[MUSIC] >> Fan, morning joke 4, 10, 5, 9 of the fan, Ben Ennis. >> Brad Gunning, game three. >> Lates, Bruins. Is the series shifting to Toronto for a pivotal game three. So they don't do this in postseason series. They don't like just give you an aggregate score. >> Okay. >> Between the two teams, it's not like a soccer tie. >> Yeah, I would be. >> In a wagel. >> So offended, God. But if they did, the Bruins would be leading because of their 5-1 victory in game one. >> No wagels yet though. >> That's true, leaves no home goals either. >> Yeah, but I feel like wagels are more valuable. >> That's true. >> Soccer got rid of that. Is that a thing? Do they see that? >> Depends on what tournament or what competition you're talking about. >> It's been soccer talk this morning. >> Okay, so like goal wise, you got to say the Bruins have been the better team through two games. But have they? Like just on balance, right? Like on balance. And the series is tied at one. So factually it's even. So both teams have been even. >> Yeah. >> Like if you had to pick one, like if you are a neutral observer, say you had no skin in the game. So this is hard. So remove yourself from your body. >> Yeah, just skin myself. >> I have no skin. >> Gross. >> Yeah, you said it. No skin in the game. >> It's disgusting. Take your hockey sensibilities. >> Okay. >> Park them. >> Talk as if you were just a national hockey observer and watching those two 60 minute hockey games, what would you come away with as far as who the better hockey team is? >> So I'm going to go slightly different route here. It's like I'm not a neutral NHL observer. I am an Olympic figure skating judge and I'm looking at this just on the merits in front of me here. You know, I think goaltending is pretty clear side of the ledger. You have to give you have to give the marker to and it's the Bruins is no slouch on Samson off for what he was able to do in game two, but game one happened as well. And that's not to put it all on him. But the Boston Bruins have had two 10 out of 10 goaltending performances and the Leafs have had one and another very good one is kind of the way I look at it. But the run to play the Leafs have carried it and quite honestly they should like when we look at the way this series is set up, Boston has the better goaltending, they have the better culture. >> They're more likely to get the 10 out of 10 goal tending performance. >> Yes, yes, because I think at his best, Ilya Samsonov can compete with those guys. >> Of course he can. >> It's not to say that they can't get that from Samsonov, but it's like that is a nine out of 10 performance is kind of the floor. The Bruins are working with it feels like in terms of goaltending in this series and the Leafs are just a little more variance, but there's also way more variance with what Boston's forwards can give you versus what you should be able to expect for the Leafs forwards on any given night. And there have been a lot to like, there have been some guys that you certainly would like more from. But yeah, I think on balance, you're just looking at it as a neutral observer. I think one one seems like a very fair score, but I think the Leafs have been a slightly better team. >> Yeah, it was hard in the moment because the Leafs gave up a couple of power play goals and they took some in-opportun penalties and yeah, they only scored once in game one is in the moment it felt like, here we go again. But in retrospect, after finally beating the Bruins, yeah, you can just evaluate the whole thing and you're like, okay, it's hard not to come away with the thought that the Leafs should win this series if they play to their capabilities. Time now for our insider brought to you by Don Valley, North Lexus, where you can expect excellence online and in the showroom, visit Don Valley, North Lexus.com, today's insider, the great Arendelle Lavois of TVA Sports, who's in Toronto covering the series. How's it going, Ren? >> I'm pretty good. Thanks for having me, guys. >> Thanks for doing this. Welcome to Toronto. Okay, let's ask you the same question. Like you watched those first two games and yeah, it's all tied up at once. Who do you think the better hockey team is? >> You know what, even if the score in the first game was 5-1 for the Boston Bruins, if you look at that game, you're going to see that the Maple Leafs did a lot of good things against the Bruins. At one point in the first period, the 4-check was so good for Toronto that it was impossible for Boston to get out of his zone. They were doing the Bruins tons of mistake. And I know I don't want to play Monday morning quarterback here, but if Boston matches the score that goal and that pucked in the post five minutes in the second period, maybe we're talking about a different story here or probably a different result. Not a 5-1 game, obviously, and probably a win for Boston, but you know the score would have been different. So I like the way the Maple Leafs are playing because it looks like they're comfortable, which is a good sign in a way. Even when they're losing during a game, they're still there. They're still pushing. They don't panic. And I think the only thing that you need to do is to stay disciplined. I look at that playoff series right now, and I say to myself, "Discipline is going to be the difference because every time you're taking a bad penalty or a penalty, it's giving momentum to the other team." So stay out of the box and your chances are really good, I think. Yeah, I think, you know, I'm not going to say the discipline something I hadn't thought about, but just you putting it that way, you know, Ben and I had talked about what it means with the series shifting back to Toronto and how the crowd can impact these things. You know, I think it can be a lift to the team, but I do worry a little bit about Bertuzzi and Domi in that regard. You know, I think both of those guys learned their lesson in the first two games of this series with taking, I mean, quite frankly, dumb penalties, but I also see the way both of those guys and I mean specifically Max feed off that crowd and what it means to them to be Leafs, how big a worry do you think that is and how much is that just specifically a key to tonight's game is those two guys being able to find a way to walk the line? Yeah, you know what, they're smart players, but they're bringing a lot of emotion to the game, right? And that's what they need to do. So you mentioned that fine line, walking on that fine line, I'm pretty sure it's not easy because you want to, you want to wake up your team sometime. You want to make sure that the, you know, the game's going to be played a little differently at times and I mean, they have an important role and that's why they, that's why the, you know, the main police sign, these two players, it's obviously for the playoffs too. But at the same time, I mean, they're so good, both of them, that it's way better to have them on the ice instead of in the penalty box. I think those two players can make a big difference. And in a way, you look at Max Domi, that goal that he scored quickly and after the Bruins scored their first goal two nights ago, how important was that goal? For me, and I'm not a Maple Leafs fan and obviously I'm not around the Maple Leafs. But that was the biggest goal of the season right there. Because if you don't score right, right from the gaggle, right away, what's, what's going to happen after totally different, I'm right with you, Ren. Yeah, that crowd is a tough crowd. That quiet, that crowd is unique in the NHL, by the way. So if they were buzzing, and if they keep buzzing like this for another five minutes, it's hell. So I think that goal was so important because otherwise it would have been probably again a different story. It shut down that crowd. That crowd was different right after, was not the same for the rest of the game. That crowd was different in game two than in game one. I think that crowd in game one had a huge impact on the result, and not so in the second. And one of the reasons why it's because Max Doming scored that goal really quickly. So that's why I'm saying, you know, Bertouzi, Doming, they're grinders, they're playing a tough game, but they have skills. And if these two guys can score goals, like, I mean, you like you like to be a maple leaf fan because they don't have, they have Bradmarshan, obviously for Boston, the Toronto, they have Max Doming, but they don't have a Bertouzi on the on the Broome site. He was there last year, it's not there this year. How do you feel about Bradmarshan before the series saying the Maple Leafs have surpassed the Montreal Canadiens as the Bruins biggest rival? I mean, at one point you need to, I mean, the Canadiens, I know this respect, but they're not in the same league right now, okay. They want to, they want to, they're getting back, and they will, no doubt in my mind, they will. And when that team's going to be on, it's going to be one of the toughest team to beat in the NHL, but they're not there yet, it's going to take, obviously, probably another couple of years before something interesting happens here, but, you know, when you're the Boston Bruins, you like to play the best team in the league time, night after night, and obviously they beat the crap, excuse my language, but they beat the crap of the Montreal Canadiens season, wasn't even close, so I hear why Bradmarshan is saying this. Yeah, that's how these things go, right, like, I mean, we sit here with the Leafs on the other side of the ledger, and it's like right now, I would say, it's like Montreal, Toronto, like, I'm not including Boston in this, but it's like, we do this with the Sends and the Canadians all the time, it's like, yeah, go back and ask me in 2002, I have a very different answer than I did when Corey Perry was knee and John Tavares upside the head, I had a very, very different answer alongside that, you know, Marshan's comments before the series or one thing, I don't know if you saw them from yesterday, but yeah, he was, yeah, a ton of praise for this Leafs team, you know, I'll be honest, I can't hear anything, Brad Marshan says without thinking, what's he trying to do, what's his game that he's playing here, what did you make of his glowing comments about the Leafs? And Jim Montgomery was praising, you know, Austin Matthews, I'll say, rightly so, because Austin is the best player on the ice, but, you know, the way he prays in this, you know, Jim Montgomery, his sentence are ten words max, right, it's seven to ten words, and he went on Matthews for a minute, you know, and I love Jim, but you know what I mean by that is they're trying to play in the Maple Leafs players mind, they're playing, trying to play with their mind, they're trying to make them comfortable, they're trying to, you know, put them in a corner where obviously there's some roses and beautiful plants or whatever it is, beautiful parts, birds everywhere, but at the end of the day, you know, the thinking here is they're coming in Toronto, and Jim Montgomery told me, he gave me an answer in French, but I'm going to translate it for you guys that he said, it's a, we're going to Toronto, it's us against the world mentally, especially in Toronto, he finishes sentence this way, and what he means by especially in Toronto is because, you know, the Maple Leafs are key fans are for real, you're walking, walking down the street, there's a good chance that someone's going to say something to you if you're a Boston Bruins, so, and they're coming in a building, remember, last year the Panthers and what Paul Maurice was saying about the crowd and, you know, maybe the crowd is an advantage for us because it's a tough crowd on the Maple Leafs, the Boston Bruins are going to use the same language, probably not publicly, but that's the way they're going to think, approach tonight game, that's the way I see it, they're going to try to put that crowd off quickly, and we'll see how all things are going to turn out, but if the crowd, if the Maple Leafs crowd is good tonight, and loud, and even if it's one nothing Boston at one point, it's not the end of the world, keep cheering, keep pushing, keep helping your team, maybe things aren't going to change, if not, well, we're going to see a little bit of what the Panthers did last year in Toronto. Yeah, oh, I was an incredible intestinal fortitude by the Maple Leafs to bounce back a couple of times in game two and win that hockey game on a great goal by Austin Matthews in the third period. We'll see if we get a William Kneelander return to action tonight. All right. You're coming along. You think so? Oh yeah, I saw him practice the other day, he stayed on the ice for 50 minutes, he pushed really, really hard, fell down at one point, and he was obviously in discomfort after, so he took a, let's say, a three, four minutes break, but otherwise he kept pushing after for another 15, 20 minutes, he worked really, really hard on the ice. I mean, that guy is coach. I don't know if he's playing tonight, but we're going to see him soon. That's for sure, because he's really, really close to make a comeback, and we didn't mention it a lot, but it's one one right now in that playoff series without William Kneelander. Can you imagine when he's going to come back? There's no William Kneelander on Boston Brookside again. So you know, the Maple Leafs, they have all the tools, believe me, they have all the tools. They need to use, they need to use that toolbox, because there's a lot of tools in that toolbox. Yeah, that's music to Leaf fans' ears, you saying that you think he's close. It does feel weird, though, I'm the whole scenario, Ren, in all your time covering this league and this time of year, are the Maple Leafs going about it differently than you're used to with him skating on game day with the lack of information? I mean, I guess that's pretty well par for the course when it comes to postseason, the amount of information that gets out. What have you made of the way the Leafs have handled this from a messaging perspective? Well, the Maple Leafs are handling this exactly like the other teams in the NHL, it's a small league, right? They have this moment, a small mentality, in the NBA you're fine, $50,000 if you're not saying if a player is going to play at 8 a.m. in the morning, game day, and you have to tell the world what's the injury, you're fine, $50,000 in the NFL, obviously, we know in the NBA they have to say how long the players going to be out and obviously what's the injury, but in the NHL, and I don't mind just saying, I told a lot of people, it's a small league mentality, they don't want to change, and they're saying, well, we don't have to protect the players, okay, you're the only athletes in the world. I mean, the other leagues in the NFL, there are no athletes, it's not a physical game, I don't know, but I don't want to be disrespectful here, it's not a Maple Leafs problem, it's a league problem, and until the league wants to take that road and stay on that road it's their choice, but it's wrong, because after that you can speculate, and I don't will in the Lander, it's a lower body, or it's a back injury, whatever it is, it's not a major, but speculation in this world, you know what it is right now with social media, and you hear stuff, and you're like, oh, how stupid it is, but anyway, it's because they're not saying anything that things are out there, and so we'll see, you know, that Corey Terry thing earlier this year, I mean, you don't want to say anything, okay, here we go, and let's see how this gonna end, oh it was beautiful, but at the end of the day, it's a league problem, and I think the Maple Leafs are doing the right thing not saying anything, but hopefully one day someone's gonna say that's enough, you have to say what's the status of that player, is he gonna play tonight, yes or no, and we don't care if you're lying, you're gonna be fine, and it's probably gonna be the last time you're gonna lie. Yeah, I mean, even, you know, you're talking about injuries, and obviously you can kind understand, well not kind of, you can understand, but to your point, I'm pretty sure guys can get targeted in the NFL games, last time I checked that was a pretty violent sport, but even with Boston, and you know, I don't begrudge them at all, it's exactly the way I would handle it if I was Jim Montgomery, but I'm gonna place a bet on the game tonight and I got no clue who the starting goalie is for the Boston Bruins, I mean, I guess it doesn't matter because they're both great, one guy's, one guy's Vesna like this year, one guy literally won the Vesna last year, but that is the thing that I think has jumped out the most to me is, and you know, this isn't, you know, we're not breaking and splitting the atom here, like people have come up with this before, but it is jarring to me that in a world where we're so gambling, gambling, and I have no problem with it, buddy, I love to slap down a wager here, there, but the injury stuff is one thing, but even something as simple as who's gonna be the starting goalie, can we know that, and this is a regular season problem too, this isn't even just a, this isn't even just a playoff thing. Yeah, and you're totally right, this should be mandatory, this should be a league rule, there's some people around the, in the league right now, who are thinking and saying exactly the same thing that you're saying, right, they're looking at the big picture and they're saying what we're doing right now is wrong, that's the end, that's the reality, but until the GM's, until the ownership is, they don't, they don't change their mind, well, and, and they're, they're always saying, for the last 20 years, we're in the NFL, they're saying it because it's, because of gambling, okay, you don't think gambling is bringing more eyeballs to your game, you don't think that eyeballs are bringing revenues, you don't think that more revenues is good for you, so you're kind of, you don't want more revenues because you want to protect players, injury wise, where we, do you think with William, the lander's going to be back, there is not going to be hit, for sure, he's going to be hit, what do you think, he's not going to be target, he's going to be hit because he's a hockey player on the ice, fans are not getting hit, they're not, they're not on the ice, but players are on the ice, they're getting hit, whoever it is, and that's the reality and stop talking about targeting, I mean, come on, it doesn't make sense, and by the way, you should take care of more your head contact and head hits instead of saying, well, oh no, no, we can, we can't say what's the injury and how long he's going to be back, and we're not going to say it was the goalie tonight, come on, yeah, come on, 2024, smell the coffee. No veil of secrecy, I don't think around the Bears who will select, I think Caleb Williams tomorrow, how excited are you, you ready for the Caleb Williams era? I'm ready, I'm ready, like a morning, morning Justin Fields, that's for sure, but, but chill, can't wait to be at a game in September and laugh or cry, I don't know what I'm going to do, but we'll see, we'll see. Fingers crossed for you there, Ren, thanks so much for doing this, enjoy the city, man, thanks. Thanks for having me and talk to you soon. Sounds good. Ren Olabwa, TVA Sports, our insider brought to you by Don Valley, North Lexus, where you can expect excellence online, and in the showroom, visit DonValleyNorthlexus.com, he just sounds like hockey. He really does, and also like, we're not going to do this anywhere else, I just have to say, like obviously this is partially colored by my doing on Patriots fandom. It has been, if you wanted to delve into it, it's been a very sexy NFL draft, it's like you have your de facto number one pick that's not going to change, you have quarterbacks in the mix, it's been very sexy to dive into, it's the, you know, the NFL, they really should have waited just a week until the Leafs playoffs were over, and then we could have all sunk our teeth into this. Now, I just, I just, maybe the Leafs playoffs will last longer than that this year. How do you feel you Patriots, man, about the idea of, well, Drake May being the guy that I think most mocks have the Patriots taking a three, but also this report, and you know, you got to take every report leading up to draft day with a salt shaker, but that the younger craft is like very involved in the decision making and that that third pick is up for grabs. Super dicey, because it just reeks of a guy who, and again, like, you know, we've all been 20 being like, God, dad, leave me alone, this guy's 57 or however old he is, is the younger craft still dying to get a chance to actually have the car keys. It's terrifying. Yeah, like I, I'd be lying if I said anything other than it is absolutely terrifying. And the idea also, the Belichick was the king of like, Oh, I got to trade back, got to get value value value value. And then not, and I don't even feel like rid yourself of him, but it's like, all right, you moved on. It's a new day. What if we move back again when we had a chance to just take a quarterback, God, there's no way this goes well is my opinion on the matter. Um, yeah, the, the bar is high for the product on the field, but yeah, draft day, I think the bar is pretty low considering recent results. Well, but whatever quarterback, I mean, you can compare to Mac Jones and it's like, kind of probably pretty easy to surpass that bar, or you can go to the guy right before that. And then pretty tough. That's the problem. Like you're going to draft a quarterback and the, the whiff of Brady is still, uh, still in the air in New England, uh, before you take a break. So ran out of wild, great insider that he has, uh, that he is, had some, you know, info for us. And it's just from watching the, the entirety of William Neelander on the ice instead of like just isolated clips, which we've all seen. Yeah. Seemed encouraged by that. Although it was, I think we both gave each other the same look and he's like, and then he fell. Like what? When you said, or not you, but when Ren said he fell down, I was like, well, I don't like that. And then falling down is one thing. Like guys blow a tire. It is what it is needing three to four and like maybe he didn't need it. Maybe he just took it, but then taking three to four minutes to have a seat or a rest or whatever. I don't know. I would love to believe Ren and I'm not saying I don't, but he, uh, seems to be a little bit on an island on, on that one. It seems like most reports are the opposite and hey, like Ren, like he's been watching this stuff as long as anybody has seen as much of it. So I have no reason not to believe him, but yeah, it's very, very encouraging. Yeah. And other than other than the fact that he fell down and then took a, took a rest like an old man. Well, and the video clip that stands out for me is like Neelander initially getting onto the ice where it told you he looks like a table hockey player. It looks like he doesn't want to move. And then he even grabs a puck and he's like, it's like, he's just not moving. It's like, it's like, if you put an action figure on skates, it's like he can move. Not at that exact angle though. It's like it's only in, only in 45 degrees and right angles. Anyways, we'll see. Oh God. Can you imagine? And this would be so willy. I don't think it's happening. But if he's just been playing possum, like he has been hurt, of course. But it's like, he's like, Oh, I'm dying. Oh, and then tonight, just like fast and furious willy, but it's, it's the meme. Somebody call an ambulance. For you. Oh, I mean, like, I don't believe for one second that's happening, but if it does, oh God. Sweet, it would be. Anywho. Yeah. Oh, I'm not going to change my stance because it's only an hour after I initially had it that I think he's at for the postseason, but you're, you're like telling him to sign his retirement papers at the PA. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, it's me versus Ren in the narrative wars, as the posies. Let's sign. Do I want to be on there? You versus someone informed. Yeah. I'm going, Ren. I'm going, Ren. I mean, that's your choice, man, whatever. Well, it's your choice. Aren't you going with Ren too? No. Believe in yourself. Oh, okay. If you're weird. Okay. Anyways, I will talk to Scott Hartnell next, former NHL forward. Currently an NHL network analyst, as we get you set for Game 3 in Toronto, it's a pivotal game 3, as we all know that the series tied up at once. That's next. The fan morning show continues. Ben Anis Brent Gunning, Sportsnet 590, the fan. Big guests and bigger opinions on everything happening in leafsland. Real Kipper and Born, be sure to subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Fan morning show, Sportsnet 590, the fan, Ben Anis Brent Gunning. Leaves Bruins, Game 3 tonight, Scotia, make arena. These are not your father's leaves, okay? Actually, yeah. In many different respects, they're not your father's leaves. Yes. Not your 2019 leafs either, though. Slightly older brother. Leaves. Yes. Even Bradmarshan said as much, okay? This is a more physical addition of the Toronto Maple Leafs, a couple of times they've got a little too far. I mean, three times in the first two games, Max Domi slash in Bradmarshan's wrist in Game 1 publicly called up by his head coach, they lost the game, Game 2, immediately off the hop, Jake McCabe, cross-check to the back, sends them to the penalty kill in which the Bruins open the scoring and then late in the game, trying to nurse a one goal he'd own. You get the Tyler Bertuzzi slash the leg. I get it. It was not like going to take Bradmarshan's leg off, but it was actually a slash. He did it. The Leafs killed off that penalty. We'll see how the emotion impacts the physicality of tonight's game. Let's talk to Scott Hartnell. Super NHL forward, currently an NHL network analyst. How's it going, Scott? I'm great. How are you guys doing? Doing very well. So how do you feel about the Leafs' toughness in this series? Massive conversation in these parts throughout the course of the regular season. Is it beneficial? Is it different? How do you view it? Well, they're trying to set the tone, right? That's what they're trying to do. They're trying to get involved emotionally in this series, which I absolutely love. And then there's the line, right? That you cross, that you kind of teeter on. Is it good? Is it bad? You know, I played on that line many times, you know, playoffs, regular season, whatever. And you know, I was watching you, I'm cheering for the Leafs too, and I'm watching that. I'm like, God, that's just stupid penalty. You know, by Bertuzzi late in the game. And I'm like, I've been there too. So it's pretty crazy to see it, and then when you're out of the game, when you're talking about it, like you and I are, and fans are, you know, you get frustrated, right? But it's, you know, it's part of the game of motion and are running super, super high. And you know, you got to, you know, toe that line with, you know, a fine needle comb. Yeah. And how much of that is, I mean, you know, the coaches, I can only imagine how many times in your life you heard a speech before a pre or a postseason game or a big game that's going to be a motion filled of toe in the line and finding the right version of it. But how much is that on kind of teammates to hold one another accountable? And it's not even, I would imagine, not so much accountable, but finding it, you know, like Brad Marshawn, he has a very good idea of where the line is, and maybe it's different for him sometimes than it is for other people. But a guy like Dolmy, a guy like Bertuzzi, I mean, Tyler Bertuzzi's played in seven playoff games in his career. And I don't put that as a knock on him. He was awesome in the seven. He played last year for the Bruins, but he's still trying to kind of find that line. How important, like we talk about the idea of veteran leadership and guys who have been there, how much is it that kind of thing of talking about where the line is, or is it just kind of on every player to find it for themselves? Obviously you got to, you got to experience, right? And you got to, you know, have that, you know, veteran play, I guess, if you will, but you know, there's many times, you know, a few times in particular where, you know, where I've, you know, beginning of a playoff game or a big regular season game and, you know, the power play, you know, for example, and you know, you kind of make a bad play or you know, you're not hard on that puck to, you know, control it, you know, your one versus one and, you know, char a bulge over and it goes down the ice, right? And, you know, say chemo team and it's like, come on, like you need to win that battle. Like, dude, the guy's success, you know, like, and he's super strong, you know, but it, but, you know, when you have guys like that, you know, kind of challenging you, I guess, or, you know, kind of holding you accountable, you got to, you got to respond, right? So it's, it's, it's your, you have one chance to, you know, get in a playoffs, right? Or there's only eight teams at each conference and you got to play like it's your, you know, your life, life on the line, right? So you got to, you got to hold your teammates accountable. You got to, you know, hold yourself accountable. And that's, you know, that's probably one of the biggest things, for sure. So I rattled off the three penalties that the Maple Leafs are trying not to take, but have taken in three times in this series, the Max Domi slash to Brad Marchant, the Jake McCabe crossjack, and then the Tyler Bertuzzi slash to Brad Marchant. So two of the three have been to Brad Marchant, like how, how punchable, how punchable is Brad Marchant? Like, give me the, give me the straight goods on how irresistible it is to slash Brad March Well, you hate to see it, especially, you know, a few minutes to go in the game, right? And you know, one goal game that you know, have attered with, you know, four to nothing, right? Yeah. It is wild, right? Like how, you know, some guy, one guy in particular can get on your skin and, you know, a few times I've, you know, like went to hit him and he's, you know, ducked down and, and you kind of submarine you, you know, you go flying over him and then it's just, you know, almost my gloves are off when I'm trying to pull myself off the ice to go after him and then, you know, not only two minutes, it's two plus two plus two. So it is wild in that way. But, you know, in a lot of ways he is effective. And, you know, I met him a few, a few years out, you know, I've been retired for six years, but I met him, what, two, two or three years ago. So say three years after I've done playing, I'm like, man, I hope this guy is like not a good guy. You mean, I mean, it's like, Oh God, we would have been such good friends and, you know, best teammates and, you know, whatever, you know, my gosh, darn it. So it's, it's one of those guys, right? So yeah, yeah, you have respect for him, but you're like, Oh man, he ticked me off every time I eat them. So it's funny how the world works sometimes. But I know this is a bit of a tough thing to say to a, to a great flyer such as yourself, but it's like the fact that he's cosigned by Sid, that kind of tells you everything you need to know, right? That it's like, that's his guy with the Nova Scotia brigade. They got out there with McKinnon and him like that. I don't know that that carries as much weight. I mean, like, you see it because you dealt with it every day, but it's like, for somebody watching it, it is something that it's like, well, if he's good enough for Crosby, how can he not be good enough for anybody else? Yeah, no. And same thing with Sid, right? We've had many battles on the ice and then same thing. Yeah, you meet him and you hope to think that he's, you know, got some, you know, weird personality, right? That you can like really, really go, you know, go again, but you know, you end up like, you know, Oh my God, this guy loves, you know, crowd and coke, you know, when you're having drinks, you know, and I was like, Oh God, he's pretty good golfer. You're like, Oh God, I wish he was terrible. You know, I was like, Oh, it's like, Oh geez. And so it's like, Oh, and then, you know, my brother was out in Halifax too, as well. And I'm like, tell me, like, my brother hasn't met this guy. So I, you know, I'm like, Hey, if you met this guy, he's like, actually, yeah, we, you know, built the, you know, Nathan McKinnon's house, his company. And I'm like, God, you know, you're just like, Oh man, this is like the trifectus. That's a great guy. Yeah, never meet your heroes. Never meet your enemies either. Because yeah, good work and in strange ways of awesome Matthews was unreal in game two. It was pretty damn good in game one as well. But they lost by one. Skye, like, do the Bruins like, what is their best shot at slowing down awesome Matthews? And is it possible? Try and get, keep them off the ice and every time I was watching him get on the ice, it was like every other shift. I don't know how many minutes you played. It had to be over 20. Yes, close 24. But it, yeah, it literally happened, almost half the game for four. That's like incredible. You know, so keeps that, you know, relying on that guy and his top couple guys to get out there and do what they do, right? And when hockey games score goals and you know, he could have had, you know, I know he had one and two, I believe, but he could have had, you know, three and two. You know what I mean? Like it's, that's how a special player awesome Matthews is. So it's, it's cool. It was cool to watch. And I was like, oh, man, my heart, my lungs were burning. I just watched it in play. Yeah. So obviously one of the biggest stories, I mean, forget just in leafland and the entirety of the NHL right now is what's going on with William Newlander. You know, I'm looking back at your career. You were part of that fliers team. Anyone know? No, maybe you do. Yeah, I was going to say, you got, you know, people do you know? No, no, if I, if I do, I'd tell you, but I don't, I have no idea what's going on. So he's a, he's a special player, but I, like, you're burning, and then you don't play. I have no idea what's going on. So that's what I wanted to talk to you about. You know, I'm looking at that fliers team. You guys made the deep run in '09, '10. You know, you guys missed key cogs for long chunks of that. Jeff Carter played 12 postseason games. Gogne missed some games. I mean, you were going back and forth goaltenders. That's a different story. But what does it do for a team? And obviously, you know, as you get rolling in the playoffs, you learn overcome more things because you're just going to lose bodies at a certain point in time. But what does it do to a team to not have William Newlander in the mix? And, you know, I, I don't think they're taken back by it now, but I'd imagine some guys on that team were a little surprised not to see him game one, seeing that he did play game 82. How much does that throw the guys in the room for a loop for lack of a better term? Yeah, you know, being a, you know, a third, fourth line guy, you know, I've been a top one guy too, but, you know, you're like, okay, I'm going to be out if he's playing, right? You know, game one, and game and game two for that matter. But you're like, Oh, okay, I guess I gotta play. I don't want to screw up, you know, instead of like being like, you know, kind of when the regular season comes around, you're like, whatever, this is my chance, you know, I'm going to, you know, play my game. But then you're like, Oh my God, this is playoffs. This is our, you know, our chance to make it. This is that, right? And he's not there. So it's kind of, it's just weird, you know, no matter which way you look at it, right? But, you know, whatever he's dealing with or, you know, whatever it is, you know, hopefully he can get back soon for, for that team, right? So it's, it's pretty important. He's a pretty important part of that team and the heart and soul that club as well. So it is what it is, but you know, they have that next mentality and, and, you know, who's Matthew's that stepped up last game, you know, Tavares had a great game. So you're looking for those big guys to step up and I'll see some unsung heroes too as well. You need Robertson to score, you need, you know, some guy, some demand to chip in with a big shot or a big, you know, block shot, whatever it is. So I'm not done with knee lander. Okay, it's got, I, because I need to explore this a little bit more. Like, there's so many unusual parts of it, not the least of which is, yeah, taking the morning skate and not playing in the game, but playing all 82, playing every game essentially for the last eight years and then missing game one of the postseason. So let's play at the scenario where, okay, he was fine to finish the season and just woke up with something like his back, like it was, I don't know, strained his back. Let's just, let's say he didn't do something off the ice that that injured himself. Like, have you ever been in that situation where it's like, I don't know, maybe it's the flight. Like, did you ever like just stiffen up where you had no previous injury and then all of a sudden, the next day you woke up and you're like, oh, I can't play today. I had like, you know, well, one time, you know, my career was whatever, but like, one time, literally during a game, I went to pass the puck, I got the puck, I was standing at the blue on and I like, stick handled the puck and pass it to the middle of the ice, to our stutterman that was flying through and, and like, my oblique, he like, you don't know you have an oblique. I don't know if you guys know that you have. No, I never remember coming to contact with me. I'm pretty sure I don't. Yeah, and then literally, like, it's like, obviously your side abs, right, or whatever. You're telling me? I don't know. Literally. It just, it just like, not pop, I guess, but it's like, just strained it, right? I'm like, oh my god, like, and literally, like, buckled over, like, you know, kind of skid to the bench, didn't play a shift that game. And then we're actually in Toronto and, like, it was like two days later, we played in Toronto and I'm like, like, I couldn't move. I couldn't skate because like every, your skating motion, you move in your hands and your feet, obviously. And it was just like straining my abs. And I'm like, I'm like, I can't even like, shoot the puck. You can't hit. You can't, like, when you clench your body that, you know, brace yourself for a hit, it hurts. And literally, it was like, I can't play it. And Paul Holgan was like, you need to play them. Like, how, like, you know, you've got to go your, your, your fly or your this or that. I was like, I have, like, literally, I can't, I can't even skate. Like, if you want me to dress, I'm just kind of, like, tip toe around the ice and not, you know, like, style of a game. And I'm like, you know, I'm pretty sure we, and we had like, I think two or three days off afterwards as well, too. So I was like, I think I need to sit this one out. And like, for me, I'm like, it takes a lot to not play those games. But literally, I could not skate. And so I obviously didn't play and I played the next game, I believe. But, you know, it was one of those things where it just, you know, just happens, and you're like, there's nothing, nothing provoked and nothing, you know, kind of brought this on, but just like one little tweak, right? And then you're out, right? So I don't know. And that's just my story of something that was like so minuscule that you've got a trillion times in your life, you're turning to make a path and not even thinking about it. So, you know, maybe it was something like that. But maybe it's some, you know, we don't even know. So I don't know if you were trying to or not, but that was the greatest piece of PR you could have ever done for for Homer there. The idea of him just giving you a Euroflyer speech. I don't care if you can't move, get out there and play. That's like, right, right now, specifically in this market, you could not have done better, better PR. You know, let's say, let's say Nielander does come back into this series. And obviously, part of it is what version of him you're getting. Would you expect Keith to kind of, you know, the martyr into virus line has struggled a little bit. Would you expect Keith to put him back there and kind of load that line up to get them going? I've been kind of of the opinion that if he comes back, maybe you ease him in on a third line and then give him the spot start up there with the top six. How would you handle it if he if he does come back in this series? Well, that's a no brainer. You're putting them in. He's healthy to play your pet plan. I'm 22 minutes and I, you know, the coaches always be like, well, you know, I remember my I broke a foot when I was very trot with our coach or two thousand and five or six or whatever. And, you know, I'm like, okay, you know, like, let's get you back. It was like maybe four or five weeks after I broke the foot and first game, practiced a couple times and he's like, yeah, we'll push you in, you know, maybe 10 minutes, whatever. Texting, you know, it's like 18 minutes. You're a predator. You're going to get out there. Yeah. Well, it's hilarious, right? The coaches are, you know, they get caught up in the game. It was a tight game and and whatever. And it's just like, hold man. And you're, you know, you're out of shape because you haven't played in, you know, for me, anyway, like four or five weeks and and you're dying out there and you're slow. You're a little tentative on my foot because it was, you know, it's broken still. And, you know, you play, you play all these minutes and like you see them after the big win. You're like, hey, I'm sorry. I use you too much. You know, you're you're looking good, though. It's playoff time. I'm going to use you sparingly. No, you're going to you're going to play every chance you got. So yeah, hopefully that that's the the situation Sheldon key finds himself in tonight. Trying to ease William Neelander into the lineup and then unfortunately he plays 24 in a Leafs victory. And they take it to one seriously. That'd be that'd be quite a narrative. That'd be all right. Scott, this is great. Thanks so much for doing it. All right, cheers guys. Thanks. That's good. Yeah, you too. Scott Hartnell, former NHL Ford, currently an analyst for NHL network and painted a picture, I think that could easily be the case with William Neelander, right? Like you don't think Scott Hartnell wanted to play? Of course. When he strained his oblique. But like he said, he's like, I literally, I could not, I was not capable of playing the game of hockey. So like, I could have stood out there and embarrassed myself, willing to do it. But like literally unable to play and it was an innocuous play. Just passing the park up the middle. What did you like more? The Paul Holmgram story or just him casually slipping in that Sydney Crosby loves crowning coke's, which one was better? Yeah, that was good. I like that. I really like, I'm like, wow, it didn't even know it's Sydney Crosby going to put a hit out on him. Now I hope not because I like Scott coming on the show, but that feels like a crown and coke too. But like the thing is you just drink too much coke, right? Yeah, I can't be your crown ranger. You can do ginger ale. I remember, oh God, just takes me back to my honeymoon. There were one bartender just referred to me as the crown man the entire week. Oh, what a nickname. That's pretty good. It's pretty good. The crown man? Yeah, because I love crown. Yeah, it's a good one. I mean, pretty good. Yeah, it's as my wife has since pointed out, it's like, you know, he's got 10,000 crown men in his life, right? Like you're not a boy. You're not a special one that you don't necessarily want to carry into your actual life. No, no, no, that's like, oh, you're the drunk, that's like vacation brand is the crown man. Oh, you're the alcoholic. Yeah, your nickname is the surrounding Mr. Leahy from the trailer park. But on vacation, it's a great moniker. Honestly, if I was a crown royal executive, and I was listening right there, I'd be pulling that audio and like somehow using that as a marketing tray. And then, oh, but the only problem is like, they certainly don't want me to be their Doseckeys man. Right. No, no, no, I'm at the Sydney Crosby stuff. Oh, okay. You're a man. That's a great handle. That's actually what I thought you were. I did think you were going to go. Imagine being so the hubris into yourself that you're like, Oh, yeah, Crownwell. Yeah, no, probably they would want to be Crosby. Spokes for a crown man. This is again, this goes this harkens back to I think earlier this week, maybe last week, when I came to the realization that every time someone tells me something, I presume they they are looking for my opinion on the matter. Incorrect. Last thing on the knee lander thing. You want me to tell you what I think about that? No, okay. Last thing on the knee lander thing for now. Yes. Okay. Might come back to it. I think we will after eight o'clock. But it's strange, definitely, that he played all 82, played all the games for the last eight years and then misses game one of the postseason. And maybe it's strange that he's taking these pregame these morning skates on game day and not playing, but like the messaging or like I've seen just because it's the Leafs and at least gets so much focus that everybody has an opinion. Everybody has to weigh in on the knee lander thing. It's like, well, they owe it to everybody. The Leafs have this thing where they don't they don't reveal they have this strained relationship with the media, which okay, that's sure. Would we like to have more access to the Toronto Maple Leafs than we do sitting in our seats? Of course, of course, of course. But yeah, that's the way they do business. Everybody does what the Leafs are doing in the postseason though, as far as being very guarded and not revealing anything injury wise. That's, there's no difference between the Leafs and any other team has run all of why Riley pointed out. Yeah, if you want to complain about Brad for living not doing like a pre playoffs avail, fine, have at it. That's like fair criticism. I don't know why you care. But this in and of itself, the boss is not telling you who's starting in net. Nobody who's been dinged up has ever been forthright at this time of year. I have an issue with it. And I think the league should change the way they go about it. But this is not a leaf problem. This is a NHL problem. All right, time now for the wake and rake presented by sports interaction. Your homegrown sports book 19 plus bet responsibly. Leafs, Bruins, game three, seven o'clock sports net and a CBC, very close to a coin flip in this hockey game. The Leafs slightly favored. Mm minus one 15, Bruins also minus money minus one oh five in the total yet again third straight game, five and a half Brent. This feels like a goalie battle tonight. And I suppose you could say definitely last game was first game was to a certain extent, which is one side one at much more clearly than another. I think we got a low scoring affair. I think it's like two, one, three, two kind of final and give me the under you get it up plus 100. I know there's a ton of firepower. There's also a ton of good goal tending and teams that want to lock it down. Believe it or not in this series. So give me the under plus 105 and a half. Yeah, I'm with you game two, obviously just going under the total at three, two score line game one went over, but only on the strength of an empty net goal and a lopsided finish. I don't think we're getting too many more lopsided finishes the rest of the series. I'm with you. It feels like a low scoring affair. Obviously that's the type of game boss and Bruins play. And if you're a Leaf and you're certainly hoping that Ilya Samsonoff has figured it out enough that you can make the goal tending battle close to a wash. I like under five and a half at even money. That was the Wakenrake presented by sports interaction, your homegrown sports book 19 plus bet responsibly. So yeah, this is a market we focus on things. Okay, there's there's things that that make news around these parts that might not in other hockey markets. The William Kneelander thing for sure. The Mitch Marner thing also for sure as he was the topic of much discussion in one of the major Toronto newspapers today. Fair or unfair the criticism of Mitch Marner we get into that next is the fan morning show continues Ben and his friend Gunning sports at 590 the fan.
