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

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

Leaf talk Sam McKe no JD Bunk is tonight I’m joined by uh my boy Anthony Petrelli from Maple Leaf Hot Stove. Uh does a wonderful job over there uh the Leafs Notebook every Monday and weekly Maple Leaf Hot Stove podcast. So I’m really happy to have him on the show to talk about just a uh wonderful display of hockey tonight by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Uh yeah, where do you want to start, bud? Because I kind of had a loss after what I just watched there. I I I don’t really know where to start. Um, there was moments of brilliance, mostly on the back of a horrible third string goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes, but outside of that, I don’t really know where to start. I’m kind of at a loss. I’m dependent on the guess here. Where do you want to start, bud? If we have him. Yeah. I mean, they had a chance to beat [Music] Can you hear me? Yeah, I got you. You’re breaking up a little bit. All right. Maybe we’re have to go to a single box. They uh they had a chance to beat them, but or to win the game. Mhm. Yeah. So, I think we’re going to have to go to a single box here, boys. Anony’s breaking up pretty badly. Um Yeah. So, uh so now that I was at a loss for words, uh I’m going to have to come up with some words here. Um, two shows ago I went on with JD Bunkis and we played uh watched them play against the Utah Mammoth and I uh went on here and I you know I was happy to say that we’re back and that you know the Leafs have kind of turned it around after they had a great third period comeback against the Pittsburgh Penguins and then uh Oh, hello. Are you back? How are we doing here? I think I’m back. Yeah, you’re back. A little bit of a delay, but we’ll we’ll we’ll work with it. Uh I was just saying that I went on with with JD Bunkis on Wednesday night after they played a really really good game against the the Mammoth and I I proclaimed them back. I thought that it was sort of the end of the October l that they have every year and that it’s, you know, they’re heading into this November where historically in this era of Leafs hockey, they’ve really really turned it on and they’ve really separated themselves from some of the bottom feeders and some of the mid-feeders in the in the Eastern Conference. And it feels like that has kind of went away here over the past two games where they give up 85 shots in the last two games, last night against Boston and today against Carolina. It’s very, very concerning defensively, Anthony. I don’t really know. I don’t really know what to say or who to blame or what the huge issues are, but they had some chances to win this game, but man, the defensive the defensive deficiency right now are are pretty worrying. Yeah. I mean, they could have won the game, but they had no chance to beat them. Yeah. Like they they got completely outplayed. They got completely cleaned out. I think everyone that watched that game understood that. The most damning part of all of it is after they went down finally, there was about eight minutes left. It was just under. They didn’t record a shot on net. Yeah. They zero shots on net after they went down at home to lose their second game in a row at home in as many days, you know, and it’s it’s a bad play by McCabe. It, you know, which was coming for him. He didn’t. He had the one nice pass on the Matthews goal, but otherwise struggled, which is a good memory bank thing to pop in when people inevitably say play him on the right side. Yeah. Shouldn’t play on the right side. Um, but they had ample time to to score against a goalie who’s not particularly strong and they couldn’t muster anything. They they weren’t even close. I mean, Carolina carried the play after they took the lead in Toronto. So, you know, the Boston game I kind of I don’t want to say chocked it up to, but I kind of looked at that game and thought, you know, Boston came in hot but under manned. And sometimes when that happens, you you know, you work a little harder and your details are better because, you know, you have guys coming in, they’re hungry. Yeah. you know, so on so forth. Fair enough. I thought the Leafs got outworked straight up against Boston. I thought Boston worked harder. And so I kind of came into this game thinking like the Leafs will work hard and the Leafs will be the aggressor. And you know, you’re talking about the games this past week. There was a video that came out after the Pittsburgh game with Matthews, right, that the team posted and he’s talking about being tenacious. Like we’re tenacious. Like what? There is zero tenacity that that is taking place. I just I disagree with that assessment, Mr. Matthews. Like I got to ask, are they this bad? No. Like are they like are there players this bad? like is the is the attention to detail defensively when you have guys that have been good NHL defenseman over their careers and I know Carlos looked bad this year but Riley hasn’t been great and I don’t think McCabe has been particularly good since Tanv’s gone out and I don’t think you know all of Larson’s covered himself in glory like it’s pretty much the entire decor right but these are veteran guys that you sort of think will figure it out and be okay but they’re just like you’re like oh maybe They should trade for a D man to kind of help out. Can they trade for six? Because it’s not just one. Like everyone’s dumping on Meyers and I’m happy to do it too because he was particularly brutal again tonight and he was no good last night. Next game. He shouldn’t. But if you’re going by merit, none of them should. Anthony like if you’re go like it’s just none of them are making any solid good read. It just it’s a really weird thing where they’ve all been monsted at the same time. I I don’t understand what’s going on. So, I’m gonna answer your question with a question back to you. Yes. If if you flipped Carolina’s coach Rod Brendmore and Craig Baruby in preseason and they play they went through preseason training camp all of the games up until tonight and then these two teams played each other, these two exact rosters. Do you think the Leafs don’t even get 30% of the shot attempts at five on five the way that they did tonight with Rod Brendmore coaching them for the past two months compared to Craig Bury? Mr. Petilli, that’s why you bring you on, buddy. That’s the big bucks right there. I I I like it’s so easy early in a season with a coach who hasn’t been here that long and like you know I think it’s very very easy to point the finger like it’s just something that we all do as analysts and fans and and I and I think it’s something that is very very easy to do but I’m trying to figure out why it looks like this because is their roster a little bit worse than it was last year without Mitch Mner? Clearly, Mitch Mner is a very good player and he did a ton for them defensively as well as offensively, you know, on the penalty kill and power play, all the stuff we know he did, but like they’re not this much worse. So, I’m really trying to figure it out. I’m really trying not to be like, it’s the coaching staff, it’s the coach, it’s this, it’s that. Like, is it the coaching staff? Is there like are they not responding to the style of play that they want them to do? Because it just feels like a team that’s down, you know, they like you said, they didn’t get a shot. were the shots in the third period 20-2 and you see Bub on the bench bud and he’s losing his mind constantly like overtly you know making a scene screaming at them yelling fbombs like so the cameras can see everybody can see his distress and there’s zero response like there’s zero emotional response to it that’s worrying to me if I’m the coach yeah and usually I mean, let’s be honest, that’s usually a sign of someone who it’s not going well. And if you look at the team, I think what’s damning about it is the way that they talked about constructing their roster, deeper, heavy forch, all these sorts of things. And then you look at their at their team so far. What can you say about them? They’re fifth in the league in goals for and they’re one of the worst teams in the league in terms of goals against. Is there a worst team? St. Louis technically I believe unless unless my NHL app hasn’t update or like hasn’t updated and the Leafs actually just nudged ahead with them. Yeah. So, you know, they don’t control play. They don’t forche particularly well. you know, the Nick Wah Joshua combo does show signs of being able to forche effectively and cycle at times. Like I don’t want to completely slag on it, but a bigger point here is all of the things that we would think that a Craig Ruby team would want to do and the things that he tells us that he wants them to do, they don’t do them. Yeah. The the things that they’re good at are like they shoot the lights out. That might be it. Their penalty kill is pretty good. I actually like their penalty kill. I think Derek Leon has done a good job with it, but that, you know, the power play shows signs of life. That’s about it. Like none of those things, you know, the special team units aren’t really down to the head coach and then they score a lot and they’re bad defensively. It kind of feels like it kind of feels like it did real early on in the core where like it was just like this sort of high event hockey where you’re just carried by the guys. It’s just it’s the same thing it’s been it’s the team A team B thing with just one less guy on team A. And I guess you can move N onto team A where he’s I mean his production’s been excellent this year. I think he’s having a really great start to his excuse me a really great start to his year but like without his production and like Willie is carrying them off it like the four guys it’s just the new core four you’ve taken out Marner and you’ve put in N and that’s just what it is now and without those four guys clearly you’re not you know you’re talking about what it is below that I I just don’t know I really can’t put my finger on it because like a lot of the goals tonight and specifically I think it was his second goal. I did a video on it. I’m sitting there on my couch. I’m pissed off about it. There’s just these wide open gaps everywhere. Like the the forwards and like I don’t know it the the the the gaps between the forwards and the and the D. It just feels like there’s so much open ice everywhere. They just have these. How many times has this exact play, if you’re watching on YouTube or Sports Plus, how many times, like this is anecdotal, does it feel like a forward can just drop to F3 for a wideopen shot this year? I feel like that’s happened four times a game. It’s just I don’t know. I don’t know. Here’s here’s my issue actually with the goal. And if when we go back to the start of it, you know, the puck the puck comes around the wall in the offensive zone to Matthews and makes zero and and so he’s So I think what he’s sitting there, he’s going, I’m lifting a stick, the puck’s going around, but he doesn’t actually know. Like you can do that on a power play because you’re going to win the wall the race to the wall. But he’s lifting it. And do you know who that defenseman is on Carolina? Number 64. Never. No. His number his number is 64, Anthony. I don’t know who he is. He He’s Joel Nystrom. That’s his ninth game in the league. Yeah. He is 5’11 and he’s listed at under 180 pounds. And the puck goes low to Matthews. And it’s it’s like, how are you not dominating this guy? Or just stop the puck. Like, but how aren’t you licking your chops? Yeah. Like, that’s a You’re like, I don’t even know this guy’s name. No, I don’t. Like, he shouldn’t even be on the ice with me. Yeah. And And you’re like, you’re essentially trying to lift his stick to facilitate someone else making a play and then what? Like, you’re going to roll to try to get open. It’s, you know, one of the things they did talk about in the summer without Marner, like Ruby said it a number of times, like Matthew’s going to have to have the puck more. He’s going have to make plays and it’s like, man, if you’re lifting Joel Nestrom’s stick. Yeah. To have it go around when they’re already loaded up your line in, you know, in the first place. It’s not like it’s Matias Machelli and or Nick Robertson there. It’s like they loaded up the best they could. Yeah. And, you know, that line ultimately got outscored in this game. And I’ll give them the third goal. Like that has nothing to do with them. And McKay makes a bad play. Like what do you want any of them to do? Matthew’s like, “I won the faceoff.” McCabe threw it up the middle. But, you know, at end of the day, like they they were they got outscored. Even if you took that away, they were 2-2 with like that goal, in my opinion, being blatantly on their fault. Like, Matthews didn’t track back well after that sequence in the offensive zone. So, you look at it, it was kind of the same thing last year. It was like, and we talked about it a few times on the radio towards the end of last season. It’s like if you’re playing your your best left winger, your best center, and your best right winger together, then they need to dominate. They need to be unbelievable. They get outscored 3-2 today. I think they carried like under 30% of the shot attempts just like the rest of the team. Last night they went 000 against Boston and you know what, Merritt’s nets off? Yeah. At center without Charlie Makavoy. And so they lost their minutes all weekend. The Leafs lose both games. And the difference between this year and last year, we talked about it like the roster and and Martner, it’s like, well, they don’t have 45 goal William Knander on line two because he’s on line one. They have like a borderline breakout Nick Robertson who might touch 45 points if like everything broke absolutely right the rest of the way. So, you know, I it’s I like putting them together at times like they did against Pittsburgh because that there is a time there where you have to say like this is on you guys like you got to figure it out. And they did. Yeah. But like this isn’t real. You can’t just play those three guys together against good like Carolina’s laughing up and down the lineup. They’re like, “All right, we’ll we’ll take these other matchups.” That’s ex That’s what they’re wanting you to do. That’s like their dream scenario is like, “Yeah, play those three guys together and then the rest of our lineup who’s super fast and hungry and like that’s Carolina outside of Jordan Stall. Every player looks exactly the same.” Like I can’t tell any players apart. They just all look the they’re like the same stature and they all just skate fast and they just like they’re just the most aggressive team. It’s hilarious that team that they’ve built. It’s just plug and play. But yeah, like I you know, the Knlander for me I I mean this is I don’t know if this is a hot take, but I mean he’s clearly this team’s best player. Like I I I I don’t know if that’s a hot So far this year, he has been. I mean, for without, you know, if Marner’s if Mner was on the team last year, he would have been the best team too, best player on the team, too, cuz Matthews was not very good last year due to injury, I guess. And like this year, I’m hoping it comes out that he’s injured again because I’m like, what’s going on here? But it just Neilander’s been unbelievable offensively and they like he’s carrying them like really. I mean him and Davvar have been excellent and I guess Matthews has shot a few in the net. He ends he shoots one in the net here again tonight. I just Yeah, you’re right. He had two tonight. Should have had trick. Oh yeah. Oh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Know he should have had trick. He he slipped one through the the blue paint on the exact same move he did on that one. But it just like you you nailed it. It’s not a sustainable thing to play these three guys together all the time against good teams because you just don’t have enough throughout your lineup. And this is why you’re supposed to have a guy that is one of the top paid players in the league that you can put on a line and he’s going to dominate, right? Like it doesn’t matter. Like I mean I know Edmonton sucks right right now, but like what were who were Dry Settle’s linemates through the playoffs last year? A lot of the time it was Pug Coulson and you know Kappin and like all these different guys and he’s still finding a way to light it up. Of course they put him with McDavid when they need a big moment or they need a big goal. But like that’s what they should be doing with these two guys where they don’t play together for the majority of the game but down to the third period like you said against Pittsburgh. You put them together and you need a goal. I understand that. But just like going from puck drop to the end of the third period with these three guys playing together it’s not sustainable. So it’s a great point by you. It’s it’s just it’s not a thing that you can really do. Yeah. And I mean, even just to kind of further it and kind of bring that full circle as we kind of talk about coaching and the game itself, it’s like nothing was going for them all night. No, nothing changed basically, right? Like they didn’t they didn’t really shake it up. Like we haven’t I am surprised I will say we haven’t seen ice time be much of a factor here for players. Like players are just kind of you know like Max Doi played like eight and a half minutes tonight. So, I guess that was kind of noteworthy on that end, but I mean, he’s the fourth line center effectively right now, so it it’s like whatever. I don’t think I don’t think the coach’s big fan, Max. No, but it’s like Matthews played 22 minutes tonight. Yeah. like was he you know I for me I’ve kind of gone back to the Columbus game where you know the fourth goal in that game the puck goes right through Matthew’s stick and Columbus goes down on a twoon-one and like to me he should have been benched for that like you’re like you’re making over $13 million like the team is getting run out of the building you like you can’t even handle a puck right on your it feels like we’re being tough on Matthews but like again like you’re making a lot of money you’re the high like you kind of the team follows your lead and like and so far they’re playing like that this year which is to say all over the place and you know I don’t know if there was a golden moment in this game I like I wouldn’t have necessarily benched him for that Joel Nestrom quasi back check situation per se but you know a prime candidate of like hey you’re playing a lot like a lot and there doesn’t seem to be anything that he could do to not play a lot and they’ve just never done it, Anthony. No matter like I mean Willie has gotten a few like a little shift whack here or there over the era. Like I mean I guess he’s been the easy target. They I remember when somebody did it one shift with Marner. Maybe it was Keith that did it for one shift with Marner a couple years ago and like it’s a big conversation. I just think they’re afraid to do it and it’s just they’ve never That’s a problem. That’s like a cultural problem in the organization. Of course it’s a cultural problem, buddy. We’ve been talking about this for 10 years. It’s a been like the most entitled era of hockey in like the history of the It’s just they don’t they don’t they don’t get punished for anything and then they lose in the third the second round again. They’re like or the first round they’re like oh well they just didn’t fall for us again. Like that’s been one of the huge things. I just Isn’t that the point of Craig Baruby though? Like because it’s not it’s not tactical genius. I’ll give you that where when I I would say that my what my expectations going into this were versus what we’ve got in terms of like bluster and hard-nosed coaching. Like, oh yeah, like in St. Louis, he made Jordan Kyu cry. Like he’s just such a he’s such a tough guy. like you know like I was like we’re going to get this guy and then he just goes the media is like he doesn’t really say anything and doesn’t really you know like Jordan Kyru is arguably never recovered from it still getting healthy just got healthied I saw my boy Gunner was like the le should he’s like 27 point or 27y old point producing winger that’s you know maybe on the trade block I’m like I don’t know if that’s a good stylistic fit with Kyu and Viru maybe shouldn’t how’s the no trade clause looking pretty good but I I think that a lot this year and I’ve said this before on lease talk and I’ll say it with you here now. They’ve just like he’s the captain of the team Austin Matthews and they’ve sort of reflected his efforts. It’s been inconsistent all year long. It just hasn’t been sharp and there’s been stretches where it’s looked good. There’s been a couple game like you know maybe stretches is strong but like they had won three or four you know towards the end of the Jays losing and then kind of they won out of that. So, like starting in the Philly game, they looked pretty good in that game and they’ve won a couple and they they’ve had some moments, but they’ve also had a lot of bad moments. So, I here’s here’s the big question I’m going to ask you. Like, okay, are you worried they suck? Like, is that is that creeping into your mind at all? No. No. Okay. I I Yeah. I mean, I get asked this question a lot. I’ve been asked this question a lot the past few weeks. Yes, I get this question literally every day of my life from all my friends and all my family. And maybe maybe I’m using it as a crutch too much. Like maybe this is maybe this is on me. Like I don’t know. I just I I I just think they’re so poorly coached. I I look at the second period and like they gave up four breakaways. Like they’ve been a nightmare in the second period and and all season like that’s a theme. Yeah. And you can say whatever you want about him, but when Babcock was coached the Leafs, one thing he said that always stuck with me, and tactically Babcock was very good. You know, human relationship wise, maybe not, but tactically he was very not I wouldn’t say that was his strongest suit. Yeah, maybe not a people person, but like tactically he knew a few things. And he said something early when he got here that I had always kind of just clocked. And he said, “Good teams in the league win the second period because that’s when the long change is at play and you need to be able to control the puck and uh dictate the flow of the game.” And they’re a nightmare in the second period. Robertson got benched for this for a little bit. Leafs dominated the second period last year. Dominated. They won the division because of it. Dominated the second period. What their their goal differential was unbelievable in the second period last year. And and you could say like they also didn’t control play very well last year, which would be true. But one thing that they did do very well last year is they it was miserable to score on them. Yeah. Like they they cleared the net, they packed the house. Uh they didn’t give up a ton. They gave up a lot of volume, but they didn’t give up a ton of like grade A chances. Like and you know, just it was hard to get inside on them. like they were annoying for other teams because they blocked a ton of shots and like all the things like you just hate playing against offensively or like this like they’re big like they’re strong and um and then you look at them this year and the second period’s a mess and it and to your point about like are they just not good? I just I don’t know. I can’t I’m not there yet. Like I look at them and I say like this should be a good team and you see the flashes of it here or there, but then you watch a game like today and like I’m sitting there wondering like are they being coached at all? Like is there like there’s no detail to anything? Like the breakouts are so poor, you know, the the tying goal like Philip Myers taking like a slapshot up the boards. Mhm. That he fans on and you’re like what? Like what is like how is this the breakout? Like I’m sorry. Like look at from this look at it from the inception there. Like Riley should have been first on the puck there with time and you know it’s like rims around giveaway you know poor battle by N who played 21 minutes tonight by the way I don’t know why you know Meyers fan on the puck nice doesn’t get out again Matthews is above the puck which he has been for two games now it’s like it’s like 40 things here yeah it’s a big job it’s a big job to fix this like I I I that’s that’s what I keep coming back to is But you’re asking me like if they’re bad. Like I’m not like No, I don’t think they I still don’t think they should be bad. I I still think that they should be a good hockey team. Like I think Yeah. I I just I don’t look at it and say like, man, like these guys are all terrible hockey players. like, you know, he’s not in the lineup tonight, but like no one to me is more of an indictment on it than Chris Tanv because Chris Tanv made like a a 10 year 10 plus year career out of being this like super clever problem solver on the breakout with an excellent first pass. Like that’s his whole game. Like like it’s like yes, he’s blocking shots and being a warrior and all the but like he’s like genuinely been very good at breaking out. And you watch him here, he’s like hard rim. Yeah. He was like best at like going back into a corner with a guy bearing down on him and making a good play with it and they and he doesn’t do it anymore. It doesn’t feel like any of them can do it. It’s crazy. So, but like it’s like Jake McCabe could do it under Sheldon Keefe and like you know you get like the residual effect of that last year cuz like first year Bubby you know but like as that season went on he like became worse and worse at it and like this year it is what it is. Yeah. You know, it’s like Ecman Larson came from Florida, like could break out, like looked really good. Yeah. Not going to talk about Morgan Riley, but like, you know, it’s like you kind of go through a lot of these guys. I’m like, well, a lot of them were really good. They they all didn’t they all didn’t it’s not a coincidence that they all didn’t lose it at one at the exact same time. I mean, you could argue that they’re aging and I take that argument to some degree. I just the idea that they all just decide like they all at the same time luck. I find that it’s really bad luck if they all just suck now. That’s what I’ll say. Like I think it’s really unlikely. Yeah. It’s like it’s the opposite of the Jays like where all their players had like the best years of their lives that like culminated in them going to the World Series. It’s the opposite of that with the Leafs. They’re all having the worst years of their career outside of like the offensive producers. It’s It’s weird. It’s very weird. In fairness to this and I know that you’ll know this. I depends on how many people watch the Jays all season. Like the Jays weren’t good for the first two months. Yeah, they stuck. Yeah, they were like they were genuinely bad. Like I really bad. Like I remember that May was one of the hardest watches of all time. They scored one run every game. Was horrible. It was horrible. Awful. That that sweep by uh the Rays that they suffered was like Chris B sweating to death in that ballpark down there. I remember that. Well, like did when did he win a road game this year? Like in general like so you go it’s like it’s a long it’s a long season. It’s a long season, but I I do look at the division, Anthony, and you know, there’s team there’s there’s teams that have kind of come around where the Habs are now, I guess, good, right? I guess we just have to admit that they’re good. Boston are are we are we going to admit they’re good? I’m not saying it out loud, just out of respect. Out of selfrespect, but I think they’re good. The Bruins Yeah, they’re a playoff team. I think the Bruins I think the Bruins kind of stink and I think they’ll kind of crash back down to earth like they beat the Leafs but I don’t think that’s much of an indictment. I think I think Tampa is good. Red Wings aren’t really like I just think there’s a lot of like Florida’s not going to be in LA second last in the division forever. Like the Leafs kind of got to figure some things out here in a hurry. It’s not like the one of the the classic barometers in hockey like what hockey guys talk about all the time is American Thanksgiving, right? And we’re now two weeks away from that, right? Of November 28th is American Thanksgiving, I think. Yeah, it’s right at the end of the month. And it’s like what’s what’s the what’s the percentage of teams that are like in there that like they they if you’re in there by American Thanksgiving, there’s like a certain s percentage of teams that make it and if you’re on the out, it’s it’s kind of a barometer here. And the Leafs are flirting with it pretty good. And like our uh our uh wonderful producer Luke put in the in the chat here, they haven’t exactly exactly played a murderer’s row of hockey teams to start this year. Like that’s I’m torn on that argument. I will say, well, me too because Jersey and Montreal are top are top two in the conference. They play both of them. Sure. Carolina now, like, you know, I I don’t think I agree with you. Like I don’t believe in Detroit or Boston. I’m not picking up what they’re putting down, but as of right now, yeah, they’re in good standing. Like Seattle, the like they’ve played a bunch of teams that like I don’t necessarily think are good. Utah included, Pittsburgh included. Yeah. But they’ve all done well to this point. Like it, you know, I think I think there’s so much mid in the NHL that just like every team’s kind of the same except you know, Colorado and like the really good teams, but there’s a lot of teams with this flat cap that kind of look exactly the same. All right, next thing I wanted to say I wanted to bring up quickly. Why did you know I thought you know Hillby had led in five goals tonight? But like what was the Kaden Primo experience like you know Hillby I thought was actually pretty good tonight. Like I know he let in five and I know there’s a couple ones but there would they have a hundred shots tonight. It just he was getting peppered multiple breakaways. I he is definitely better than Kaden Primo. I I I guess they just wanted this guy to play in the Marlies and they’re afraid of stunting his development as the backup, but I get the feeling he probably should have been here the whole time. It’s a pretty pointless argument and it doesn’t really make a lot of sense, but it just kind of pissed me off watching the game tonight. I’m like I I don’t know why you don’t just give this guy the shot as the backup for their like well until Walt can get back. Well, I think I mean my thought process is was this. They he started last season with the team. Yeah. And he brutal wasn’t good. He got his first he won the second game of the year. Remember the against the Devils they won and then then he was really Yeah. Right. But like he wasn’t he wasn’t good. No. And then he went down to the Marlies and he wasn’t good there either. He didn’t even play both their playoff games last year. Like they went with Matt Murray over him. Yeah. Like that. Yes. That Matt Murray who was crushing it for Seattle tonight. I was uh flicking back and forth at that and just looks exactly the same as he always has. big Matt Murray guy. He just Well, no. He just got the biggest chess protector ever. It’s got to be not regulation. It’s insane. Anyway, like your your choices tonight were why don’t I watch Carolina get their like 150 shot attempt or why don’t I go to Matt Murray playing for Seattle? I was flicking back and forth, but I need a little referee. Right. But to the hill to be point like he I you know last year went the way it did for him which was say poorly. Yeah. And that started with him starting on the team like not playing much. That’s fair. I get it to to that sense. They’re probably going like we don’t want to do that again. Like we need to get this guy volume. Like which is funny that like that might be the thing because then I’d argue the other way with with East C like why didn’t you do that with him too? Yeah. But this kid had a great and out of the lineup. I I know I wasn’t exactly pouring over the the the preseason games, but like what I saw from him in the preseason, he was good and and they’re just I don’t know. Like I I don’t think you’re going to start him a whole lot anyway. But like I don’t know. I guess they thought Kaden Primo was they were going to catch lightning in a bottle when they when they put him in here and it just like turned out that he was still Kaden Primo. That’s a I think it was I think it was mainly about Hill to be honestly I do. I think they just like they didn’t want to do the same thing last year because like it didn’t work out like what this effectively was like an AHL weekend for him, right? Like it was like two home games in Toronto. Yeah. And then like he he could easily go back now provided walls ready to go. Yeah. I just you could argue whether it was the right move. Like I think that’s fair. I mean Primo wasn’t good but they won two out of three games with him. Like I don’t know what more. Yeah. Are they winning all three with Hill to be? They had to score six goals every game to score to win the game. Yeah. Like it wasn’t No one’s gonna sit here and say like, man, that was that was good stuff there from That was really Yeah. Uh I thought there I thought Carolina was going to start him tonight for sure and he was going to beat the Leafs. I thought that was going to be the destiny of the game tonight. But uh they didn’t get enough shots on that on that busy or whatever his name is. Is it kind of indictment that they didn’t even bother playing Freddy? Well, yeah, it is. They were just like, “Nah, we’re good.” So, we’re we’re going a little bit long here. Last thing I want to bring up, Carolina’s jerseys in a long line of of horrendous jerseys for a franchise. They may have their cudigra. They may have taken the cake with these jerseys. Why? I just like it’s like the team Canada jerseys, which I have yet to talk on air about anywhere, but like they’re bad, too. Why do people do this? Like they should have to do like the the normal guy test or the normal woman test where you like bring this jersey to a group of like real sports fans and you’re like hey just bring it to a bar or just yeah sure bring it to a bar and be like what do you think of this garbage bag black hockey Canada jersey? What do you think about that? Everybody would obviously be like that is horrible. Don’t do that. But some like Bower rep was like, “I gotta make my bones and make this jersey the sleekst thing ever. Make a Star Wars leaf.” Stupidest thing ever. And it’s just the same with Carolina. What’s going The red and black circle, the shoulders. Like, have you like It looks like an ECHL jersey. It’s horrible. Horrible. I just personally find them to be an unlikable organization across the board. I can’t really stand it. And they and they go they flashed up to Tulski and Tolski like like just your classic like point Dexter, right? Like he just he and like I I’m saying this wearing glasses but they like went up to him and he was like writing something in his book and I’m just like had the pocket protector going like the whole thing. This guy would give him credit. He builds a great team that always loses in the conference finals to Florida. Like I you know what they they always win two rounds and then they lose to Florida. But like they’re always the same team and they’re always good. So I give them credit. They’re you know they’re a well I’d kill for that roster in the lease. I’d kill for the lease to play like that. Yeah. I mean I think the thing with them to that point though like kind of wraps up what we talked about is like they have a clear identity and they play to it. Correct. You know exactly who they are. Like they acquire guys and you’re like yeah that guy makes sense there. Like I get why they like him. Yep. Right. He he just like that Taylor Hall that Taylor Hall thing he was like a part of a three-way throwin trade or whatever and they’re like, “Oh, actually he works perfectly in our little machine. Here’s three million bucks for three years and he’s like scoring goals and looks like MVP Taylor Hall again.” You’re like, “What the hell?” It just feels like they figure it out. They’ve got a good little their model there or whatever the hell it is. They they got a model going. Their their analytics department is probably very very very very good. And that and that’s again my probably my biggest indictment on sort of the coaching staff and what we’ve seen so far. It’s like I think they have an identity. I don’t think the Leafs like in their minds I think they have a like an identity of way of how they’d want the Leafs to play. Yeah. And then we watch them and it’s nowhere close. Not even close. Like it’s it’s actually the exact opposite. Yeah. Right. Like I you know they threw one hit tonight. Sammy Blae crunched one guy. Like he actually crushed him. Yeah. But Taylor Hall. He got Taylor Hall. Yeah. And other than that, not like nothing. Like nobody took a body like you like and Caroline had the puck all night. So there was a million chances. Oh yeah. To hit somebody. Yeah. Nobody did it. Like there, you know, the for check the cycle game. The the defense is leaky night in light, you know, night in night out. And you know, it’s a good case for Chris Tanv to win the Norris so far. Absolutely. I think yeah, he’s pretty important. He’s got to be on the ballot right now. B we got to go. But like I hope they don’t rush him back because they’re desperate for him because those were two really bad head blows that were like not that far apart and he’s getting towards the twilight of his career and it gives me muzzen vibes. So I really really hope they don’t rush him back because of how bad they look. That’s hard. It was hard to see the last one and not think about the Musen Columbus sort of thing where you’re like, “Oh, like that had that impact on you.” Not not to say that it was like a light thing that I just thought Taniff should it just it was kind of surprising obviously to see it like the way it played out. Yeah. Sort of similar to the Jake Muzzen situation. Columbus I don’t want to speculate on whatever it is or you just you hope that he’s all good to go and to your point like they don’t rush it but you know if look they they just won what four out of five before this weekend. This was a bad weekend. Bad. I think everyone sees that. No one’s going to argue otherwise. No. Like I don’t think they should come out tomorrow and like fire anybody or anything like that. Even though it happened real Kipper and Borne 4 p.m. Oh baby. Tune tune right in. But you know but the stuff is worth talking about now to your point about American Thanksgiving because this is it’s getting there. It is the kind of thing where it teeters and if if this is how it’s going to continue on for like a couple weeks here like that is unacceptable. That is to a point where it’s like someone needs to pack their bags and that could be a player. Yeah. Of like quasi significance. It’s definitely it’s definitely feeling like a snow globe moment where it kind of needs to be like shaken up a little bit here. And and to that degree, I know we want to wrap up and so I want to say like I’m happy they lost this game because this is the kind of thing that we could see them pulling out. Like they like Nice could have scored at the end. He probably should have scored. I don’t know what he was doing in front to be honest with you on that play. Like it was he’s going to think about that play all night. But this is like the kind of thing to me where it’s like, you know what, like you guys win or you even get a point and you think like you’re okay or like you got away with it and like you need the reality check. Like you weren’t close tonight. No. Like you weren’t even like it looked like a different league. Yeah. Was it looked like an NHL team versus like a AHL team or like when the zigzags have to go up and play against a B team for a for a game? It’s like it’s just you’re getting circles skated around you. It it looked like a It looked like a different men’s league tier. Like 100%. It was like so like this is like this could be good for them, but like they need the reality check. Like this like it’s an unacceptable level of play. Well, they’ve had it seems like they’ve had a few reality checks that haven’t worked so far this year. But anyways, uh a very uplifting edition of Leaf Talk on a Sunday night. I hope you all enjoyed it. Uh thanks a lot for joining me, Anthony. Uh follow him on Twitter X at Apertley. Does a wonderful job on Maple Leaf Hot Stove. Uh his his his articles on Monday. Just gives me and Borie so much content for our show all week. We just steal everything from you. So we really appreciate it, buddy. And uh thanks for joining us on Sunday. Uh give us a thumbs up, subscribe. Bunkista does all this stuff usually, so I always forget, but like give us a like. You know, it was snowing today in Toronto and we’re all depressed about it. So give us a like for that. You know, like us on Spotify. I like the little comments on Spotify, too. So, leave us a comment on there, too. So, thanks for joining me, Anthony. Thanks for listening. And, uh, we’ll be back Tuesday against the Bruins.

Sam McKee and Anthony Petrielli react to tonight’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes immediately following the final horn!

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