I'm actually underprotective of my guys

because I don't want to show favoritism. Yep. Doug did say that. He also said that he brought eight guys to Cooper or something and said, You picked the other, what was it, was the pool. He left Coop to make the final decision on X amount of guys. If it's based purely on hockey merit,

you guys go watch everything I've done on Hockey Central and Wednesday Night Hockey on this show. I've been a Bennett guy. He's been on every list I've made. I like him too. I'm a Bennett guy too. I hate his guts, but in this scenario, I'm a bad guy. I'm trying to make sense of why no Bennett.

So maybe he'll get picked. Yep. Maybe he'll be there. Maybe he won't. Okay. Game time? Game time. Game time.

Present by Bet365. Oh, boy, I don't have my read. And I can't do it off the top of my head. It's embarrassing. All right, it's game time. Presented by Bet365. Visit the Applate of Saundant and see why it's ever ordinary. At bed 365 must be 19 plus.

Ontario only, please play responsibly. You guys watch football this weekend? No. I did. Yeah, I did New England. Yeah. Really. People are really upset, eh?

Yeah. That they're going to the Super Bowl. I will say just a quick football take here. If you're a Bills fan, you're sick. Where Dave's won Super Bowl's rebuilt and then got back to the Super Bowl all during the time of you having Josh Allen and you've never gone even to the conference championship game.

It's pretty sickening to be a Bills. The entire state of Massachusetts, their actual account tweeted, It appears my superiority has led to some controversy. I saw one about like, you were begging for my demise. the chief and it's like but at what cost and it's the Patriots again anyways looking at the big game odds the new england patriots huge underdogs even as an opening line here plus 185 on the money line going into that game the seattle seahawks minus 225 seahawks look fabulous

yesterday sam darnal looked really good it was an excellent football game i just think that winning franchises win and that the patriots are going to win the super bowl and it makes me sick to say it out loud but I really feel like they're going. That's tough, man. That really hurts. Four and a half point dogs. It's a pretty big spread for a Super Bowl in terms of, in terms of the two teams of beating there.

Anyways, that was game time. I was set by Bet, 365. Visit the athlete of odds and see why it's ever ordinary at Bet365. It's been a team plus Ontario only. Please play responsibly. Okay, the late game had the snow, right? First game had the snow. Oh, yeah, yeah, first game.

Denver. And so there's nothing in the first half, and then the snow comes down. And then they enhance, they digitally enhance the field so we know where the yard markers are. And it was taking people's heads off. The yardage. It's taking people's heads off. And I'm like, get that off.

Couldn't agree more. Get it off. Too much tech. Way too much tech. They just like to show off sometimes. They have such a sick broadcast. Let's show off. I want to feel what people are feeling in the stands.

Yeah, they can't see what's going. You should open your window. Freezing my ass off. Okay, okay, okay. Get the leaf flowers out on the lines and let's go. If 60,000 people don't know what yardage the ball is, I'm okay not knowing either. Because to be honest, the players on the field are challenged for that too. That's part of the story.

I hope they never do that again. Too much stuff. Listen, football broadcasts are truly unbelievable and the money that's spent on them. They look so good. And it's just like, that was one we're completely unnecessary. The Fox Glopock there, which I've recently. learned you loved? I didn't love it, but I just thought it was a cool innovation at the time.

It'd be cool if they did something like that on an alternate broadcast now. All the next gen games should have it. Yeah, but Tom Brady's got a lot better at being a broadcaster. Anyways, that's football talk. That's great. He's having some success in life. I know. He's finally figured out something he's good at.

Okay, let's take a break here, catch our breath. And when we return, we go around the NHL, plenty to talk about, including Patrick Waugh. If I didn't like him as much. as I do now, I'll tell you that. All right. And I'll tell you why after the break. Also, Willie Nealander.

Yeah, we're going to do this again. Good. Not Leaf Edition, but we're going to do it again because it's Willie. Willie flipped the bird. And I'm sure a lot of people across the country are having a good chuckle. Yeah, we're going to treat it like he stabbed a hitchhiker next.

At the leaf expense. Don't go away. You're not going to want to miss it as we go around the NHL when we return to real kipper and boy. Hey, it's Aylish Forafar. And I'm Justin Cuthbert. Join us as we discuss the most important sports stories of the day and tee up the biggest games of the night. It's the fan, 6 p.m. weekdays on sports stats, Sportsette 590 the fan,

and wherever you get your podcasts. A reminder of this hour, Real Kippron, born, brought to by Bet365. Nick Kippreel's Justin Bourne, J.B. Sammy McKee. As we went to break, I mentioned Patrick Waugh. I didn't like him. Enough. I like him even more now because this guy gets the big picture, even when it comes to his star players. Barzell on the weekend benched in the third period Saturday afternoon.

Their whole line. Barzell, for a record, averages more minutes than anyone else up front, 2102 per game. Yeah, they were dash one or something like that and they didn't play a shift just out there. Borny, you ever think of the alternative universe where Kippers, like, involved with Ottawa and... often and he's got their coach is Patrick Waugh and we're sitting here trying to do crappy show without Kipper I think about that sometimes in that scenario would we have worked together first yeah we'd have had a couple years together I think yeah I often think about that alternative you're I'm thinking now that like Amazon and the Netflix is like you guys are going to go on to bigger things

oh come on I'm doing the real Kipper and bunkus show next year you are 60 you're getting out there I don't know you still want to do this don't leave me guys you still want to do this So let's listen to Patrick Waugh on benching the Barzell line. Well, first of all, I don't like to do this. I'd rather come here and just coach a game and not worry about those things. But the standard here is to win. And I hope it does because I think Barz is a leader on this team. Unfortunately for Anders, I mean, he was on that line.

and sometimes you've got to take it for the team and I have nothing negative to say about him, but I do believe that if we want to give ourselves a chance to make the playoff this year, we're going to have to do those details really well. And let's give Barzell a little credit too because he approached it and he took it the right way as well, where he said, I've got to be better

and I've got responsibilities and I acknowledge them. Okay, so just in the interest of playing devil's advocate, if we were sitting here today, Sheldon Keith had benched Mitch Marner for the whole third period of a game. But any one of them, any one of them. You'd have been saying you can't embarrass your star player like that. No, no, no, no, you're supposed to win with these guys. You can.

No. I agree. You can. Yeah. You just got to make sure it's the right guy for the right reasons. That's all. I think there are coaches today that are petrival. to do it.

Totally. Okay? And that's the difference between Patrick and a lot of these guys today. He's got cash a boy. That guy gets it. You can say whatever you want about Patrick Waugh,

but you can't say he's a loser. You can only say that he's a winner. That guy knows how to win. I have come to appreciate as I've gotten older. The attention to stuff like this, the accountability and the impact it has on the greater group. and its value.

I saw it with Lou Lamarillo. When he got involved with the Leafs organization, I thought he did a great job of kind of making those, hey, we don't cut corners thing, and it trickles down to the whole thing. So I think it's great, and I think that leads us to the conversation. Speaking of which,

Willie Nylander. I feel like we're kind of... A healthy scratch yesterday in a 130 afternoon game. Wasn't a healthy scratch? What are you talking about? Oh, no. Groy injury. Groy injury.

He's a very unhealthy scratch. No, no. I'm sorry. Next game, he'll be a healthy scratch. Next game he'll be a healthy scratch. He was in the press box with other healthy scratches. Yeah. And made an unfortunate gesture to the camera.

Once he found out he was on TV, which included a very famous finger. The pointer? The pointer? Oh, no, the other one. What would Lou have done on a Lou Lamarillo if he did that on a Lou Lamarillo team? Willie would have had a tragedy accidentally falling out of the press box somehow to the concourse below. We don't know what happened.

No, it would have been not good. There's some public shaming. To Willie's, I don't credit. Is that what we call it? He acknowledged it yesterday. He immediately was like, oh, I let the voices win. Yesterday. He put out an apology on his Instagram,

and then he was met today by the media. We have a clip. This is the label, the clip is labeled Willie on his bird flip. First off, I just want to apologize for my actions yesterday. He was out of frustration, so I'm sorry about that.

Yeah. What were you frustrated about? Yeah, just not, you know, play. and, you know, want to be out there with the guys. And, yeah, just frustrated. I mean, he's not frustrated. It's not what that is. That's not frustration.

That's quit filming me in the press box. Last time I got in trouble because I'm wearing a tank top. The other time I got in trouble because of my feet are up, just stop filming me up here. That's what he's frustrating. Go wherever Matthews watches the game. Okay. Go to that part of it.

So let's get something straight. Go watch it there. We've been showing these press box shots. Uh-huh. Since the beginning of it. Color television. And yet, now Willie's going to decide to not have them show him. I have completely made up that that's the reason he's frustrated,

but it's not, he's not frustrated because he's not out there. He was smiling. Yeah, like. He was smiling. That's my take. Is that he like, just get the camera off me. So then come totally clean. Don't go to the frustration card.

Well, at least it makes it look like he. It's embarrassing to go, oh, I was frustrated. You're exactly right. You're 100% right. That wasn't frustration. But like, just apologize. It was really stupid. Yeah.

And end it there. Yeah. I mean, you flip the bird. You guys want a real yelling match about it. Try the first hour. I honestly feel doing this in the national hour. I'm like, don't show them how we live. It's not a deal.

We barely talked about it. Don't show them how we're talking about it. Don't peel the curtains back. No. Please. Behind the scenes, hour one. I don't want to do my manifesto in the national hour. No, no, no, no.

That's really embarrassing. We're just, uh, it's just, sometimes we could just get a little crazy, that's all. Yeah. All right. Let's do, you want to do Rust, Bouchard. We got Stone getting blown out. We got our meal.

We got the whole gamut. This is the Brock Besser, the little pinball to the net play. Yep. So I did the game last night with Anadua. We were covering this and watching the Canucks. Well, you came in last night? Oh, yeah. Sure did.

Really? In Snowmageddon? Yeah. Come on. I was like, yeah, it was tough. Oh, my God. Just taking snowmobile? I do have a four-wheel drive vehicle that was in snow mode.

All those viral videos of the people cross-country skiing that was just born and coming to work. Mush, mush, mush. I was there. The Canucks have a controversial hit to talk about. That's right. And Besser, as he's trying to tie the game up in the crease in the dying moments, blindside, rust from the front, Raquel with a forearm shiver to the back, just a tough combo.

We got a quote here from Adam Foot, the coach, talking about it. Adam Foot clip. I don't have an update yet, but I just looked at the hit, and it was a pretty, there was a head shot. It was a shoulder in his head. I'm sure the legal look at it because it was, even though he may have been desperate to get Bess down because it was a scrimm up the net,

I still think it was something that you got to be in control of your mind. I thought it was a little bit vicious hit to the head. Bessor is already on IR. Vicious? Dangerous. It was quick, though. It was bang, bang. And it was the type of dangerous where it's actually worse,

where you just get that little knock to the jaw, of jars you like that. A game. A game or two? A game or two. Yeah. Guy with no history, at least a game for me.

What's it really do? Maybe make it two then. I don't know. If it was 20, it would do something. So there's a number in there where it does something. No, no. But for Vancouver and Brock, it's just it does.

Give them 10, give them seven, give them nothing. What good is it going to do me? Foot sounded really disheartened. Just like, I got no horses. Now I'm out without Besser. They put someone also and I are too.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Bois. Costco guys. He drew about Marner. Boom. Boom.

You know, if Bobby, if Bobby McMahon did that, he would never play a professional hockey game. Oh, my God, with this. I'm not going there. Adam Foote. I refuse to go there. It's almost impossible to judge this guy as a coach.

He's just got no horses right now. Okay. Vegas. They go to Toronto, look like all world. emotional letdown, would you say? And then they go to Ottawa and look like, I don't know, a junior team.

Let Stone tell us. Stone's the man. Well, it's two out of three we've done this, right? In Boston, we found a way to get some energy and get back in the game. Tonight was, I don't know, all of us, it looked like Airthron saucer passes across ice. We were doing anything.

It looked like an NHL team versus junior team. It just wasn't what we are. So I'm sure there's certain things that will probably flush, but you can't just flush it. Because you can't let this be the expectation. It's not the expectation for our team. We've been through some heavy playoff runs. We've been through a lot of adversity.

We never roll over and die. So we're going to have to learn from it and be ready to go for Tuesday night. Vegas Golden Knights have never lost by seven goals. Never. Big Stone fan. I'm embarrassed to say that I thought that he should maybe be on the Olympic team, that he should be one of the guys that jumps off and then watching him on his brought in.

I'm like, oh, no, he's their best. That's the one. He's that guy. That guy have him on the team. You know, 14 games. He doesn't need, he doesn't, that guy doesn't need to score 100 points to be a star. He can still do it at 65 or 70 points. His 14 game heater continues to blaze as,

from Luke Fox's piece. Three points showing on Friday night. 33-year-old has 20 goals, 52 points, has a league point at least a point in 31 of 34 games and has an active, his active points streak is a franchise record. So just on fire, cooking. To Kipper's point, like if he were Ryan O'Reilly statistically or something, he would still be elite.

You know, he does everything well. And I know it's funny because there's some guys when they like over-celebrate goals were like, all right, act like you've been there. Like Stone loves it. Just loves to score a hockey goal. Yeah. And I think that's awesome. It was a great goal that he scored to put it away against the Leaves.

Huge Selly in front of the Leaves bench. Cairs. Yeah, cares. That's a big one. Cares. Good all. Why did Ottawa trade him again? Huh?

Why did Ottawa trade him again? Oh, I'm sure. For, okay, hold on. I'm pulling a name out. Brantstrom? No, no. Oh, yeah. Not who.

No, no. For what, but like, but what did they get back? Nothing. Brantstrom. Let me see if they have anything. And I'm sure picks. Hold on. Hold on. Oscar Lindberg.

Oscar Lindberg. And a 22nd round pick. Yeah. So what's traded from Ottawa with Tobias Lindberg for Oscar Lindbergh, Eric Bransstrom, and a second round pick that turned into Igor, Igor, so. Sokolov. If I was a sense fan, I had to listen. Yikes.

Yikes. Nailed it. Yikes. What? I guess you wanted out? Where do you guys have Ottawa? A big win against Vegas, I get. Two points by the least.

Are they done? No. There's seven points out of playoffs. You don't think they're done? I don't think they're done either. Well, if we say the least are done. I think that that lost Nashville. Up 3-0 to me was just an absolute sinker.

Above them, the devils are minus 21 gold diff. Columbus minus 11. below them the Rangers minus 23. They're even. Zero. So if you're Ottawa or Toronto or Florida, like it's Boston that you're going to beat out? It's not Buffalo, is it?

No, but I mean, Montreal's four points up on Florida. Montreal or Buffalo? Buffalo. Florida, Montreal. There's three teams there. I think Detroit's played themselves out of that pack pretty handily. So it's Buffalo, Montreal, Boston that you're hoping stumble. And who's stumbling?

Of that group? Not Montreal. Buffalo and Boston. Buffalo this good? I think they might be. I think Buffalo might be this good. It might just be Boston. They're going to run into the barn.

I know tomorrow on our show, we got Rob Ray, right? I got to check in with him, but he said you'd do it. Yeah. I hope so. Yeah. Get ready to eat some humble pie. He's just going to give it to us. Really?

Are you, especially you, Sammy? What? Because you're the Leaf fan. I'm new. We're neutral. He doesn't know who I am. J.B. and I are neutral, man. You're the Leaf guy.

You guys do the interviews. He doesn't even know who I am. It's payback time. No. No, no. Listen, I've never really been that hard on the sabres. I've always looked at the Sabres as a sympathetic figure. It's all like the Sends.

I make fun of the Sends every day, but the Sabers, I'm like. Can we really just go, like, Kevin Adams was the problem. Oh, my God. It's ridiculous to think that. But it's so, got to be so bad for him. It's so coincidental. So disheartening for him to be like, guys, I,

look at it. That's the deal I built. That sucks. That sucks. But perception is everything. Now you can go around, get another job and go, look what I built. Totally. And so he needs them to have success.

Like, I'm sure he's fully rooting for him. Did you want to listen to Scott Arneill after the Jets got starched by the Red Wings? The Jets were kind of climbing back in it for a minute there. This is just so depressing for Canada. Wow. I mean, what else? Oh, there you go. This clip is pretty,

Scott Arnneill's clip, please. There, Derek. That game didn't turn. That was one of the most embarrassing games for me in the last month. All of us. That was an embarrassing game. We were looking for a pond hockey. Don't get hit.

Don't hit anybody. Just play an easy soft game. And that's pretty much what we did for two periods and then it exploded in the third period. And how do you get that out of your game at this point of the year? We're fighting for our lives. We're fighting for our lives. and we go out and lay that egg, it's not good enough.

It's not good enough. That just, you know, it was the last game of this sort of homestand and, you know what, we're heading out in the road for some real tough buildings, four tough buildings. That was two points that we needed badly and not good enough. So can they follow what Boston did and do that year over year? Retool? Yeah, maybe.

You know, I feel some simply. Devil's Lightning, Panther Stars is what he's. talking about four tough buildings. Yeah. I feel some sympathy for these teams who right now, where their coaches are saying it, we're saying that we're going, God, how do they lay that egg?

How do they not have more effort? Because they've played 100 games every. You're just so ragged. Like, if I'm holding a chin-up bar over the edge of a cliff, the stakes are high. At some point, I can't hold on anymore. It's a great way to point. You know, like, there's only so long you can give your best for,

and your body just won't do it. And you're watching some of these games going, God, they just don't have it. The legs aren't there. They, you can't muster up that energy every night. They're playing so much hockey right now. So how many sellers out there now? Ten?

Numbers going up. Numbers going up. It depends with the leaf sellers. Yep. Not today they are. Not yet. No, not today. Guaranteed not today.

Calgary. How about the same? Blue's having their big names in the conversations. You got Robert Thomas out there. You got Cairo out there. Are they really going to move those guys? From a lease perspective, that's what absolutely kills me about the deadline last year. Is if you had asked that, Robert Thomas is exactly what this team needs.

Like that, like a real young two-way star center that would come here and flourish. And it's just like, wow. Going to take in both your first? Would you like magic beans in the 2028 first in Danford? It's like that is the exact guy. Anyways. So I love Robert Thomas. I love Robert.

He's taking over for for Doug Armstrong as a general manager. When is Doug Armstrong taking over in Toronto? Next season. Is Doug still there like a president? El President. That's the idea that we have. But he could put himself out there to maybe move on too.

Oh, I hear what you're doing. No, I'm not doing anything. I know you're not. Because what I'm doing is what kind of team is he going to leave Alex Dean. Right. Oh, you're thinking. He might be like, hey, this trade deadline.

Does he get, like, you just mentioned all the names that are out there. Well, if he trades those guys, he's leaving them with assets, you know, just rebuilding ones. Yeah. Current stars. That'll be interesting to see which direction they go. And Doug Armstrong. Yeah. That's an interesting name.

That's an interesting name. He's top two, three names for me in the NHL as a DM. When's the gold medal? He's number one. as Julian Breeze was doing pretty good last decade. Billy Zito. I'll trade him all. He's pretty good too. I don't care.

I'll sign him. I'll trade him. I'm Billy Zito. I'll do it all. Can't really knock what Vegas has been doing. Crimin's decent. He's in the conversation. You know what I like about that? Get the best guy. Just always get the best guy. Really not that common.

Our thanks to Rob Brown. Joining us. Analyst for Chad covering the Edmonton Oilers. How many games tonight? night, Sammy. Four in my beer league, I just can't get a skate together. Did you? No, it's not happening.

I'm so happy, you know, the last two hours you had nothing better to do than book a game. Work on a beer league game. You know, I'm a wonderful multitaster. Yeah, jerseys. That's all that we need to say. Look it. It's up. Okay.

Our thanks to Zaja Gabor. Yep. All right. Enjoy one of your four games tomorrow night. gets a little crazier. So join us on our show tomorrow. It's the Real Kippurn Borne show.