[MUSIC] >> Susie's got one glove up, he's saying. >> Look at McMahon. >> And if you want to go. >> Yeah, and now they are, they've dropped the gloves. And a left hand by Bertuzzi caught him right on the button. Bertuzzi wins this cleanly. [MUSIC] >> Dolly, to the opposite corner, and Max Dombian, Charlie Mcamoyo. Gonna go, the goal is to as a team, four one, twice in four days. >> I mean, hey, whenever Toronto plays Boston, it's going to be a world here. And obviously, the score was a little bit different than I think the game should have been. But no, we hung in there and we kind of made it back. And the locker room and I, what happens, we're going to stick together. And yeah, that's just, I think that was one of the positives you can take out tonight, is I had a lot of guys stand up for sure and feel like it. >> Sitting up there with stuff, I just wanted to get out there and all the scrums and fights and that excites me, that's playoff hockey. And I think I played my best hockey during playoff, so I definitely wanted to be out there. >> Yeah, playoff hockey leaves losing the bronze, no, no, no, it's not how we're starting today. >> Too late, you already did it. >> No, great job. >> I'm learning a bad job. >> Happy NHL Trade Deadline Day Fan Morning Show Sports F5.9 of the fan, Ben Dennis. Brian got a good morning. >> Hey, good morning to you too. Look it over, because we can see the sports net studios from our radio studio perch here. Still waiting for the first arrivals on the TV side today. >> We are. >> Broadcast starts at 10 o'clock today. We'll talk to Jeff Merrick, Elliot Friedman, and our pal Luke Gastick later on in the program. >> Are you going to do live play by play of Elliot Friedman walk around a lobby? Should we see him or something on those lines? >> Well, you're closer, your chair is actually, you could see that. You could give us actually the second by second accounting of like how often Elliot Friedman's on the phone. >> This is presuming that what happens to me during the show yesterday doesn't happen today where the security guard that sits down there was shining the brightest flashlight of all time into our studio. He was, but he didn't realize he was doing it, he was just down there like showing off to his bud, like, look how bright this thing is, it has a strobe mode and he was pointing it right in my eye. >> I can make this guy have a seizure. >> I did an entire block of the show in Heisman Pose with one arm out trying to block that. So I just, I hope that doesn't happen today, but should it not, I will be able to keep everyone updated as to the whereabouts of our insiders once they're in the building. >> Okay, so we're going to talk a lot about the moves that have been made and the leaves my 100% prediction coming true yesterday is Brad's really had another one. And less than 100% that he's going to make another one today, but I'm more than 50% that Brad for living has another one in him. We'll get to that in just a second, but holy moly was there a lot to talk about from yesterday's hockey game. >> Yeah. >> And it's hilarious. I mentioned that the game in Toronto against the sabers is a tape of a 60 plus minute hockey game that you wouldn't probably send to somebody who you were trying to convince hockey is a real entertaining endeavor and something that you should give some of your free time away to because it's worth it. You'll be, the investment will be reciprocated by in the form of some great entertaining sporting events that you can watch over the course of the fall and winter and then a little bit into the spring. That's not so great. Yesterday, despite the fact that again, the result did not go the way of the Maple Leafs and in fact, the last seven consecutive have not gone the way of the Maple Leafs between the Leafs and the Bruins, including all of the games this season and back to back in regulation for one losses, lost in Bruins. That was fun. >> Man, that was an entertaining hockey game. I mean, part of it we have to mention is the catharsis of it. You've been waiting for a Leafs team to look that way and yeah, I know like scoreboard, not the way you want it to look there, but to not tuck tail and hide from a Boston Bruins team. We had the referendum on team toughness after Timothy Lillegrine Gate early in the year. And I feel like we'd had this conversation a lot of different times is has that as that boogeyman been slayed? Have they shown enough? And my kind of belief was for whatever reason, I need to see it against this Boston team before I can not wholly buy in because I believe it, but I just think it matters the most against that team. They're the team that enjoys playing that way against you the most. And to finally see it come to fruition last night, no, I don't, not that they haven't tried to have moments like this in the past, but there was no trying last night. Time to use who's going to stand there with his gloves off and tell Witherspoon obliged him. And boy, did he? I think he regretted that immediately. And yeah, it was just, it was an entertaining game. There were swing like it for one didn't feel for one until basically the last minute of the second period, and there were swing points in the game. You have some ref controversy. What's not to like? There's a lot to talk about. And it seemed to me, hey, listen, at least we're in tough in this game, obviously playing the back end of back to backs, getting in late as our producer, Jeff as a party alerted us to that they got to bed at like 3 a.m. Yeah, that's tough. And it's the National Hockey League and, you know, everybody has to deal with similar circumstances and the Bruins had the previous night off, but they were playing three and four. Yeah, they had their game travel and their game between was against the Oilers, not the Sabres. So little different deal for them, but yeah, understanding that that's, hey, it's all we have as far as extrapolating as to how this playoff series might go down. And boy, the Bruins are right there with the Panthers. So yeah, to say that this is definitively the first round match up. Here's what I can say definitively. The trauma I believe is finished third in the Atlantic. So and they'll play where I'm finished second, which is at this point a coin flip between the Panthers and the Boston Bruins. There's only so much we can take away from these regular season match ups and apply them to what's going to happen in the postseason. I mean, just go back to last regular season, we're the Bruins, we're the heavy favorites against the Florida Panthers and then lost in game seven over time. The Panthers, yada, yada, yada, yada, it's funny how like things have kind of flipped now. Yeah, the Panthers are this, this juggernaut that can't be, that can't be beaten. We'll see how that works in the postseason. All that being said, I did think that there was at least Jake McCabe gave us an indication that there was more on the line than just the final result in that hockey game. And in that moment, I posted on Twitter is hey, like, hey, would you give up a goal in the first period of a regular season hockey game of questionable importance to cross check Brad March on. And boy, my engagement account was very high. Can I answer that personally? I would. I would. I would. I would. I would. I'm not saying the two points don't matter a lick, but I don't really matter a lick in the grand scheme of things. They're home and cool. They're going to be a playoff team and they're probably not catching those guys. Right. So with the grand scheme of things, what does the two points matter? Well, okay. And you can say, whoa, the Leafs lost on aggregate eight two to the Bruins this week and they've been swept in the season series in seven consecutive losses. Who cares? Like if the Leafs had won that game for one, you feel any differently about them going into the playoffs? Well, and let's just pretend for a second that that play didn't happen. I mean, how dare how dare I remove that from our life. But it's entirely possible the Leafs still fall down one nothing and the game script goes a pretty similar way. So I think, yeah, you would do you'd make that trade a thousand times out of a thousand. The one thing I think you would have to counteract against it. And I don't know that you saw it, although maybe Matthew and I still is differently about this is the poke the bear element of it early in the game. Like if the and again, like I'm not saying you shy away from our Sean, he's not a guy that you can leave alone and you just hope he's going to have a sleepy night. That's not going to happen. But when you do that right off the hop, there's no world where that happens. It was a weird night for them. Like they troll the Leafs with the 2011 cup champs in there. He's like part of the ceremony that he switches jerseys and comes over. And if there was ever a chance that he was going to be not his 1000% pesky self, McCabe removed that. But I'm thrilled he did. But I feel like that is the one bit of pushback is with that guy specifically, do you want to get him going so well? And my answer to that is who cares, he's probably going to be going anyways. And I mean, I guess the other question you can have about it is like, hey, are you going to take a stupid penalty in game one of a postseason series against the Bruins? To which I would say, I would hope not. Like I will say, I'm all in favor of not forgetting about the results of the 60 minute hockey game, but prioritizing something else other than the W in a 60 minute hockey game where also the flue bug is running through your team. Yeah. Okay. Everybody's got excuses that I don't also want to diminish like how inferior the Leafs look to the Bruins this season and then this week and these two regulation losses to them. Yeah, I if Jake McCabe, maybe not even explicitly, but like somewhere deep inside of him was like, yeah, okay, we want to win the hockey game. But here's what I also want to do. I want to just saw his face. I want to put the Sherwood right up near to drop from pride marks, I don't they sure would even make like the composite sticks that is Connor Bernard's like their main guy. Okay. They're back all the way. Okay. Good for them. Because I do think of it as being wood. He took his Titan aluminum stick and shoved it right in his face, but that would have hurt. But yeah, if he's not saying it explicitly, but it's like deep inside his core, yeah, I'm cool with it. I will say like the post game comments from Sheldon Keith talking about, Hey, that's not the way we want to start the hockey game is being on the penalty kill and also that being adjudicated incorrectly, which is yeah, I don't want to park that for a second because I want to whine and complain about that, but I don't want to derail this, this conversation. Okay. Well, do you think Sheldon Keith was fine with that element of it with Jake, Mike McCabe and to a lesser extent Tyler Batuzzi and Max Domey by that point, the game is kind of getting out of here. Certainly by the domey point where he's yeah, it was a Charlie Mack boy, they're gone like they're looked like a scene at a slapshot where we're just everybody's hacking each other and eventually, eventually someone's going to get mad enough to go. Yeah. Do you think Sheldon Keith is cool with them prioritizing that over the two points? Yeah, I do. I think the one Keith says you don't want to start the game that way. That's him biting his tongue at going in on the officiating because, you know, he's want to do that. And I have no problem with him being want to do that, but even he has to pick his spots here or there. I think if that gets adjudicated properly and it's a four minute, five on four again, like it's entirely possible. Pastor and I still rips one in the net. He does that fairly often against every team and especially against the Leafs, but I think that you feel differently about it. There's a way better chance of killing that off. It just puts you in such a, such a bad spot. And then, yeah, so that's the way I look at that is Keith saying, yeah, I'm fine with that. I think he looks at the McCabe thing is putting them in that spot is a worthwhile cost. But he's also not going to come out and say that, yeah, put ourselves in a bit in a bad spot to take vengeance in a hockey game we lose. How much will we be ripping them for that? That's what we're all supposed to say. It's not supposed to come from like the official mouthpiece of the team. Okay, do you want to stay on this play in particular now that we're here and talk about the officiating? Yeah. Yeah, let's do it now. Okay, my tongue line. Okay. Matthew Nizen, boy, yeah, there's so much to talk about when it comes to this game. And no update officially on the health status of Matthew Nizen. We'll get into the plausible deniability that Brad Varshan may or may not have with that collision. Well, do you have a brain or not? That's how you can have plausible deniability inside the Bruin zone. But yeah, that being a five on three instead of a four minute, five on four is the incorrect call. Yes. And in the moment, you were wondering, what, Matthew Nizen, like what I mean, their numbers are very similar. Okay. Great. 23. It's only one off. Right. Honestly, I know we don't do this that often. The take I heard in the intermission of, yeah, the team needs to start on time. So do the refs. I've never agreed with anything more in my life. I'm sorry. Like their numbers are close. Oh, 22, 23 figure it out. Now, I don't think this is the case, but I'm going to ask this question to you, does Sheldon keep screaming at the refs every single night? And the boy who cried wolf, like, would a different coach potentially have been able to say, well, hold on, hold on, hold on. Wrong guy. Is there any world where that would happen? I think no. I think they've made up their mind. I think they showed it on the, the Jumbo Tron, like they always do in Boston. And somehow that's the only building that they react to these things in. But yeah, that, that was my, I don't think the answer is any different, but I did wonder about that. If you're somebody who thinks Keith gets on the refs too much, do you think that that played any part in him not being, not in them saying, well, Keith's always on us. I'm going to take the wrong guy, but them not listening to him saying you took the wrong guy. Well, how did nobody see the, the correct play there and why in the playoffs at the very least, shouldn't we have an eye in the sky guy that can at least egregious calls? Can we have a conversation with the officials on the ice? This is the other part of this that, and this is, this is Tim Foyle hat and this is where I need you to check me. But this is where my mind goes is now maybe the case is also true for Jake McKay. But if that's game one of the playoffs, do you think Boston's getting, getting two penalties in that instance for those plays right there? No, they're not. We've seen it a million times. Brad Marshaun tried to kill Matthew Nye's and we can get a penalty for it. So I think that's where the frustration lies and that has been part of the problem with this Leafs team is that in the past, they'd have their deadline acquisitions and they'd get a little tougher or they'd have the odd week where they say, you know what, we are going to do these things. And because it's so out of their character, ref see it and go, whoa, that's, that's out of line. You got to get out of here. That's a penalty where as a team like Boston, a team like Carolina that's just a bunch of jerks and play like that all the time. You just kind of baked into what's expected of those games. But maybe a game like yesterday is part of the process of letting the world know that this is kind of the way the postseason is going to go for this team and putting everyone on notice. Right. It's also hilarious that in the same game, the same situation happens on the other side, but yeah, Charlie Coyle instead does get the four minute now the Leafs did score on the power play despite, but probably look horrible again. Yes. And like they took advantage of a quick turnover shorthand and you get the puck up to Mitch Marner, who barely stays on side and scores at the, at the back end of the second half of the four minute power play. It should have been a six minute play, but it's hilarious in the same game. That's the part for the life. Me. And this is where again, I don't want to sit here. And with my Tim foil hat on and go, actually the league hates the Leafs and they want to give everything to Boston. How can you look in that moment? For Tuzi's bleed him from his mouth, Coyle cross checks him clear his day, you know, a cross check that Wayne Simmons also took in the Montreal series that they have me thinking back to that. It is not how poorly that was adjudicated. Is that why the Leafs lost the game? No, but going back to the beginning of it, if it's a five on four power play, it's entirely possibly it starts so differently. That was infuriating. And again, there's nothing that can be done that makes me feel better about it. Them putting out a, it wouldn't be a last two minute report, but a shenanigans report in the NHL and saying, hey, did you see the SR from last night, the shenanigans report? Yeah, sorry, we goofed, Coyle should have had a hundred minutes of penalties and never left the box for the rest of the game. That's how the shenanigans report would be written, like word for word. We goofed. Whoopsies, zinc. That's not going to make me feel any better. And guess what? One pool reporter going in there and them going, yeah, we goofed. We missed it. There's nothing to be done. The moment has passed. So yeah, the officiating was infuriating. Do you want to do you have anything on that one as well? No. Okay. Now, Matthew, nice. Sure. That's where officiating continues here. Let's start with, yeah, this basic fact that we can, I think agree on all I'm sure. There's not much in this world, but I think we'll find common ground on this. Brad Marchand, it wasn't trying to avoid Matthew and I's, let's just say that. Okay, I might go further, but at the very least, he wasn't trying to avoid him. And it's a couple of guys, listen, I think how many pounds does Matthew and I have on Brad Marchand? Like if he's, if he's preparing himself for a collision, it's some and it's certainly some in height as well, like just a larger human. But if one guy is ready for center gravity, yeah, that's true. A while also results in a shoulder to the head of a Matthew. Nice. I think we can all agree. And I don't think. Okay. So I'm up two minds. Intentional. It's part of the Brad Marchand part of his toolbox. You shouldn't be surprised by any of it. It maybe should have been interference in the moment. It's a hard play to adjudicate in the moment because certainly at full speed, if you're an official, you're like, what was that? That just looked like two guys colliding and there was a player in between the two and you could see how they could, well, obviously Matthew Nye's couldn't see Brad Marchand come up to him and hit him in the head, but and for that reason, I actually am not that harsh on the officiating as far as it not being ruled a penalty in game. And obviously after the game, it's not going to be supplemental discipline either because it's like such, there is plausible deniability for Brad Marchand. And if he did in facts I had, didn't see him, I didn't mean to do that, I can't discount it whole cloth. I can't say 100% with 100% certainty that he is lying. I do believe he's lying. He's one of the most suspended, if not the most suspended players in NHL history. And I don't mean like in total games, but in separate instances, if anyone in the world deserves to have a lack of a benefit of doubt, it's him. But there's enough gray area that he will 1000% get away with this. I actually don't have an issue with that not being a penalty in the moment and don't have an issue with it not being a suspension. That being said, it was clear, the intent to me was pretty clear. And now the Leafs are without their top line winger for who knows how long. So to answer your question on the discrepancies, today on Liars Who Lie, Brad Marchand's NHL Sat Page, because they have them listed at 176, that feels a little light. 5'9", I have no problem believing. Matthew Knives, 6'3", 217. Yeah. I'd imagine Marchand's way closer to that than he is 175, though. Yes. Anyways, Matthew Knives out at a curious time in the season as well, the day before the trade deadline at 3 o'clock this afternoon. Oh, sorry, I don't feel like I gave my heart and fast take on Marchand. I am with you that you cannot adjudicate it. But it is incredibly frustrating when some player who should get the benefit of the doubt. And I'll make this not about the Leafs. You'll see it every, you'll see it a thousand times this year where players will not get the benefit of the doubt, even though they probably should have it. And the one guy who we know should not will get it. And I think part of it is, and not here, but how respected he is throughout the game. Like I really do think that's a part of it. It's weird because he's respected for being disrespectful, but I think that's a big part of it. I do want to talk about what the Leafs do with that spot in particular now. I mean, we're going to talk about roster manipulation and some of the trickle down effect of the Joel Edmondson trade coming up later on this hour. I think it's hard to talk too much about the Matthew Knives thing, because we don't even know what it is. Like if it's a concussion, it's one thing, and this is a guy who departed the postseason last year due to a concussion. And I don't sound like a recurring issue. Does that impact how long he's going to be out? Is it a shoulder issue? Like what is it exactly? How long is he going to be out? I think that paints a different picture, all those different scenarios. But what we know for sure is that it's not good and he did not return from to the game. And there was no real indication that he was ever going to return to the game. No, no. At first there was maybe some belief of, oh, was it a cut? Is that why he had it? And then no, no, no, look, look at that hit. Do you see what that is? If I think the worst part about it is the uncertainty. If it was just a, you know, just, if it was just a, something is broken or this is strain, you know, it's bad and the timeline's extended, but at least you would have an understanding and it would allow you to potentially, if you wanted to, change your plans or change your business at the deadline. If this is a, yeah, who knows, head hurts, see where he is in three days. Well, that doesn't do Brad for a living any good to find out news about Matthew Nye's in three days. And I think it's a, I think it has to enter the equation for what tri-living does today. Again, we don't know. It's entirely possible that at noon, tri-living here is from a team doctor, oh my God, he's actually smarter now. Somehow the hit made him even, made him even more aware neurologically. But I do think there's also a world where it completely, shouldn't say completely, but where it, it makes them think about a different type of forward potentially. A guy who can move up and down more is like, you know, then the Nick Dowd name has been kind of bandied about if maybe they were walking down that road, maybe they make an amendment and say, do we need a guy who can actually have a chance to kind of rise higher up in the lineup? Well, Kelly Arnkrock can clearly play that role, right? And I got an opportunity this week. Yeah. It's been great. Yeah, I quite enjoyed that line with Tavares and Bobby McMahon and it would suck to lose him from that line. Although that line looked good, not as good since he returned, but looked pretty good with Nick Robertson there as well. I don't think Nick Robertson is necessarily the type of player you're looking at inserting into a playoff series. Well, that's the, that's the thing though, is that if it's a, this is a four game injury, you pop Pontus Homburg up there if you want, or you put Yarnkrock up top and then you do put Robertson on that line and you go, but if it's going to be something that could linger into the playoffs, and I do think you have to look at it a different way. Absolutely. Who would you put up there just as of right now? Right now? Well, Kelly Arnkrock. Like clearly, I just don't want to upset that line. I would go, I would move Homburg up top there. I feel like he's had a bit of chemistry with Matthews and Marner at times. It hasn't always clicked and obviously you don't like him as much as you do nyser. I don't even like him as much as I do Yarnkrock in that spot. But what's been the lesson, well, I thought we were past that. What's been the lesson we've learned this last month or so with Leafs is that it's not about making one line the best or at least in my opinion, it's about kind of balancing it throughout your lineup and that's why, yeah, Yarnkrock is the best player to put in that spot if it's about getting the best version of that spot. But I think you get the best version of your team if you just kind of pop Homburg up there. I guess, I mean, I guess it depends on whether Nick Robertson is traded before three o'clock today because I didn't hate that line with Nick Robertson on it as well before Yarnkrock returned. Remember, like that was, he was part of the winning streak, right? He was Yarnkrock will only return for the last three games or so, so yeah, I've been so good. Yeah, no, he's been incredible and a guy that, yeah, you won't once again forget his importance to this team. William Kneelander, okay? William Kneelander, William Kneelander, William Kneelander, followed up being the best player in that Sabre's game with being one of the worst, I would say, in yesterday's Bruins game. He's in overall sense and not the particularly egregious player where he's trying to, you know, he's trying to do a little toe drag at the blue line with the last man back and results in a breakaway and a goal, heart breaking or back breaking goal against. It was just like, it just, it wasn't happening for him yesterday, pretty clearly, pucks bouncing all over his neck, he was just not making the right plays. But quite notably after that, rather egregious gaff, he was not given the same type of discipline that we saw a couple of games ago where he was bent for the final eight minutes of a first period because of some lack of attention to defensive detail, right? Thinking about his offense before the defensive job was done and puck ending up in the back of the net and him ending up stapled on the bench on Saturday against the New York Rangers. A different, a different tack taken by Sheldon Keefe yesterday, what did you make of the difference of philosophy of strategy for Sheldon Keefe between Saturday's game and yesterday's game against? >> Yeah, I just think it's an apples to oranges comparison. I think they nailed it on the broadcast. It was the play on Saturday against the Rangers was a lack of judgment and a player cheating for offense. The mistake he made against the Bruins was a mistake in a bad spot. And I don't think that means you have to forgive him for it. You're still allowed to criticize him for it. But I think there is a massive difference between a player just giving up or floating and loathing to a player losing the puck in an awful spot on a power play when he's trying to make something happen again, it doesn't mean don't kill Nielander for the goal. Of course, I'm gonna kill two guys will kill Nielander and you kind of want that one Joe Wall. I'm sorry. So I look at it and say I actually don't have a problem with him not benching him there. I think that if every time a player like William Nielander makes a mistake in a high danger area, you're stapling him to the pine, you just get a lesser version of the player that you need him to be. So be critical, go up to him on the bench. >> Hey, well, we can't have that there. Guess what? He knows that. >> Yeah. >> I have no issue with them not benching him at that point in time. >> Yeah. >> So that's what he's there to do and I have seen him execute that play seemingly plenty of times. >> They all do. They love that play. >> That's the way she goes. That's what happens when your team is built on the individual skill of your highly paid forwards. That's what you're paying them for is to not make like the easy play. It's to make the difficult play more often than not and guess what? More often than not, he does make that play. So you got to defer to the guy who's making the big box on this team and has kept up the 100 point pace since he signed the big contract. Yeah, it's a different deal. There's physical mistakes and there's mental mistakes. To me, that actually was a physical mistake and a great defensive play as well. Great stick. >> And if you're going to. >> Yeah. And if you're going to, God, just so annoying and a guy who the seconds from the second he's come in the league, Trent Frederick has decided he's a jerk. I remember like, I think it was a second or third game, maybe even his first, he just goes right at Ovechkin and Ovechkin just hit him in the area. Charlie McBoy got hit in the room and in the game is where Ovechkin hit him. So Trent Frederick is not afraid of it. >> But, but like also to like he left the ice, like was that just to like get a, get his breath? Like there wasn't any like medical attention. He was receiving there. >> It was Paul Pierce situation. >> I don't know, but I think what you do for an injured taint, I don't know, I think you just pray. >> Yeah. >> I think this is good. That's as good a medical advice as I have in that spot. But I think you'd be more bad at knee lander for that play and, you know, I know he didn't catch the guy. But if he didn't bust back defensively, if he went, well, gave it up. What are you going to do? This one's on you, Waller. Then I think that is where you would have seen him get stapled to the pine or benched or had a real talk into or bumped down the line up or taken off PP1 or, you know, whatever your punishment du jour is, then I would think you see it. But a turnover at the blue line, you don't like it. Tell them not to do it. But guess what? Tell them to keep trying to at the same time as well. >> Hey, don't do that, but keep trying to do what you were trying to do. >> Score goals. >> Yeah. >> Definitely score goals. >> Yeah. The Leafs have only scored twice in these two games against the Boston roads. Anyways. Mitch Marner, shoot it in, okay, that do not want to make this about like last night about this. But if he just shoots the pocket of the net and it's a tutu game, how different is everything last night, of course. >> Yeah. In the moment, I was like, no, it must have rolled on his stick, right? I think what happened is he's like, here's, we're going to see Jeremy Swayman make an incredible diving save. If I shoot this right now and I got a better play, like he's going to be diving and then he's going to be in the corner and then I'm going to get an even more wide open. It's like the best theory I have on it is the meanest one. But I actually think it's the best one is he just never envisioned in a hundred million years that the milkman was getting that across him. >> Yeah. >> What is my stick? >> Right. Okay. Sure. >> I did not see that one coming. That was an incredible pass by Benoit. And I think the reason why just to kind of go slightly bigger picture here to kind of where we started in this moment is that that's why last night, I mean, it wasn't frustrating. It was cathartic because you saw the punches. But why the loss is frustrating is because that was so similar to so many of the Leafs playoff losses in that you get to have one officiating moment or two if you want to make it the McCabe thing and then the coil thing where you go, well, the game's a little different if this happens differently. And then there's the moment where it was a freeze frame where you go, how do they not score here? And if they just score in this moment, it's a completely different game. And I think that's why it had a, it didn't feel familiar because of how violent quite frankly the Leafs were, but it felt so similar in terms of game script with those just, those touchpoint moments that's been, that's been 50% of Leafs playoff losses over the past five years. >> Better for it to happen in March. >> Agreed. >> Yes. >> And Lady. >> Secrete. >> Okay. >> Joseph Wall. >> Mm. >> Okay. The fourth goal was egregious. >> That was bad. >> That is bad. >> Is playing a tip and it didn't come. >> Yeah, that's, it's not one where it's like, oh, great shot. That's just a bad goal. >> Yeah, it wasn't even like the olives and goal on from the savers with against Sampson off the other night. We're going, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, this is bad. >> Lows a five on three goal, which you can't fault them on. >> It's tough. >> Power of the other. >> Same pass, two David Pasternak right in his crease and tough. Second power of my goal, either tough to fault them on. >> Yeah. >> And then the third is that the break away and you don't know, you don't, that is not a, you kill him for it, but that's a, you want that one. >> Well, part of it is that it's Trent Frederick, sorry. Like I know he's having a nice year offensively, but you're generally speaking, I feel like that was probably the longest. If you added up all of Trent Frederick's goals to the point this year, that was probably, that was a longer shot than all of them have been. >> So it's now at least four goals against in all three games that he has played against the Boston Bruins. It's eight goals this week against the Boston Bruins. And since the good game against the Coyotes, it's been not so great. Since then, I'm up to 60% that Elliot Sampson off is getting the start in game one of a postseason series, where are you? >> I was yelling at you for this, I'm 50-50 still. >> I still think they, I know, because I still think they, I still think they're going to give Joe Wall a chance to get it back or be a horse in this race. The problem is, as I laid out yesterday, is there's just not that many of those games. So it's Montreal tomorrow, you imagine Sampson off gets the start there, then it'll play till Thursday. So who knows, you could start whoever you want in that game. It is a naked decision to start that goalie, no back to back for quite a long time until the end of the month when you have the Oilers and the Hurricanes. And that's actually interesting because both of those games are kind of prove it games or show me something games from your goaltender. So I still think they want Wall to be the guy, but he has faltered in big enough moments. And Sampson off has continued to kind of find his footing here that I think even the Leafs are starting to have their hand pushed to your point that probably right now, game one of the playoffs was right now, it's not even a question. But I still think they're going to try to give Joe Wall the opportunity to kind of earn it back. >> I would have given Joe Wall a 100% game one start if in fact he met Jeremy Swamin at Sunrise yesterday. >> I mean, I don't know Joe Wall personally, just everything I know about him, like soft spoken guy, doesn't have social media, he's like, I don't know, I just felt I would have been so shocked if he left his crease, let alone went to Sunrise to meet Swamin. >> But an electric factor, what last goalie fight we saw in NHL? >> Well, Biddington wants it every year with everyone, I don't know that he's actually got it. That's a good point. >> I feel like a bad hoser, not having that off the top of my head is like a guy who just loves hockey fights and I'm ashamed of myself so sorry. >> Well, I mean, yeah, it just happened so infrequently. >> No, I know, but still I feel like I should, I should at least have one where I'm like, might not be this one, but this one, yeah, well, we'll check in on that in the break or anything else from this game. >> No, I think we touched on it all, Marshawn being radish. >> Oh, Matthews and Marner, like I know, I know Marner scores last night and Flubug going through the, or actually, not Matthews and Marner, want to make this about the whole team at large. How much of it is an excuse for, because the team won't do it. The team won't talk about being sick, like they'll mention it and Keith had the excuse presented to him and he said, nah, get out of here with that, a couple guys are battling it. Is it an excuse for us to talk about them being sick and they get in late and it's Boston on the back half of back to back? I feel like anytime people hear us mentioning that or, you know, they're watching a panel and they're talking about it and go, make an excuses for a Leafs team. Is that the case or is that just trying to paint a clearer picture? >> For me, well, especially when the team's not taking the bait, right? >> Yeah. >> This is us, yeah, I'm, they lost the game. >> Yeah. >> And they deserve to. >> This season, while the first two games that went over time, they lost the Bruins, they looked a lot closer in ability than they have this week, and the 2-4 won loss of the Bruins. >> Yeah, the Leafs haven't looked as good as the Bruins, and I don't think that it's entirely the flu bug that is not creating that difference, but yeah, I think it's worth noting that it's possible and it's not an excuse, and this, the team's not presented yet as an excuse. I think it's important information when evaluating, again, all we're trying to do with these meaningless, now boy, the, the, the meaninglessness of these regular season games is only going to be hammered home even more considering that they, that was the, if they pick up the victory in regulation against the Bruins, you can convince me down five points with two games in hand that, oh, man, maybe home ice advantage is, is right there and- >> Totally. >> Man, the Panthers are there as well, and who knows, maybe there's a slump coming for them. >> Mm-hm. >> Now it just, it really does feel like it's almost a certainty they're gonna finish third in the Atlantic. So all we're doing during these regular season games is trying to project what they mean and boy, it's been a few of Foles, Aaron, the previous seven seasons, but yeah, we're, we're trying to get the picture of how this team stacks up against the team they're likely gonna face in the first round, and part of that is, okay, how, why, why did they look so poor in these two games this week? Part of it might be because they're sick, maybe not, and the team is telling us, don't even, don't even have that enter your thought process here, which is smart, because they haven't done that in the past. >> There have been, there have been iterations of this Leafs team that would say, ooh, what's that yummy bait in that trap over there, right? >> Mm-hm, looks, I can't, I can't resist. >> Yeah. >> And like I said, I don't know if it's a sign of maturity or if it's a different group, I don't know, but it is nice to see them not taking it. >> Yeah, it might be playing factor. That's all. >> Okay. >> It's, it's, it's still undeniable that the Bruins in the four games against the Leafs have been better. They've been a better team. >> Yeah, they won all four. Yeah, I'm like, even buddy, I'd love to sit here and spit a yarn about how that's not the case. >> Yep, all right, when we come back, Leafs swing, get another trade for a hulking defenseman yesterday. We'll get into that in the other moves on the eve of today's 3 o'clock NHL trade deadline next. The fan morning show continues, Ben and his Brent Gunning Sports Set 590 to the fan. >> Hey, it's Aelish for a Fire. >> And I'm Justin Cuthford. >> 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 pregame, 6 p.m. Weekdays on Sportsnet, Sports Set 590 to the fan in wherever you get your podcasts. >> We're here just some time for puck drop, but, you know, watching the game, I definitely wanted to be out there. >> Well, thanks again to much about the opportunity with the Leafs. >> Everything. It's the first class of the organization and I love the way the team is built, just watching the games now. It was a playoff atmosphere and I'm just very excited to join and I just wanted to bring my game and hopefully it's a seamless. >> What can you bring to this team? What will you bring? >> I just take care of my own zone, kind of a stay at home defense and, you know, nothing flashy, but, you know, my job is to make the other forwards visible. I like to play hard with a heavy stick in front of the net and in the corners and just play tough, so that's what I'm going to bring. I just like to have fun. I mean, we're in the NHL, there's no bad days on this league, so just trying to keep the mood light and obviously when you step on the ice, you flip the switch but away from the rink and in the dressing, just have a good time and enjoy being around your teammates. >> Bad morning shows, 4-7-5-9 of the fan, Ben Anis, Frank Gunning. That was big Ed, steady Eddy, DJ Eddy, or also known as the crop top king. >> Yeah, did you not see this video that was making it around? There is a, I don't know if this was throughout the entirety of the blues celebration, but there's a video where he's on, like, it almost looks like one of those like balconies you would see in New Orleans, like the line, the streets there, and he's got a blues crop top on with jeans, wild look, and he's doing a little terrible, if you ever seen Ted, the guy who tries to kidnap him and he's like dancing in the living room, it's like that was kind of what Joel Edmondson's vibes were after, I'm sure, a couple of molesons. >> So yes, that is why he is the crop top king, I'll try to find that video and send it your way. If you wanted or not, you're about to get it. >> Great. That was probably a late addition to his hockey reference page, Annie, who, yeah, acquired yesterday by the Toronto Maple Leafs in this. >> What were the other, DJ Eddy, did you say that? >> Yeah, so I guess so. >> Big Ed. >> Big Ed. >> Okay, that feels pretty safe. >> Steady Eddy. >> Okay, yeah, also, yeah. >> I didn't mention Eddy, also. >> Okay, that's good. >> It's good. >> DJ Eddy. >> I guess he had ox cordon, a room at once in his life. >> Yeah, and crop top king. >> I know what I will be remembering from that list. >> Yeah, crop top. This NHL trade deadline update brought to you by your local Ontario Subaru dealers, welcome to uncommon performance in a Subaru with legendary symmetrical full-time all-wheel drive. May beliefs come and throw on my prediction of 100%. More moves to come after the Iliya Labushkin trade by Brad for living. They acquired Joel Edmondson from the Washington capitals for a 2024 third round pick. Now that's the Islanders via the Pierre Engvall trade. >> Gift that keeps on giving, baby. >> And the 2025 fifth round pick from Chicago via the Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty deal. Now Joel Edmondson been around the block a little bit, got a little bit of tread left on the tires. The May beliefs are hoping, but also some playoff pedigree. Also he's 30 years old. Also though, most notably is 6 foot 5. >> Yes. >> 20. Brad. >> What do you think of this addition? >> I think it's very Brad for living. I think that if there was, if I don't think there was some massive sea change in organizational philosophy from last off season to this one. But if there was, this is where you've seen the difference. Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi were guys that, you know, the last general manager of this team is believed to not be overly fond of. There are plenty of times to have kick tires on both of those team, or both those players and never happen. Those are still living style guys. You look at all the defensemen. He's traded for Labushkin 6-2. He traded for the 6-7 mutant to playing at BU right right now yesterday for a six round pick. Joel Edmondson at six foot five, this is what he wants. He wants a beefy blue line and that doesn't mean that there can't be your Morgan rallies of the world. It doesn't mean there's not a home for a guy like that. And, you know, this player is obviously a different, you know, at a different place in his career. But that doesn't necessarily, I think in Bradshaw Living's world, mean that Timothy Littlegreen can never be a part of this. But it's also very, very clear. He has a style of player he likes on the blue line, specifically, go look at all the Calgary teams he built. This feels just lockstep with everything he does to his teams. I guess you can quibble with how much you value that if, I mean, obviously the defenseman has to be able to play. >> Of course. >> And Joel Edmondson is a diminished version of himself most recently, and injuries have been a part of his game the last couple of years. To me, the most important thing that they can do here in the remaining hours before the three o'clock trade deadline, which Joel Edmondson also addresses, is kill off some penalties. >> Yes. >> Holy mother God. >> Mm-hmm. >> Allow two power play goals yesterday and the five on three, what are you going to do? >> They almost killed off the entirety of that two minute five on three was like, what, 13 seconds left? >> There should have been a four minute. >> Sure, sure, sure. And, man, it's near impossible to kill off a two minute five on three. >> Well, especially for some reason in that building against that team. >> Yeah. >> Well, there's also a five on four goal that looked a lot like the five on three goal with another cross seam pass that ends up with the goal tender having no chance to stop it. >> Yes, again, worse seemingly on the penalty kill. You will recall the last time the Leafs and Bruins faced each other in the postseason in 2019. What was their undoing? I mean, the most significant part of it was getting out scored seven three on the power play. The Leafs killed off only 56% of the power plays. Now, granted, Patrick Bergeron was part of that power play as well and it's not the same one. And boy, that Bruins team just killed everybody on the power play. But so what, you're going to need to kill penalties against the Boston Bruins all season long. You've been incapable of doing so if Joel Edmondson is more capable, improves your chances of killing off a two minute five on four, he has to play. I imagine you're acquiring him to play. I don't care who's on the outside looking in. If Joel Edmondson helps your penalty kill, he needs to play. >> I'm happy you bring that up. That's been the thing I've been kind of trying to lead all of our insiders and analysts to and I'm asking them of, well, what do you think it is? Because I don't know, maybe some people might think it's the penalty kill. Yeah, you needed to address size, you want some nastiness. But generally speaking, what are those defencemen good at doing? Killing some penalties, generally speaking, if you're a guy who with Joel Edmondson, not the fleetist of foot, he is good at what he does because he knows long stick, knows how to stand in the right place. And again, if you're like, not steeped in the culture, you're like, hold on, he's good because his stick is long and he stands in the right spot. Yeah, that kind of is a massive, massive part of it. Not overreacting, not looking to chase plays because sometimes, you know, and I'll throw Timothy Lillgren in there, he's the poster boy for this is trying to do too much. You say, I'm not going to be able to win the battle when it gets right here right now. Maybe I have more of a chance in the corner than you get chasing and all of a sudden you're just in a bad spot. You're not going to see that from Edmondson. Of course he's playing. There's no world. Yeah, especially given the, I don't know if you've heard this about the Leafs. It's been a bit of a talking point for the blast. Oh, I don't know, five months. They don't have a ton of assets to spend. So I understand a third and a fifth. It's not earth shattering, but it kind of is for this team because it diminishes the shopping they can do today, which I don't have a problem with, but don't act like this is a minor move. It's not a team resetting move, but in terms of what they have available to spend, it's, you know, like it's mid-major. Yeah. And he's, as Sala has already retained in Washington, it's being retained against like a double retention with only one team involved though. He did Montreal. How about that? Less than a million bucks is the cap hit for Joel Edmondson. He's a pending free agent as well. But yeah, clearly he's going to play. I mean, the question is like who's only outside looking in this, you know, this will, this will take care of itself maybe with injuries or like you play down the stretch. Always does. And it's, it does, it's not ideal that he shoots with the left hand, but you take what you can get when you are the Toronto Maple Leafs and you have the holes that they do on the blue line. Who do you see as the odd man looking in how it feels like it's up, it's, it's between two guys, Simon Benoit and it's Timothy Lillegrine. I, I would be shocked if it's Simone Benoit. I'm not saying he can't sit down the odd night. He's not a perfect player. There's a reason you got him off to scrap heap for nothing. But what do we just talk, and you know, I'm understanding that Sheldon Keefe has allowed to make his own roster decisions. I would think, but what do we just talk about, about what Brad should living values on a blue line? What has been throughout the body of this season and not that they haven't had blips or they haven't, or they haven't been great, but what has been the one consistent, good thing on the least blue line this year, it's been the McCabe Benoit pairing for so much of this year. So I, again, I think they will mix and match. I don't think it's all right, Lillegrine, you're off to the press box and you're there until somebody gets hurt. I don't think that's what's going to happen. But I think he is the first guy who gets the chance to sit way, way, way ahead of Simone Benoit. And I am, and just consider this, consider the source here, okay, because I've rolled my eyes at the Jake Gardener ring of Timothy Lillegrine a little bit this week where every ill that is the least fault, it's all, it all goes back to a mistake 37 made two shifts ago. He is a flawed player, but I do think we're getting to a point where everything that goes wrong with this team is seen by some people to be his fault. And I'm not even that guy, but even I'm telling you, he's the one who has to come out now. >> Yeah, pretty clearly, it's funny, Leafs do have right hand shot defense, but they're going to decide probably not to play him. >> And Joel Edmondson has some experience playing on the right side just by being a left hand shot. >> Well, it's, it's, we get so bogged down in, oh, is this guy top six, is he not? I talk about this with John Tavares and you're not going to be taking him out of the lineup, but there's teams he looks great against and their teams, he's not, like there are just some players who, whether it's the time in their career, whether it's the style of play they have, where it's a series for them or it's not, I forget who I was hearing. It was somebody on one of the, I'm totally blanking whether it was somebody from the Blackhawks dynasty or the Penguins dynasty, but there was a defense man saying, yeah, I knew there were series I wasn't going to play, and I knew there were series I was. And that was just fine by me and now part of it is being fine by them because they marched all the way to cup finals and you have rings to show for it. But yeah, I just look at it as I think they would, unless you can do some type of Robertson Lillegrine package to a younger team that looks at those guys and again, it's not earth shattering, but I think a younger team kind of on the upswing would say, hmm, 24 year old defense man, 22 year old winger, one guy's played in the league forever already. The other guy is hasn't got the opportunity and you got to talk yourself into both those being good things. I do wonder if that's the route they take and, you know, not that the Sandine trade can just be replicated because I think they would gladly take a defense man that could play and a first round pick for Timothy Lillegrine right now, but I wonder if that's a little informative of teams looking to do something like that at this year's deadline as well. Well, they got time to do it. Three o'clock is the trade deadline today. Jake Genssel off the board. I was just, you have another thing on that, Vincent. Well, quickly. No, it's, well, it's kind of on Evanson. It's on leave Stee is I don't think this will happen, but if it's a bigger move, like the Pareco that we've bandied about TJ Brody can be involved in that for a salary purpose. And then you could see the blues potentially redirecting him elsewhere. I, I don't think that's going to happen. But if it's a bigger deal, I don't think TJ Brody is 1000% safe in that TJ Brody leading the Leafs in short handed ice time yesterday with five minutes and 39 seconds. As I mentioned, I may we'll get into this a little bit more in depth coming up the next hour, but Jake Genssel off the board the relatively few big, big names still available in trade that are obvious. Very far, baby. Um, yeah. Hey, there's the Matt Dunba, Tyler Tofoli, Frank Futrano of it all today, but Genssel going to the hurricanes for Michael Bunting, um, he reuniting with Kyle Dubas, uh, first and a fifth as well. And some prospects involved there. And maybe we'll play the, the Sydney Crosby sound later on in the program, but Jake Genssel off the board as the Penguins clearly in cell mode as if there was any question after yesterday's six. Nothing lost to the capitals in Pittsburgh. Uh, yeah. Yuck. Even like, like, yeah, the idea of there was a kid who had non-Hompkins and Zofoma on the capitals and he scored his first goal and it's like, Mario Lemieux would call them before the game. It's like, Mario Lemieux helping spur on a capital. It is just, it is as bad as it could possibly be in, in Pittsburgh right now. Yeah. That's a shame. Uh, I do have a quick little update on what's happening across the hall. I have seen lights on in there and there was a guy vacuuming who is now moved to mopping. So just letting, letting everybody know where we're at on that. You, you vacuum. Great. Great observation. Thank you, Leon. Thank you. Good job, Sam. Do you vacuum, uh, I get an un-carpeted flow? Well, no. He's vacuumed. It looks like the carpeting area. And then- There's a carpeted area? It looks like a little walkway. I imagine that's where like they have everybody waiting to do the wrestling entrances running in. But imagine you have to mop the like very shiny studio floor. You guys see- And wax it. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, buff it. Yeah. Put their head in the shine-o-ball-o. That's just for you. Thank you. All right. We'll continue to give you updates as far as, uh, the arriving Sportsnet personalities as we get set for trade deadline on Sportsnet at 10 o'clock, but coming up next. More. Leaps. More NHL trade deadline as the fan morning show continues, Ben and his friend counting Sportsnet
