[MUSIC PLAYING] Fan Morning Show Sports at 590 to Fan. Blue Jays and Yankees after 1 o'clock at the stadium. Yankees home opener this afternoon. Weather looks good. They're going to buy baseball. It's new Yankee stadium. Sure. I haven't been to that one. Went to the old one. Congrats on the shake, Graham. Yeah, it was cool. I went there the last year. Obviously-- Do you feel-- Do you feel any type of way to see the new one or no? Because you said no, no, no, no, I don't do it all. Actually, like, you want to go your whole life. Like, are you a believer in that? Like, some people have movies that they're like, I will never see because people tell me all the time, like, oh, you have to see it. It's like, are you that hard and fast with never going? Nobody has ever said, you've got to see the new Yankee stadium. That's the thing about the new Yankee stadium. It does kind of sound like a guy who probably was. You've probably got to see it. No, it's like, everything I've heard and seen doesn't seem the same. It's not the same. You say kikuchi against Marcus Roman. Oh, God, I had a point. I forgot about it. It's my fault. Yeah. You were chuckling about something right now. Oh, here I got it. Got it. Yeah, see, look at me. So as mad as I was about Davis Schneider not starting the third game of the Astros series against Christian Javier, I think I might be more angry if he doesn't start today's game, quite frankly. Because then we saw proof of concept with the one hitter. And I get it, Marcus Roman, also a right-handed pitcher. But like, holy cow, if we not learned our lesson, we just decided that, yeah, no, there is nothing that's going to this way. We're sticking to our guns and it doesn't matter. Guy's on a roll, feeling good. The potential of this guy being a real thing, I think today might put me in an even more sour mood if we don't see Davis Schneider in the lineup somewhere. Normally, I would cheer for that. But we're so far removed from the next show that it does me very little. So I would, in that case, then I would just like to see the Blue Jays do the smart thing and put Davis Schneider in the lineup. But for the purposes of the show, I would gladly see them do the wrong thing and have you losing your mind. But again, it's useless to us. Yeah. And I'm going to try not to be the weather vein when it comes to this Blue Jays team. Because we're adding the right caveats, right? That, hey, it's a long season, the longest in all of professional sports, 162 games, and it'll make you look stupid. But yeah, it feels very important in this series, especially considering how ready this fan base is to turn on this Blue Jays team. You don't even have to win the series. Honestly, you could get swept if the pitching just lets you down. Like say the Blue Jays get swept in this three game series in the Bronx. Yep. But every game's 8-7. No, I feel like I tried to make this point yesterday, that, yeah, you need the offense. The pitching has proven itself enough that you just need to see something go right for the offense. And yeah, obviously, you don't want to get swept regardless. But I actually do think people would sign up now for a sweep where you scored six or seven runs every game than a 2-1 series win where you're eking out 2-1 wins for every single game. I actually think a lot of people would sign up for that right now. All right. This insider is brought to you by Don Valley, North Lexus, where you can expect excellence online. And in the showroom, visit DonValleyNorthlexus.com. Nothing like opening day in Major League Baseball. It is opening day in New York City where the Yankees are good. And that's where we find Dan Schulman. Happy opening day, Dan. Happy opening day. So I guess I guess we get three this year. One at the Rays, one at the Yankees, and then one at home on Monday. Yeah, that sounds right. But like this one feels-- I mean, Yankee Stadium is-- it's not an old Yankee Stadium. But also, like again, the Yankees are good. They made outside of the Choe Ho Taney signing, the biggest acquisition of the off season. He throws out the game tying run at the plate in game one of the season. He's been so good all season long, has won Soto, and they only have one loss. Like it does-- I don't know. You tell me, you're in the city. Does it feel different than other opening days you can remember in the Bronx? I don't think I'll know that until I get to the ballpark. But I think the answer to that will be yes, it will. So like you said, they did make the playoffs last year, right? So there's kind of extra scrutiny on this season. They've gotten out of the gates very well. One Soto being a Yankee is a huge, huge, huge deal here. Even if he's a Yankee for one year, or if he signs a 13-year extension, we don't know. But yeah, I think there's going to be a lot of electricity in there. It's going to be cold, but no rain or anything like that. But it'll be a little bit brisk out there. But I think it'll feel more like a late September game. You know, it'll have that kind of a vibe to it in the Bronx. Yeah, it certainly doesn't hurt the guy that's on the mound from their perspective either. It always feels like a little bit of a charged up atmosphere whenever Strowman gets the ball. But stick him with Soto for a second there. This is something Ben, Ben and I have talked about. But it's an odd thing to say for a guy who's played in the big games that he's played in. He was such a focus of baseball with the trade, not this one, but the trade from Washington to San Diego. But does this season not feel, and maybe unfortunate from Blue Jays fans to here, but a bit of a coming out party for him is kind of joining that face of the game conversation. You know, with Otani just hitting this year, it feels like he's a little more of a mortal as opposed to this like magic creature we have in baseball. Does it feel like Soto doing what he's doing to start the year? And we'll see how the year goes, but playing in that market and just the Yankees feeling like they have the stars again. Does it feel like he can kind of join that conversation to be among the faces, if not the kind of face of the game this year? Yeah, I think he's been in it at times, depending on the quality of the year that he sat. I mean, you're certainly one of the best players in the game. We know that, but I agree with you. Given that, you know, everything is magnified when you're re-enky for better or for worse. It's just the way it is. He's also, again, a free agent at the end of the year and who knows whether that leads to him having an enormous, you know, let me get my contract kind of season, but he's been an MVP contender on a number of occasions already. But, you know, the combination of him and Judge too, you know, if Judge is healthy all through the year, like how many times have we seen a duo that good? You know, like Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, I go back to Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, like it's not very often where you have two guys that's good back to back in the lineup. So, yeah, if Soto is the best version of himself, he will be his big in name and the faces there is in the game. And the crazy thing about him is how young he is. He's 25 years old. He's younger than Bishat, a little bit older than Vladi. And I think people, not that they would think he's 30, but, you know, I think people would think he's maybe 27. He's 25 and he just got going so young that he's gonna be a free agent at a ridiculously young age. - Yeah, he's really good. The other team, it's still to be determined. Offensively, not a great start. Dan, for the Blue Jays, obviously, historically bad if you talk about a team being no hit and one hit in the first seven games of a season, it's the first time that's ever happened as the Blue Jays have been. It's baseball will make you look stupid, right? When you have wide sweeping takeaways after seven games, but how concerning is this offensive start for the Blue Jays? - Yeah, you don't wanna have wide sweeping takeaways. You and I talked about that probably a dozen times every year over what can happen and then what does happen and how much things change. But what you've seen, what we've seen so far is a concern. I mean, I was looking at some numbers this morning. They've got six doubles as a team in seven games and Justin Turner has four of them. They only have two doubles by somebody not named Justin Turner. They've hit seven home runs and seven games, not great, but not horrible. They've drawn their walks, but they're just not making enough heart contact. They're just not coming up with hits. And yeah, it is a little bit of a concern because you're hoping, they know what everybody is saying. They know what the talk was last year and you're hoping this isn't something that really becomes worse and worse if they feel the pressure and so forth. So we'll see. Like you said, you can't make any big grand pronouncements after seven games, but guys have to hit better. I mean, the big three at the top and Springer Guerrero and Bishette, we can talk about the bottom all you want and the bottom's gotta get better too, but they're not going anywhere if the top isn't pretty good. And then, you know, those three guys just have to be good. And then the guys at the bottom have to chip in here and there right now, like neither one of those things is happening. Justin Turner is swinging the bat great. David Schneider's obviously been a force in limited opportunities and not much else is where you need it to be offensively. So we'll see how they do here. Strowman today and then Clark Middle, Louise Heel. So they're kind of getting three, four, five, if you will, wherever you want to put Strowman, whatever you want to call him, but they're definitely getting four and five. And it would behoove them to get the bats going and hopefully win a couple of games here because Seattle's got their top three lined up for the series and draw it. - The David Schneider thing is like a perfect storm of narrative, right? Like you got this guy who was the only bright spot of a very disappointing season, despite the fact they made the playoffs last season. He was his series at Fenway Park and the home run in game number one is first and bad. Like that was, that was the best point of the 20, 23 season. You got this team underperforming offensively. You got him being the only guy that has performed seemingly every time he steps to the plate and the two starts that he's had. Plus you have the way the postseason ended last year and seemingly a lean towards just the numbers and maybe that rearing its ugly head and him not getting the start in the final game of the Astros series. It really, it's a lot, Dan. And the like the bubbling anger that this fan base is, you know, I read my Twitter mentions and maybe I shouldn't, but like it feels like it's very close to the surface right now. Well, just one, do you expect David Schneider to start today? - My guess is yes and I'm sure I'll be wrong, but like I thought it could have gone either way against Christian Javier because of what, you know, Javier throws, Marcus Strowman is different. He's a, you know, sinker, cutter. He's 92 down in the zone and then the cutter at 89 and they try to keep Schneider away from guys who have 95, 96 up in the zone. Strowman is not that guy. I'd like to see him start today. You know, I know people hate hearing this, but they do have to balance whatever day, you know, today Avers' big picture. And when John Schneider says, you know, they're not going to just seven days into the season, they're not going to change their whole game plan. I kind of get that. But today the match up to me favors Schneider. And I would like, you can't sit him for all three games here. You can't sit him for all three games against Seattle. They're not seeing any left-handed starters in this series or in the Mariners series. Like he's got to get in there. And I think if he's got to get in there, I think today is the perfect day to do it because Strowman is on the mound. The issue becomes who do you sit? And I know Kure Meyers is not hitting. You can move our show to center and put Schneider in a lap and so forth. And I know some people want to see IKF sit. You know, we can't ignore that. They just signed him to do a two-year contract like they want to see what he's got. And IKF has not been the biggest problem offensively on this team. I mean, he's not doing great, but he's not killing them. He's got four hits and 16 at that. He's hitting 250. So, but I would like to see Schneider in there today. I would like them, hopefully, if he continues to hit or to be a constant power threat when he comes to the plate, I'd like to see it move off a little bit of left-right. And I think it will and I think it is actually. I think they don't just look at left-right. They look at matchups as well. But I'd like to see him, if he deserves it, I'd like to see him get more of an opportunity and to answer your question about today, I think this is a good matchup for David Schneider today. - Yeah, I agree with both of you, but just for my own sanity, like I cannot hear it from Ben if he doesn't start today. So, like, I know you have very limited input on the lineup, Dan, but if you do, please just for my sake, get him in there. You mentioned part of the roadmap for him getting in is maybe Varsho moving over to center. Are you surprised that they haven't tried to make that more explicitly his job? And I mean, obviously with Kevin Kiermeyer being on the team, that's where you want Kiermeyer, but we understand what Varsho is offensively and, you know, the trade we can relitigate it forever. I don't think it's ever gonna come up, you know, glowingly from the Blue Jays, just given what Moreno is gonna be. But the best way it seems like to me to tease as much value as you can out of the player would be to use him as the elite center fielder that he can be. Are you surprised that that hasn't been? And again, like, I don't think they're averse to it. Obviously, they're happy with him playing center field, but I also don't think they've made that a priority either. Are you surprised with the way they've handled kind of that part of using Varsho? - So three things. They resigned Kevin Kiermeyer to a deal for 10 and a half million dollars. - Yeah. - Number two, it's seven days into the season. And number three, we never talk about defense. We're only talking about offense here. But obviously, Kiermeyer and center in Varsho and left is better than Varsho and center and Schneider in left. Not that you're losing much at all when Varsho's in center, but you're losing something if Schneider isn't left. So like again, at the risk of, you know, it's seven days into the season. So Kiermeyer is going, he sat one of the games and he will sit. We know he's not going to play 160 games this year. Even if he's great, he'll play 125, 130 games. They want to give him some rest. So it's seven games. I think we've got to let it play out a little bit more. He's one for 18 right now. He hasn't looked good. I grant you that. Every single player on this team had a one for 18 at some point last year. Every single one of them. It's just they didn't do it in the first week of the season when it's easy to look at baseball reference and say they're one for 18. It will play itself out. It's seven games into the season. If Schneider hits significantly more than the other guys, Schneider will start playing significantly more than the other guys. But you know, the rush to judgment after seven days, it's just not the way it goes. It's just not the way it works in baseball. And history has proven it. You know, you can't do it. You can't have such knee jerk reactions in such a small sample size. Yeah, and David Schneider's entire career has been a small sample. You know, in the major leagues at least, his career has been a small sample, still under 40 career games. But how many does he have to play where he looks like an offensive plus before you start like believing in his ability to play more against all comers? Like where is the dividing line? 'Cause well, we saw it last year, right? I mean, they did play him. When he came up last year, he was playing like he is. He was playing against lefties. They just happened to see more lefties than they're seeing in this stretch. And then he caught fire. And he played almost every day for a couple of weeks. And then, and they're getting back to my point about everybody on this roster and had one for 18 last year. Do you remember what David Schneider went through last year? At the end of the season or when he got bench for like the week? No, he had an 0 for 31 towards the end of the season. No, over 31. Took some walks though. If I recall. His numbers were with some walks. His numbers were incredible because the first couple of weeks were incredible. I love David Schneider. I think David Schneider is going to play more and is going to be a big part of this team. And I hope they believe in him. And I think I hope they give him the opportunity. I'm just saying all of this is a little to major reaction for seven days into the season. I'd like to see Ernie Clement get in there a little bit more too. I love Ernie and he can run and he can play defense and he can make contact and all of that. So they've got to figure it out. They've got to see who hits. And you know, two, three weeks from now, if things are the same, you know, the conversation will probably be a little bit different. I think we'll see the playing time be a little bit different, but they're not just going to give up on two guys. They signed the big contracts in the offseason, seven games in the season. It just doesn't work that way. No, and the conversation can be very different about this team on Monday if they go out and swing the bats very well at a ballpark where that happens quite often. It is the Blue Jays and Yankees. The Yankees stadium this afternoon, one o'clock on Sportsnet, Sportsnet 5.9 of the fan. Dan, thanks for this. - You got it guys, have a good one. - You too, Dan Schulman, our insider brought to you by Don Valley, North Lexus, where you can expect excellence online and in the showroom, visit Don Valley, northlexus.com. - I don't think I need jerk reactioning anything. Are you need jerk reactioning? - No, I think, and yeah, I mean, like to, to the point Schulman's making, it's like, yeah, I'm not asking them to, I'm not asking them to sit Kevin Kiermeier down. I'm wondering why they resigned him in the, and again, like not that he's the problem, not that you can't have him on the team, but when I go to the Varsho point of it all, it's just, I would have thought that you would have said, okay, can you do something? And apparently the thing is left field, but you would have just thought him in center field. And I don't think the Schneider thing is a knee jerk. It's not about how small his sample size is. That's not why this isn't knee jerk. It's about the sample size we've seen from all the other guys that are involved that he is losing a bats to. That's why I don't think this would be a knee jerk. You are a jerk, but this isn't knee jerk. - Yeah, and I also understand the thing, like, hey, if your plan is to mostly give Davis Schneider the starts against lefties and not so much against righties, like he has to be in a favorable matchup against righties, you're low to deviate from that plan in game seven of the regular season. I also, you know, it should be stated that they were and even 500, there were three and three going into that final game. It's a different deal, even if you're, I don't know, the Mets who were over going into the second game of their double header yesterday, or even the Astros who don't seem to be sweating too much after their sweep of the hands of the Yankees. I mean, part of that is being World Series champions from two years ago, but yeah. - Yeah, that's not part of it. You are done, Alvar is just mashing balls to the moon. - Yeah, it's, yeah, like the, at a certain point, you do get into the thing that I've talked about where it's like, hey, managerial firing, surprise call-ups, like it's all on the table. And it's not in game seven or game eight of the regular season, but yeah, it's just like, like I said, it's the perfect storm of pressure and narrative and building, right? Where you have the animus of the end of the regular season and the decision to remove Jose Barrios because of the numbers and this team disappointing offensively and then having the bad-off season and then not scoring. And then the numbers thing being part of the reason why he doesn't start in that game 'cause you don't hit. And then you don't hit again. It's just like, it was the perfect storm of making people angry. Like if the Blue Jays won that game, or again, even scored a bunch of runs and it was the bullpen blew it late and they still lost two to three to the Astros. The feeling about the David Schneider narrative is different, not for me. - I want to call it the Shnerative now. - The Shnerative is different. The Shnerative? The Shnerative? - You said Shnerative, like it just all rolled off. - The Shnerative? - Yeah. - Simon Gleiben, yeah, you do sound like that guy. Professor Frank. - It's different for you guys, not for me. Like I just, and I know, not to learn to dance. - And dance. - And dance, like yourself. - Dance right to bring up the O for 30 to end the year. - Gotta happen. - You could not help yourself, but like end a couple of walks in there. Leave them alone. - Okay, so it's like, I'm not just looking at the numbers here, people. I'm watching the games. - Oh yeah. - I'm watching the process. - Don't dance, old man, watch. No, I think he watches them, yeah. - He does. And I also, like, you know who wasn't fretting that? - It's David Schneier. He's like, oh yeah, I'm not gonna hit, I'm not gonna have an 1400 OPS for my entire majorly career. Like, yeah, he's coming back down to Earth. That's right. But what if Earth, for him, is like an 820 OPS? - Yeah. - That's pretty damn good. For a guy who is a light round draft pick who was not viewed as a prospect on this team, who's like, found money. That's amazing. You know, 20 plus home runs? You know, 360 on base. Unpassable defense from David Schneier. What a dream that would be. Which is all I'm talking about. So yeah, obviously he was gonna have an O for 30 in there. - With a couple walks mixed in. - Yeah. Well, that's the thing. Like, if you can continue to get on base through your bad-- - No, definitely. - Like, added ball luck? Like, that is not a nothing. - No, that's a, like, massive skill to have. That's how you go from having a high average to being a good baseball player. Like, that's part of what we talk about with Big Earn. Ernie Clement, right? Like, he's not gonna do that unless there's a very big change coming to his profile that we have not seen at this point in time. Like, he's not gonna give you that. And I'll just, I'll go back to it again. It is so much less about my belief in Davis Schneier than it is about my lack of belief in all the other options available to you. Like, you know, I mentioned, don't resign here. My Earth's like, that's way less of a problem for me than giving IKF $10 million or nine or whatever he ended up at. Could have just not done that. And that would have allowed you to, I mean, attack the third base, position in a different way, move people around the diamond in a different spot, allow you to have had just a better lineup construction for a team that, again, for a team that we knew, even if you were the biggest believer in all the pieces of this offense, she thought Vlad was gonna have the year he was gonna have and Springer was gonna be able to kind of maintain what he was and Bishette was gonna continue to be great. There were going to be a ton of holes in this lineup. And the idea of like IKF continues to be the one that I think is gonna be the big mistake of the off season. And it's like, this team won't be undone 'cause IKF can't hit, but it kind of will, if he's taken a bat's away from guys who can't. So yeah, I mean, if Isaiah Kinerfelefe and Ernie Clement were making the same money and Isaiah Kinerfelefe was not a free agent acquired, I think you might see Ernie Clement getting the majority of the starts at third base or why they're possible. Sick. - Yeah. - Kinerfelefe is playing. - And this part has to be mentioned as well. Like the team is in a money in, money out spot right now. You know, they wouldn't, for the right guy, maybe it wouldn't have been that way. But they're now in that spot, at least in part, because IKF makes what he does. - All right, when we come back, talk to former Olympian. - Kirlian, analyst for NHL Network, former NHL D-Man. Jason Demers, next, as the fan morning show continues, Ben and his friend, Gunning, sports at 590, the fan. - Diving deep into leaps, rafters, J's, and NFL, the JD Bunk is podcast. Subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. - Fan morning show, sports at 590, the fan, Ben and his friend, Gunning, Leafs Habs, Hockey Night in Canada, tomorrow. Leafs are in the playoffs. I just need a point, I think, to officially get that X next to their team name and the standings, which is all important. It is weird, though, despite the fact that Leafs are gonna be in, you will see different head coaching decisions made after the actual X's there for the Leafs. - Will you? - I think so. - I don't know. - I think so. - Okay, but we'll see. Lot's still to be decided, especially in Eastern Conference as Penguins are alive with Sidney Crosby. Maybe alive in the heart trophy conversation. Let's talk to another Olympian. It is Jason Demers, analyst for NHL Network, former NHL D-Man. How's it going, Jason? - How are we doing? Ben and Brent, and yes, to your point, the Pittsburgh Penguins are still alive, believe it or not. - It's ridiculous, man. I mean, they've always kind of, they've always had a positive goal differential this season. Special teams have been an issue for them. They just, we're miserable on the power play, and it's not like they way outplayed the Capitals yesterday, but got it done. I mean, let's talk about the Crosby Heart Trophy conversation, this is one we were having earlier. He's not in the top four, according to Vegas, and the points are, yeah, like a lot back of Nikita Kuchrov, who was in the lead for the Art Ross Trophy. But if this is like most valuable player, and they make the playoffs, does he have a case? - That's a tough one. Just because how, you know, and it's how there needs to be a serious conversation on how this is judged, the heart trophy, and most of the trophies that aren't, you know, points based, because it seems to me like we're 50 games in, and everybody picks a winner, and then it's like, well, this is the winner. And then the last 32 games don't matter, you know, it kind of happened a little bit with the Calder Trophy, and it happened with the Norris. And rightfully so, I think Quinn Hughes still wins the Norris, and I think, you know, Badard wins the Calder Trophy. But the fact that we're just like locking these things up at Game 50 win, to your point, like Crosby could make a case, you know, Austin Matthews has a case, Roman Yoshi has a case, do I think they get it? No, because I do think Nikita Kuchrop has done, I mean, I think without him for that stretch of the season, I mean, they're a lottery pick team borderline, and then they've kind of figured it out post deadline with some great trades. But what he's done in Tampa this year is just insanity. So I think Crosby, I would, if he drags them in the playoffs on this run he's been on, which has been, you know, he didn't have any points last night, but he was, he's just been on absolute fire. And I think it's something like, he's got like over, he's got like 18 points in, in like 11 games, which is just not at his, at his stage of his career to be producing this much and this efficiently. So I'd love to talk about him because I just have such a respect and admiration for him. And, and, but do I think you merits it over McDavid, McKinnon, Kuchrop? No. Yeah, I'm there with you. I almost wonder if, and I think the answer is probably one of the guys who's going to win the heart will win this award too, but I could see him getting more love for like the Ted Lindsey among the players of respect that way than I could among the heart. Like, well, what do you make of that in terms of just the way he is still viewed? Because I mean, you know, he's done the ultimate thing, right? Like, it's like there is now, there are now guys in the league who grew up idolizing Crosby and watching him play, and he's still putting up point-per-game seasons. Like, I almost look at it as he could, he could make a, not a better case because it's the same award, basically, but I could see him having a better shot almost at the Ted Lindsey than the heart. It's another Lindsey kind of said something I was on in a challenge with Bill Lindsey. And, you know, when Crosby came to the league, he was given the mantle of like the league ambassador, you know, the guy to usher in the new era, and he's done that for years. And, you know, I think he's released a little bit of it to, you know, guys like McKenna and McDavid, who have now have to take it over. But he's just done it for, you know, 19 years. And it's absolutely incredible, and I hate the guy, and I would hit him with my car because he's so darn good. He's just so darn good, and he's just so amazing night in and night out, and his skill level is how he thinks the game is just off the charts, even at this age, and he still looks pry. He still looks like he gets out of bed and he's not sore, so it's amazing what he does to take care of his body. And I mean, I could see, I'm interested actually this year to see the Ted Lindsey Award, what takes out of it, because it's not clear cuts for Ted Lindsey because guys think a little bit differently, because, you know, somebody like, you know, like I, just for an example, like if I were to vote on the Norris this year, I'd probably take Roman Yoshi, but I think of it differently than somebody that might take, you know, a guy in the NHL might say, no, it's Quinn Hughes, so I just feel like it's so tight all over the board for the Ted Lindsey, so it's going to be interesting to see who gets picked. I'm assuming Kucharov will get it too. If he wins the Iraq, I think it'll be a Kucharov year in terms of trophies. Yeah, I guess. I mean, the Austin Matthews could still score 70, and that was the thing. We all kind of shook hands, and I'll midway through the season. If Austin Matthews scores 70, don't you have to give him another heart? Because that's what we said when he was the first guy to break through the 60 goal plateau of this generation. And are we not there anymore? It feels like we've kind of moved on. It's like, ah, 70. It's no big deal anymore. Yeah, well, I think we all said 70. Well, we, like I've said, if he gets 70, he's like, you know, of course, he's definitely in the conversation. And, you know, he's seriously considered. It's just so hard with watching what McKinnon and, and I would probably say now it's almost a two horse race. I got to see what Connor does next few games, but they've kind of faltered a little bit the last few games. Two nine points this weekend coming, by the way. Yeah. Oh, man. There's some big points on the, on the horse. I mean, the West is dead. But, you know, the eight, the eight teams are set, but it's not really set within, within how it's going to shake up. And, but to get back to Austin, it's, it's, it's just hard to deny what Putra has done. And McKinnon, you know, those two, like, it's just, it's so tough. Like what they did. No, you can deny 70 goals. Well, let's just deny it. Let's deny it. Let's, you know, let's say 75. Let's all shake hands here if he gets 75. 75 is the new bar. What I, what I want, forget the heart. I want the annual who Jason Demers would hit with his car award. You mentioned that earlier. I would like to go back through all the years of your career and see who you would have handed that out to. Cause I feel like, I feel like there's a wide breadth of player in that. Like I feel like there's some guys who are Fringey NHLers. I'm super stars that have got that award throughout the years. Yeah. Typically a guy that, you know, I, I love to hate, you know, I, I love Sydney Crosby. I just hate him because he's so darn good. So I just would hit him with my heart. I mean, it's funny, you know, we, we try to break the heart trophy down into a million different things. And it's like point per game or big goal or just a guy, the captain. I like that award criteria better. It's just like you don't like them would hit them with your car, you know, in theory, not in actuality. You mentioned Kucharov there. What the lightning are doing for once? I don't have to be terrified of this is a guy who watches and cares about the Toronto Maple Leafs. This gets to be someone else's problem now. But God, what a problem it feels like they're going to be. I mean, I don't know that they'll be favored in any series that they're in, but I don't know that they should be underdogs against just about anybody in this league. How terrifying a proposition is it for whoever ends up drawing Tampa that they seem to be finding it? Oh, I mean, be scared of the Tampa Bay Lightning right now. Like I've watched them kind of closely. Like they're, they're fine. They found out their game and those, I say, I kind of said, other than Carolina grading for Kucharov and Gentsil. I mean, I think Tampa wins the trade because Duclair and Dumba just, it was like a switch flipped on this team when they got that depth. And they've been scary. Now, you know, especially having Tanner, you know, come back now. I don't know if Tanner, you know, hurt for a little bit after that time. Yeah. That didn't seem nice. No, he kind of got, it looked like a car right on the temple chain. I bet Tanner, you know, wants to hit Ryan Reeves in this car right now. That's what I think car might be in rough shape though, if that were to happen. You know, credit to him for going with Reeve. They're not the same weight class, but he hung in there. But, you know, you're not, you're tired to hang typically when you hang in there with your kids, you're getting hurt. So, you know, but yeah, I mean, I don't think it's not Toronto's problem either though, because like they're nipping on Toronto's heels. Like Toronto could potentially, that one, two, three spot isn't sown up in the east with Tampa playing the way they're playing. Yeah. But does that really matter? Like, okay, I guess you can make the argument Leafs catching the Panthers and having home ice advantage matters. But like, if you're the Leafs, do you care whether you play the Panthers against the Bruins, which is likely what it's going to come down to, whether they finish third in the Atlantic or finish in that top wild card spot, I suppose, or it could be the Rangers, like, I don't know, take your pick. You're starting every series on the road. Do the Leafs, should they really care whether they finish third or in that wild card spot? I would, I would, I would want, and this might be a hot take. I would probably want Florida right now. Yeah. If I'm Toronto, I watched the last game against them. And yeah, I know Florida is a little sick. But Toronto's not scared of Florida right now. And I think they have a chip on the shoulder. And I think for them, I just don't know what the Bruins, like, the Bruins is frustrate Toronto with that structure. And it just doesn't seem to work. And I just don't know the playoff series. And I wouldn't want New York from Toronto because I think New York walks all over, walks all over them in the playoff series. I just think we should start again. And that Ford group up front, I think it's a little tough. So for me, like, I just feel like, and it's funny to say is to say, Florida's the team you want to go for. But I feel like Florida's not surprising anybody this year. Everybody knows who they are. So it's not like this big. Oh, they make it a DHC. No, they have some pressure now. And I think Toronto's figured out kind of how to play them and the formula for them. And, you know, I'm not afraid because I like the depths of Toronto more than I have in the past. And they're a lot more gritty on the back end than they have been in the past. So I think that's going to be a benefit. And the team, like Florida, who has no rush game and they're just a dump and chase team. Well, you need heavy D and you need heavy forwards that can kind of break the puck out. So, you know, for them to get Florida, just think it matches as well. So for me, I'm like, I think you got to worry about getting that three or two spot. But with Tampa just flying right now, I don't know how it's going to finish. So it's going to be interesting. Yeah, they look so good. And they're doing the thing. I don't know, like both those Florida teams have done so well towards the playoffs is just getting mad about anything and everything like last. I don't know if you saw this. But last night, Stamkos ran into Haggle, caused him to leave the room. And guess what? Everyone on Tampa just jumped Wi-Fi, who was the closest guy in Montreal around. Because why not be offended by something? The Leafs seem to have a little more of that. I don't want to overstate it. They're not the Broad Street bullies. They never will be. So long as the core of this team is the core of this team. But how important is it that they do seem to have? It's not just that they're yappier. They do seem tougher. Like, obviously, the Domi and Bertuzzi and obviously Ryan Reeves adds to that. But even just some of the fringe of your players on the lineup seem to be a little more comfortable in a kind of rough and tumble playoff style game. Are you seeing that as well? Yeah, you need to be. Because if I'm the Toronto Maple Leafs, you're the Toronto Maple Leafs around the league a little bit in terms of no one takes it seriously. And outside of Toronto. Some leaf fans want to run you over with their car right now. Yeah, you're winning the award right now. But this is a little bit of hard truth for them. So it's like, I'm glad that they've finally kind of taken it. And it kind of all stemmed from that Morgan Riley play. You know, Morgan Riley said enough to knock time. He went. He went and took that suspension. And then it like the switch flipped on this team. And they're playing tough ground. It's like, it's fun to watch. I mean, I watched McCabe play in Buffalo. And he played top and you know, he plays hard in Chicago too. But I'm seeing some of him. He's taken another step defensively and also just shorten that. Listen, when you come to Toronto, it's a hard place to play. And when you go on the road, it's just the same. We have fans that travel well. We have a bunch of home home barns all over the all over the league. And we're just going to take it to you. So and that that's allows room to be open for Austin. You know, slick, Willie. Guys like that that get Marner when he's back in tomorrow. So these guys can go and do their offensive stuff because they know they got these guys that are. You know, the Bobby McMahon, the, the vertices are going to be so huge in the playoffs. And I think fans are going to fall in love with them come play off time. And then, you know, Jeremy's been phenomenal for them. Filling in when guys have been injured. So and he's got that mean street. So it's just kind of everybody's doing the role. And it seems like the identity certainly gets shaped out nice for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Which is a good thing because for years it was like, who are they? What are they doing? There's no jam. There's no jam come play off time. Everybody's just kind of laughing and they think they're cool. And it's like, now it's like, okay, it looks like they got a chip on the shoulder. And they finally kind of had that breaking point of enough enough. Yeah. And we'll see if it translates in the postseason. Well, you know, that's a big thing is come play off time. You can act tough in the season, but everybody's tough come play off time. Yeah. And also, yeah, you don't want to find yourself killing penalties. And I know the penalty kill has been better recently. But if there was a thing that you'd be most afraid of being there undoing, I think it would be killing off some penalties. I mean, speaking of some rough stuff, we saw that incredible scene at MSG the other night between the devils and Rangers. Listen, you work for NHL Network now, so you would know. But the fact that there was no supplemental discipline handed down to anybody, including the head coaches involved, is that the NHL explicitly saying the thing that is so very true that that was just sweet. They should have done reverse finds and given everyone involved a $5,000 bonus is what they should have done. Yeah, hockey hockey is hot right now. Yeah. On the streets. And fighting is back and God, God started. I retired a year too early because that have been this. It's fun again, which is great. It's, uh, it's kind of amazing. I think that rivalry and, you know, jerseys out of it, but for them to kind of step up for their teammate and then everybody grabs dance partner. I mean, that's what's just amazing about hockey and I don't care who you are and hockey fighting belongs in the game. And it is what it is. And there's obviously precautions to take. So guys, safety is valued, but it's just part of the culture of the game. And it's what makes it amazing. And look at, look at what rent he's done in the short time, how he's just galvanized that city and become a cult hero. Off of, you know, he's played maybe two minutes a night. So it's just amazing how a guy like that can be more valuable than a advantage at or a Panerian on that team in terms of fans loving them. So it's, it's amazing. So it's, it's a cool scene to see. And when people kind of say, oh, fighting as a blog and hockey, I'm like, just go watch that clip and go see how loud MSG was. And even the time before that, like you couldn't even hear it. You couldn't hear anything. You can hear yourself thinking there because people are just going bananas. And they, you know, it's the last kind of gladiators, which is an interesting. It's fun to see and I'm glad it happened. It was nice to kind of, I wish the camera guy would have zoomed out a little bit. He was kind of missed a few fights. So it was a little more upset with that. He was trying to do a, he was trying to do like a Blair Witch thing or something. And he just zoom out. We start, we start bringing the wheel and just zoom out. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, we had to wait until like the after that game to get the like, yeah, the overhead footage. Yeah, like in the moment. Yeah. Go bird dive view and let's let it ride or zoom in on rent. Yeah, but it doesn't happen enough. That's why, like, yeah, the TV producers, yeah, or directors. Yeah, they're like, what do we do here? Yeah. Yeah. Can you, can you imagine the freak out in that control room? Yeah, just a lot of that. Yeah. Yeah, they would have been wise. Give me wide. Give me wide angle. Yeah. Anyways, we should all be TV directors. I think we'll come smart. We all are. It's easy. It's so easy. All right, Jason. This was an absolute pleasure. Have a great weekend. Thanks. Hey, all right guys. Take care. Appreciate you. Yeah. Don't get run over by car. Jason Demers, analyst for NHL Network. I'm sorry, I've given out that award. Just like every Monday, the person I would most like to hit with my car after the weekend. I know. I already know who yours is already. Like preemptively, it's John Schneider. Oh, I was going to, like, in the NHL? Like, oh, no, no, no, no. No, I don't want to run John Schneider over. Well, so Jason Demers does when he doesn't like people. Yeah. And you don't dislike John Schneider. You dislike the decision not to put Davis in. Yeah. Maybe he's your avatar for the decisions. Oh, hold on. I thought I've been the one kind of banging that drum and you've said no, he has to wear it. He does have to wear it. It's part of the drum. But yeah, it's, I do sympathize a little bit with him. Okay. But yeah, to my point about the NHL implicitly saying, as sweet, like everybody, here's what they could have done. He can suspend or find whoever you want out of that thing. And I don't know. They can do it all the time. Yeah. I guess the George Parris was supposed to be at arm's length, but the NHL, like, if they wanted to send a message to the world, not to the NHL and not to play, but to the world, it's like, I know this thing took off and it was on everybody's phone and you couldn't. It was like the sports story of the night. This is not what we're about. And here's why these guys are fine, bad boys, guess what they didn't do. None of that. That. God. Oh my God. Thank you. As he mentioned also, just like, as Damair said, it's like that guy, Renpe, as big a star, as bread man, as Sabina Jad in New York, what would Matt Renpe look like if he was a leaf? Like Ryan Reeves is beloved, but it was very much understood. This was part of it. There was also the start of the season, which it was very much not beloved. But part of the Renpe appeal is that it came out of nowhere. This is a sixth round pick from the 2020 draft. Okay. You imagine if the Leafs had that creature just appearing out of nowhere on the fourth line and he's forjacking and he's fighting the way he did like. We thought like again, Ilya McKay have got soup commercials and he just said, I like soup. I want it. And then he got soup. That was it. It was just like, it's kind of hot out. I'd still want some soup. Give it to me. And he got soup commercials. Some of Benoit that they're already sponsored by milk, yeah, I feel like he should like, yeah, he should have got a cut of that. Yeah. A little taste. Well, I mean, yeah, I mean. Not a taste of milk either. Like a real financial taste. Yeah, he should appear in some of those milk commercials, maybe like a return to the Callettes. There's some element to that also though. It's like, I don't know, Ontario dairy farmers, Quebec guy. I don't know. It's tough. I don't know. I don't know how that works. Maybe they want to run them over with their cars. Or it's like they claim him and it's like, we got your guy. One of us. One of us. That was perfectly unhinged late end of the week. Good job, Ben. That's a good smokers' cough you have as well for a non-smoker. That's great. There's no nothing to say about it. No, there's not. The show is over. It's been the bad morning show that has spread guns for so far. Good morning. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] (dramatic music)
