[MUSIC PLAYING] A fan morning Joe's 4.5.9 is a fan, bad at his brain gunning. So many things going right for the leads yesterday. There are 7.3 victory in Washington over the capitals. Yup. Except for the penalty kill. Yeah. Caps won one for one on a very classic Alex Ovechkin. Power play snipe. Yeah, Joe Wall, joined a nice long list of goalie to have been scored on that way. Yeah. Twice, kind of. Like the exact same goal just closer to the net the second time. And the Leafs power play also factually scored in the dying seconds of that four-minute power play they were given after the Tom Wilson, whatever the hell that was. So it's backed by games of the power play goal. Where are you on the special teams? Because I will say like the power play-- hey, scoreboard is scored once in one for five. So they're clicking at 20%, which is not good enough for this power play. In particular, again, Caviette, no Mitch Marner. They were pretty stinking before he got hurt, too, after the incredible run that they went on without Morgan Riley. Where are you on special teams right now? Yeah, TBD on the power play. You said it. I know it's a boring answer, but there is no judge. So long as we think Mitch Marner is coming back for the playoffs, and I have my questions about how long this thing is going to linger on. But I don't think it's trending that way. There's no point of judging the Leafs power play without Mitch Marner on it. Because unless they're going to split up to two units and it's a true time share, then Mitch Marner will always be on the power play that gets the vast majority of the day. So there's just no point in having a judgment on it right now. The penalty kill, Marner helps there, but I think you can have judgments on that. There are questions to be had about the penalty kill. They're all the same questions we have before. They have better guys in those roles now, but Joel Evanson's a nice penalty killer, Connor Doers, a nice penalty killer. These guys are not the best penalty killers in the league. These guys are not unit changing defenders in terms of how they go about their business. I like both players, but it's an issue we've had all year long. And again, if Joel Evanson was just going to fix that, you wouldn't have got them for a third and a fifth or whatever it ended up costing. - You know, it was an interesting statistical, I don't want to call it an anomaly, 'cause it makes sense 'cause these players are quite good. But Jonas Siegel alerting me to the fact that in the limited time that Austin Matthews and William Neelander have shared the ice short handed, not only are they out shooting the opposition, they're out scoring the opposition won nothing. - Yeah. - Yeah, and obviously you're not going to run those guys out there as your top pairing, I don't think, as your forward unit killing penalties. But that is, that's quite a thing. Even in limited sample to be out scoring the opposition when they're on the power play. When you guys were on the ice at the end of penalties, and I get it, Austin Matthews kind of moved away from that role that we thought was going to be more a part of his game. At the beginning of the season killing penalties, the power play thing, again, like scoreboard, these are a couple of games with Timothy Lilligren running the power play. And I don't think he's responsible for John Tavares making a great read and a great backhand pass or a backhand shot top corner. But he's physically there. I think we're trending towards giving him a longer leash as the power play one quarterback at least. - Yeah, you can do that with Lilligren. I think you probably should. And the reason why is because it kind of goes to what we were talking about with Kipper earlier of giving these guys something to do. If you're a con or doer and you're not killing penalties, outside of running around out there for 45 seconds for the odd shifts you're going to get to add up to your eight, nine minutes a night. What is it you're doing? What's the stakes you have for the team? And if you're a penalty killer, you have a role. You have a job to do. And I think that with Matthews, I know you're asking about the power play here, but to bring it back to the penalty kill with Matthews. - Yeah, if he didn't need to score all the goals for the team, then maybe it could ask him to do that. But he does need to score all the goals. Segal also had this stat, I forget exactly what it was, but it's something like 40% of the leaf goals that have been scored just by Kneelander and Matthews this year. Now, I'm sure dry saddle and McDavid have a pretty nice sizable chunk of that and have been to two. Great players score a lot, I get it. But you can ask him to do everything. I mean, Sydney Crosby's best player in the world. I'm sure he kills penalties at times. He is not a capital P penalty killer. Connor McDavid, we would never dare. Not that he can't, but you're not going to ask McDavid to go block shots on the penalty kill. So I think it's good that Matthews has the skill set, but I also think you have to have a role for other guys. And you can't have Matthews do everything. - You can't. And William Kneelander already with a career high in points trending towards a career high in goals. He's two off the 40 goals that he scored a season ago and nine points off his first ever 100 point season. Seems like that's a mark he's going to easily surpass before the end of the season. All right, time now for our insider brought to you by Don Valley North Lexus where you can expect excellence online and in the showroom visit Don Valley North Lexus.com. Today's insider Luke Gazdick, sports analyst, host of the mitts off podcast part of tonight's hockey central crew on sports. And how's it going Luke? - Good guys, how you doing? - Doing all right. So this is the Gazdick ball on Saturday. Oilers against the team that you pay very close attention to, the Maple Leafs. There's very little for both of these teams on the line standings wise, but does this game have added meaning? Well, I mean, almost like because of that because there's very little for these two teams to play for that you have to like kind of circle games in the remaining regular season schedule that you kind of treat not as playoff games, but as ones that matter more. - Yeah, 100%. I mean, you're right. It's kind of looking like Toronto knows where they're going to finish. There might be a little bit of a last season push here from Tampa, but on the Edmonton side, I know they're pushing for Vancouver in the Pacific. I mean, they're still eight out. That's going to be a tough one, but games like this always just use circle on the calendar, man, honestly, out of conference, they only come here once a year to the best players in the world. And honestly, I think Edmonton number one in the league, they got 11 guys from Ontario and not just Ontario, but Southern Ontario. So tons of guys getting to come back home here. I used to get fired up for that. Everybody, everyone on that team, almost half the team will be fired up to becoming and playing in front of friends and Sam, for sure. - Yeah, you said it though. I mean, there's a million reasons why this is the case, but let's also not dance around it. It's McDavid versus Matthews. Like it is the two guys and, you know, I know Zadorov said he'll take McKinnon. You know, maybe if you want to weigh in on that, go for it. Max Domi is throwing Matthew's hat into the ring, his best player in the world. That's what this game is all about. I mean, again, these two players don't look at it that way, but that's why we care so much. I mean, if it was just Zack Hyman coming home, yeah, that'd be nice and video tribute and all that, but this is really about the two guys going mono way mono. And in a sport where we talk about that, it doesn't really happen that often. So often it's a check and match up against somebody else. But when these guys have played each other, you know, we'll see what happens with with with no block here, but in the past, they've been pretty happy to just go strength against strength. And I think that's what makes these games so fun. For sure. Anytime you can see two guys like this, go ahead to head bus watch TV. And what I think is interesting about this is they're two very, I don't know if they're very different, but they are different players. I mean, we watched McKinnon go with McDavid last Saturday and they're a little bit more similar in the way they attacked the game. But Matthew is a little more methodical and Connor loves, loves just to absolutely put the team on his back and honestly going back to Zadora's comment, I don't know where that came from first and foremost. Like if I'm on Vancouver, I would have loved for him to ride with someone on Vancouver. Like I would have loved at this point in the season for him to have said like JT Miller or Leah Patterson, I don't love guys absolutely glazing out there. Yeah, opponents at this time in the season. But honestly, this is going to be my swatch TV. And I know these guys get up for these games too. I know Connor's coming home, but whenever you get to play against another top player like this and the storylines are coming out, guys really, really start to ramp it up. I'm curious for the matchup too. I know that Chris is loving their third line there with Adam Henry going up against the top line. So I want to see if he goes head to head or he throws up more a check in line against Matthews. Yeah, we'll obviously be watching 'cause it's hockey night in Canada, but especially because Luke Gazdick going to be making his hockey night in Canada debut. Do you get a towel? I don't, but I have one. My very first game I scored in my first game and I didn't get another towel. Didn't get another towel in four years after that, but I don't think there's one coming for this Saturday. I'm really excited to take part in it though. No, that's awesome, man. Well deserved. Can't wait to watch you. Yeah, I mean, we've seen some-- Well, no, hold on a second. One, once you came on this show and we had a wardrobe question and you won the fight, you got to wear your tie on the air on Trade Deadline Day with all the vintage logos. You don't want to rock the boat, you won't say it. I'll say it. Give this man a towel. He's working hockey night in Canada. Give him his towels. You come here, we got wardrobe issues solved. You got to wear the tie last time and I'm asking for the towel. So I hope you get it, Luke. I just wanted to hammer that home for you. Should I just bring my own towel? No, no, no, don't do that. Then they'll say he's already got one. He doesn't need one. You've got to get the two. All right, I'll ask Ron. I'll-- good guy. He feels like he's got a touch-a-pull. Did you get any blowback from the tie? No, it was a huge hit. People loved it. So actually, I waited for Deb to leave that day because she wasn't even there anymore. But no, it was a fan favorite in the studio. Yeah, I loved it. I loved seeing that you won the Battle of Wales as well. Yeah, before we move on from McDavid and Matthews and you threw McKinnon in there, isn't the best thing about the three of them that you're right? Like, they're not completely different, but it's almost like McDavid and Matthews are on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of the way they play the game. And McKinnon is like this hybrid of the two of them. I mean, I know he's a bit of a Sid clone there, but I think that's what makes this era of the NHL so great, is that, I mean, not to slight any players, but I think those are probably the three guys that most people just first blush think of when they think of the league. And to have them all be kind of different and very much their own animal stylistically, I think it's awesome for a sport where it's hard for guys to stand out, right? Like so many players just look the same helmet, all of that stuff. I think it's awesome for the league that those three guys kind of do it very much in their own way. Oh, I think you're right. Honestly, I mean, I've said this. It's like watching all 30 teams in the league for me, being an analyst is, it can be challenging at times 'cause hockey looks the same. So many nights where I'll be watching games and whoever it is, I'm just like, man, this is just the same. And there's very few teams and players that are just completely different from everybody else. And that's what I think is so cool about these top guys. They're just standing out among the rest. And they just, they all bring similar things, but at the same time, they are just so different in the way they approach the game, their skill sets, the way they use their teammates. It's just, honestly, it's so much fun getting to watch these guys on a nightly basis and what they're able to do. And like, I mean, I got to play against a couple of them and getting to just be on the ice and see what they can do in real time. Like I think it's interesting to watch them on TV and watch them on the highlights and break them down, but for whoever's going there on Saturday, like getting to watch McDavid live and getting to see his speed in real time and his vision and how he thinks the game, it's like nothing, I think we've ever seen before. - Yeah, it's one of the more interesting heart trophy races I can remember as well, because you got Kucharoff still at the top of the Art Ross trophy race with 118 points. McKinnon just to point back at him. McDavid with an outside chance at 100 assists. He's got 108 points. And of course, awesome Matthews. - Yeah, we can revisit the maybe scoring 70 goals this season after he pots a pair yesterday. Like as impressive as the goal scoring has been for Austin Matthews, it does feel like he needs 70 to get into the conversation. Like how do you handicap the heart trophy race? - That's a good point. I think if you put a seven in front of his year end goal total, that's going to be very hard to ignore. That's kind of what I've been saying in the last couple of months is it's really cool what the guys at the top of the leader doing with Kuch and McKinnon. And I'm sure Connor's going to make a late minute push here. But if Matthews ends with 70 something, I just don't see how you don't give it to him. And I understand there's tons of arguments against that. And I've heard a couple of them already, but I think I'd lead for Austin. I just, even watching last night, just his ability from anywhere to finish is, it's just like we haven't seen this in so long. And for me, McKinnon's the front runner right now. But like I said, I think Connor is going to make an absolute push at this thing. One of the most competitive people and players that I've ever met. And I can assure you that he wants to be at the top of that when this thing's said and done. But man, with what 34's doing, you put a seven there. I don't know how you look past that. - Yeah, they all got cool nicknames too. Like he got McJesus, the dog Poppy. Like it's kind of nice. Like again, they just all have their own definitive thing. I'm with you. I think the 70 goals would be enough. And I think it's interesting too of the idea of like, this guy's got to get his. It always enters the picture of the narrative at this time of year. Stick him with the Leafs. They don't have a single defense pair put in pen for the playoffs yet. They've got a lot of stuff on the whiteboard. They're moving pieces around. But how concerning is it for the Leafs that, and again, good win last night. Like I don't think it's time to panic by any means, but they're giving TJ Brodia, not a healthy scratch, a mental health day. And they seem pretty in flux with all of their pairs. How high is that on your list of concerns for the Leafs? Or do you think they have enough time to kind of iron that out? - No, I try to go glass half full. And honestly, you have what, 15 something games like that left here for them to kind of figure it out. And I think that's a good opportunity for them. But that's like priority number one, if I'm on that coaching staff, or if I'm Sheldon is figuring that out before we get to the playoffs here. And I think it's just a really good opportunity. Try guys with different people. I mean, you added Labushkin and Edmondson in here pretty late. So it's going to take a little bit of time for some chemistry to evolve. But it's, I don't want to say it's at the highest level of concern, but you've got to figure it out. It's got to be at the top of their list. And I like how he's trying to get different guys out. Connor came into the guy I hadn't seen a lot of this year. So I'm glad he's up there with Mo. Give him a chance, see how it works out with that. And as long as Simon Benoit is back in the lineup full time, I know he had a bit of an egregious turnover on the strom, well, that's going to go last night. That I mean, now he's got in the way a bit. But as long as Benny's in there every night, I think he's earned the chance to be a regular defenseman with this UNF. TJ Brody's been such a huge part of this blue line since he arrived here in free agency. What do you think a scratch like that does to the room when they find out that he's not playing in the yesterday's game? I mean, things like that are always a shock. Because I think you can kind of see it coming when a guy like that's played probably isn't at the caliber that he wants it to be. I mean, I would always be surprised. I would always tiptoe around healthy scratches. It was one thing I was never great at. I was used to getting healthy scratch myself. And I could handle, except that it was something that I did throughout my career. But for guys that doesn't happen too very often, it can always be a little surprising when you walk in there and look at the-- you look at a dry race board and you have your extras on there. And everyone kind of is talking under their breath and stuff like that. But honestly, it's probably good for broats. Give them a night off, get to watch the game from a ball, and kind of take it in and take a breath. Because I think he's still-- this is a really good defense, man. And he still has some value here to the least blue line. But he definitely isn't playing up to the standard that definitely he wants. No, he certainly hasn't been in honestly the trouble with him, kind of goes back to-- not that he hasn't had fine stretches this year, but it goes back to the postseason last year. We were kind of litigating this a little earlier this week, and you're as good a guy to ask about it. Ryan Reeves, going to miss some time. He had the eye injury in the fight with Deloria there. And I don't think it necessarily is a certainty. But if that's the last we've seen of Ryan Reeves for the regular season, or he kind of gets spot duty from here on out, how would you kind of grade his performance throughout the year? And maybe the answer to that is, well, the guys in the room have to do it, because that was such a big part of it. But now that the season is a little bit in the rear view, at least for him here, what have you made of the Reeves signing? How do you think he kind of checked that box this year? Well, he started-- it wasn't a great start. I think it definitely was hard for me to argue. And I always try to play that side, whether I'm on the panel or I'm doing hits like this. That was the majority of my role was to do what Revo did. So I try to pump those guys up, especially at the bottom of the line up any time I can. But it was getting hard to defend his play in the line up on a nightly basis. It just felt like every time he got out there, whether it was a minus or a shift, where they're hemmed in their zone, it just seemed like they couldn't do anything right on that line. But then it kind of turned. And I thought he had some really, really good games down the stretch there, especially when there was a mess of injuries and guys sick for the Leafs. I think he did a good job of stepping in there. He had a couple of good scraps along the way and had some really good hockey games. I think his best game of the year was had an in-win a peg going back to his home when he scored that night. Like, the fourth line was an absolute force. And I just wanted to see more of that, because I think this is-- you talked about top concerns. Like, I look at this team, and they're going to need a good, effective, tougher fourth line. I think if they're going to want to beat any of those teams, they're going to have to play coming out of the East. But all in all, I mean, he's done pretty much what I think he was going to come in here and do. He doesn't skate as particularly well anymore, but can still provide some toughness. And we'll see if he draws back in towards the end of the year, or even get some time in the playoffs. Speaking of toughness, Tom Wilson, then not generally the type of toughness you're looking for out of your tough guy. Like swinging your stick around like a sword. It was a really bizarre play hitting Noah Gregor in the face with the stick of the end of that game, taking a double minor. This is a guy-- he has a history, right? Like, this is a repeat offender, if in fact, there's supplementary discipline coming. What did you make of the play? It was weird, the play itself, and how he reacted in particular. Yeah, so as soon as I got on here, I think it was like eight o'clock, five minutes before. I'd been watching this, because I watched it last night, and I woke up again, I'm like, I'll sleep on this. And then I woke up this morning, and I'm like watching it on replay. And I still am just trying to figure it out. Like, he reaches his hand around the other side, so I don't know if he's trying to connect his stick to his hand. It's like, this one's really hard for me to defend. Like, I'm a Tom Wilson apologist. I love the way he plays. I know he toes the line sometimes, has been suspended before, but all in all, like, love his game. But this one is very tough to defend. Like, I really don't know what he's thinking. I mean, you can see right after that, he's clearly, he clearly like knows he made a mistake. And I mean, that's a really dangerous play. Like, it hits him in the mouth, it hits him in the teeth, but you're talking like side of the temple here. Like, it's very, very careless. And I really am not sure what the intention was there. Like I said, I don't know if he's trying to, he has his hand up. I don't know if he's trying to just put the stick to his other hand. But I mean, you've got to be more careful where there's smoke just fire with these guys, right? And it's pretty hard for me to watch that and defend that one. You get to call from Peros, what do you think? Like, the immediate reaction is going, like, if he is going to say, I do not mean to do this. And then he's like, he has to be the world's greatest actor to be able to snap into that emotion in the middle of the market. And didn't mean to do it either when he, when he ran into math. You know, he didn't see him. No, he didn't see him. Yeah, I mean, usually where there's smoke, there's fire with these guys. And honestly, I'm really not sure what George is going to do. I thought for sure earlier in the year, Truba had a similar one. But Truba this year was, like, a Greek, like, I thought he was getting, like, multiple games for that. And he ended up with just a fine. So I wouldn't be surprised if it was just a fine and a phone call. But at the same time, this could, you could argue a couple of games for this as well. Just just wild. You're right, like, I, that's the NHL today, though, right? Like, it's like, yeah, I mean, we, we sat here litigating the Morgan rallies, suspension of like, I don't know, it could be two, could be 10. Like, it really does always seem like it's a, it's a bit of a black box. But yeah, when you're, I think that thing that's got to be the most frustrating for Wilson is, and again, like repeat offender status is always so funny with this. But it's like, this will get him, this resets the clock, whether or not, like, if it's just a fine, that'll kind of reset the clock for him on that. And it's like, you know, I feel like he wants to kind of use his bullets more intentionally, if he's going to reset the clock on that, not have it on a kind of happenstance play like that. No, right. And yeah, honestly, he hasn't taken a big one in a while, but this. Who this is going to be interesting to see where George goes with this one, because it does not look pretty. No, it'll spin the whole wheel of justice there and we'll find out soon enough. Luke, again, I can't wait to watch you on Hockey Night in Canada, Leafs, Oilers. Great job this season overall with sports and love having you on. Thanks for doing this, man. And you're going to come back on the show. He said that like we're never going to talk to you. No, no, no. Well, I don't know. He might be too big for us now that he's hockey night in Canada. No, no, no, we got him with a tie. He's coming back. Anytime guys, I'll bring the towel next time. Let's see. Yeah, see a man, but Luke Gasek, sports and analysts, host of the Mitzoff podcast. Our insider brought to you by Don Valley, North Lexus, where you can expect excellence online and in the showroom, visit Don Valley, North Lexus dot com. Okay. Like, why do we need to turn our brains into pretzels defending Tom Wilson? Okay. It's like, I think it's two temper conversations. It's like the action took place. He swung his stick and he hit the guy in the face, whether he meant to do it or not. It's like almost doesn't matter because he did do it. I just, the thing I keep coming back to is not a defense of Tom Wilson. It's just the way the human brain works. I, I cannot imagine that he would be so able to flip from competitive hockey mode to better sell that this was an accident right away. That's the part. It's, if you say it's a dirty play in the city of it, Brian. Okay. You, so you think, what do you think? I think that when you're engaged physically with a player, like he was with Noah Grider, like milliseconds before that you don't just like, Oh, go to, like, I, I, I now can't see you anymore and, and think that you can swing your stick through the area of space, which his head occupies. Yeah, very reckless. No, I just, I think intentionally slash him in the face, maybe not intentionally slash him in the face, but certainly didn't care about making contact with him. Maybe didn't hope it was his face, but oh, look, I'm, I'm putting my stick from one hand to the other and just so happens there is an opponent within the space between my two hands. It's not the worst thing in the world to give them a little whack of my stick. Okay. So I don't go quite that far, but I do think we reference this all the time, but I do think it's the madmen. I don't think about you at all. Like, I think that's what you love about Tom Wilson, the player, not that he'll slash someone in the, well, I mean, some people do love that about him, but it's that when he sees puck and he's going to win puck battle, he does not care that Noah Grider's there. He does not care if this stick is going to slash him because in his mind, he needs to put his stick there to get to that point, to win a puck battle or whatever it is he was trying to do. And that's what you love about Tom Wilson, the player. That's what we ask all the guys wearing blue white to do all the time is just not care and see red and have to do the thing. So I don't want to take this as defense of Tom Wilson. He shouldn't be suspended. I'm not saying you can't suspend him for an incredibly reckless play. That can happen. I just don't think he said, you know what? He'd be good, a good old McSorley slash. That'd be good. I don't think that was what he was thinking at. I didn't think he said, well, let's be Jacob Truman. Maybe he said that. Yeah, if it were that, then yeah, we'd be talking about a 20 gamer, but no, I'm thinking, yeah, that's, it's fine for Tom Wilson to be suspended for that. Sure. I have no issue with Tom Wilson having a seat because he hit a guy in the face with his stick. And I also have no issue if he didn't, though, because I can, I can see, see the lack of intent and see the lack of intent plays that have not got suspended this year. It's a problem with the NHL suspension is you can, whatever you want to argue, you can go find your case to make it because there's been such little consistency in the punishments that have been handed out. Great job. Yeah. No, that's what I mean. It's been the wheel of justice. The phone call is also going to sound like this. Just great job, Tom. Honestly, I'm so proud of you. Great job using your stick. We won't suspend you. Here's $5,000 fine. Yeah. That's probably this. If I had to wager, I'd say that's probably what we're looking at here. And also it does. I mean, it's a different deal if Noah Gregor's hurt, like saying he knocked out all of Noah Gregor's teeth or, yeah, can cost him. I think we're talking about a different deal here, but he's fine. Stay in the game. Yeah, much like, much like Ridley Grigg made a point of not unveiling how hurt he was or I heard until Morgan rather got suspended and then he's fine. Oh, look at that on the ice for practice. Amazing. Interesting. All right. Um, so Joseph Wall, uh, avenges the two losses to the Boston Bruins in his previous starts. It wasn't like overwhelmingly good, though, you know, a game against the Washington Capitals. Wasn't asked to be though, either. It should also be stated. Yeah, huge game upcoming. It's huge as a regular season game of limited standings import come. I mean, can be, um, in late March for a couple of Canadian franchises on hockey night in Canada, the Edmonton Oilers, making their one and only visit to Toronto to play the Toronto Maple Leafs. So he got the last two very significant starts against the Boston Bruins. Yep. And that was part of that was circumstance because you did have the back to back, but they could have organized it coming off the good game that Ilya Samsonov had against the Rangers that he got those starts. OK, since then, Ilya Samsonov has gotten a big start against the Caroline Hurricanes where he gave up four goals, but was very good in that game. Are you going to read into anything when it comes to who gets the nod on Saturday? And who do you think should get the nod on Saturday? I think Samsonov should get the nod on Sunday. And I think you have to read something into it. If they flip the goalies, if they do go wall first against the Oilers and Samsonov against the Hurricanes, I think you have to read something into it. The only problem with that is I don't know what. I suppose you could make the argument of Samsonov just saw the hurricanes. Maybe you want to give him a chance to avenge that loss. Like he cares about whether the hurricanes beat. Not that he doesn't want to win the game, but it's not like this is the capitals. And he needs to get one over on his old team or anything along those lines. That's why I think you would have to read something into it. But would it just be you saying that they think Joe wall is still the guy? If he gets the Oilers start, is it as simple as that for you? Yeah, I would because I don't think there's anything like if we're going on meritocracy here, despite the fact that Joseph Wall got the win and Ilya Samsonov didn't. I don't think there's much to separate the two games that they had. I guess there was two questionable goals. If you want to call them questionable, the screen goals in Philadelphia, then Samsonov watch go behind him and there was one that you could really quibble with. I don't know if they're doing like the minutiae of breaking it down to that degree, but to me, like the overall body work, those two games, I didn't find much to separate between the goalies. Wall was better, but so were the Leafs. So that's what you got. So if we're going on meritocracy here, like Samsonov just actually been better. Saturday night at home, he should get the start. Yeah, I think he should get the start. And if he doesn't, again, we're back to the force feeding thing. And it's weird that we have another set of back to back. So yeah, at least playing Saturday and Sunday, two games of import against the Oilers and the hurricanes. But I think if it's Samsonov getting the start on Saturday, we're closer to her meritocracy and acceptance that this guy, all things being equal, is going to get a chance to, again, win another postseason series guys undefeated in series that he's started and finished as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's a very near window, but you're not wrong. Yeah. And if Joe Wall starts on Saturday against the Oilers, it's more of a, hey, man, we actually, all things being equal would go with the guide that is under contract for next season, is younger. And technically, listen, everybody is the better goalie, the better goalie to bank on long term. Would you, and I don't think this would happen, but while we walk down the hypothetical road here, would you feel differently about it if Sheldon Kief came out and said, I'm actually doing the reverse Mike Babcock. I think Samsonov is our best goalie. And that's why I want him in the back half of the back to back when we will need our best guy. Cause if he wants to, he could easily intentionally muddy the water. I guess I wouldn't be muddying them and be clarifying them. But would you believe him is my question there? I don't think that will happen. So maybe it's a useless hypothetical talking about. But that's the thing. We talk about messaging with this team all the time. Could he not just say that? What, like, what would stop him? Yeah, I mean, to, to declare one guy better than the other at this point in the proceedings, I think would be very bizarre. Uh, and also, yeah, just from a deployment standpoint, like, I, I was open to that idea back when the Leafs had like no backup to Freddie Anderson. I was like, Oh my God, how do you win a hockey game? Like you're just giving away two points. If you start Michael Hutchinson on the back end of back to back, because the guy can't give him at least a chance with a hockey team that isn't exhausted on the back end of back to back. Like there was a, there was a like two points argument. I think since then, though, we've understood if you have like two, yeah, NHL caliber goalies, you want to do your best to get the two points in the first half of the back to back and not the back. I do not disagree. I'm just, I, I am trying to see how they can thread the needle on this because I think you're right. And I think that if it's anything other than Samsonov, it's them saying something. I just think they'll be hesitant to, you know, actually say it as opposed to just infer it based on their decisions. Yeah. And I will do that. I know. It's our job. All right. When we come back, we'll talk to fan favorite Jerome Williams. You know, I'm better as JYD, the Jugyard dog, Nax, as the fan morning show continues Ben and his Brent Gunning sports F590 the fan. Fan morning show sports F590 the fan, Ben and his Brent Gunning, holy cow, the Raptor season. We haven't invented time travel yet. But if we had a way to travel through time, you know what? Actually, maybe somebody did. I feel like if I didn't invent that, I'd hold it pretty tight to the vest. Like no one else is getting that. Just me. I suppose. I just to be clear, not smart enough to do that. Probably not the first application of time travel, like we probably a bigger fish to fry, but like if the Raptors had the ability to just like, okay, season's over today. Shake hands. See you later. Thanks for coming out. Every concern's all over the place, like not a lot of NBA talent on this Raptors team right now as they were destroyed yesterday by the Sacramento Kings 123, 89 obviously. Yeah, this is a team looking towards the future and the guys that are going to be major pieces of the future of this Raptors team now currently playing for the Raptors. So not a lot to be gleaned from what is taking place on the court. Yeah, no, it's pretty hard to read too much into it. Like, hey, guys are getting opportunities they wouldn't and that's really important for them. And Darko's getting to coach them up and that's important for him, but in terms of what it matters for the rest of the Raptors kind of development for this window. Not a whole lot. Yeah, I'm going to be a fun off season to see what they do around those pieces. Also going to be a fun off season to see, you know, the Canadian basketball players go to the Olympics and have a chance to bring home a medal after a bronze medal finish at the FIBA World Cup of basketball. Last off season. All right, let's talk to Jerome Williams. You know him as the junkyard dog former Raptors player joining us on the line right now. How's it going? JYD. That's right. We're having the breads going down. Yeah. No, we appreciate that. We were expecting that. I probably should have had my headphones turned down a little bit, but yes, you should have been a good host and barked along with. Yeah. You know, man, where's the bark? Where's the dog? I got to say, you came, you came to my middle school or I don't even remember. Might have been my middle school. Might have been somewhere else. I was Toronto kid in the JYD era. So this is awesome to hear the dog barking person again. Thank you for jumping on. What is it? How important was that element to you being you like how much was that a, you know, not a creation? Obviously it's authentic to you, but you certainly leaned into it. Like how much was the, and again, I know this is who you are. You're not playing a character, but leaning into that aspect of yourself. How important was that for your kind of basketball life? Hey, man, it's so important. It was like that my dog pound was my extended family and still art to this day because people cheer for you, you know, seek out your autograph, want to take a picture with you. Those people who care about you and or at least, you know, admire you to a certain extent. And I turned those people into extended family because I was away from my family so much as a professional athlete, so just to feel somebody like, you know, wanting to support you. And since I wasn't a guy that was, you know, scoring all the points or having some huge highlights that have a highlight here or there. And I had to kind of perform through hard work and effort. And when people appreciated that, I appreciated them for appreciating that because it wasn't something you were going to necessarily see on Sports Center. So I appreciated people who always showed love and I wanted to show that in the community as well. So that's why I went out to schools and different charity events just to let people know that I appreciated all the support I get and the platform that I had with the NBA so that came with a responsibility. And I think that that was what really propelled me to really extend it to the dog pound and make sure that they, you know, I gave them a name. Like I gave those people and all that support a name and I cherish that name to this day. Yeah. And you started your career in a blue collar place in Detroit but really became a real household name obviously here in the city of Toronto. But I think really your star started to rise when you arrived as a member of this raptor scene. We were talking not too long ago about what defines a Toronto sports fan and whether, you know, the average Toronto sports and sports fan has more of an affinity towards like those high character, high work ethic guys that don't necessarily stuff the stat sheet. Did you get a sense of that in playing in Detroit, playing in Toronto and then of course finishing your career in Chicago in New York that Toronto specifically likes your type of player more than maybe other markets. Absolutely. I did. I felt that just from the moment I stepped on the court because it's such a hockey town. Like it's hockey first, when I first arrived, I kind of realized that. But you realize that, you know, just as hockey players get grimy and kind of, you know, I remember Ty Domi was the guy and it was like, he just was, you know, fully supportive of his teammates and was always there for them and I felt like, you know, I wanted to be that kind of guy for the Raptors hard working, you know, no nonsense. But I kind of did it with a smile too, because basketball, you know, you can't be all rough. But you know, that is a blue collar that in a town where they have high rises. There's more, there's more blue collar workers than you know, and that's what I felt with Toronto. Yeah. That's awesome to hear. I think that'd be something that a lot of sports fans in the city would kind of take pride from. It's tournament time. I have to ask you about your time in college. You had a nice run with Georgetown. Your college teammates with Allen Iverson. It was special to watch him play in the NBA. What was it like? I mean, we know what AI was as a player, but what was it like seeing him as a teammate? What was he like as a dude? I mean, just an incredible talent for you to, you know, I know you got to play with a lot of great players in your career, but I can only imagine what, uh, what you seeing fresh man Allen Iverson walk in must have looked like for you. Man, this guy was incredible on and off the court. You know, um, love playing with AI. You know, we shut down Maple Leaf Gardens, him and I in Toronto, in college. Yes, we did. We played against Memphis, had to beat him in overtime. George Butler hit a three in the corner with three seconds left to center the OT. And then we handled our business later on and won the game. And I remember, I remember AI and I walking up and down Young Street, uh, trying to find some Popeye's chicken. There's plenty around now, we're back then there. I can tell you they have a, they've got an aggressive expansion up here and I'm happy about it. Yeah, aggressive. I love the fried chicken in Toronto, so, um, but yeah, we, we had a, we had a great time in college. We were the, the last two first round draft picks for legendary coach John Thompson of his era. Um, he was number seven. I was number eight and, uh, it was, it was, it was amazing to watch him and tell his stories to us in the locker room of what he was going to do, like Michael Jordan and seeing that kind of stuff happen real time, uh, when we made it to a league was just like mind boggling. Cause it was like, yeah, he told us he was going to cross Michael Jordan, we laughed in his state. Yeah, he did too. We laughed at him and we said, man, are you crazy? That's the ghost. That's Mike. You got doing that. You know? Yeah. Yes, I am. What does it look like? Okay. Okay. All right. You know, we call him Bubba. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. But, you know, we, we saw him, um, play against the pros. We used to do that at Georgetown in the summer with Patrick and, and, and, and Elanzo and, and those guys, and he do stuff for them. And it happened so fast and we'd just be like, oh, they just let them do it. You know, like we never would like really put a lot of, you know, did he really do that or did they just didn't want to hurt like, you know, like, nah, man, he was moving so fast. They could move that. So amazing. It was amazing. Yeah. What, what is it like at a tournament time? I mean, like there's nowhere else and you're like, as you go to be a professional, I mean, no in season tournament back then, certainly of a one and done, like, you know, you play these long seasons. We're just not used to that, especially in basketball, what was it like, you know, going into tournament time and understanding the like, it all could be over or you could have a month more basketball play? Yeah. It's a serious level of magnitude, um, it's like a championship game. Every game because everybody's playing their hearts out. Everybody is believing that this could be their night. This could be their golden shining moment, like that one shining moment. You're playing for your brothers, your school, your alumni, the institution, and it's, it's all that weight. And once the ball starts bouncing and you start going through those motions of all the plays and things you've been practicing all your life, it's an amazing experience. We were fortunate enough to, you know, my college career making it to 3 16 and lead weight, almost a final four, like, you know, every round, it's just another height level and you just see the alumni just following you every step of the way. It's like a band that's with you. So it's a pretty amazing thing. And you know, happy that these guys now are actually getting a little NIL money. Yeah. Along with it, because those are some things that, you know, can definitely help young athletes as they as they spend all this time working in the classroom as well as on the court to do what they're passionate about. Yeah, not everybody's getting that AI NBA money. All right. The fifth annual West Park Foundation Tournament of Stars Celebrity Basketball Event in support of West Park Health Care Center goes March 22nd to 23rd. Obviously you're going to be a part of that proceeds from the event will support the life changing work done every day at West Park, a Toronto rehabilitation hospital that helps people with serious injuries and illness, including amputation, stroke, lung disease and severe trauma, get their lives back. You can go to westparktournamentofstars.ca to register, donate or secure tickets. Obviously Jerome, you've been such a huge part of this community and things of this nature. Like what's your favorite part about interacting with some guys maybe you haven't seen for a while, some of the fans, like what's your favorite part of this event? Well, my favorite part is the fact that, you know, West Park is about that Toronto Rehabilitation Hospital that helps support people with serious injuries and illnesses and to see those people come out and play and participate and knowing that you're helping people in the city of Toronto get through a tough time. That's my favorite part, you know, the alumni and seeing my friends is wonderful. I mean, we kick back like we're back in the locker room again and the West Park tournament of stars allows us to do that. We get the trash talk. I mean, there's a lot of trash talking brands, especially now that everybody's older. So, you know, they got, they got some love handles where they didn't used to have handles, right? And they're trying to go out there and do what they used to do and I'm just laughing because I'm like, man, I'm at my playing weight. This is dog pound, they don't have a chance. I'm talking to all the people that's getting ready to show up and, you know, the people that raise the money, they know it. They come in there and they say, oh, I got my choice, who am I going to pick? You know, you got Ricky Davis, you got Corey McGatie, Al Harrington, Catino Mowgley. I mean, Carlos Buzer, you got all these dynamical glory showing up. Come on now. I mean, you got San Antonio Spurs, got Mario West, Baron Davis. I mean, the list goes on, Jose Calderon, like, Jamario Moon, like Matt Bonner, the red rock is going to be there. But I always say it's going to be a lot of fun because when the dog pound shows up, right, I've been running steps. I put it on Instagram, you could tell everybody at junkyard dog, JW, look it up, right? You'll see the work, right? So you'll know, like, oh, man, this guy, dog pound, JYDC, he's still running and dunking. Yes. Yes. It's a true statement. I don't know how many I'm going to throw down. Maybe one, maybe two, I got to be conscious because I am known for tearing rims down, right? But at 51, you know, I got to be cautious because the insurance isn't the same as what I was playing. You know, when I was playing, we had to check back. It's right there in the back, just in case, you know, dog pound got a little rough. They'd have one right there, you know, but in these kinds of situations, I don't know, you know, I ruined the whole thing because I had tore down some rims, you know, I don't want that. But I will say it's a lot of fun. Yeah. We have a great time. West Park does a great time tournament stars does a great job of allowing us to interact with our fans and people who supported us. And we get drafted. I mean, you know, you got to, you got to be ready for the draft. You got to be ready. You can't just come in there and think you're going to survive off your name. What you used to do, right? You got to still produce. It's about production. Can't you hear the kids in my voice? I can. You see what this is about. First overall, back in the draft right here, if you don't have a ticket, you need to get yourself a ticket and get over there and see some of these old bowls that these guys have trying to still do their thing, right? I just I just hope to be able to get out of bed at 50 years old and you're you're still dunking. You don't give yourself 51 yet. You're not yet 51, man. We're still got a month away. Not yet. I'm looking. I'm staring it down. See, that's the problem. My older brother is your older than me. So he's always telling me I'm 51 because he's 52 now, so he's like, you're 51. I'm getting ready to give it to you. I'm like, yeah, you're right. I'm not 51. I'm 50, brother. That's right. It's getting your teeth. You're still there, man. Again, you can go to West Park tournament of stars.ca to register, donate or secure tickets. JYD. Thanks so much for doing this. Appreciate it, man. Hey. Thanks for having me, man. Shout out to my dog. I love you guys. Come on, man, man, man, man. Whoa, whoa, whoa. See you. See, man. All right. See you. As Jerome Williams, you know him as a junkyard dog. Listen, you did a great one. I did a pretty good one. I don't want to. You don't want to stop me thunder. Yeah. Okay. You and JYD. I like to think I bullied you into even giving us that much. So I'm proud of myself. Whoa. Wow. God, at twice. I'm so proud of you, man. Tomorrow, this has been the Fan Morning Show, Fan, and it's Frank Gunnick's 4759 of the Fan. Good morning. [music] [music] (intense music)
