The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Brian Burke on the First Few Playoff Games and the Canucks & Leafs GM Searches

Episode Date: April 22, 2026

Jeff Marek is joined by Brian Burke to break down the opening days of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They dive into the biggest surprises from the first games of the postseason, the early concerns for contenders, and what has stood out around the league as the chase for the Cup begins. Burke also shares his thoughts on the playoff atmosphere in Buffalo and what it means for the market as hockey energy returns to the city. Plus, a look back at the career of Trevor Lewis as the longtime NHL veteran announces his retirement.#NHL #StanleyCupPlayoffs #TheSheet #JeffMarek #BrianBurke #MontrealCanadiens #GoHabsGo #TampaBayLightning #JurajSlafkovsky #HockeySHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼 Ninja: https://www.sharkninja.ca/ninja-crispi-pro-6-in-1-countertop-glass-air-fryer-rose-quartz/AS101CRS.html?utm_source=Meta&utm_medium=Paid+Social&utm_campaign=H1NinjaCrispi&utm_content=NinjaEN&dwvar_AS101CRS_color=cdb9b8Reach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@FNBarnBurner🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoffReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the meantime, someone who was there to watch all the action games, one and two, making the track two nights, to watch the Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins at the Key Bank, is Brian Berkey. He joins me here, as he does each and every Wednesday. Berkey, how are you today? How is the scene in Buffalo, specifically game one for you? Hey, Jeff.

Hope you feel better. Thanks, man. The scene in Buffalo is great. The fans are so great. They're so wound up. They're so pent up for 15 years. So it was a crazy scene for game one. A lot tamer last night.

Yeah, it was a pretty quiet key bank last night. Just a couple of thoughts. You know, Kyle O'Poso was on the program yesterday. We talked to him about what it was like playing in Buffalo for that team, that owner, those fans, all of it. But, I mean, Vercke, like, you remember when the Buffalo State, well, you remember the Buffalo State. It came into the league.

And also, you remember the French Connection and when they were a powerhouse and going to the final in 75, and then the Stanley Cup final, talk of a foot in the crease with Brett Hall in 1999, et cetera, that 2016 that was probably good enough to win the Stanley Cup. Let me wide brush this one for you. Ryan Burke, when I say Buffalo Sabres, what comes to your mind? Great market that hasn't been rewarded properly in football and hockey.

It's a great market for us in hockey. Buffalo Sabers fans watch hockey. they haven't been in the playoffs for 15 years, but their ratings in the playoffs. The TV ratings are excellent. People watch the NHL even after their teams are winning, which is not common. So they're great fans.

I love going to games there. I had fun last two nights or two or the last three nights. Great to have playoff hockey back in Buffalo. Oh, to be 25 years old again after game one, leaving the key bank and heading out into Buffalo. What happened last night, Berkey, that everyone was expecting another big, you know,

maybe comeback by the Buffalo Sabres, some more heroics, take a two-nothing series lead. Last time I checked, I know you always check on the Stanley Cup. One thing I always check on is, is the other team allowed to try? And again, the answer was yes. And the Boston Bruins tried and won, four to two, doubling up the Buffalo Sabres,

late couple of goals by the swords. Your thoughts on what you saw last night? I think Boston was a better team. I think it was really a timely rally to keep the game in check in game one. That game was over in game one. And then Tage Thompson and the boys decided it wasn't over. It was about six minutes ago. Last night it was over well before that.

Boston all played them. UPL was just okay and that one poor goal, really poor goal, and it was over. So we got a series now. I like Boston's team. I like Buffalo and what they're doing. I'm just not sure they're experienced enough to figure this out in time. It's fascinating, too. The goal that you refer to is the Morgan Geeky backhand from Center Ice.

And listen, you remember J.C. Tromblay, who I think he credits 25 goals of his career to that same play. Trondley would get Center Ice and just flip it in front of goaltenders. I've always wondered why this isn't used as a tactic more so. We're just watching this now. Morgan Geeky just lobs it at Ukepeka-Lukinen, and nobody knows where this stone is going to skip on the water, least of all the netminder. J.C. Tromblay was the master added.

Jim Dory was pretty good, too. Why don't more players do this? Instead of dump-ins where essentially you're surrendering the puck. Just have a bouncing puck in front of a goaltender. No one knows where it's going. Case in point last night. I think you've got to decide right away. Am I going to charge that puck or wait for it?

Yes. He got a no man's land. If he charged that puck hard and grabbed it instead of waiting for it at the end, he would have been fine. So there's two ways to play that puck. He didn't pick either of them. And it cost them. Excuse me, I got...

I told you, I'm sick. I'm going to put that on my coffin. I told you I was sick. My tombstone. The thing about what we saw on the... that goal too is like if you have a baseball background, you make that play, right? Like if I,

Ico Pekeleukin and played shortstop growing up or second base or third base, wherever, he probably reads that and gets on top of it and takes it in the chest. I remember talking to Felix Potfan once, and he talked he was complaining about goalie's not being able to catch. He said, all goaltenders do now is they block the puck with their glove,

but they don't actually catch. He said, you can tell the goaltenders that played baseball growing up, because they can actually catch. And in the case of Lukinen, and we'll move on after this, if he played baseball growing up in Finland, then he probably makes that save

because he plays it like a routine ground ball. They have baseball in Finland, though. I know mostly kids don't play it, but they have baseball in Finland. Not like he can't play. That one there, he's either got to charge that buckhart and get it before it skips fast or wait on it. It would have gone wide, I think,

if he'd waited on it. So just unfortunate, but that wasn't costing the game. They were out of that game before that, in my mind. What's making Broston tick here? Like I looked at this series and said, if Boston's going to win this thing, Jeremy Swainman has to play out of his mind, and he almost stole one in game one.

He almost flat out stole that game one. But what's doing it for the Boston ruins? We'll move to Montreal, Tampa after this. They have a good team. The problem is people forget they have a good team. They lost a lot of Star Power, the last two, three years. They still have a really good team.

I felt when I saw the Boston play the Leifes this fall, I felt I said this to someone in the press box beside me. That might be the most competitive team I've seen this year, the Boston Bruins. The way they competed for the puck

in all three zones. Every loose puck was a contest. I was really impressed with Marco Stern the job he had done coaching that team. So I'm not surprised. And they're big time tough. They're big time tough. And that counts.

They have a couple of, well, more than a couple, really, because they also do have that sort of pack mentality. But Tanner, Janone, Castellick, like, it's nasty. Even Charlie McAvoy at times can play nasty too. Like, it's a nasty bit of business. Now, speaking of a nasty bit of business, Montreal and Tampa really don't like each other. And that was pretty obvious in game one.

and it became more apparent in game two. And I don't know where you want to begin with the million penalties in the first period. And we thought the game might take four hours. Whether you want to talk about Brandon Hagel, just smoking Erase Lofkovsky in his first NHL fight, whether you want to talk about Scott Sabrin, hitting Josh Anderson from behind, a five turns into a two on that one. The inevitability that Scott Sabert is probably going to have to fight Arbor Jackye

at some point in this series. They've done it before, not end well for Scott Sabrin. Where do you want to begin on the hostilities between these two teams? Well, a guy like Scott Sabrin, he's going to fight him. It doesn't matter if he wins or not. They don't count wins and losses. They count when they should fight, which is really admirable.

These two teams don't like each other. I like what they've done in Tampa. They were spotted to Florida's lineup. They said we're getting outpunched around here. It's not going to happen again. They've only got Tanner to know. They subsequently move for a pile of it. But they tried to respond to the Florida threat.

They've done it admirably. They've got a good team, but they can play as hard as you want now. That was fun watching the highlights less. That was a fun game. And right now, the Sorelli line, listen, Tampa was at home, so they get last change. That Sorelli line is sort of neutralized. The Suzuki line. So they're winning that matchup.

I mentioned it off the top. You know, Brandon Hagel. We all know what Sam Bennett is. last year in the playoffs. Are you getting similar vibes? Are you getting like Sam Bennett vibes? I know we're only two games in here, but are you getting Sam Bennett vibes off of Brandon Hagel at this point?

Yeah, I am. But he's not as big as Sam, but he's equally competitive and tough. I remember talking to Mark Crawford. When Hagle was a young player in Chicago, I talked to Mark Crawford, I said, tell me about Hagle. He said, Hagle is going to be a star. I almost laughed.

I just have a coffee with Crow. I almost first thought laughing. Brandon Hagel's going to be a star, and he is. He's a really good player. He has all those goals, none that are on PowerPlay. He doesn't get any power play time at all. So this kid's a legit heavyweight or not heavyweight, middleweight fighter, and you can do any job on a rink.

It's amazing to watch. What did you make up? Because you mentioned like it doesn't matter, like whether you win or lose a fight. It's all about showing up. and not that all the playoffs is all about fighting, but more so physicality. The Montreal Canaanans got frustrated yesterday,

and specifically Uri Slavkovsky, who was brilliant in the first game, Hattrick, everything that he touched, you know, a red light went off. But Slavkowski getting frustrated enough to go at Brandon Hagel the way that he did. If you're the coach, if you're the manager of the Montreal Canadiens,

what do you think about that? Do you say good on good on you, kid, for standing up for yourself? Or do you say, hey, we need you to score. We have people to do that. Remember in Slapshot when the referee said, too much, too soon. Remember that? Of course, too much, too soon. Oh, yeah, great lines.

I would say to Slopkowski, keep your gloves on, kid. I do admire people that have had enough and just say I'm going to take care of business. I do admire that. but I tell him, just keep your gloves on. You got three goals in the game one, got knocked out in game two, which one was better? Which one did we win?

How do you see this series going, Berkey? Like, already it may be the most coming. I want to get to Utah in a second here, because I find that series really good with Vegas. But how do you see this series going? Like right now, this thing looks like it's headed for seven games, and if it's going to be like the first two, give me seven of that.

But how do you read it so far? I'd say they're too young to have. on impact same thing as buffalo i don't think they're ready for prime time yet but marty san louis makes such a difference on the team and how they prepare that they look like they're ready to play and compete so i say toss the coin now after those two really good games really exciting and muncheil is clearly a team of the future uh one thing that i was mentioning over the last couple of days we'll dovetail to utah here in a second on this one one of my favorite things to watch now in hockey when Montreal is playing

is when one of the two referees are Quebecois French and Marty Saint-Louis starts yelling at them in French and the referee goes back at Marty San Luis in French. It is honestly Burkey, it is one of my favorite things. French is such a passionate language to begin with

but hearing and seeing Marty San Luis give it to an official in French is one of my favorite things. Do you have a favorite French coach who would lose it on officials, or maybe French manager. Take your pick. I'm embarrassed by the fact that I only speak one language. I think that's really embarrassing.

You know, I know you're in Stu, for example, speak seven languages. I only speak one, so I'm embarrassed. So I'm admiring Maris Saint-Laui or anyone else to speak. And Uri Salisovsky probably speaks four. So I admire people with the multi-language skills. But the French thing,

The prop was the best for yelling at people. Ron Karan? He would scream in English and French and English. I couldn't understand it half the time. He was great. Michelle Bergeron, there's another great one, scream. Pierre Paget, keep going all the way down the list.

Bob Hartley. Bob Hartley could work with me in Calgary. He used to swear like crazy. English and French and English. It's hilarious. I love it. It's the, I don't know. of the things that I watch for when I watch Montragging.

My first thing is like, okay, we're getting a French-Canadian ref. And if so, is Marty going to go at him? Gunther, Cooley, and Yamamoto are a problem for the Vegas Golden Knights, specifically Logan Cooley. Vegas does not know what to do or has no answer right now. It's like shot shares 13 to 5, 5 to 1 high danger chances. That Cooley line is doing whatever they want. in games one and two against the Vegas Golden Knights.

What do you think of that, Berkey? Well, I haven't been able to follow that series as closely because the games are played during the Buffalo games or while I'm driving home. So I have just been watched and highlights and what a little bit I can see of it, but they're really good players and they're playing really well as the line.

I've never seen, I've never felt, even when you have playing on the road, when you have the last change at home, you go on the road, I've never felt that you couldn't neutralize. the line just by juggling your lines a little bit, getting someone away that can take care of Cooley or Yamamoto.

So to me, I've never understood this. So the team's, one line's really bugging you, fix it. Yeah. They have no answer for it. Like, that line has just played so well. And Cooley's getting under the skin of everybody, too. It's been a beautiful thing to watch so far.

Also, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh. I don't know that the hot. hockey's been great. As far as all the series go, if you just look at quality of the game, it's probably coming in last. But nonetheless, I don't want to, you know,

shovel dirt on Philadelphia Flyers fans here. They're up to nothing. And they're going back to Philadelphia. And Porter Martone has become a big story. And Dan Fla Dar has become a big story. And Travis Sandheim has become a big story. And Rick Tocke it once again. is a big story.

What do you see in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh here, Berkey? I see a team that should know better and don't know better. They think they're still, they think they're in a position to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. If outplayed them, I think. I really like the new coach in Pittsburgh. I think he's an excellent coach. I really like the old group of guys. Obviously, I was around them for a while.

But they look young and quick and fast and hostile. the flyers do more than Pittsburgh. Is it a situation critical right now for the Pittsburgh Penguins, or have you seen enough to say, you know what, they can make a series of this? Well, they can make a series of this, because they've got good goaltending. They've had it all along,

and Stewart's sooner's been good. So they can make it. They have the players and the coaching staff and the goaltending make a series of it. But the situation's critical because they can't go down three-kneth or it's over, you think you, Captain Obvious, but they've got it won the next game. I think they will.

I think they'll come back. A couple more things here around the NHL that I wanted to get your thoughts on here, and one of them involves a kind of a weird moment. Like, I'm not a big fan of Glass Bangers. I really got no time in my life for Glass Bangers. But yeah, I never expect to see what we saw yesterday with the Glass Breaking Behind DJ Smith.

I don't know if you have a thought on glass bangers in general or what we saw is we have a look here on the on the video that glass breaker thankfully DJ was okay through all of this and the coaching staff and the players are Mia Joseph everybody right in front of DJ Smith first of all have you seen something like that before Berkey we've seen you know we've seen you know Gaston Jingross smashed the glass before with slap shots we've seen players do that but the glass breaking from fans hitting it. That's kind of a new one, Burke.

You'd say nothing of it falling on a coach. The new one for me, I remember in Philly when Ty Dome was in the penalty box and the fan pushed the glass open over in the penalty box. But that was a plexie glass that stayed together. I don't know what happened here. There's no way the force of the fans

pushing the glass would have done this. Like it must have been a structural flaw in the glass somehow. So I must say it with a pocket and they'd practice. or something must have to weaken that glass for it to break like that. Unfortunately, you know, sir, and it is the kind of glass

that breaks into pieces without real sharp edges, so fortunately, it kind of like windshield glass. So fortunately, no, sir, DJ's got a hard head. It's okay. DJ will be fine.

A couple of issues from around the NHL, I want to get your thoughts on here. One, the Toronto Maple Leaf's search for a manager, continues, as does the Vancouver Canucks search for a manager continue. You know both markets quite well. You worked in both. Do you have a thought on both these situations as they continue to progress?

Well, first off, I have not been contacted by either team, Jeff. So I thought I, I listen, I still maintain, Berkey, that someone is calling you to work as a consultant in the NHL now, more so than ever, for the reasons of someone who's been there before and can talk from a position of patience and not rushing into a bad decision. I've always maintained that. So Toronto hasn't called and Vancouver hasn't called. Thank you. I would love that.

Having failed in both marketplaces or had a problem in Vancouver's ownership, I don't think that's going to happen. But we can start by getting a picture of you somewhere in the arena. How about that? Just to begin with someone who's like one of the most significant managers Vancouver's ever had. You wouldn't know if you walk into the ring because there's no evidence of it anywhere. That's hilarious. Mark, Gerardano, we were playing Vancouver in the class when I was in Calgary. Mark Jiridano walked over to me. He goes, can ask you a question? I don't

to hurt your feelings. I said, yeah. He said, did you used to work here? I said, yeah, twice. He goes, how come there's no pictures of you? Not one picture to be anywhere in the building. I left my ass off. There's this fingerprint somewhere, but not anywhere in the building. No, I don't know what's going on there. I think Keith Pelley's doing a very widespread search, still in a wide net, and contacting a lot of people more publicly than I would like, but I believe in Keith Pelley, I trust him. I think he'll get this right.

But Vancouver's being more low-key, and I think they'll sort it out. They both got big jobs out of them, and whoever goes in there. It's, I mean, the Vancouver one is interesting, and a lot of it, and maybe you can straighten me out on this here, Berkey, but it does seem kind of backwards. So Adam Foote is the coach. There's no general manager, Jim Rutherford, of course, the president of hockey operations.

Nice shot there. Every time I have a drink of my diet Coke. I know. We get a close up. We get a close up of. Listen, we all love the last call look with the tie on down. That's classic. That's classic Berkey.

But so they're hiring a new general. manager. If you listen to Rutherford's press conference on Friday, he's not committing to more than it seems like a few months and then he's going to decide on his future there. So then you're going to have a new president of hockey operations come in. And he already has a manager that he didn't hire. We don't know if the coach will or will not be there by then. Does it, does the, like, you're a big guy in order, right? Does the order seem like way out of whack here for The sequence doesn't make much sense. It didn't make sense.

It made sense to me to make a change with Patrick Alvin. Well, I didn't understand it without a formal plan in place. But when Jimmy met with the media and talked about it, it seemed a little backwards to me. Same thing. I'm going to hire a new GM. He'll hire the new coach, and then I'm going to move on probably, in which case you hired a GM and then not been there to help him. So I think it's backwards, but I'm not sure what goes anywhere with ownership.

You know, Jeff Patterson was on with me on Monday, and he brought up the really interesting point that if Alvin gets fired and Jim Rutherford walks away or he gets dismissed as well, then it's Francesco Aquilini hosting that press conference, and I don't think that he wants to speak publicly right now. The speculation is maybe that was Aquilini protection more than anything else. Well, could be. I don't think Francesco wants to.

run the team. I think Jimmy's a smart man and I think they want him to make this call. So there's some logic to it. If they have faith in Jimmy Rutherford, which I do. I think Jimmy Rutherford's been a really good executive in our league. He's a great guy too. So I think that makes sense if you look at it that way.

It's hard for that to sell that publicly though. The sequence of this doesn't make sense publicly. But if you back it out like that, it does make more sense. Last one for you, Berkey. We'll let you get on with your day. Is Ottawa done. Like they can't, like they can't seem to score a goal. Let me frame it this way.

I don't know how many great goaltending performances, Linus Allmark has in him these playoffs, but Ottawa has already used up too because Allmark has been excellent. He's been really good for Ottawa. And, and, you know, I mean, how many times have you looked at your goaltender do that and you come away with an L and you say, man, we just squandered a great goaltending performance. Unless Ottawa can find a way to score and get goals past. Freddie Anderson here. I don't know about this series. What do you think, Berkey?

Thank you, right. The problem is they played so well and had no success. And that's what Carolina does. That's what Rod Vindamore does. I think they're in deep trouble now. I think they'll winning a game in Ottawa. Everyone's pulling for Ottawa because they're a great story,

great owner, great GM, great coach. Everyone likes Ottawa. Everyone wants them to do well. But they're playing Carolina. Carolina has an answer for everyone. until the third round. They're a deadly team, and they're not getting any kind of looks.

They're getting great gold thing and not getting a chance to win. Freddie Anderson's been great. So, no, I think they're in deep doo-doo. All right, we'll see what happens there. Burkey, as always, appreciate it. Where are you off to next? Are you following another round?

You're going to stick with the Buffalo Series and head to Boston? I'm not sure. Stay with Buffalo, I think, for game five and see what happens. Gotcha. All right, well, we'll talk you perhaps before then or perhaps after. You'd be good in the meantime.

Thanks, Jeff. See you.