[MUSIC] >> Fan Morning Show Sports at 5.9 of the fan, Ben and his friend, Gunning. That was Chris Bassett after an impressive performance through what? >> I mean, should be considered now. >> We should, we do the like goals adjusted by era thing in the NHL. >> Sure. >> Pitch is adjusted by era. >> 500. >> A million pitches yesterday. >> Might still be throwing them. I mean, how often, I need someone, I should actually email Sports at Stats there. They might be getting sick of my emails. >> That's Alan. >> They might be getting irritated because I do email them. >> It's their job, man. >> I feel guilty doing it, but you should continue. I mean, how many times last season did a starter throw 100 pitches, complete an inning, and then come back and start the next inning? Like, I feel like it's single digit times. Maybe that's extreme, but like it's not. >> 100 times? >> Certainly not. >> Each team plays 162 games. >> Yeah. >> I'm saying that that's probably a very, very small part of a starter equation. >> Yeah, right. >> Is the ability to do that. And it comes after John Schneider was booed after removing Jose burrios from a game in which he had thrown over 100 pitches and we're like, yeah, that makes fun. That makes perfect sense, that's fine. Blue Jays score five runs in consecutive games at home as they are unbeaten. And all things are relative. So for the Blue Jays, the offense, it feels like an offensive explosion. 22 hits and 10 runs in two games. Also, last year, relative failure for the Blue Jays, winning 89 games, getting into the postseason and not winning a postseason game. Man, I direct your attention to the Seattle Mariners who, of course, beat the Blue Jays in a postseason series just a couple of years ago. >> I recall. >> But them getting into that postseason was their first postseason appearance in more than 20 years, right? Subsequently, they won one fewer game than the Blue Jays did last year. They only won 88. They missed the postseason and here they are again, they entered this series with the exact same record as the Blue Jays at four and six in its early days. But now with two losses in the first two games of this series, find themselves at four and eight. And yeah, the Astros are also four and eight, but I think people have fewer question marks around the Astros than they do about the Mariners. Mariners fans rightly are freaking out. And this after their general manager said, we're just in it. So win like a certain percentage of games, not to win championships. >> Yeah, I mean, we, the guy you saw in this series already in Castillo, I mean, he was nails in that playoff game a couple of years ago, but it has not been that guy for them this year. I don't think he's going to fall off the face of the earth. But we know starting pitching is, you know, some, I mean, consistency in baseball is basically an impossibility day to day. But even like starting pitching, it's, if they, it's a similar conversation of what we're having about the Blue Jays, the idea that a little bit of diminishing return from each one of those guys can really, really hamper the effects of your season. And thankfully we haven't seen that with the Blue Jays thus far. And you are seeing that in Seattle. >> Yeah. And they need Julio Rodriguez to figure it out. It's early days. >> That would help. >> Yeah. Boboshette seemingly figuring it out for the Blue Jays early on this season. Let's talk to Dan Shulman, voice the Blue Jays. How's it going, Dan? >> Good. I'm just, I'm a little worried about you. There was a very reactive tweet from you yesterday. And I wanted to make sure you're okay. >> Honestly, I don't remember what it was. >> I know, because there are so many reactive tweets from you. >> Oh, what now? John Schneider going to let everybody throw 200 pitches so he doesn't get food. >> That wasn't just Dan. That wasn't just maybe. >> Oh, the smiley emoji didn't make it out of my head. [ Laughter ] >> Okay. So I raised it. >> Good morning to you. >> Good morning, Dan. All right. To that point, how many times do you think it happened last season? And I'm going to endeavor to find out the answer from our great people of sports and stats today. But how many times do you think last season a starter threw 100 pitches, completed an inning, and then started the next inning? >> Yeah, probably not many. And Buck and I, I don't think we didn't say it on the air, but like when he walked off the mound after the six innings, and we went into the break, I filled out my scorecard, like six innings, five hits, whatever it was, one run, eight strikeout, like I thought he was done, and I guess a lesson to me, like wait until the move is made before filling out your scorecard, but obviously he felt, he said after the game, he felt great, and I think, I don't know, I heard Schneider and Baston on the drive home. I heard the stuff, you know, on Blair, on the Jay's talk, and I can't remember which one of them said, but obviously they were a little thin in the bullpen, and I think that had something to do with it as well, and, you know, maybe Schneider said to Baston, hey, we don't have Jimmy Garcia tonight, can you give us two more outs or three more outs? But I was surprised, and 115 pitches is the most thrown by any starter in baseball, only 10, 11 days into the season, whatever it is, but yeah, I was surprised, but he, he did a great job. I mean, you know, he walked a few guys early, and he didn't look quite right the first two or three innings, and then he just got better and better as the night went along. Yeah, he did, and I think, I think that has to, at least for me, factor into the equation as well. You know, you got to deal with the person that's out there as well as on top of the athlete, and I think that with Baston, I mean, you know, we talk about all these different starting pitchers, they're all a little bit different. I mean, Baston is the guy who does it the most with Guile and Spitt to know how and, you know, great. Not Spitt, that's illegal. Oh, you're right. Not Spitt. I can't say that one in baseball, that's a bad one. You're right. I wonder what element of it for Schneider, and, again, I think the things we've already listed are more prevalent in this conversation, but I wonder what element of it is, again, you heard Baston saying he's not been happy with two of his three starts. How much of it do you think there was some element of wanting to let him kind of battle through it and stamp home the great start that he did have? Again, I don't think it's the prevailing reason, but I wonder if that kind of entered the equation as well. It might have. I think there's a lot of trust with Baston. I think if Chris Bassett looks Pete Walker or John Schneider with the eyes and says, "I'm good," I think that's good enough for that. I don't think they need to follow up and follow up and follow up. I think he might be number one on the staff in terms of that trust factor. So, you know, he's been around a long time, and he's not going to jeopardize himself and I don't think he would have said he could have gone out there if he didn't think he could go out there again. So, I mean, even if he had finished after six, like we all thought he would have- Yeah, it's great start. Yeah, I think it's a great start. That puts a stamp on it and kind of puts together two in the rear view mirror anyway. So, but I think it was just a combination of how he was feeling, how he was doing, and the fact that they were a little fan of the pen. Yeah. Also bizarre that earlier in that game, in that start, he was in conversation with the trainer and Pete Walker and John Schneider, I said, "I have to go to bed immediately following the game." So, I didn't see any- did you see anything as to why or what was happening during that conversation? That was a weird one. No, I didn't see anything. It'll be a question I asked when I get down there today. You know, Buck made the point he's exactly right. Like, it could have been an upset stomach, it could have been a headache, like we don't know, right? Oh, flu game. Yeah, who knows? Yeah, yeah. But whenever you see a starting pitcher, trainer, pitching coach, and manager all standing in the same place, you know, they're obviously having a conversation about something. But again, if Chris Bassett said, "Yeah, I'm good," then he was good. If it was something that warranted him coming out of the game, I'm sure it would have. So, but whatever it was, it sure didn't seem like it was bothering him late. And when I was impressed with it, he's not a velocity guy. Like, he's definitely a location change speed guys, we all know that. But he hit 94, even 95 a few times with his fastball later in the game, like fifth, sixth inning. So, you know, Seattle's not the 27 Yankees, we know that, but they've got some dangerous hitters. And I thought it was a great performance. Yeah, they're supposed to be better than this, though. They do have a great starting staff. And boy, you looked at the pitching matchups, despite the inflated ERA that Luis Castillo had, and you're like, "Oh, this Blue Jays team, the way they've swung the bats coming into the series, that's going to be a tough test." And they've only scored five runs a game, but 22 hits in the first two games. What have you thought of the offense since they've gotten home? Much better. And like five runs a game would be great if they scored five runs a game for the rest of the season. They'd have a great season. So, you know, the first 10 games or so, they scored eight or more three times, but three or fewer seven times. So, and it's really hard to win games two to one, three to two, that sort of thing. So I thought, you know, five runs and double-digit hits, two nights in a row was great. I think they drew a bunch of walks in the first game, which has been a strength of theirs this year. They just have a capitalize, but I know they had four hits with runners in scoring position in the first game. Last night, and I don't know if you were watching it this morning time, especially I think it was the third inning, the Springer inning, the foul balls. Like it was, and it's the first thing I'm going to ask George about, like that's got to be as gratifying, rewarding, and as bad as a guy can have, you know, George Kirby's got really good stuff, and George Springer fouled off eight consecutive pitches in that at bat. So obviously, the last six were in a two-strike count, and he's just extending me at bat, poor old Dalton Varshos run into second every time and getting worn out on the play. And then George pays it off by getting a base hit, and I think they fouled off 16 pitches in that inning, and that's not who we, you know, that's not what we associate them with them being, you know, a lot, but I thought that George Springer about was the most important at bat in the game, one of the most important at bat, so they've had it this season. I thought it was great, and, you know, every night's different. Sometimes you get hit with men on base, sometimes you don't, sometimes you chase, sometimes you don't. But last night, the theme to me was just prolonging at bats and making it very, very difficult on George Kirby in the first few innings. Yeah, you see that in spades, and, you know, not that Springer wouldn't have felt gratified with that at bat, regardless with the way it finished, but the fact the bow, you know, brings him home later on in the inning, like it does just, it stamps home the message that you, or the message you're looking to take out of it. You know, we, we talk, you mentioned Varsho there, obviously a lot's been made of his place in the lineup. He's batting ninth last night, but, you know, comes through with the hit when they need it, finds himself on base in other, in other instances. What do you make of the way they're, they're using him? I mean, easy enough last night, Kure Meyer gets the day off, you pop him over to center and Schneider comes in to left. What do you think, or maybe this is a better way to phrase it, do you think there has been a slight change, or a change, even a slight one in the plan for Varsho this year already? Yeah, and I think this is a fluid situation for everybody, like, you know, going back to the spring, and I would, off the top of my head, I think opening day, I think Varsho was fifth, Kure Meyer was seventh, and Visio was ninth, and, you know, and we all do it. You guys do it. I do it. Fans do it. Everybody does it. We spent a lot of time talking about the opening day roster, the opening day lineup, and the order of the rotation. And then two weeks in, like everything has changed because that's the way baseball works. So what I think they're doing is responding to, you know, to how guys are playing, right? So you hit more, you move up in the lineup, you hit less, you move down, or you sit every now and again. So I think it's fine. I think Varsho is fine with it, like everybody understands, and, you know, the flip side of the coin is, look where Visio is right now. He's hitting fifth, unless Schneider's in there, and then he's hitting six. And that's because he's earned the right to do it because he's having good at that. So I think what they're doing, you know, you've got Springer Guerrero, Bechette Turner, obviously one, two, three, four, they are mainstays. Yes, Springer and Turner will get the odd day off, but those guys more often than Otter one through four. And then everybody else, Schneider, Visio, Kiner, Folefa, Varsho, Kiermeyer, Clemente. Those six guys, usually four of them are in the lineup at any given night, and what they're doing is a combination of hot hand and match ups, and that's how they decide who's in the lineup. And then I sing at Buck and I talked to them the last night is if you're one of the two guys in that group who's not in the game, chances are you're getting in at some point. So I think they're keeping guys fresh, but they're also preventing them from getting rusty. And it's the kind of team this year where they have to play the hot hand and play the match up. And the guys got a great high fastball and a certain hitter's not good against a high fastball. He probably doesn't play, but I don't think they want guys to sit for too long either. So I think right now they're kind of getting in a groove, figuring out who they are as a team and then trying to set the batting order appropriately every day. You mentioned the idea of keeping guys fresh, keeping them engaged. I think the person, at least when it comes to keeping them fresh, that it's going to be the trickiest dance with is Justin Turner. I mean, he started out the season one way in Boston. Now he was heard at the end of it, but it also ended different. You want to make sure there's some tread on the tires by the time the, the season, you know, gets to September. How much do you think they have again, just like with Varsho kind of altered their plan there? There was talk of 10 days in the field. We've already seen a couple of them this year. How do you think they'll balance the idea of putting their best offensive lineup forward, which may very well need Justin Turner to play the field to do it versus kind of keeping him fresh and having this version of Turner for, you know, August, September, right? So, you know, the better guys like Kynar, Philetha and Visio and even Varsho and Clemente, the better those guys hit, then probably the less likely they are to put Justin Turner at third base. We haven't, I don't have, we've seen, I don't think we've seen Turner at first base, right? I think we haven't. Not yet. No, right. And that could happen today. Right. Day game, after night game kind of thing. So you're right. It is a balance. It's a defense comes into the equation, offense comes into the equation, rest comes into the equation, who's pitching for the blue jakes comes into the equation? There are certain pictures that they deem to be more ground ball guys and you're more likely to see Clemente or Kynar, Philetha at third base. But if it's a strikeout guy or a fly ball guy, like if it's kukuchi or gauzman, I think you're more likely, you know, Turner is more likely to be a third base with those guys on the mound than he is maybe with burrios or Bassett. So the Turner rest thing is kind of connected to the Springer rest thing. So if and I think it was Sunday, I believe Turner didn't start. So Springer was deaching again, day game, after night game, now one o'clock after seven o'clock, today's three o'clock after seven o'clock. But if Springer's deaching, then either assuming glad he's at first, then Turner's either at third or he's not in the lineup. So he was not in the starting lineup on Sunday. So again, nothing is an isolation, I know, and I'm guilty of it too. Why isn't X doing this with Y? Well, because ABCBE is also a part of this conversation. So I actually think they're doing a nice job. Again, they're still figuring out who they are, right? You know, how much is Kynar, Philetha going to hit? And by the way, he's hitting pre-13 right now. So he's just getting his hits, right? I mean, is he going to hit 18 home runs this year? Probably not, but he's getting his hits right now and we all know he's a good defender. So they're figuring out who they are. You know, David Schneider is a big part of the equation because they can bounce guys all over the field. There's a number of different ways they can do it. And I still think they're learning about themselves and evolving. And I think they're doing a nice job balancing offense, defense, rest, rust, all those sort of things. Yeah, it is. It does feel like a very fluid lineup on a day to day basis. So this afternoon, starter, you say kakuchi. I think when you evaluate, hey, how, you know, there was a belief, especially the front office espouses explicitly that they believe there was internal improvements like internal improvements that could make this Blue Jays offense a lot better than the one a season ago. But yeah, that was countered with, well, man, look how healthy and how great that rotation was a season ago. Can they replicate that? And you say kakuchi at the age of 32 had a career best season. But he replicate that. And boy, it just, it feels like, Dan, and I want your opinion on this, it feels like the pitch clock made all the difference in the world that this is now the you say kakuchi we can expect. Like I, I think this is, this is real what we've seen now for more than a year. Yeah. I think so. I mean, the first start of this year did worry me a little bit. It was a high pitch count game and his command wasn't very good. I always get a little bit worried about his command, you know, at the start spring in the fastball. And it wasn't terrible. You walk three in four and a third. I mean, it's not great, but it's not terrible. But then he was terrific against the Yankees. I thought just terrific. And that was a big game. And so yeah, I think they've got a pretty good idea of what they have. And I think they are very confident in them. Like sometimes you see, you know, we all see the sound bites and the stuff that's said into the cameras. And then, but sometimes I, you know, wander up to somebody privately and say, so they, you know, when you ask Apollo what question just kind of you and me and everybody really, really believes that he has turned a corner here. And I mean, he was really good last year. Like he didn't turn a corner for the last six starts of the season or anything like that. He was, he was pretty consistent. What he, what he is not going to be is a seven, eight inning guy. He just, he does throw too many pitches for that unless things are drastically going to change. You know, like burrios basset can get outs on a couple of pitches, right? Get ahead. Oh, and one, get a ground ball. Gosman can strike you out in three or four pitches. Kukuchi, that's, it's a lot of two and two counts and high pitch counts. So I think he's going to be a five, six inning guy, which is going to put a little bit extra of a burden on the bullpen. That's what he was last year. And I think if you asked anybody, how do you feel about, you say kukuchi last year, they'd say, great. Like we'd sign up for the same thing in a heartbeat right now for 2024. So I think they're in a good spot. I think the rotation is going to be fine. If they can duplicate last night's numbers, as you said, that's a big ask. But if they can get 90% of the way there, that's pretty good. And I think we all hope to get more out of the fifth spot this year than they got last year, whatever that means, whoever that is, we don't know. So, you know, hopefully on balance, if the fifth spot is better, then maybe the rotation overall is just as good. And if there is internal improvement in the offense, then that's the pathway I see to them winning a few more games this year. Yeah. And boy, it's only two games, but it feels like those two victories in the offense looking the way it did in those two games against the Mariners. At least I can tell you from my perspective, as far as my Twitter mentions are concerned, it's much better today, Dan. Like I went to the thing where the like the food tasting and like everything great, showing people the new ballpark before it opened, and like I'm just tweeting it like just nice pictures of a baseball stadium and just horrible, horrible replies in my mentions. It feels like, you know, like maybe a pressure release has happened the last two days. You know, and I was afraid on Monday when the eclipse happened that it just might never on a clip. And I see it too. I would guess I don't look at mentions as much as you look at mentions, but I see it too, obviously. And you know, again, we should all remember that that is not necessarily representative of the knock duration as a whole. I mean, I'll tell you the people I meet and done eat them. It's the opposite. I've never met happier, more positive Blue Jays fans in the world of the folks who travel down to Dunedin from wherever they come from in Canada to go see games. But but you're right. And you know, I don't follow the leaps or Raptors as closely as the Blue Jays, obviously because I work on this every day, but it seems like the emotional roller coaster, the everyday nature of baseball, you know, you lose one game. The sky is falling. You win a couple of games. Hey, I can see the light again and it's it's I get it. I totally get it like I saw my dad do this for years and years and years where he he couldn't stop watching. Even if he wanted to, he loved them so much if they lost a couple of games. Why don't they do this? How could this be happening? And then I'd get a call the next morning and say, boy, the guys look great last night. You know, I did it's it's and this is how this is how people are and God love them for it because that's the reason the team is so popular and we all have jobs, right? So it's wonderful, but there are going to be all kinds of ups and downs and they play in a tough division, et cetera, et cetera, but they played well the last couple of days. They they they've hit well, they've pitched well, they've made some good defensive plays. I don't I don't remember a bad defensive play the last couple of nights. Maybe I'm missing one, but Buck and I were talking about red stars two nights ago, we chat four or five in our scorebook. They've just played a Chris brand of baseball the last couple of days and you know, it's not an excuse, but you start with can't be used in New York. That's a tough way to start. So how are you going to win 90 games? You got to beat up on the teams you're supposed to beat. So do well against Seattle, hopefully do well against you got to do well against Colorado because then the Yankees are coming in after that. Right. So it's been a good couple of days, but but as you said, then things can change quickly and let's hope they keep trending in a positive direction. Yeah. Yeah, nothing worth doing is easy anyways. Yeah. Yeah. Dan, always a pleasure. Thanks. All right, guys. Have a great day. You too. Daniel and voice of the Blue Jays getting set for an afternoon game down at the ballpark Blue Jays and Mariners wrapping up their three game series before and off day tomorrow. I want to pick up on what he said there about the just like nature of sports and how baseball like baseball is the ultimate. You live by it or you die by it because I'm sitting here listening to him layout that argument of unlike the Leafs or Raptors, it's like you got to get right back in it. Boy, feels like 100 years sometimes between like if the Leafs lose on a Monday and they don't play again till Thursday. It might we might as well have 800 news cycles. And now again, at least in baseball now, sometimes you get a chance to go out there and it's just doubling down on more of the same and it it ratchets up and that's what I think he's lending itself to. But it is interesting that like you do get a chance to reset the conversation every day as opposed to those other sports. I mean football obviously is the complete opposite of this where there's just once a week. That's why it had so much import. But yeah, it's I don't know what you prefer. Like if you're a good team, obviously you prefer. Yeah, let me get out there and rectify this. But if it's a bad team, the like lingering thought of it every day, I mean, it's Wednesday today. Yeah. Sunday night, it was this is the worst team I've ever seen. Like they're never going to score another run. Like this is the worst offense in baseball. Here come 150 losses. Like yeah, I recall in a couple of wins against the Mariners, 22 hits. Dan's right to say that yeah, five runs a game obviously makes them like the best offense in the history of baseball, the Dodgers. But I'm just yeah, as a whole, considering the way it feels like it feels like they scored more than five runs. Like five runs is not an offense is an explosion. It's a great, great offensive game, but considering where this team was in the Bronx, and it should be said in terrible weather, returning home to the cozy confines of a closed Rogers center. Although like weather is like close enough. I mean, there's there's no conversation about them opening the roof today, right? Like 17 degrees, three o'clock. I don't, but they can't do it because they have to test it. And I don't know. Yeah. I don't really look at the forecast, but I did for whatever reason this morning and, and yeah, I was shocked at how warm it's supposed to be. Yeah. Probably roof closed. I would imagine. All right. Well, we'll come back. I bring back that Donaldson roof report. It's open. It's closed. It's good bit. I got to be honest. Good job game ops on that one. Yeah, he's available. How about do it live every day? Let's do it live. All right. Luke Fox as the fan morning show continues, Ben and his Brent Gunning Sportsnet 590, the fan. Diving deep into leaps, rafters, J's and NFL, the JD Bunken podcast, subscribe and download a show on Apple Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Let's talk to Luke Fox Sportsnet Leafs reporter. How's it going? Luke. It's going okay. I know Brent points out the one breakdown. I know. No, the Leafs just cruised through another team. Everything's going well and he pointed out the one goal again. Here's what it is, Luke, because I yesterday took to the mic with my impassioned defense for my sweet boy, Simone Benoit, saying how dare anyone think he'd be on the outside looking in. They've been the shut down pair all season long. I still believe all this. It was just a bad look and like, you know, I know they're not thinking about me when they blew their assignment there, but it's like, I just, I rode so hard for the pair on yesterday's show to have the game start like that. It was just not ideal for me. But yeah, that's not the thing I pull out most. But like all things in life, I do think about me being right more often than not. So they kind of did me dirty there, Luke. Well, it is interesting, right? Like who is going to be the quote unquote shut down pair? Like who's going to? I mean, even though Sheldon Keith says he doesn't have one in the traditional sense, someone's going to have to go against the panthers best lines, right? So it is the top of the conversation, especially with the unknown and when little grins going to get back in time and how that adjusts which six defense when they play. It's not the number one topic of conversation with four games remaining. It's going to be Matthew's score four more goals. And let me take you back to March 19th after the Maple Leafs lost four to three in Philadelphia to the Flyers. Austin Matthews was sitting on 55 goals with 15 games to go and I'll just tell you what I was thinking. I was like, well, that was fun. Like it's it's not likely to happen now. We're probably looking at a low mid 60s total, the 70 goal mark. That's just it's it's unfair to ask from this guy. Here we are now four in four is all he needs after 11 and his last 11. What were you thinking in the middle of March? Yeah, I think I was kind of doubting it. I mean, I've been keeping track of the pace just because it's so fascinating, right? I think I started looking at this around Christmas time because it's like, oh, this seems like it could be doable. And you know, there's been some some dips and there's been some surges, of course, like, you know, he had a ridiculous amount of hat tricks this season, but now we're down to four and four. This is a guy that got four and one his first one. So it's it's totally doable. It's totally doable right now. And the thing about it is it's not just do doable. He wants it. You can tell he wants it and everyone around him wants it like the team has rallied around this. We've been talking for a while about how there's not much meaning to these games. Especially when you're playing, you know, the New Jersey devil's twice a one week without Jack Hughes and just, oh, some of these teams are tough to watch as they play with the string here. So you're looking for meaning within that. And yeah, you want to do what the coach says, sharpen up your details and have, you know, quick shifts and get into the playoff rhythm. But really everyone around Matthews in that dressing room is rallying around 70. They want to be part of it. And it's cool. It's cool to be part of something that hasn't happened since the 90s, right? Since a lot of these guys were even born. So you know, if you're a fringe player and then, you know, whether you win a cup or not, you can always say what you after you retired. Yeah, I was on that team. I fed him a pass, right? I got a second area since on that year, Austin Matthews hit 70 like, I don't know that sports is supposed to be fun. And this is something fun for the next few days. And of course, the conversation is going to switch to can they win the round again? And how deep will they go? And what are the deep pairs in this? Sam's not really ready. All those conversations are going to happen. But for the next four games, how can, as a sports fan, how can you not get on board with this? So are we sure it's going to be four games? I mean, I'm positive the least will play that many. I don't think the NHL is just going to go, you know what? Don't worry about it. Just skip that back to back. No, I know they're going to. Are we positive? He is. It seems like the tenor around Keith, and this was a week ago when it was okay. Yeah, if he rips off a goal, a game for 10 more games, then we'll have this conversation. Well, all he's done between now and then is do that. It does feel like there's been a little bit of switch in the tenor and I don't know. Maybe it's just the creep closer and closer to this thing. The players want it more. But do you think and look, he's the head coach. He can do what they want. They're all big boys. But do you think Sheldon Keith can really sit him down in game 81 if he's sitting on 68 or 69 or for game 82? Like if the players want it so bad and he wants it so bad, you're not going to have a mutiny or anything if he goes against what the room wants. But how much do you have to take that into account as well? I think you really do and, you know, I hear the other side like, oh, you know, you got to do some load management and absolutely like the Leafs play game one next, like a week Saturday, there isn't going to be a ton of time between their final regular season game and their first playoff game, and that fair enough. But this is a 26 year old who plays a smart game who doesn't, you know, it's not like he's getting in dangerous areas or contact, but he's usually floating around the outside looking for his shots. You know, he's a smart guy. It's not like he plays a really risky game. He's not Andre Kosh out there. So the bubble for one game, if he's at 68 with two to go or 69 with one to go, I think it actually would be a detriment. I think it could deflate the room like, oh, we're not doing this anymore all of a sudden. I know I understand it, right? Load management, all this stuff. It's become very trendy right now. But I think there's been mode management by Keith in these games. He's been under 20 minutes for a bunch of games the last, you know, three, four weeks. And that was something that wasn't happening early in the season. So I think that's where we're seeing the load management. And I wouldn't have the guts as if I were head coach of the Leafs to go in there and say, I know we only got one more game. We'll go rest in the guy that you all want to see get 70, at least give him a shot to do it. Yeah, I'm with you. I just think that if that's the case, Sheldon Keith is a liar because like he told us that this doesn't matter as much as getting him ready for the postseason. And we know in his history, he's done this before, awesome Matthews got 60 in game 81. And guess what? Sitting down for game 82, we know he likes to do this with his star players last game of the season. We know given his brothers, he wants to sit awesome Matthews in game 82. I think it's the right move to let him try and score his 70th. But if he does it, he's going counter to what he told us. Well, and it would be the first time a head coach to see the media, right? No, it's fine. It's fine. He's just a liar. He's just a liar is all. No, no. I'm sure. Well, you know what he does? He wants him to get it over with so you can get worse. Of course. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, score four tomorrow. That's fine. Yeah. Well, I did find it interesting that he didn't like they're not going above and beyond. They want him to get the 70, but they're not. Like I said, they're not playing him extra that the devil's pulled the net with down two goals. I thought for sure they were going to find a way to throw Matthews over the boards to try and get an extra easy one into the empty net that proteges he got, but they didn't do it. So Keith is being pretty strict in, okay, we're going to, we're happy. We're all want to score goals, but it has to be it's not going to be at the sacrifice of crazy amounts of ice time and it's not going to be at the sacrifice of, hey, you can forget your defensive responsibilities because that's the other thing too here. Matthews has been excellent defensively over the course of what is now a 12 game point streak, a six game goal streak. It's really quite phenomenal that he's doing it within the confines of good team structure. Yeah, that's the thing I keep bringing up in all this because not that Austin Matthews defensive prowess gets understated, but I do sometimes think we have them in completely separate conversations. It's like he's a tremendous goal scorer. He's an amazing two way center. The fact that he does both of those on the, at the same time, every shift, that's what makes it again, like if he was floating at the red line scoring 66 goals, that would be impressive, but he's doing the exact opposite of that. And that's the thing that keeps kind of jumping out to me. One thing Keith talked about in the post game last night, he got asked about that top line how, oh, and I also just want to state like I'm with you. I would have liked to have seen him get out there and surprise Bertuzzi didn't try to pass it to him even though he was on the bench for that empty netter. If you're going to push to get him 70 push to get him 70, but he talked last night about how he felt like that line kind of overcame. I mean, the team is a whole, but specifically that line overcame a bit of a slow start and they managed to find it. And I wondered if that was him like forewarning himself because we know Keith has been want to in the past. You have a plan and then all of a sudden the game script kind of flips and all right, put the lines that I'm used to back together. I thought it was interesting that he mentioned how well that line was able to overcome a slow start. And if that means Keith is going to try as best as he can to overcome what I'm sure he ultimately in his heart of hearts wants to do. And that's put Marner back with Matthews. Yeah. It's really kind of fascinating how this is played out gunner because this was an accident, right? If Marner doesn't get hurt, this line probably does not exist. Keith had in his mind that he wanted to get Bertuzzi up with Matthews again at some point. You know, it started the season there was there was no chemistry whatsoever. Bertuzzi was was a mess for like five weeks. Bertuzzi found his game low a bit lower in the lineup. Actually, with Tavares, he started to get into it a little bit. And then it was always in the coaches mind. I want to try Bertuzzi with Matthews and it makes sense, right? Because Bertuzzi the net front guy causes chaos and Matthews is is more of a panther that kind of lurks and waits to strike. So you can see how maybe they would complement each other, but the dummy part of the factor, which has been a really positive development, doesn't happen if Marner doesn't go down. I don't think so he kind of stumbled into this. But those three guys, three completely different skill sets, they've really found it. And I like your point about how they didn't have it early, but they stuck with it. Bertuzzi ends up with two, Matthews ends up with one, the only just keeps piling assists. I think he doesn't even have 10 goals yet, he just gobbles up assists like crazy, most of them primary. And this really works. And I think Keith has shown restraint in not breaking it up and now that we're inching really close to the playoffs, I've always thought when push came to shove, game one, it's going to be Matthews and Marner back together. And this is kind of experimentation time, but they have such chemistry and such momentum. How do you break this up right now? And I think it's a real positive for the team as a whole because Marner and Tavares haven't quite clicked the way they have in the past, but if that can get going, then all of a sudden you really have something. Yeah, and especially starting a series off on the road, which it seems like is clear to happen in Florida against the Panthers, you don't control the matchups to be able to roll three lines out like they can. It would be quite a thing. It would be unique in this generation of Leafs hockey. The top three lines no longer include Matthew Nye's who gets bumped down to the fourth line. He did stand out those as a fourth line or yesterday, talked about like the return of Kelly Yarn croak and you know, if they, if they do want to emphasize the penalty killers with Connor Dewar in there, like who could be the odd man out? Is it possible it's Matthew Nye's? I don't think so because he hasn't been really healthy, scratched all season. There was one game he got sick. There was one game he got sick. And then he was healthy. He told us he was ready to play and he held him back one extra game because he was just like, you know what, just we got other bodies. Make sure you're 100% and then he loved his game after that short rest. But really he hasn't been on the bubble. He's always been in the mix. I would be surprised to see him to see him out, you know, and it's a shame because every time Nick Robertson pops back in the lineup, he scores a goal. But I still think the Keith has reluctant to start him in game one and I'm a firm believer that you need Ryan Reeves in game one because, you know, you know, you guys know how it is. Park Drop's first game of the playoffs and it's like must see TV because everyone's trying to send a message and set a tone and it's really wild and the series kind of finds its groove later and sinks into itself. But you know, you don't want to throw a kid like Robertson in that mix when you have the Ryan Reeves option. So I would put your bigger lineup out for game one for sure. And then just watch it play out, you know, can we do we need a goal more than we need a hit? Then maybe Robertson comes into the into the mix later. But I don't see Matthew Nye's and Keith actually raved about Nye's game. He drew two penalties, you know, he's gotten a few goals last few games. So I think it's been tough on Nye's, you know, I've had a lot of conversations with them. Just the amount of games see this is everyone has needs to remember this is a kid who's coming out of a college schedule, all of a sudden 82 games flying all over the country. It's taxing. He's had to learn a lot about how to manage the workload of the NHL schedule. But in saying that I think he's a big guy, I think he's a versatile guy. And I think he will easy won't be the odd man. Yeah, I'm with you there. It's not to say he can't find himself in that position depending on how the how the playoffs go. I think you look at the lines last night and you, you know, again, no, no fault of well, you know, a little fault of Noah Cracker, but no fault of Nick Robertson's. It's like, you just pop Revo on to the fourth line with Nye's camp and, and Reeves there. And then if Yarn Crock is healthy, you have him, Homburg and Kneelander and I just really kind of liked the way those lines kind of stack up and, and click there seems to be a little more of a question on Lillegrine where do we have an update on Yarn Crock? I just feel like he got hurt and he was eligible to come off on the eighth and we haven't heard much since then. Do we have much of an update on where he's at right now, Luke? Well, it's a hand and the update is on the weekend I asked Sheldon Keith about Lillegrine and Yarn Crock. Are they, is there any, how confident are you that they're going to get in a regular shooting game? And he kind of hesitated and said, uh, it's possible, but if it happens, it won't be till one of the final two games. So we're talking next week, Tuesday, Wednesday, they have a back to back Florida and Tampa. So if they squeeze into a game, it's one of those ones, but the way he said it didn't make me feel like it was a, a sure thing, they haven't even practiced with the team. And usually you see the guys out skating a, a few times with the whole group before they return to action, like Edmondson, you know, maybe he comes back Thursday or Saturday. He's been practicing with the team for, for about a week before that. So the fact that we haven't seen either of those guys with them, uh, makes me a little bit doubtful, to be honest. Yeah. And is it, is it fair to say that Lillegrine, it just seems like such a tougher ass to kind of plop him back in, whereas I, if I see a game out of Yarn Crock and, you know, it's, he seems fine. I'm, I'm wholly confident throwing him back in there. That just seems like such a tougher ask. One of a defenseman and two of a, you know, a younger, less experienced player in Timothy Lillegrine. Is that kind of your read on it as well? Yeah. Like if Yarn Crock is, is good enough to go game one, but not game 82. I'd say he's still in because the coach loves this guy. Trust them defensively. Uh, he's experienced guy who has some, you know, he's got playoff games under his belt. I, I think the coach would throw him right into the fire, Lillegrine, not so much, right? And, and, and it's a shame for, for him, if that happens, because it seems like every year they're developing, developing them every year, he has a stretch where he looks quite promising. And then when the playoffs start, he's in the press box. So it, from a, an individual standpoint, it would be disappointing. But when you look team wide and you look at your, your sweet boy, Ben, Juan there, uh, how do you think about, you can't, you can't do it. He hits everything that moves, uh, you know, he, he does this. He plays a playoff style, right, straight lines, get the puck out, simple things, you know, trying to stuff a cycle, lay the body, like take, you know, have some bruises that are still there for game two. That's kind of Ben wants style. So Lillegrine isn't up to speed. I don't see how you take that one out. But as we all know, you don't need six defense men. You don't need seven defense men. You don't need eight defense men. You don't need not, I don't know what, what the number is. You need like a million defense men when it comes to the postseason. So perhaps who we'll see to Marshall reply had a probably not that feels a little too far. Yeah. Yeah. That would, that would be interesting if that were the case, although looked okay in limited duty this season. All right. Uh, Luke, always a pleasure. Man, thanks for this. Okay. Thanks for having me guys. Goodbye. Luke Fox sports net Leafs reporter fine. You're good. Guys, thanks for talking to me. Weird. Lovely. Well, you're fine. You're welcome. Okay. Good. I will say I, not that anyone wants to see this. If Marshall Rafi ends up in a playoff game, how many games would they have to play for that many defense men together? That's right. Although it's the Panthers, maybe the answers to that they all got kneecapped and yeah, the war crime that is the game one of that series. Yes. Is mark your Dan or the guy that the elicits the most celebration on this team, many scores? Oh, that's good. Revo is right there, but, but he's more like a part of it now. So there's not as much sympathy. It's always the double edged sword of this is they're only that happy because they're so shocked. Yeah. I was singing to the tune of old man River, like old man Gio on my coach last night when he, when he scored. So yeah, I mean, for me, definitely the team as well. I think Connor Timmons would get like a big pop. It's like he's always around. They're like, wow, you did something. Look at you. Yeah. But offense is more a part of his game. Yes, definitely. Love it. Soldier been in the league a thousand years. Woodbridge guy. Yeah, you're right. It does. Yeah. Him getting into a goalie goal, though, that would elicit more pop. Sure. Yeah, we haven't seen that. We haven't seen that proof of concept. But yeah. No, Gio is not going to be in like boy, unless there's more injuries to come, but a major mark. Giordano is not going to be in the lineup for game one of the postseason. I don't think it's a nightmare. If he gets into a game in the postseason, I think there's a very real possibility that that happens. You're right. And I think Luke is correct, obviously, because he's Luke Fox when he says that, yeah, Timothy Lillegrine needs to play in probably like even two irrelevant games at the end of the regular season. Is that enough to get him into the lineup for game one, probably not even like in the postseason, right? Like you get a run of injuries. You're throwing Timothy Lillegrine. Aren't you like watching that game through your fingers? If Timothy Lillegrine's playing for the first time this postseason in game three of a playoff series against the Panthers. Yeah, that's, that is definitely not what you want. I think it is imperative that he gets in a couple of games and this is just, it's just to get his feet wet. It's just to get him back going. Cause I do like the strides. He's made as a player, but, you know, and you know, he, you always talk about the idea of seeing more stuff from the press box. It's like that works when you get popped up there for one game or two games and you get to go back. It's been a while for him. So yeah, it's super disconcerting if that's the situation that plays it very much knows how different the food structure changes in the press box during the postseason. Like he's like, Oh yeah, it's different. There's different people here. Oh yeah. Yeah. I've been up here before. I think it's that different. I feel like it's just pizza and ice cream popcorn again. Oh, sorry. Just being honest. Okay. I remember boots on the ground. I've been there. Okay. Yeah, I have as well. I didn't go so well in the home game. I was there. Last season. All right. When we come back, it'll be tomorrow and we'll do another edition of the fan morning show, fan out and spread getting sports at 5-9 in the fan. Good morning. a.m. and. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
