Real Kyper & Bourne - Roy Returns to Montreal

Episode Date: January 25, 2024

Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne start with PJ Stock (0:26) to tee up Patrick Roy's return to Montreal - how the fans might react, the Habs' passiveness under Martin St. Louis, if the Islanders' roster is the best match for Roy and who the Canadiens will make available at the trade deadline. They regroup with Sam McKee for news and notes - Drew Doughty calls out the Kings' effort after another loss, Tocchet criticizes Pettersson and the Panthers get off to a scrappy start against the Coyotes.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.

let's welcome everybody in to our national hour of the real kipper and born show we are live on sports and sports at 650 in vancouver sports at 960 in calgary and this hour of real kipper and born brought to you by bet 365 nick kiprios, Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee, and eager on the on-deck circle, PJ Stock. Let's welcome him in. For those of you that can't see, he's got a new Zoom location.

Yeah, jeez, this is high end. You're taking us into the executive suite at the Stock Mansion. I can smell the leather and mahogany. The mansion. Yeah, the mansion. You can smell the mahogany? Yeah.

That's kind of what it smells like. Yeah. I redid my whole office. You always want to get to see this part. I got a bar over there for the moment. This is done. Actually, who's kidding? I've been in the bar for the last two hours before I had to do this hit. I got a little seating area over there for the moment. This is done. Actually, who's kidding? I've been in the bar for the last two hours before I had to do this hit. I got a little

seating area over there, a couple TVs up to watch you guys on replay later on. I got a pretty good setup here. And how many Wayne Gretzky pictures did you suck him into signing for you? No joke. I didn't want to turn it now. I do it

if, you know, I just don't want everyone behind the scenes to get mad enough. I got my Rangers picture up on the wall from 97-98, which was in Edmonton Oilers' 85 All-Star team. This was 1997. And then we have Gretz and myself here. And I have a Gretzka jersey and I have a picture. To PJ, it was great to play with you and Gretzky. 1999, it was last year.

So, yeah, he's my, I always, I'll go on about Gretz, the debate of when it comes to the greatest players of all time and everyone has their arguments. I just give him my vote every time because he's one of the greatest people of all time, and that's what he was to me. And the jerseys mean nothing. It's kind of fun for us to sit around and have drinks and relax, but it's the Wayne Gretzky stuff.

I promote him to anyone because he's just an awesome human being for me. Okay. We're going to get into Patrick Watt in Montreal. No, just one more, just one more, one more. And it's Wayne Gretzky. Is, is this record safer now that Ovi's off to a very tough start? I didn't think Ovi was going to get there anyways, only because I thought the four were around him.

I thought, he had to what, maintain 30 goals a year for four more years? I think that's what it was, or was that give or take what it was? It seemed like a tap-in putt for him. Yeah, but 30 goals a year, and then for four more years, counting health, counting everything, counting the players around him, getting the puck, that whole team is, you know, it's funny, it's a little bit what's going on in Pittsburgh right now. The whole core is just, you know, it's kind of tough to watch it.

You know, his record's safe. Let's just say that. I think it's very safe. Wow. Let's talk about Connor in another 15 years and see where it's at. But this one right now. Okay. For a historic franchise like Montreal,

who's going to miss the playoffs again this year, how big of a story is this that Patrick Waugh is coming in to coach against the Montreal Canadiens tonight with the New York Islanders? It's coming in at an interesting time because the Canadiens, again, there's been a lot of, again, we've discussed the Slavkovski stuff. I got low expectations. The team this year, I had low expectations. Like, I understand where they are.

But the fans of this team have wanted Patrick Wad to be a coach here for a bunch of years. And it just never happened for a lot of different reasons. And now he gets picked up by another team at the time where the Canadians are starting to, they haven't had their best showings in the last few games. So it's going to be, I'm really interested to see how the fans react. Obviously, he came back in the day with Colorado.

But this is different. I think he stepped aside from the game. I heard him speak the other night, and he just sounds so much more polished, so much more professional. He talked about how we learn stuff, and as everyone does, and that Colorado experience was a great experience, I guess, for him. And he's in a good place. It's going to be interesting to see as the Canadians are doing this

and Patrick Waugh comes in, one of the arguments with the team is they don't have a lot of fire. Marty is a very, he's an amazing speaker, but the team now we're two years into the project and is sputtering and we're seeing a couple of individual improvements, but the team's laid some pretty impressive eggs over the last little while,

one mainly against San Jose. And it's, yes, they're young. Yes, they're trying to find over two years in. And the team kind of, I'm not saying it's necessarily the case here, but often plays, you know, in kind of the imitation of your coach. And Marty's very calm. I find the team very calm. I find them very passive.

It needs some fire. Lose, but lose the right way. They've been losing the wrong way now for a bit. They're bringing in a guy who is as fiery. I watched, I didn't see a second game, I saw the first game, and behind the bench, he's as fired up as he was a player. I think he's way better at controlling himself, hopefully, than he did years ago. And I think the Islanders are only going to benefit from it.

But I'm very interested to see how the game goes tonight and how the fans react. Well, yeah, I'm curious about that relationship in general. Like, people said here in Toronto that Vince Carter would never be a beloved figure again. They cheered him at a Raptors game this past year, which makes Sammy, my buddy here, upset. You know, where are the people of Montreal

and fans of the Canadians with Patrick Waugh? So this is, well, with Patrick Waugh, they've wanted him in the organization for a bunch of years. They have. There is the whole group that have been saying, you know, which a lot of people in the hockey world have said that, you know, he needs he needed to fix it. He can't do what he was doing in junior, take it to the avalanche, even though he went as coach of the year. Right. And just think he can take over everything like he did.

I think going back to junior, understanding what happened in the Colorado experience have made him a much better person for understanding the situations. And again, I think the hardest thing is how you deal with young adults today. And I think Pat's learned a lot just hearing the way he spoke most recently. They have a passion for him. The team's not winning and you always look back at winners and why they won. And I'm, he's going to get super cheered. Like every player that comes back gets super cheered and then eventually they get booed a little. You can't boo the coach because he's on the bench.

But if this score gets ugly, the top Rapts will be interesting to see what they start chanting that's all that i'm and it's the rink to do it everyone knows it's the rink to do it right and um everyone's a fan of patrick uh the player and you remember him that way the coach you remember what he was able to bring firewise to Colorado and that young team and they go on to win a Stanley Cup. What did Patrick have to do with the young start for that team? No one knows because he was replaced.

But Montreal is kind of struggling right now, sputtering and they're about to trade some of their veterans and they're going to go in this bunk and it's going to be interesting to see how the fans react. We're talking to PJ Stock, former NHL or Hockey Night in Canada analyst on many nights, caring. Buddy of Gretz.

Caring Elliot Friedman and Kelly Rudy. Oh, the days. Oh, the days. All I used to have to do was tie all the time. I don't know who they hire now. It's just, hey, Kipper, what was your job there? Like, seriously. Same as yours.

No one really listened. Yeah, no one listened to us anyway. Nobody. Our job was to do it. I listened to you guys. PJ, moments ago, you said Patrick Watt is not coaching in Montreal, and it didn't happen for a lot of different reasons. Give me one

or two. I think the general managers and the ownership weren't prepared for his personality. He takes up a lot of space. He's very confident, and it's kind of his way. And I think we're going a lot on he ran in a junior team top to bottom and they won he goes to colorado wins but he wants to take over more than just a coaching job and it's his good friend that has

to tell him you know i don't know what that friendship's like today but his good friend that joe sakic had to kind of say hey buddy slow down and then he didn't really come back. So it's, you know, again, I'm so interested to see how this plays out tonight. But I think general managers were afraid of how he would be barking up. I think Lula Lombarella was one guy that can easily say, hey, Patrick, relax. Or he doesn't say relax. He just hands him the keys. And maybe Patrick's a little older, a little wiser, not that interested now,

and maybe sticking his fingers into loose pie. Yeah. Again, it's a possibility, but I know what I'm like. Like, I can't shut my switch off or something sometimes. Pat's been animated the first two games. Great games. Dallas beats Dallas, which is a great team. Loses to Vegas by one.

He's fiery behind the bench. He does not have a good hockey team, in my opinion. He has Barzell that can skate and then a couple of offensive defensemen. And then they have a lot of what Islanders have been for the last so many years. But he's going to get that, what is it, juice out of the lemon, and he's going to be able to squeeze them. For what he's, is it short-lived? I don't know.

I don't know. And how, but it's a great point. I don't know how much longer Lou wants to be in this. Does Pat eventually move up? I don't think he's interested, honestly. I think he's out of place coming off the Memorial Cup with those kids that says, that's where I thrive, that's where I'm best at. I don't want president.

I don't want to be a face of anything. He canceled the morning skate just to not deal with that attention. I think he's in a perfect place. Junior is a little bit different. I don't know how many, I'm sorry, all my teams are in the QMJHL right now, so let's just say there's 25. There's 20, okay.

There's 32 in the NHL. Of those junior teams, there's about six of them with money. All right? So in the junior account, it's always the same teams in the O, kind of in the Q and the dub, and it's kind of the way it is. You're on a hierarchy. Now you're going to have a salary cap and dealing with guys that are in longer contracts with you and making more money than you.

It's not the same game anymore. It's not the same game for him coming from that experience, and you see it now. Last night in Toronto, finally the big three got benched on a power play because it's hard to control them. What are you going to do? A couple nights ago, Jacques Martin was giving it to Kubelik, I think, on the bench, and the players weren't listening to the coach.

Why? Because they're on eight-year contracts at $8 million a year. It's way different than being able to manipulate and control a 17-year-old already who's probably one of the best 17-year-olds in the league because that's how you can orchestrate stuff in junior when you're a team with money. It's way different now. I'm surprised you went to a team that doesn't have as much upside. There is, you know, rumors about him being involved in Ottawa. And I would have loved to see him in that situation

more so than the Islander situation. I just think there's more upside there. Are you kidding me? The rivalry with Montreal and Toronto, it would have changed forever. Yeah. You think you're going to be great? I wish Ottawa signed him.

This guy wanted a patty in Ottawa. That's what he wanted. Yeah. You don't think it would have been great? I wish Ottawa signed him. This guy wanted a paddy in Ottawa. That's what he wanted. Yeah. I wanted a paddy in Ottawa. I mean, Ottawa is this. I think I'm forgetting the actor. Ryan, not Gosling. Ryan Reynolds.

That's what they need. That's what Ottawa needs. I played in the Ottawa Valley in Pembroke. They need something. They need some spark for this team for the last 30 years. They need something. And Patrick would have been great. I think they have a lot of great players in that organization.

And I, again, I don't know how successful he's going to be as a coach. And I'm wishing him the moon and the stars. But I just think it's harder for what he's trying to get to that next level with the talent pool of the Islanders versus that of another team. That's why I'm surprised he jumped on that opportunity, but maybe one of the reasons why he jumped on that opportunity was, A, he wanted to get in, wasn't a lot of jobs, and as Kipper,

you mentioned the little Amarillo factor. You know, that might be, Hey, how many other Canadian Larry Robinson, Jacques Perrier, Burns, he's had every Canadian pretty much or involved in the Canadians organization under him at some point. And maybe that's just another follow-up that, you know, guys have been here. I've heard nothing about great things about you and I'm going to go to Lou. All right, PJ, I'm going to pretend you haven't been slandering

the New York Islanders this whole time. I haven't. I just don't think... I don't want to do what's going on with Bissonnette and... Oh, with Butchie. Butchie. I don't want Butchie coming after me.

I love Butchie. I just think they're a very vanilla team. They're just... For now. For now. They've got some young, great defensemen. Then there's a bit of a drop, I guess if you want to say that.

They've got... They have some guys that are aging out. Yeah, you're right. You're right because they've got Barzel and Horvat on long-term deals and Adam Pellick. But outside of that, in a year or two, this team could look much different. Yeah. It could, but, I mean, I could be taller.

I could not have to deal with these shadows. I know, I know, I know. There's a lot of ifs. They didn't bring Patrick into just save the playoffs this season, guys. There's a very good chance that they miss out, but they turn this thing finally around. Well, yeah. And you know what?

As much as you wanted him in Ottawa, Islanders fans need a little spunk too, considering they're dealing to get the Rangers and the Devils. Sorry, go ahead. No, no, no, no. I do want to ask, though, since you're our resident Montreal Canadiens expert, they've kind of got it handed to them the last few matches here.

What's the plan here heading towards trade deadline? How different is this team going to look? And is there a point where they're going to start trying to win games and go the other direction? First of all, I'm the expert. It's not a Montreal thing. It's just a general expert label. You guys can't take in the mahogany right now.

You can't right now. Or the pictures of Gretz splattered all over the place. Buddy, listen. It's all right. It's all right. You can't. Yeah, I got my first Rangers point. Anyways, I don't need to go over about my – I scored on Brodeur.

Not the time. Anyways, you know what? They lose to teams. It's funny. They play great against good teams because we've been on the flip side because those good teams come in and almost think it's point night. And the Canadians' goaltending has camouflaged a ton of their errors in those games.

I don't have every game for you but on average i'm gonna say besides the san jose game they've been outshot chances like not just shot on net as you like the shots that are blocked and shots that miss the net um by almost 30 shots a night a whole second game of shots these other teams have been having every night the only night they don't look great are nights when their goaltending is just normal uh their goaltending was teetering in the top five where are they going to be uh they've really sean monahan is a very interesting piece uh i he would be a great addition to any team. You know, Carter Hart, I don't know how long he's out

and what the flyer situation is going to be. Canadians have three goaltenders. Jake Allen is an amazing, experienced goaltender who's had some playoff experience, done pretty well. This team's going to look a lot different. And as much as they're struggling right now, I'd be really interested to see how they struggle without – do they lose Savard as well?

You know, does Matheson leave? Like, these are all – you know, Kent and Jeff are really trying to rebuild this, but they need some veteran presence around. And I don't know how it's going to look if they lose any one of those four players that I just mentioned. Because they're pillars back there. Is Montreal dreaming to think that they can get a first-rounder for Sean Monaghan? I think he'd get a first-rounder for Sean Monaghan. Wow.

I think I'll sum it up. The kid, I'm forgetting his name. They went to Tampa Bay last year. They pretty much traded an entire hockey team for him. Jeannot. Thank you. Listen, as it gets closer, first of all, if I'm

Kent, I'd be trying to move these guys before an injury happens. And last year that's kind of what happened. I don't know who I'd move. I'd have to really look at the young guys on the back end. They need veteran presence around them. Matheson eats up look at the young guys on the back end. They need veteran presence around them. Matheson eats up a

lot of minutes right now because he can. He's a great skater. They don't have to throw these young kids in all those pressure-cooking moments even though they're about to become not pressure-cooking because they're almost out of it. And then Savard is the other one that plays those hard penalty killing minutes.

Monaghan and a lot of match-up minutes. Monaghan takes every big face-off for the team, and that kind of protects Suzuki a little. Obviously, they don't have Doc or Newhook right now. So it's interesting because you want to keep building and you want to form your NHL forward. We discussed expert. I thought it said expert before.

He doesn't like the chyron. He's doing font back there. He's doing font. Not us. World expert not us world expert yeah yeah yeah all right anyway strike one um i don't i don't i don't know where this team is like i really don't and that's for the first time in a while i said started when we started this off um it's an interesting time for patch to be coming in because the team has played they played two amazing games they played three games sorry they played uh colorado i forget the other team anyways colorado one team then beat jersey edmonton they lost lost edmonton beat colorado

beat new jersey and then they laid like two or three eggs and bad eggs. Then Boston just beat them like 9-4 on the weekend. And it's just the water is kind of... Poach said the chain has snapped. Well, the chain snapped and you still have all those veterans in the lineup. What's the chain on the bike going to look like once you take the guy killing all your penalties, the guy taking all

your big face-offs, and potentially your guy that plays 27 minutes a night out of the lineup. Listen, there's teams out there, PJ, that need goaltending help. Do you expect Jake Allen to be gone by the end of trade deadline? Well, it's interesting. They have a young stud in college right now coming up. Dovage has been great in the American Hockey League, by the way,

the first time in a long time. A lot of times we don't give enough credit to American Hockey League coaches because I've played in the A and Borny, you know, and Kipper. It's a yo-yo, right? Like it's always different lineups, different everything. J.F. Houle's team is 13-2-2 right now. I don't think they've given up a point in their last 10 games in regulation. Their players have been called up and sent down. He's done a great job, and for the first time

it's a winning organization down there, and that is so important for the young guys. So, I don't even know where I was going with that. I'm just rambling on. Well, hey, listen, it's good information either way. Can I get one more question to you? As long as you go expert.

Okay, we're now joined by... Where's my font? I've given the font guy five minutes. I've been just talking in circles for him to put my font up. I'm delaying right now. This is professional delaying. With world NHL awesome expert, PJ Stock. Every time you're on, I want to ask you about your eye, Slavkovsky.

I'm going to. I think that's part of it. He's playing more minutes than ever for Montreal. Are you seeing him find his way a bit? Told you. Kipper was all against him. You guys were all yelling. I just said relax.

Yeah. The only thing that everyone has to understand. NHL awesome expert. There we go. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Take a picture of it?

Yeah, I got to get a picture of it. You make sure you tweet it. This is my last one. It's going to be his profile picture. Okay. Oh, gosh. You know what? He's a big body.

We did the Olympics. Last time we did the Olympics, he got MVP of the Olympics in the hockey. You know what? I didn't even think he was super great during that time, but when the puck was on his stick in the slot, he scored. Like, you didn't see him all game. And then at the end, you'd have the puck on the stick and get a goal. You look back at his stats in Finland last year, and he only had 10 points or 14 points.

I think he had seven goals all year and, like, doubled that. Maybe it's five and five or seven and seven. Let's just say the high end was 14 points. He's just built. And he played in a rink where there's really no hitting, Maybe it's five and five or seven and seven. Let's just say the high end was 14 points. He's just built. And he played in a rink where there's really no hitting and it's bigger. So the time and space, you know, and a more physical game, a lot of mirroring over there in Europe. And, you know, now he cut across the slot.

And there's someone right there right now. Bigger bodies, longer sticks, the spacing thing. He was almost when he started with like Marmaduke on the ice, like, you know, bumping into things. And if he had more meanness to him, it'd be better because if he bumped into those people, he'd bump in with a with a meaning like get out of my way or, you know, like. But he doesn't. He's like almost too nice on the ice, which you'll learn over time. But he's been the best thing on that Suzuki CaCaulfield line now for a few weeks. He doesn't lose a ton of puck battles. Again, he's only 19. He's driving the net. He'll come through between the blue lines with some pace every now and then and hold on to the puck. Again,

he just finished his first full year, which was like 82 games. I think he's at like 84 now or something, but he's just finished a full season on a team that really struggles and he's playing on the number one line facing the top line and top defense every night i think he's done amazing he's one of the guys that i'm really excited to see what he's going to be like in two years i i really am and i think it's frustrating for the organization because they put a lot of bank into Suzuki and Caulfield right now, and the kid's the one shining on that line. To their defense, as I said, they're smaller bodies,

and they're playing against the number one line every night and the number one defense every night. So it is tough. Not being covered by Doc and Newhook hurts a lot. Are you talking about a top six power forward here? I'm talking about, I'm going to think he's going to have an amazing career. Once he learns. He turns into Rantanen.

That's amazing. Rantanen. Rantanen would be unbelievable. He's got a good shot. he's too nice with the puck he he's not mean he's not mean like he he has to learn take him out one night i know i can't one night the team's getting beat up actually what happened the team's playing um the team's playing and subcom i think it's st louis he gets smoked by the blue line. He gets, and he goes down. He's kind of hurt, goes to a knee.

You know, they stop the game. He goes off. No one stuck up for him. No one. The next night, they're playing, and Justin Barron gets hit into the post. And thank the Lord that New Day's at the post comes off, because Barron would have been hurt pretty good. Sofkovsky's the only guy that goes in and gets his nose dirty

to defend his teammate. This entire team needs a night with Kipper, me, not for me. No, definitely not. Kipper and me in the bar. We're going to have a couple of drinks, and then we're just going to let them just – well, maybe not. We've got to get an old-school brawl going. We've got to get them mean. We've got to get them like – they're so – man, maybe not. We got to get an old school brawl going.

We got to get them mean. We got to get them like, they're so, it's so funny. We used to do that. Go out, sit down, let's have some drinks. Let's just talk it, talk it over. You have to like your teammates so much that you're going to do anything for them. And I don't want to see my buddy get hurt. I don't want to see my buddy get hurt.

So even though I know I'm going to take a beating, I wish he'd do the same for me. And I think that's the important chemistry that teams that are successful have, and I'm not seeing enough of that in Montreal. And I think he has it. He just doesn't know how good he can be with it in time. Hey, Peach, thanks for doing this, and great job finding good use out of the wood panel off your family station wagon i'm gonna send you the screenshot we got from the television too so you have a tv version

thanks guys gretz says bye too that's pj stock former national hockey league player and uh owner of a family station wagon where he had not anymore and ed paneled that's a nice setup tied on the top roof this you know that is a pretty established ron burgundy looking setup he's got that look nice Yeah. Slavkoski can be a serviceable player, but will he be a face, one of the faces of this franchise one day? I do wonder if you have to, and I mean this just a genuine wonder,

not saying I think it's my opinion. I wonder if you have to get mean in the NHL at all. It really helps. It super helps. It super triple helps. But like, who, you know, like I'm thinking Phil Kessel won a cup, Jack Eichel wins a cup. I'm trying to think of guys who aren't

like... Who'd you say beside Phil Kessel? Jack Eichel, I don't think he's like a nasty guy in any way. Like I'm thinking of Matthews and Marner, I'll be honest when I'm having this conversation. Will Jack truly be the horse of Vegas? Right.

No. Right. And that's the conversation. Nate McKinnon. Oh my gosh. He's just like next level off. I put Nate in the same category as I do Sidney Crosby, as I do Conor McDavid, where these guys are just, they're 24-7. Their engines do not shut off, even when they sleep.

Right, and I wouldn't call Conor McDavid mean, but he has this edge, this kind of drive, I guess, where he doesn't want people to stand in his way. And that drives just growing. Right. Every day, every month, every year, he's away from a Stanley Cup. My question is,

can you still be a team in, let's say, 2024 to 2034? Are you going to be able to win Cups when you're just a really good hockey player? Is that going to be enough because the game is going to change? Well, now you're describing Austin Matthews. Well, it's that conversation, and it's about Slavkovsky,

and it's about players of that ilk. Like, is the game moving towards them where they'll be able to have success or you couldn't? We're really down to Brad May's famous real kipper and born quote. But you're talking about it helps. Is it necessary? Derek, you got it for us? I'd fight my mom to win another Stanley Cup.

Thank you. Yeah. I really love my mom. I don't think I would. I don't know. I'm thinking about it. I love my mom too. No comment.

My mom would fight with me to get a Stanley Cup. Yeah. Yeah, that might be the case in my end. Might be the center and first. Yeah, I don't think it helps with Slavkovski that he looks exactly like Pierre Engvall. Yeah, Slovakian. He skates and looks exactly like him.

So, anyways, game time, boys? Game time. Oh, you know Montreal Canadian fans are just cursing you right now. It's true. It's true. Watch him skate for one shift and tell me that's not pure Angvall. It is. I'm sorry.

It is. What's Angvall, a sixth rounder? I don't know. Engvall's got better stats probably than Slavkovsky does. He also has a seven-year contract worth $3 million per or something. What a weird contract. All right, it's game time. Presented by Bet365.

Visit the app for the latest odds. Find out why it's never ordinary at Bet365. Must be 19 plus. On terror only. Please play responsibly. Now I just got to unfreeze my computer. But I want you to tell me borny what you think the line in the oilers and chicago blackhawk game is where is it it's in uh

it is in edmonton you wouldn't be asking me were it not absurd but i'll try i'm gonna say it's minus 450 it is minus 650 no it's not it is and if you want to bet on the Chicago Blackhawks, who are awful, our boy Billy Duke read their lines off to me today. They are. It's a borderline AHL. Not borderline. It's an AHL.

It's an AHL team. I don't know that a line has ever been that low. Ever. Ever. Plus, they're plus 475 to beat them and their 14 game winning streak. Needs to be a mercy rule tonight. Like they should be able to wave the flag.

Well, yeah, at some point, the game needs to, like, shut down. Every player agrees. We'll all be minus two. We'll give it a 10-0 final score, and we'll just skate off the rink. Yes. Okay, Connor gets two and three for five. Yes.

We'll call it a night. If you want to find any sort of value in this game, the Chicago Blackhawks plus two and a half goals, so they have to lose by less than three, is plus 100. Wow. So if you want to hold on for dear life, if you really love gambling,

you want to hold on for dear life. Maybe the oil, take their foot off the gas. So plus 100 plus two and a half. But Dard's been out for maybe nine or 10 games already. Yeah. And he still leads the team in scoring by eight points. It's a, it's a hurting unit.

It just sucks that them doing this Western road trip, you know, through Vancouver and Edmonton versus Connor. Like, it's such a great. Yeah. It would have been great for the game to have him there. Now it's go check out Philip Kurashev and Mackenzie Entwistle. Entwistle guy?

By the way, we reference him because that's the other name we know. Yeah. And Foligno's back. Oh, yeah. Jason Dickinson, all-star. And the other things that I like tonight not a ton of value but i feel like the islanders may take it to the habs tonight we were talking to pj there about how they haven't been playing very well new coach they all know the stakes of patrick waugh going in there struggling

habs team can really see them taking it to them so just straight up it's minus 150 and if you like it a minus a goal and a half, it's plus 165 for the Islanders at the Bell Center tonight, which will be a big event. Looking forward to it. So that was game time presented by Bet365. Visit the app for latest odds and find out why it's never ordinary. At Bet365, must be 19 plus.

Ontario only. Please play responsibly. All right, we'll take a quick break, but you've got us loaded up for news and notes. Do you not, Sammy? I got a few things in there for you, boys. Yeah. All right, we're take a quick break, but you've got us loaded up for news and notes. Do you not, Sammy? I got a few things in there for you, boys. Yeah. All right.

We're going to have some fun with that, including a defenseman who's calling out his team. We've had that earlier with Devon Taves in Colorado and another one last night. We'll get those words out after the break Nick Kiprios Justin Bourne Sammy McKee back after this diving deep into Leafs Raptors Jays and NFL the JD bunk is podcast subscribe and download the show on Apple Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back into the show.

Nick Kiprios, Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee. All right, what is going on with the LA Kings? How can you be a record setter at the beginning of the year? I don't know what they ripped off on the road, but it was, like, unbelievable. Yeah. 10, 11, 12 games without a loss on the road. You're one of the top teams. And then last night, you blew a lead to the Buffalo Sabres.

You've now dropped, what, 12 of 14 games. You let Edmonton pass you. Yeah. And now you got Drew Dowdy sending a pretty stern message to his teammates. Let's have a listen. I think we got guys in this room who are too worried about themselves and worried about their points and worried about stuff like that. We get a 3-1 lead tonight, and guys start thinking it's a cookie night, and we stop playing the way we know how to play,

have an awful second period, and then aren't much better in the third. It's about the team. It's not about yourself, and a lot of guys on this team, we need to realize that. Okay. One of my favorite sayings in this game. Cookie? I like to always go with cookie monster.

Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom. Right? That's an old draw. We wouldn't use that one at all. Not lately. But Drew brought it right back to the forefront because I'm telling you, everybody loves their goal scores but to drew's

point the moment you turn it into you turn yourself into a cookie monster or you're looking at a cookie night you've separated yourself from the rest of the team not a very nice thing to say about pierre-luc dubois the Kings have two wins in their last 14 tries. Wow. That's a cookie night. Oh, boy, there's a drop. Yeah. It's a big slide.

It is. Like, they really, really have fallen off a cliff. So who's the cookie night? Like, Kopitar is a guy that you're not talking to, right? Yeah. They've been through all the battles together too. Like they've won the Cops. It ain't him.

Like this guy gets it and, you know, he's not sticking around to pad his stats. No. So is it Byfield, Kempe, Moore, Fiala, you know, Dubois? In terms of like guys who are supposed to score, there's not too many more. Ia you know dubois you know in terms of like guys who are supposed to score there's not too many more i don't know like pierre-luc dubois is so lucky right now he's got 20 points in 45 games and he's playing in la yeah where they have maybe one or two people in the media that follow you daily. If this guy was having the season he was having, still in Winnipeg,

Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, he'd be getting roasted. Yeah, Montreal was the place that it was so heavily talked about, right? Him trying to get to Montreal. Imagine. I'm just looking at the stats from last night.

Kevin Fiala was dash four. So maybe that's somebody speaking about. Sounds possible. Sounds. Our boy Trevor Moore, dash four. Yeah. Philip Deneau, minus three, which is surprising for him

because he's a pretty responsible guy. And then the rest are... Pierre-Luc Dubois did score, but he was a minus one. Yeah. coach todd mcclellan last night and i quote the stupidity that went into this loss is beyond explainable but i'm gonna try anyway so come on in and take a look at the video oh my god so the kings are reeling yeah and i would say mo mcclellan's hanging on right like i mean that team had expectations has good players yeah certainly not good this seat is heating up it is not good let's stick with the theme of people

saying you know calling people out now the canucks have had points in 10 straight games they're awesome even the lotto line when they haven't got points the team has won or got points I know there's some debate in Vancouver over uh Sportsnet and other places making the headline Talkit calls out Pedersen from this story because Talkit himself basically doesn't think it's a big deal to just say hey I don't think this guy's playing very well. But we here in Toronto who follow the Leafs recognize that a coach calling out a star player is

not always common. Rare. Rare. Rare. Very rare. Like your state. Rare. On a night where he benched three guys, he was like, oh, they're good players. We love them. Yeah. We love those guys. Right. Oh, that. So what did Tuckett have to say about Pedersen? Would you like to hear it they're good players. We love them. We love those guys. Oh, that. What did Talkin have to say about

Pettersson? Would you like to hear it? Yeah. I haven't liked his game in the last three or four games. We've got to get him going. I think he's got to skate. He's got to start skating a little bit. I think he's good with the moves sometimes, but I think

when you have speed and make those moves, that's when he's at his best. We'll get him going. Just get your feet moving. That's all he's asking. Right? But, like, you do need to not be super sensitive, like if you're one of his players. And every once in a while, like, you can't help but being in Canada

where you hear people constantly telling you how great you are or how much money you're about to make. And you've got enough points that it's okay from here. Look at the blueprint that's come out of Toronto for all these guys across the country. Oh, what's he going to make? 12, 12 and a half. I think Willie and Petey are tied in points.

It's not hard to lose a little focus sometimes. So I think it's great that a guy like Tuckett, without really feeling like you're in the guy's grill, to just give him a little reminder, just a little bit of humble pie, and get him going again. And that was not harsh by any stretch. Reminder, just a little bit of humble pie. Yeah. And get him going again. And that was not harsh by any stretch.

It's like fair. When you do it consistently like Talkit does, just as a player you come to know that that's what he does. At the start of the year. It's fine. It started the moment he relieved Bruce Boudreaux. Yes. Right? This is not new to him.

And I guarantee you if he's coming out in public with it it's already been said three four times already now i do wonder if fans of the team don't love having this superstar that is not signing a contract you know in this sort of like it's a little weird he won't sign this deal and then also having the coach kind of poking him a little publicly I do wonder if fans

don't love that. I think at the same time Pedersen realizes that a big reason why they are at the top of the NHL standings probably has a lot to do with the guy behind the bench and the way he coaches. You just hope he likes him if you're a fan you're like you definitely hope that but what you're talking about now is and we had Ian McIntyre on what uh Friday Friday yep and there's already that narrative from some fans that are already wondering why. So what you think that that means?

No, what I'm saying is that what you're saying is that this could kind of just add a little gas to the fire. Well, you just hope that, like, you know, Pedersen is not becoming unhappy or something. And I'm not saying he is. Whoa. I'm just saying if you're a fan, you're like, God, can we just kind of, like, you know,

soothe that ego until he gets his contract at least? I don't know. Yeah. No, I think Rick Taka can't turn on and off the difference between coaching to win hockey games and a GM or president having to negotiate a contract. Yeah. And, you know, ho-hum, they get another point. Ten straight games, they get a point. After they were down 2-0 heading into the third period,

didn't really look like they had a whole lot going. And then Suter gets a... Puse. Puse gets a hatty. Natural hat trick to send it to overtime, scored in the last minute. Shen gets the winner in OT, but... Speaking of Talk It, by the way,

that is a different coaching style from keith again in that pew suitor has a couple of goals he's playing well they need a goal in the final minute with the goalie pulled suitors on the ice you know you wouldn't think of him as one of the canucks have enough elite guys that you would say just put your usual guys out you know gives a guy who's hot an opportunity and guy paid off for him good coaching that's a team right there did you want to talk about the fights and what it means for the cats well what probably florida probably thought might be a an easier kind of night ended up a real tough one and this of, goes back to Arizona.

This is Hucker. And the Florida Panthers and the hit. A cousin still hasn't played. He's been off for how long now? A month? Concussion protocol. So two fights in, what, 13 seconds? Yes, they, Florida, I think both teams started their fourth line.

Lombard doesn't play center and took the draw to start the game. Would you like to hear Matthew Kachuk talk about what those fights meant to them? For sure. Matthew, a dominant 6-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. How would you begin to summarize this win? I thought that we have a couple savages who started off for us

with two great fights in the first period, in the first few seconds, and that really set the tone for us tonight. You mentioned those two fights right after the opening faceoff. What does that say about the closeness of this group? Yeah, we're a team through and through in that room, and we're sticking up for each and every one of us. We didn't like what happened last game in Arizona, and we made sure that we wanted to come out tonight and show it on the scoreboard and show it a little bit physically as well. Leafs are totally fine against those guys.

Sam. See, that's – I'd trade rosters in a heartbeat. Oh, wow. Meow. Like, if they offer me, like, hey, trade the rosters, done, without thinking. That's a team right now that they don't turn it on and off. That's just constantly on. One speed speed and Bennett's the same way when I watch him like that guy could play

82 games where he wants to rip your head off yeah and that's not an easy thing that that that's a low maintenance guy right now yeah man matthew kachuk low maintenance make it nine five uh is barkov back in he's back i don't know because he was off for a little while too and they're just yeah they're currently five points back at the bruins i know sammy you you think the bruins will just continue to pull away but not out of the question the atlantic top spot is still up for grabs. The Canucks, by the way, still first in the NHL in the President's Trophy.

Florida is just a mean team. They're just a... They've got some meanies. Thank goodness we got one or two teams like that. Yeah, I'm really thrilled that one of the two have to play the least the first round of the playoffs, which is like, there is no worse matchup. I would rather the Leafs play literally any other team in the league least the first round of the playoffs, which is like, there is no worse matchup. I would rather the Leafs play literally

any other team in the league in the first round. What about this other team that's worth talking about? Colorado. No problem. Rather have that. No question. Well, Nathan McKinnon. It's really good. Last night, shot the puck in the net four times for Colorado, who is three points ahead of that Florida

team in the league standings. Where are we on them being a cup contender again? He's running away with it right now, isn't he? Our trophy? Yeah. McKinnon has 82 points, which is two more than second place Kucherov. And I think third, I can pull this up here, has 67. Like, they're way up.

Yeah, Pasternak is third with 67. So he's 15 points up on third place Nate McKinnon right now 30 goals you were saying I think off the air a little bit that Connors slated to score what 35 33 33 goals 117 points and that's what was what was your point well my point is just trying to make sense of it like last year he scores 64 and has 152 points so you know why half the goal output and you know minus 40 points but the team is winning winning winning winning so what's up winnipeg mark shifley scored 45 last year, 47. Here we go. What's he at? Here we go.

What's he at? 30 goals? He's on pace for 27. And the team's a top team. 60 and 70 goals don't matter. Matthew scored 40 last year for you, and that didn't help the team any. I don't know. But Matthews isn't.

He's doing great things out there, but more often it's not dragging 19 other guys with him like the other guys are. And so you think that McDavid has changed the way he plays? I just think... Listen, I mean, to say I've watched Nathan like I've watched Austin, I can't say that. But all I know is how the teams respond to their star players.

And the greatest gift that you can ever give your team is making other players around you better. That is the number one thing that you can do for your hockey club. Not put the puck in the net, not win scoring titles, make players around you better, feel better, closer. That's what the Leafs are struggling with right now when it comes to Willie Nylander and Austin Matthews. Yeah, I'm curious to know what the Connor McDavid thing is because I still watch a lot and he's electric as ever.

You know, like it's not like he's, you know, dumping in pucks now. Let me ask you something. He was hurt early in the year too. How much better has Connor Mcnor mcdavid made zach hyman like i think how does this guy go from like a 25 goal scorer to now a 40 50 goal scoring and a legitimate like star player there's something to that power star player who do we have on oh it was rob brown that said you know you'd be surprised how much hyman does for mcdavid too when he they it's clearly a two-way street obviously it's a much busier street the one way but hyman's bar raised i think just by walking in a room and being around connor mcdavid

i think that who can who can argue with me on that no but because he's the greatest player maybe in the world, other than McKinnon. The two best guys are both Canadian, by the way. These guys can drag you in. They can drag you in, and their bars are so high that either you're with them or you're against them. No disagreement here, Kipper.

Yeah, I mean, it's tough to agree or disagree. Speculation, Your Honor. Could draw back in Calgary tonight for the second time. Oliver Shillington's back tonight after what? Not playing his first NHL game since May 2022. Wow. That's great. And that goes with Anthony Kim coming back to the PGA Tour.

Oh, we all live. Or live. Or one or the other. Depending. So the long-awaited return of guys. Love to see it. Welcome back. All right.

Our thanks to Luke Gastic, Sportsnet hockey analyst, who joined us at the top of the hour. All right, boys. Have a good night. Absolutely. Enjoy dealing cards tonight. Yeah, Kippy. Blue and white for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight.

Raise some money. Proceeds going to MLSC Foundation, who once again, I can't speak highly enough of the work that they've done over the years. All right, boys, have a good night. Enjoy your games. Patrick Waugh in Montreal. Big feature tonight. Enjoy it, and we're back tomorrow on Off the Rails Friday with Doug McClain.