Maple Leafs vs. Sharks LIVE Post Game Reaction | Leafs Talk

Maple Leafs vs. Sharks LIVE Post Game Reaction | Leafs Talk

Leaf talk JD Bunkas and Jackie Redmond who is filling in for Sammy who went down to go watch the game tonight. Uh, and she’s doing it not at 100%. What a trooper. Thanks for doing this, Jackie. No. Yeah, this is my uh this is my sick game, my flu game. I uh I don’t have much of a voice, but every time you ask me to be on this show, something happens and I end up not doing the show. So, I was like, I can’t I have to I have to battle through this to prove that I am not the ultimate BOR. But listen to me. I sound like I don’t even know. Let me know in the comments what I sound like. But well, I know it’s not good. I I would have never believed you. Even if you called me, I would have just thought this was a Merryill Street performance by you because Yeah, you’re right. Like you are the number one bor on this show and sometimes for good reasons. Sometimes because you forget like that you need to bring a laptop charger when you own a laptop to different destinations. But yeah, you’re here and we thank you for it. And don’t worry because um uh love it or hate it, the number one comment on all of my shows is, “Does JD ever let the guest speak?” So, no. Why would they say that to you? I don’t know where that would come from. Honestly, it’s rude and unfounded. I don’t believe in it at all. Uh okay, so I I really thought tonight was just going to be pure positivity show. Same. Because everyone was looking at Knander. He’s in a slump. And I gave him a lot of praise on my show today because he said all the right things when Buru Bay demoted him to the third line. He said something along the lines of, “I love it. We needed to change things up.” And Knander goes out there and was brilliant tonight. Uh sets up a couple of goals, including one on a power play, which is also in a slump. Mark Zavar going to sleep well tonight. Finally, probably for the first time in three months, he’s actually going to have a good snooze. Uh and yeah, the the lines look balanced. The young goalender looked good. The power play score. Knander looked great. Uh but yeah, they a former Leaf scores and a tradition like any other. I don’t bet on that Leaf even though I know this is going to happen every time. And the Leafs lose in overtime. Where do you want to start? Oh my gosh. I mean, it’s it’s unfortunate for me that that Hilda Beast, I guess, as you guys are calling him in Toronto, didn’t get a dub, didn’t get a dub tonight. He deserved a W tonight. He was the story of the game for me. I know the third line did a lot. third liner William Knander had everyone talking on Twitter, but for me like without the goalending performance for Hillbe, I don’t know that this game is as close. Not that the Leafs got outplayed or anything, I don’t think that they did. But he made some really big timely saves for the Leafs. So I think that he was for me their MVP tonight and I just hope that he can keep can keep doing it because I have no idea what they do if if Hillbe can’t play. So for me, he was the star of the game. So I don’t even care that they scored on the power. I mean, I care that they scored on the power play, but it’s not it’s not taking Numero Uno from Hill to be for me. Yeah. Listen, he made a couple of beautiful 10 bellers. There’s this weird thing that’s happening with the Leafs right now, which is they’re kind of getting a little bit outplayed in the first period and it feels like they need their goalender to make a couple of saves and they go make a couple saves and then if you play good, we’ll really try. And the goalies have been doing that whether it’s been Wool or Hill to be now, they’ve come up with some big saves early on. let the Leafs settle in and find their game. I thought the Leafs were brilliant and dominant in the second period tonight. In fact, if there’s like any story for me, it’s that Toronto should have probably run up the score there and that Nelkovich played well uh as a counterpart to Hilde. But man, I I feel like this kid is answering the question of what happens if you put a sumo wrestler in net because he’s huge and the way he just completely eliminates the bottom of the net. I think is really frustrating teams. And Orlof scores that one goal where Hillby probably wants to have it back. He’s down in his crouch a little bit too early, gives up a little bit too much space and Orlof picks it on him. Nice goal. I don’t think a brutal goal for Hill to be by any stretch of the imagination, but again, one that he’d probably say I I can stop that one. But as of right now, before the book is out, and maybe teams start to game plan for him differently, it feels like you cannot score low on this kid. like he puts those pads down and he uses that big body to frame up on teams and there’s just not a lot to look at when you get in tight and I I like too like the way his body language and the way that he is in high pressure moments as well, right? Like I know that they that the Leafs lose this game, but he had to face a penalty shot. He had that crazy like I don’t even know what it was behind the back. Like how did he even know the puck where the puck was? I guess he just kind of guessed and was like well let me just see if I can grab it. He just doesn’t ever really look like phased. Like he doesn’t look overwhelmed even even when I mean God was horrendous when he was handling the puck. I think that was in the second period. Like that was not good. That was overident. But again, not phase, not like freaking out or panicking. He seems to me like a guy that can handle like big moments, which for the Leafs is good. So on the last show, I told McKe that he reminds me of Mike Smith. And then after the show, I told him, you know, I didn’t want to say who he really reminds me of because it sounds way too blasphemous. And I get it. Like he reminds me of Vasileki. Like, and I’m not saying that he’s going to be Vasileki, okay? Like, I know that there’s people listening to this that are just doing that. Like, they’re so mad that I even said that that they they haven’t even typed mean things in the YouTube. I already typed in the tweet. JD Bunkus says Hildabby will be the next Andre Vasilvki. Yeah, but that’s just like he’s got that little bit of flow out of his mask. They’re very similar size and stature. They both kind of play similarly. They’re both huge, but also freaky athletic. He just kind of looks like him to me. Like he just he reminds me. Do you run Hildby into the ground until Wall’s available? So, what’s your take on that? Because they’ve had two goalies that they’ve probably overplayed to the point that they reinjure themselves. Well, they’ve got the two goalies who got hurt, but also this is just the thing with injuryprone players is it’s like they’re not playing and people are like, “Where are they? Why aren’t they playing? They’re always hurt all the time.” And then they get on the ice and they’re like, “Don’t play them. They’re going to get hurt if you play them.” It’s a can’t win situation. So, do I think that they’ll ever play Wool 8 of nine again this season? Probably not. Now that they have this kid, my guess would be that they turn it more into a time share. they split it, especially if Hillby plays this way. What I would say is I don’t think the Leafs or really most teams want to give a goalender that kind of a workload and the luxury of having three guys right now, which is what it appears they have in Dennis Hill to be, which is a legitimate third guy. This is another game where he performed well. He made what those two saves that he made tonight, the cross crease save, it was on, I got it down in my notes who they made him on. Uh, but those are brilliant. Like two just unbelievable saves where again he’s just completely taken away at the bottom of the net. He’s big. He’s athletic. He works the pads beautifully. Like even when teams are shooting low on him, he’s able he’s does a great job with rebound control in terms of kicking those pucks into low danger areas. I love the way that he covers the bottom of the net. Again, the question mark for me is going to be, okay, do teams start to learn, don’t shoot low on this guy, start to shoot high, and does that become a problem? That’s kind of going to be, I think, the next phase is once teams have a little bit more of a book, does this say sustainable? But I just I like you mentioned about the body language, like I’m saying about the athleticism, like I’m saying about the size, there’s just a lot to like here about the guy. And yeah, I think he did. He deserved better tonight even though as we both mentioned the Leafs were the better team and they certainly outplayed San Jose in the second period. Um okay. Yeah. No, I was just going to say like to your point about the second period like I’m watching I’m thinking to myself like Cabbrini like I was so excited to watch Celbrini front to back in a game tonight and like obviously he’s an incredible player. I’ve seen the highlights. I watched some of his games but in this game there were stretches where I went where is he? This guy’s not doing anything. He has him and him and Will Smith weren’t they went long stretches without being super dangerous, I guess, is my point. And I think that’s an accomplishment in and of itself when it comes to someone like Celibbrini who’s dominating highlight reels and headlines and conversation about this youth movement of stars in the NHL. So, that’s a plus, too. Well, I would say that if you’re going to give um credit there, a lot of that goes to Austin Matthews who was like pretty much hardline matched against him the entire night and did an incredible job of slowing him down. And I do I think that Matthews is starting to look a little healthier. His defensive game is obviously something that is highly commendable on most nights, but I I did wonder if a game like Celibbrini where he comes in and it’s the young Canadian star and the guy that people are going, “Hey, he’s the new Matthews. Look at his amount of points in the first 100 games compared to Matthews.” Look, he’s only 10 goals behind Matthews was at this time of his career. Saw the comps. Look, he rips a ton of goals. He’s so exciting. He’s only 19 years old. then this reminds you of a young Austin Matthews that Matthews put it on himself tonight to say you know what screw this kid I’m going to shut him down and that’s kind of the attitude I’m looking for Matthews and quickly as an aside to that I will say this is a minor note for me that I was going to save for later in the rapid fire but I’ll say it now because we’re talking about that line and the job they did against CBrini tonight doi looks a lot better lately he’s playing with more jump he’s winning more puck battles he’s making better decisions he’s finding Austin Matthews a and all of a sudden that line even though I didn’t think that there were large stretches of them looking overly dangerous tonight that overall they they look like a more cohesive line and I do think that they found something there that they’re going to give some runway to. Well, they just seemed enga he seemed more engaged like he just seemed more in it like in the fight if that makes sense. And sometimes I feel like he is the type of player that emotionally needs to feel like he is in the mix if that makes sense. And I think that you’re starting to see that in the kind of jump that he has in his game and the confidence that he with some of the decisions that he’s making when he’s out there. There’s not a lot of like hesitancy, if you will. Yeah, he was great. And again, Matthews is the guy that scores on the power play, so I guess I’ll go there now. Um I know we have a power play goal. Unbelievable. Like truly unbelievable. And I’ll say this, I think they were only one for three tonight. Uh or Yeah, they were one for three. They were three power. They were one for something. Yeah, there they were. One for something, but also uh two things about it. One was the process looked materially different than recent memory would serve. Most of the time the first line goes out there or the first power play and it goes out there and it is stagnant and guys are just doing exactly actually what we’re showing at the very beginning of this power play where it’s like, hey, pass it along up the top. That’s all we’re doing here. And you know what? We end up seeing an actual cross seam pass, a seam pass from Knander to Matthews on a back door where he scores a tap in. And yeah, there haven’t been very many. I think that’s only the 11th power play goal the entire season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. And again, it’s December 11th, 12th, 11th. 11th 11th. Yeah, it’s the it’s the 11th today. And this is the 11th Maple Leafs power play goal of the season. But how many of them have come like this where it’s just like easy, nice, beautiful pass. Get it to your best shooter and let him finish one in the back of the net. So, good for them for making it happen. But also, like I said, I just I liked the jump. I liked the energy that the first power play gave them. I think that that’s kind of what you want when you don’t score on a power play is, hey, at least build some momentum. At least build something that you feel like is going to generate some positivity moving forward. And the fact that they actually did that gave me confidence that they were going to get one tonight when they got another opportunity. And they did. Yeah, coaches talk. I mean, I don’t know how you leave 34 that I know they’re on the penalty kill, but leaving him that open is a little sus, but um but they don’t make that pass, Jackie. Like, if you’re game planning for the least, maybe that’s true. That’s what you’re saying is like, hey, they never do this, so don’t don’t worry about It’s still It’s still Matthews, though. It’s But I mean, you know, you got to you got to defend Knander as well. But I guess what I’ll say, too, is we hear coaches talk all the time, right? is like the power play is where your stars get confidence even just within a game. They don’t have to necessarily be, you know, struggling in the games leading up, but that’s the point in the game where they get their touches, they get a feel for the puck, and they can start to build some of their swagger with the puck. So, you do like to see that even if they don’t score on the power play. And it feels like tonight at least, I don’t know. I I don’t think that the Leafs looked more confident on the power play, but they looked less um I don’t want to say like less bored because I don’t think they’re bored out there. I don’t know what the word is that I’m looking for, but a lot of times they’re just kind of like going through the motions. They’re just like doing the thing. But tonight, they didn’t do that. It looked like they were actually sort of engaging what with what was in front of them. And that’s why you see that pass to Austin Matthews because they’re actually they’re actually they’re they’re playing where their feet are instead of just thinking about whatever it is that they’ve planned in practice. I thought it was one of the most encouraging things from this entire game. And again, when you’re in a slump like this where you have 11 power play goals and you’re one of the worst power plays in the league, you got to start somewhere. But at least moving forward, they can say like, “Okay, God, we got one.” And and they need their power play. They need it so bad. Like everyone I I you know my dad is one of these people. You’re like, “Oh, they’re only a couple of points out.” I’m like, “Dad, the way this league works now, like they they need to win a lot. Like they need to win a lot from here to the end of the season.” And it’s going to be tougher to do that the further into the season we get if their power play is not a threat. So, they need it so desperately. And hopefully this is the start of them sort of building um just more a more powerful power play. Oh my god, that’s terrible. But you know, listen, I do get what you’re saying. And what I would add to it is if you look at the fancy stats, right, and the Leafs even during the streak and during the stretch of better play, there’s a lot to like. I had Myrtle on on Wednesday this week and he wrote a great article that’s up on the Athletic that basically threw out there what the Leafs are doing better and what has improved for this team and there’s a bunch to like but still there are underlying numbers that talk about like you know the expected goals for and I’m not saying that this is gospel I’ve watched some of these games and I go the Leafs are the better of the teams in these but they’re not going to win some of those possession numbers but even still if you are going to be a lower event hockey team and you’re not going to score a ton and you’re going to play a little bit more defensively responsible and meet opportunistic. Well, the biggest opportunities in the game for you offensively are generally going to come when you’re on the power play. So, you got to be able to take advantage of those. And they’ve had multiple games recently where they had chances to put teams away like Montreal and they don’t score on the power play. They let that hang and it bites them in the ass. And tonight you could even make the case even though they got the one goal that when they were dominating those other two power plays, if they score one of those, they’re not in a position where Clingberg can flip one towards the net. The puck has eyes and you’re only up a goal and the Sharks can tie it. So yeah, it’s good. But you’re you’re you’re right. And but so is your dad. So is Steve. Steve is also right. Uh Steo. Yeah. And listen, that’s the Knander, though, is he makes that pass. And Knander also makes the play that sets up the first goal that Dakota Joshua gets in this one, who, by the way, all of a sudden is just like rapidly turning into an actual guy. Nick Wah, another solid game for him. But Knander just looked completely engaged tonight. He was everywhere. He had the puck all night. He made a ton of great plays. Uh it it felt like and again I’ll say this like Knander too and it’s it’s why again it’s it’s one of the reasons that I think fans love him and he’s never really been held to the fire as much for some of his flaws as other guys is because like when the going gets tough, Knander gets going. Like he actually just digs in and is like, “All right, third line for me tonight. Let’s effing go. I don’t care. I’ll be the I’ll be one of the best players tonight because of that.” just to show that you can put me anywhere and I will drive a line. I will help produce. I will make a difference in this game. And that’s what he did tonight. And I don’t think that every star does that. I I really don’t. So, I give him a lot of credit for that. So do I. Like I I I I said on my show today, I I really love the way that he took accountability for the four games because generally his mo is one of what’s the big deal? And I actually don’t mind that when it’s just him. Sometimes it rubs me the wrong way, but ultimately he’s sort of true to himself, but this one was different. He said, “We need to change things.” Uh it’s it’s not working. He was excited for this chance. And guess what? He made the most of an opportunity. And at this point, what I would say after this game is I don’t care that Bobby McMahon’s coming back and that that line has been effective. I’m I’m giving this some runway. I’m I want to see Knander play on this line, spread the talent out, and see if the Leafs can make this thing work. Because the other notable thing from this game was, if you’re going to ask me who the best players were, John Tvar was absolutely one of them. He made a ton of plays tonight and if Nick Robertson can bury one, that line is getting a lot of buzz. And by the way, Nick Robertson, fine game, but couple of those opportunities you just have to put in the back of the net because otherwise you’re not going to get the runway on a a second line. I don’t know where they’re going to put Bobby McMahon. I don’t know if he’s going to get, you know, Robertson’s spot or whether or not he they do just go back to the status quo and bump Knander back up, which is again I hope they don’t do that. Well, the thing is is like you can always go back to Bobby McMahon on that line. Totally. Why not put Knander there for a bit? See how it goes. if it falls off in a couple games, like no one’s upset if you’re going back to Bobby McMahon on that line. But if you take Knander off it right away now, you’re just playing the like, well, I guess we I guess we’ll never know. Like, I don’t know. Yeah, but they’ve been criminal for that in the past, right? Like, this has always been the thing with the Leafs is whenever they break up some of the star players, they do it for a game, they do it for two, and then all of a sudden it’s right back to the status quo. I will say though, I will say and I don’t know this for a fact, but I think there was a lot of speculation with Marner and Matthews during their time together that a lot of that was at their sort of push, their request. Those guys wanted that. You know, Marner was not a guy that was going to sit there and be like, “Okay, I’ll just do whatever you want, coach.” Like, he very much wanted to play with Matthews and Matthews wanted to play with him and that’s all good and well until it cost you your season. So, um, I don’t think Knander’s that guy. So, we’ll see. I think if the coaching staff wants to keep him there. I think Knander would I think he’d be open to it. He’s still going to get PP one time. He’s going to get, you know, his opportunities and his ice time. So, why not? He did. That’s And Josh was and Josh was playing great. So, yeah, he’s going to get his his opportunities for offense anyway. So, tonight, Knander was second amongst forwards in ice time. He was only like Yeah. Only about 13 seconds behind Austin Matthews. There you go. So, it’s not even taking away his his TLI, so who cares? No, that’s it. Is like they drew some power plays. Good for them. Good. Like Leafs quality drawing some penalties tonight. And Knander, by the way, was directly responsible for drawing one of those power plays. I should say as well the play where he sets up Nick Wah and they’re desperate to create something. And it’s like, okay, you can say third line and obviously it is technically a demotion and clearly you are going to be in the eye of the storm media-wise a little bit, right? Like people are going to talk about it and year over year that has been clear with the Maple Leafs is they do not like you talking about the things that are negative. They do a lot. No, they want to shelter their guys desperately, but they also I I do think Bubé feels that Knander can take it a little bit more to your point of like nothing really phases him and he will when the going gets tough kind of snap out of it. Yeah. And he got got ice. Knander can like this is what always gets me about these conversations about star players being moved around the lineup and I’ve heard you and Versig talk about this a ton and how good Chicago was at kind of moving guys around based on who was going and stuff. Knander can start a game on the third line and if it’s a tight game in the third period and you need to load them up with someone else like hello. Like I do have people not been watching this sport for like their whole lives. I don’t like there’s always options. And the fact that putting Knander on the third line actually worked tonight and they were effective and arguably one of the best offensive lines of the night. Mhm. To me, it’s like you want that throughout your lineup, especially against teams that are going to be deeper than San Jose. Completely agree. Um, so yeah, listen, this this show has been, I would say, overwhelmingly positive for a game they lost, but that’s the other feeling that I have from this game is, okay, you mentioned it. They’re going to have to win a lot of games, right? Like, yeah, it’s clear their room for error has changed based on the start to this season. It’s not as drastic given the rest of the Atlantic in particular where last I checked the Leafs were one of only three teams with a positive goal differential. Uh, so yeah, it’s a it’s a pretty bad division, but this was the first time where like they blew a game, but they played well throughout most of it where I kind of went like, all right, like you play like I’d rather not I’d rather have this, I guess, than they play poorly and win. But this felt fluky kind of the other way where like I said, Clingberg throws one on net. I’m I think the Leafs had opportunities to clear that puck at the very end of the game. There were a couple of chances where they could just get this thing out. Uh there was one really nice play at the line. I think it was by Celibbrini, but yeah, they like I’m sorry. I just I can’t be I I just can’t be overly upset about this one. They lost a point. I wish they got it, but the game overall from like again the power play, kneelander, hill tobe again, the defensive structure, Matthew, even Matthews, even Matthews in overtime, like I know he has that that chance um offensively that goes the other way and ends up in the game-winning goal. But like I’m every time I see Matthews try to use his body, even when he it doesn’t work, like I’m happy because he’s somebody that needs to use his size and I want to see him try to drive the net or get around guys and use it to his advantage. So, I’m not even mad at that. Yeah. Uh, the only thing that I think is like the really big negative from this game is Oh, yeah. They lose all Oliver Eman Larson. Yeah. Who has been terrific this year. Uh, truly if if you want to talk about like Leaf’s players start to finish of the season, consistently good. There’s a case that it’s him. like Tavvarz and Oel I would say are Toronto’s most consistent two guys start to finish and Tavvarz has had a little bit of a blip recently but again they did a good job they need that they needed like if you were going to compare like Diver and and Oel it’s like they needed that consistent presence on the back end like they need someone like that back there and now they just lose him like gh that makes me nervous I’m hoping it’s not too bad it doesn’t look that bad there but then seeing him carried off the ice was not that wasn’t good. So, you’re right. The play does look kind of innocent, but Ecman Larson is he’s and I mean this in a nice way, he’s a mean, nasty prick and he’s tough. So, for him to kind of just lay there and know and not even try to test it and not even try to get up and then not put any weight on it as they’re taking him off. That makes me feel like they’re going to be missing him for a while, especially when you consider his age. And frankly, like he just offers things that they don’t really have. Like, okay, so they lose Tanv, they lose Carlos. Ster steps in here and he’s a revelation. Troy’s boys. Yeah, Troy’s boys going nuts. I saw Sam McKe posted a picture from the game of Ster. So, I’m trying to get Troy on my podcast this week. And who’s gonna Has he been on Has he been on uh uh Kipper and Bourne yet? No, he’s done. No, Leafs don’t I’ll tell you. I forget this when I don’t live there. You don’t get leaves. Yeah. Like, listen, this is one of the biggest things. And to be fair, I’m not really like a tries to go out and get a lot of players on my pod guy anyway. Uh but yeah, this is a guy where I put in the request and I’m I’m very I’m like no it’s the opposite where like normally when they give it back and they’re like yeah you know uh they’re not available. I’m like yeah all right whatever I don’t care. This one I’m being like forceful about and going like give me this guy on the pot. I need to talk to this fella about him. But yeah, like the Leafs, that was a miracle that they got for someone that could replace Tanv/C Carlo in their lineup and kind of give them some balance. And so right when the blue line, right when the structure is starting to feel good, you lose Oel, who is your best offensive defenseman at this point, like I don’t know if you want to say it’s Riley, like sure they’re different, but like Oliver Eman Larson’s been piling up points this year and has looked really confident, has got power play one time. He is tough. He’s mean. He plays with an edge. He’s really important to this group. And yeah, if they lose him, the wins, like that’s the problem with the stacking of the injuries is you’re already playing th you know, or th I can’t even remember how to say his name properly. They lost Dakota Mermis and you’re just you’re scraping and clawing to find NHL bodies right now. I like I said, I don’t think he’s going to be he’s not going to be okay. No. And like we’re probably going to get like we’re probably going to get like daytoday from the lease for like the next four weeks. Yeah. Um but like do they make a move then? Do you think like this is where it’s like okay this is like dire enough now that maybe you need to try to do something and get a defenseman. They they they don’t have anything to give. Well, they need to figure they need to get creative. No, this is if there’s a will, there’s a way. The creativity is going to be get learn to more the is there there’s no there’s no forward. No, there’s no way you would trade. You watch this team. Like who are they trading? Watch this team. Yeah, but like that’s it. It’s like what? You going to dangle Cali Yarncroak? Someone’s going to be like, yeah. Like we couldn’t even ship him to Brinus. I heard you talking about that today. like he couldn’t go to Bridest. I turned your show on at the gym and I was like, “What the hell are we talking about right now?” I got tricked. I got tricked. I tried to read Swedish. I tried to read the Swedish. I just couldn’t get it. I did my best, but no. Apparently, he’s going to Bryinness next year and he’s not going right now. But yeah. Okay. Anyways, well then what are they going to do? They’re going to have to play Marley’s. It’s more It’s more Meyers. It’s more Thrron. It’s it’s villain wave or whatever Luke is throwing in there like villain. I I don’t know. Like this is where it’s time to text Nick Richard who covers the Marlies and go hey who’s like who’s the guy? Also though who’s playing for the Marlies now just absolutely deported down there. Who do they got? That’s that’s a nightmare for the Marlies. Yeah, Topi and Rooney, Luke says, which Sam would have loved that joke. But yeah, they are they are unbelievably thin. Like the poor Marlies trying to trying to win games and doing it with like they’re going to have to start doing contests where they call fans and say, “Show up. You want to play for the Toronto Marlies. The social media team’s about to explode with viral videos of them just getting guys from uh beer leagues to come play.” Yeah. Like that’s it. It’s like I hope the Oilers have another MVP that they’re willing to just drop on waiverss because otherwise I think they’re they’re a little hooped here. Uh honestly are going to have to pay attention to what’s going on leaguewide because honestly like sometimes things slip through the cracks. So just got top of although like the when does the holiday freeze start and all that nonsense even if they wanted to do something. No, but not not for I think a couple of uh maybe less than two weeks, but yeah, it’s right around like the Leafs play on the 23rd. Third. I’m doing that game. Yeah, fun fact. Yeah. So, yeah, I don’t it’s I I don’t think it’s before then. Anyway, I I got nothing else on this one, but yeah, overall to me, if you’re going to lose, this is the way to lose. That’s my biggest takeaway. Yeah, it’s a it’s a it’s a positive loss uh in Leafs Nation. Yeah, people hate that there are no moral victories. I can hear the tweets already. I know. And there’s going to be people who are like and they this is what they do. They can’t close games. And it’s like, all right, whatever. I just I There’s also going to be people that are like, Jackie, I can’t listen to you. Your voice is horrendous. So, we do need to wrap this up. I know. I I will say, too, I did so many games where I came on here and went, I don’t know what to say. I hate this team and I hate watching this every single night that a game like this where they actually like played reasonably well and good things happened. I just I already used up too much of my be mad energy and that’ll come if they actually start to fall apart. And well, let me ask you this though, the last thing before we go, I promise. Where where where is your level of of belief, if you will, in this team at this point of the season? Good. Are we 25 games in something like that? Honestly, it’s this is you’re putting me on the spot with this in terms of now the the positive people who are like, “Good, JD is being positive tonight.” Now you’re like, “Oh, let me bury. Let me let me drag you right before we leave. Let me let me turn the people against.” It gets the people It gets the people going, so you might as well just do it. I’m I’m just uh I’m not watching the Leafs for playoffs anymore. Like, yes, do they need to get in to have a shot? Sure. But I’m still in a place where I got a lot of doubts about this team. And they’re going to have to prove a lot for a pretty extended period of time where they keep playing like this consistently for another month before I would say my belief meter starts to ignore the beginning of this season completely and say things like, “Oh, well maybe they working in new bodies and Joshua wasn’t confident and Raw had a lingering injury and the blue line was beat up.” like they got they got a lot they’re going to have to they’re going to have to do a lot and play this way. I will say like this feels like a turning of the corner and the season could have escaped them like very quickly. It was on the brink and they did the leafy thing of when you think they’re done they come back and show you something. So I am definitely believing more. I do believe in the goalenders like I think Wool is a big time like a superstar goalie. It’s just a matter of if he can stay healthy. Hilderby is showing me enough right now where I’m like, hm. And I’m not writing off Stlars just because they overplayed him at the beginning of the season. So like what team has better goalending depth than the Toronto Maple Leafs? You’re I’d be hardressed to find any actually. That’s what I’m saying. So a lot of the playoffs about goalending. They aren’t healthy and maybe some of their older guys having to sit out lots of the regular season can turn it around into playoffs. you know, there’s there’s good things that are happening, but yeah, overall you you just can’t throw out a sample like the beginning of the season because they’ve played good for two weeks. Not with the the trauma that is this fan base and not with how little they’ve actually proven when the chips are down in the past. So, yeah, it’s a it’s a firm we’ll see as of this moment. Uh Jackie Redmond, we’ll see you again soon. Thanks so much for sticking it out and uh actually doing the show even though you were sick and you absolutely could have pulled out of this uh this one. Uh you can subscribe. Hopefully you’ll have me back even though I Yeah, of course we’ll have you back. I like how you always say that like I don’t have you on my show bi-weekly like and that you’re on the show every year that we ask you all the time. This is only my second leaf stock though. I think but whose fault is that? Yeah. But who else? All right. All right. We got to run. Uh for JD Bunkers, for Jackie Redmond. Uh we’ll see you what? Saturday night with Sammy and I.

JD Bunkis and Jackie Redmond react to tonight’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks immediately following the final horn!

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