Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets LIVE Post Game Reaction | Leafs Talk

Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets LIVE Post Game Reaction | Leafs Talk

Leaves talk. Uh Brent Gunning, Sam McKe boy. Okay. Uh follow us both on uh X Sam McKe on Twitter. Gunning 590. So I’ve been watching this Jays game. I’ve been watching this Leafs game and this is what I’m going to use as a sort of I don’t know way to to compare this. The Jay’s right now are like the kid that’s like the first two weeks in college with like the credit card that they’ve never had before. And I’m just I’m just spending. I’m spending. I’m loving life. I’m loving life. And then the Leafs, they’re the bill, brother. They’re the Bill because this week is about to be finished and I’m gonna have to dive into this. And tonight is just horrible. Horrible, horrible game. And listen, I thought the Leafs actually had some moments in this game. Kaden Primo pretty putrid if we’re going to be honest here. But God, this uh this Bill is is coming in hot for your boy. Now we got the Jays game on here right now. So 3-2 count for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with two on in the top of the seventh. I might I might have a secondary screen just off and he threw a wild pitch. Okay, 4-1 Toronto Blue Jays. Jays leaves talk. Hey, it is what it is. We know where the bread is buttered here. I would just also remind everyone uh that and hey, no jinxing like nothing has happened yet, but generally speaking, when I’ve been here, it’s been a good omen for the Blue Jays. So, let’s just all keep that uh in in mind as we’re here tonight. uh back to the issue at hand and that was the putrid no good uh very bad hockey team that was the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight. That was gross to your point like second period it happened. I saw it. I watched that little bit of hope that still resides inside of me. It started to grow and sprout and then the puck went back the other way and it’s in the back of the net and it’s 3-1 and or 4-1. The hockey game was over and Primu was no good. There were a lot of moments not to like out of that game. I did wonder if we were going to have a Curtis Malaney memorial affair where it’s like a bad goal goes in early and they go, “Well, why should we even even be here?” But there was so much more to it than a couple of stinky primo goals. And there were a couple of those for sure. I you know like I what the shots I mean what was it at one point? Was it five on 13 or five? It was you know I you can blame Primo and I I I will don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to blame the goalending as you know. I’m not the biggest goalending fan, but again, like the Leafs played well and they had moments in this game where they were carrying the play and they looked like they were going to get back into the game, but just these turnovers into mental lapses into like Dzone coverage that looks like the zigzags. There’s just guys wide open everywhere. These passes are available. the center of the ice feels like the autobond, the opposite of the the highway that’s going to be leaving Dodger Stadium tonight. Like it’s just it’s crazy how this team that like one of the calling cards, this gritty veteran decor that’s been together for a couple years now and they, you know, wy and all that stuff, it’s just it’s disappeared right now. And even in the game they win last night, they they hit the post a couple times. I know they they play well enough to win that game, but tonight is just sloppy. The turnovers, I mean, including the captain who apparently now who used to score 70 goals, handles a puck like a hand grenade. I I don’t know what’s going on there, but it’s just it’s sloppy all over the place. Guns. Yeah. You want to talk about the bill? Uh the bill to come is the long conversation about Austin Matthew as opposed to like the glancing blows uh that he’s been getting when we’re having these Leaves conversations cuz Yeah. Like you need him to absolutely be better. This isn’t a one guy issue again like to make everything in the world about the Blue Jays like it is right now. You need your Ernie Clemens of the world. You need your Andreas Jimenez’s and you need your Vlattis and your Bose and okay like I don’t need a hurt guy right now but George Springer somebody somebody along those lines and it’s just you haven’t got that. Tvaris has been great like he’s done his job but even on the the clip we just ran there it’s him fire poking at a puck just outside of his own blue line. Puck comes back the other way and it’s in the back of the net. You just you cannot cannot cannot have that happen. There have been so many lapses and the only thing I would quibble with with what you said is it’s not the autobond, it’s the gardener cuz that thing’s open and it is flying now. Fresh pavement. Oh my god. I drive home. Favorite part of the day now. Honestly, traffic talk all of a sudden. I had to drive to the office the other day because I had to pick something up after work and I never drive to the office and I didn’t know that it was open and I was like, “Oh my god, what a treat.” Like I was it was the the happiest moment I’d had non- baseball related in a long time. It was unbelievable. So, and speaking of baseball related happiness, Bob Bashette just poked a opposite field single to score Andreas Jimenez from third base to make it 5-1 Toronto Blue Jays in the top of the seventh if you’re watching this. Um yeah, like I I got to ask Yeah. coaching. Yeah, absolutely. Does this look like a team that’s like like that has a coach right now? Like it just they it’s this is like direct and co and and you know play direct and you know simplify simplify. Could we complicate a little bit because direct and and simplifying doesn’t seem to be working. I heard you guys talking about this on Kip Roombour and I forgot what day it was, but no, I think it’s bang on when you have the first thing Bub said when he came in here is I’m not going to take the sticks out of these guys’ hands and then evidently this year he’s like ring it for everyone and cut off all of the play. Anyone got a broom ball stick? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh just a fire poker. How about just that is all you can you can have out there. And you know, Simmer kind of mentioned it and I don’t think like Nick Robertson is what ails this team or anything like that, but that’s a guy who’s more confident when he’s clearly emboldened to go make plays. And I’m not saying you want everybody going like full max doy and like let me tow drag at my own blue line here all the time. You don’t want to see that, but you have to embolden a team that yes, I know it’s much more meat and potatoes than it used to be. And I think that’s fine. Like there a lot of meat and potatoes win Stanley teams win Stanley Cups, but my god, this this group just seems to be so stuck between what they used to be, what they want to be, and they’re neither of those things right now. And the idea of going back to what they used to be, that’s a non-starter because it’s not about Martner, but it’s like you just change the complexion of the roster so much that it’s not a dipsy doodle pretty team. It has to be a meat and potatoes team, but they just seem to be so stuck in even being able to do that. It’s like you’re not even getting the good part. It’s just potatoes. No meat. I mean, I do love potatoes. I love potato. I know. I do love potatoes. I Come on. You’re having a roast dinner. You’re like, “Only mash for me, please.” I married a French Canadian woman. We could literally just have potatoes every night. And we both You already mentioned the first two weeks of university. That’s like when I moved into my house. And my mom’s like, “Hey, here’s money for food.” And I’m like, “For potatoes? Yeah. Food? Gotcha. Big bag of potatoes and Lord knows what else. Some barley milkshakes. So, no, I just like I’m not say sitting here saying fire the coach, okay? I don’t want that to be construed as this. Sure. But through however many games now, 12, I guess, or 11, however many the hell it is, they don’t look like a team that’s responding to the coach’s message. No, straight up. They just they’re not the system isn’t taking. And I guess it’s a lot of new guys from last year, right? They did mix in new guys. It’s Cowan, it’s Wah, it’s Michelli, it’s Joshua, it’s, you know, it’s it’s guys that you’re not expecting to necessarily, you know, hit the ground running. You got to you got to kind of work it in. But just as a group right now, it doesn’t look like there’s any response. I don’t know. It’s it’s it’s a weird feeling right now. Not a lot of juice, bud. The only thing I disagree with that is that okay, like maybe Michelli is a guy that’s not supposed to hit the ground running cuz it’s like more of a chemistry fit with No, that’s a good point. I know. Nick Dakota Joshua supposed to hit the ground running because all they do is like hey stick check and run. That’s all we want you to do. Just be above the puck in the offensive zone, below it in the defensive zone and be responsible. That’s not you’re not asking the world of those guys. And I’m not even necessarily putting it all on them. I think there’s just when the whole team’s looking lost, I don’t think it’s one or two new guys. But you bring in Wah who has there ever been a player in the history of the world who has a more dead set understood position of you will be the third line center it will be a checking role and then Scott Lton got hurt and everything in the world had to change. So like I I’m with you. I’m not sitting here going you’re falling for Bub’s head like it’s too early for that. The team has I can’t believe I’m about to say this while the Blue Jays are doing what they’re doing have had modicums of success in the last little bit with him here. But man, you it it does just seem like a loss loss group. Yeah, I you know, I don’t know. I I would say that you mentioned that wall. I thought if there was a uh I don’t know what they actually finished numbers-wise. I haven’t looked at the full stat sheet tonight, but to my eye test and boy was I locked in to the the Leafs tonight. I thought Cow and Joshua Wah had a few good shifts tonight. I thought they were noticeable and I thought Joshua has kind of started to find his groove a little bit. But yeah, I I I I don’t know. I just I somebody in the group chat in the chat here and God bless our Leaf Sickos people in the chat right now. Like the fact that we don’t have zero listeners is one of the greatest accomplishments of my career. DLO says, “Lost 6-2 in Columbus last season in October, too. Still not a time to panic.” Dot dot dot but dot dot dot. Yeah. uh as Daltton Varel grounds out to second base to end the threat. Jay’s up 5-1 halfway through the seventh inning. I’m sure Trey Savage coming out again who’s been on fire. So, I I just really I I don’t know what they’re trying to do out there. And that’s what it comes down to. I just really don’t know what they’re trying to do. It’s not just the power play guns. I just don’t know what they’re trying to do, what they’re supposed to be. No, you’re bang on. I mean, look at look at what the top line was last or at least to start tonight’s game. Austin Matthews, Nick Robertson, and Bobby McMahon. Like what in what in what world? Like what? All of a sudden Austin Matthews is the facilitator on on that line and Nick Robertson is the shooter. And like again, I don’t have a problem with Robertson. I I actually love all the strides he’s made. Like is he a perfect player? God, no. Been better on that top line. Way more noticeable. It’s not about him, though. It’s just what is that group? Like in what world does that make a lick of sense when you when you put it together that way? And I think that’s just the perfect microcosm of the way this whole Leaf season has gone. It’s like, okay, JT and N like, yeah, that makes sense. Two strong guys below the dot or even when it’s N and Matthews, you see it. But yeah, it just does feel like it’s a group that’s just kind of completely weward right now. And I think again, I mentioned this last night, I’ll say it again, if there is a silver lining, it’s that it makes sense for this group to be wayward. In the past when they’ve been getting their doors blown off by Columbus in October and early November, it has made no sense because all the guys have been here the entire time. At least now you can say, “Okay, well things are at least a touch a touch different this time.” like you know uh our boy Luke the dog put in a great a great stat for us in the uh in the in the chat here just in terms of the ice time for the third line that I mentioned and I appreciate that Luke but for a team that I get like are they supposed to be a contender right cringe like they’re supposed to be competitive they’re not like an 18 or 19 year old rookie should be playing 17 minutes of ice time cow playing 17 minutes and he was good so you got to keep putting him out there you’re looking for anything from anyone But yeah, I I I don’t know. I just I don’t know. I don’t know. It’s It’s a tough I mean, no kneelander. Lorent gets banged up. Like that drives some of the ice time up for Cowan. But can I All right, let’s No one’s watching. Let’s do a take. Yeah. You know why the Leafs lost tonight? They’re missing their best player. Best player this year for sure. I I mean I don’t know. Like Willy’s just been their best player and I I haven’t seen anything from Matthews that’s going to knock Willie off that that pedestal. Yeah. I I’m sorry. Like it just the jump with his game. Even when he was hurt, he was great against Calgary. Picks the pocket, sets up that big goal, carries the puck, does everything. And I know Matthews doesn’t have the most exciting linemates right now, and I understand that, but you’re one of the highest paid players in the league. You should be able to carry a line. Like, the puck’s a grenade on his stick, bud. It’s just he can’t stick handle like he used to. He can’t hold on to it like he used to. Like, I’m legitimately worried about him. I it’s it’s gone from like slow start to starting to whole look a whole lot like last year but no to totally I don’t know I don’t know how you can watch these games and not not do it. Even the all the other stuff isn’t happening like he’s not as physical as he’s been in in years past. He did have a hit tonight. One nice hit where he knocked that guy down. That was nice. That was nice. And you want to see that but it I shouldn’t be going wow the 6’3 captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs is 230 pounds hit a guy. Oh my god. How good. How good. It shouldn’t be the It shouldn’t be the What’s the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? Oh, the Leo. Oh, oh, seen that. I know that. No, it should not. It should not be that. I think you’re seeing it from him. The frustration is clearly breaking through. He takes that penalty tonight last night and it’s like whatever. Who cares? At least didn’t lose because Matthews got a penalty called on him. But he is lambasting the ref, screaming soft, soft, soft. And it’s just funny cuz Ben and I had a long conversation about like, do you want to see more emotion from from Matthews out of it? And you saw it there today and is that good emotion? Is that the captain trying to fire up his team? To me, that’s a guy going, “Oh my god, what is is happening?” He You think he Austin Matthews aware of what happens on the the ice in a National Hockey League game? You think he doesn’t know that this is a diminished version of himself? Is he going to come out and say it? God, no, of course not. He’s going to be like, “Yeah, I’ve been I’ve been terrible and I’m not the best version of me.” you you’ll hear like lip service to that, but you’re not going to actually have like the reflection that comes along with it. This just the whole way this was going to work is Austin Matthews being Superman and putting on the cape and hey, the Capitals will get there is because of Ovetchkin. Yet, you see what Alex Ovuchkin is still doing at a million years old in the NHL right now. And man, I you know what I’d kill for is um you know, Matthews hasn’t been that great, but Puck’s going in, so that’s okay. It’s just he’s not even going in any any neither of them are there, right? like in years past where he’d be like undeniable and he’d be hitting the post and he’d be, you know, like he’d be goal making great s his goalless drought that he used to have. He was all over the puck every game. It’s just not there. So, all right. So, full disclosure, I only have two more things I want to talk about. Y I’m sick. I’m sick for JT. Okay, that was the biggest one for me. Yeah, I’m sick for him. Like 500 goals. I don’t know what the number is for how many guys that have scored 500 goals in the 49. Wow. I was going to say it can’t be more than 50. So there you go. I did nail that. Min Cabbrini next. Next up, uh yeah, I I just This sucks. You don’t get the proper celebration. Awful. You don’t get like honestly chop that there. Just let it go by you. Who would not understand it? Just like just let it go by you. Don’t score. I just I He’s not going to be able to ever look back on this incredible milestone with any fondness. And this is a guy that deserves to have this milestone celebrated as a guy that took less. I was just praying for it to be offside. I thought I thought the Leaf should have challenged it to be offside. Simmer Simmer’s making the comment like I think somebody talked to him. I’m like, yeah, somebody should talk to Evansson and and say and say challenge this. Take this away. Don’t let JT have it happen this way. Just like both teams should have gone to the ref and been like, “Hey, we know you want to go home.” Uh I did love that from Simmer as well. Like, oh, that’s a go home call. We had a baseball reference from Simmer. Uh but they should have challenged it. the NHL league office should have come. H get that graphic off the screen. Yeah, it’s still such a huge accomplishment. No, it’s amazing for him and I love JT, but the idea I I wore a John Tvar’s jersey to my wedding rehearsal dinner. Okay, like that’s the level of sickness uh that we’ve that we’ve got here. Okay, let’s go. I truly amazing. Look, it was right after he signed. Okay, like I mean that’s totally acceptable. Elite wedding gift from uh my wife. Good job by by her on that one. My other Sam. Uh, but I just the league should have come down and then the ref just like goes on the mic. Uh, ladies and gentlemen, we as a society of hockey have decided this is too disgusting to continue the goal off the board. We’ll see you in wherever the Leafs play on Saturday. Philly on on Saturday across from game seven potentially of the World Series. Um, Jason six, I called it. Oh, easy Bubba. Easy. Now, uh, Bub, I love this from DL. Do carry in the chat tonight. Brew should have benched JT in the third under those circumstances. I actually totally agree with that and had the same thought watching. I was like, why not just just just play Cowan play them all and it’s like let them all play. I I don’t know. I just Well, no, don’t play Cowan because I also didn’t want him to get his goal in that. Yeah, it’s true. Well, and he fanned on one in the slot. It’s not at all the same thing cuz how many great players have had it’s like, oh my god, you should see me like poke this puck in in a scrum in a nothing game. Not remotely the same. But I mean, well, if you have your brothers, yeah, Saturday night against the Flyers, that sounds better. So, last thing I’m going to bring up here as uh Trey Savage works to Tommy Edmond. Uh 3-2 count, bottom seven, one man on. Uh here, a little bit of a little dribbler to third that uh Ernie Clement couldn’t make a play on. Uh Sammy Schulman, what how bad is Hillbe? Like, Hillbe is not better than Great question. I I mean I I don’t want to rag like I mean Clayton Primo has been a journeyman backup. He had some pedigree. I understand that. But like as the Toronto Blue Jays just turn a inning ending double play to get out of the seventh inning up 5-1. Treya Savage fired up. One of the greatest starts in World Series history for a rookie. Uh I just I can’t I can’t fathom them giving him another start. Like it’s if we if I it’s got to be waiverss tomorrow, right? Yeah, I think so. Like what what just go to Hildabby. No. And the other thing is is that Hildabby is not Joe Wall that you’re like, “Oh my god, the team’s in such a terrible state. I don’t want to put this guy out there.” No, I mean, he’s fine. He’s part of the future, but not really in the grand scheme of things. And also, who cares about the future? You need some points and some wins and stack points while you figure this all out now. No, I’m I’m with you. I was I look I’m here for the bet. 26 years old, bounced around the league. I’ve seen that story enough times. I’ve also seen this enough times now. Uh please remove him from the from the equation here. No, I mean Joel Wall can’t come back close enough. I know state secret. We’re not even allowed to like No, we can’t even talk about that. I s Oh, sorry. I don’t want to say anything else here. Uh, but he can’t come back soon enough because Hill to be I I’ve seen him and I know he looks it looks like if Mozart was terrified to play in a hockey game ever on the bench or Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill for the Americans, but he doesn’t have a great bench face. I will give you that. It’s not a great bench face. It’s not a great face. Might as well cut to him every time just making the like cutthroat gesture like, “No, not me. Please, God, no. No, no, no.” Bill Simmons, if you’re a listener of Bill Simmons and Ryan Rillo’s old pod, they always talked about sham face. Yes, he’s got Hill to be faced. Hill to be face is not what you want. But I I I think I’ve seen enough if I’m in the organization. Like I don’t think they made a mistake letting Ryr go. It probably wouldn’t have been any better with Rhymer. No, just just send Hill to be in there for the back to backs until Wall’s ready. Yeah, that’s where I’m at. Like I I’ve I you know, I’m not going to I don’t think we’re going to sit here in two years be like, “Boy, how’d they let Primo get away?” No, honestly, here’s where I’m at. I know they’ve been burned by like the Marchments of the world in the past and like I don’t know maybe Brazo is the is the next is the next one. It’s goalies like you can’t I I I I’m going on record now. I will not reflexively get mad at the Leafs when Kaden Primu wins the Vzna in 2030. Okay. You mean in the KHL? What’s the in the KHL? Uh Vznoskin. That’s probably probably it. Oh, I had one last one dying as everyone likes to go out to watch Jays. Uh, disgusting that the Leafs lost that game mostly because I love watching Dean Neon be mad. God, he’s a scary looking Oh my god, the joy I get from him being mad. He is just like blood spitting, eyes popping out of his head. I just I love it. And it makes me sad that the Leafs had to lose that game. I mean, I know he’s a coach, so he’s going to probably in his post game be like, “Oh, we couldn’t how dare we let them get those two at the end, blah, blah, blah.” Yeah. But he, God, if this would have been the other way, and they would have had that four-minute stretch in the second period that just nuked them. Oh, he would have he’d still be screaming. He’d just be it’d be like all the people at the Raptors game sitting there watching Blue Jays right now, he’d just be in an empty arena being like, “And another thing just still mad.” Uh tough night for the future team Canada pedigree guys. Adam Fentilli and uh Kent Johnson both dash2 in a 6-3 win. Kent Johnson uh Canadian zus so that’s fine. I uh we had we had um Wedell on Kiporn today. Did you hear any of that? Did he grill you about the jersey? No. He’s like he left it in a taxi or something. I was like, remember, isn’t it a stage coach? I told you that. I told you were on that night, right, with me? I told that story. And then, um, he also was like basically just said to about Fantelli, he’s just like, “Yeah, I’m, you know, I’m sure he wants to get his points up and he wants to play more, but like he’s got to earn some ice time.” B, that’s what he said. He’s like, I’ve talked to his representation and like he always says something when he comes on our show every time. like he always says something interesting. We love having him on and yeah, I mean going two and a 6-3 win, it’s probably not going to earn you more ice time, but Vic Victor Oliv said last night for the ABS, five points in a 84 win- one. So, wow, that is high event. That’s high event hockey. Let me tell you, Leafs are never playing in a game like that in uh in 2526. That ain’t happening. And as we sign off here, Gunnar uh Oh, look at they pull out his face. It’s he look he’s he’s it’s four minutes into the game. It’s 000. He hasn’t had enough time and he’s red as a tomato. Um and uh just as we’re about to sign off here, uh Ernie Clement has just singled to lead off the top of the eighth. Jay’s up 51 with a chance to bring it back to Roger Center for game six and seven with a 3-2 series lead in the World Series. So, I’m gonna go watch the rest of this baseball game. I I hope nobody else will be mad at me for that. Uh, congratulations to John Dvaris. I’m sick it happened in that game, but still an incredible accomplishment for a for an alltime Leaf. And uh, we will probably see you. I don’t know when we’ll see you next goes to seven, probably not Saturday, but whenever they play the next week, we will. Uh, make sure listen, send a comment on this after. Give us a thumbs up if you’re a true Leaf sicko. You know, I think we did pretty good here. Like, I feel like we’ve been going pretty well. Like, I could have made this a fiveminute leaf talk and I feel like we’ve given the good. So, give us a like, thumbs up, make a comment on Spotify. I love that new comment thing on Spotify. So, put one there. Give my boy Gunning a follow on Twitter, Instagram. Me, too. And go Jay’s, baby. Go Jays. Go Jays.

Sam McKee and Brent Gunning will react to tonight’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets immediately following the final horn!

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