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WELCOME BACK TO LEAFS LATE NIGHT! Presented by Inside The Rink
Roscoe /Galaxy Biehn
- L4Depth
- Roster vs Coaching
- The Back End
- Rielly Sees Red
Roscoe /Galaxy Biehn
- L4Depth
- Roster vs Coaching
- The Back End
- Rielly Sees Red
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Draft Kings - CODE ITR
00:00
Introduction and Lack of Depth Scoring
How to support us and our sponsors:
Ticketmaster
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Fanatics
Draft Kings - CODE ITR
00:00
Introduction and Lack of Depth Scoring
04:31
Trade Deadline Dilemma
Trade Deadline Dilemma
06:05
Punting on the Season
Punting on the Season
09:43
Coaching and Defensive Issues
Coaching and Defensive Issues
18:18
Evaluation of Defensemen
Evaluation of Defensemen
25:14
Controversial Hit by Morgan Rielly
Controversial Hit by Morgan Rielly
31:14
Impact of Rielly's Suspension
Impact of Rielly's Suspension
37:33
Summary and Conclusion
Summary and Conclusion
Creators & Guests
Host
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Opinions are our own!
Hello, hello, hello and welcome back to
Leafs late night.
Where it's never too late for the Leafs.
Though it might be a little late for
Ridley Grigg to save any face with Leaf
fans, but that is coming up later.
So stay tuned for our breakdown of that.
Obviously, we got to talk about it.
As always, we were presented by Inside the
Rink.
Roscoe joined by Beener.
How's it going, buddy?
It's gone.
How about you?
Oh good, I like the black and white
stripes you got going.
You playing a part?
anybody can be a ref, anybody can, you
know, run a department of player safety.
So why not play the part?
Ohhhh
Good way to start.
Wow.
Wow, wow, wow.
So, I mean, anybody who's been listening
is no stranger to our lack of confidence
in the depth of this team.
I mean, it's been pretty obvious who's run
in the show the last couple of weeks.
I mean, all the goals have been coming
from the same core of people you expect
them to come from.
But I mean, you don't want 100 percent of
the points coming from there.
And that's kind of what it's been lately.
And when they have an off night all at the
same time, oh,
This team does not look very good.
Yeah, um...
It's tough to watch, right?
Like, the big boys have been playing
actually really well for a good chunk of
the year, and then we haven't had the
depth scoring that we thought we were
gonna have.
I actually, I pulled up a little list here
on Cap Friendly, shout out, and I put the
search parameters to players making
between four and a half and six and a half
million dollars.
And I want you to guess where Tyler
Brattuzzi lands on that list.
What number?
Out of a hundred.
Out of a hundred?
I think oops didn't mean to hit that
little premature jump the gun on that one
sorry excited about my new button here let
me see sorry there's a hundred and twenty
four players making between four and a
half and six and a half she said 95th
that case 115.
Okay, he's not quite that bad.
He ranks at 77th, just between Riley Smith
and Jason Zucker at 21 points between the
group of them.
Leading that group, can you take a guess?
And what was the price, the contract range
again?
4 .5 to 6 .5.
4 .5 to 6 .5.
The first two contracts that popped into
my head, they're both out of those deals
right now.
That was McKinnon and Pasternak's.
They were both on crazy good deals.
4 .5 to 6 .5.
It's gonna be someone that I'm gonna slap
myself for not saying, but I can't say
goth up my head.
Oh, somebody, Steph is screaming and I
know.
Heheheheh
Okay, it's Mr.
Sam Reinhart, six and a half million
dollars.
On the dot, he's the highest earner here,
him and Chris Kreider, number one and
three, both making six and a half, Jake
Gensel in second.
So 64 points for Sam Reinhart.
The reason I pulled this list up was just
to kind of see where our dollar value
lands, because I mean, we've been ripping
on Bertuzzi a lot for underperforming, but
I just want to see across the league for
people paying that much, you know, where
does it land?
And at 126 people, 77, it's just under.
the middle.
So I mean, not great, but there are a lot
of guys that are underperforming a lot
more or performing worse, underperforming
better.
I don't know how to say that.
Josh Anderson sucks is what I'm trying to
say.
It's making a lot of money to score
fucking six points this season or whatever
it is.
So, I mean, yeah, to bring it back.
The depth hasn't been there.
And unfortunately, the money is spent on
it isn't paying off.
So that's why this trade deadline is going
to be interesting, because where the Leafs
currently sit,
You know, when you drop three of four
games to Ottawa that you shouldn't, that
drops you down to fourth in the Atlantic
under Tampa.
And if we look at the wild card race, we
are in the first wild card spot sharing
that at 60 points with the Detroit Red
Wings.
That is not where the Leafs want to be
right now.
So.
Trade deadline, what the.
What the fuck do you do?
Like, there's nothing to buy with.
You've got no chips.
They don't want to trade cow and they
don't want to trade mitten.
I'm glad.
But I mean, that doesn't leave much to
send out the door to help this team, nor
does this team seem like anything on the
market can help them.
Like, I don't know, do you just, do you
punt on this year at this point?
Like, I know it's February 12th, there's
still quite a bit of runway left.
We've seen a lot of teams turn things
around quicker.
But I mean, with how little there is
available to do and how much competition
has started to spend and run away with it,
like, I'm starting to get the feeling that
maybe you just punt on this one.
Like Brad took over in a really weird
time.
It was in the middle of the draft.
He didn't really get to make all the
moves.
A lot of people were off the board trade
wise and there wasn't a lot available.
Like I just, I don't think he got to do
everything he wanted to.
So at first I want to say that you don't
punt a year away when you have players
that we have.
Like, okay, if Matthews Marner and
Nylander were all off with injuries done
for the season, yeah, absolutely, you punt
the year away.
They're all healthy, they're all still
here.
We can't do that.
I guess by punting, I mean, like, don't
spend what little you have on trying to
bolster this.
Like, I think what you have is what you
have this season.
Like, you hope that Woll comes back.
You hope that, you know, a couple of the
guys start clicking a little better.
Maybe Bertuzzi turns it around in the
playoffs.
But like, really, it's I don't think you
spend anything on this year.
Well that's another thing too, is that
everybody hasn't fully lived up to what we
know they're capable of.
Brutusy, Domi, like, and it's not like
they're playing bad.
We've said this multiple times.
It's not like they're out there just...
given 150 % every night.
You just can't fucking score.
They just can't do it.
Like, so if they weren't giving the
effort, I would be a lot more concerned.
It sounds silly.
It sounds like I'm looking at everything
with my leaf glasses on, but there is a
possibility for this to change very
quickly without doing a damn thing.
That being said, none of us expected a
single thing that Tree Living did this
summer.
Like none of us.
Yeah, but to be fair, like none of the
things he did have really been the
difference makers this year.
Like.
But, like how many times have I said over
the last handful of episodes, this is
everything that Keef didn't get before.
He always got the cardio kids that, you
know, skate, skate, skate, can't bury.
Now he's gotten a little grit and he can't
still do anything differently.
So you're turning this around on it
doesn't matter.
I guess you're trying to give Keith what
he asked for to show that it doesn't
matter, that that's not the problem.
Like.
Like, and yet again, I don't want to
advocate for someone losing their job, but
we've got a pattern here.
Like we really, really do.
That, that, that it, a lot of the times it
seems like this team doesn't have the
structure to play games properly.
Okay, just to give a little credit to
Keith here, some of the guys that were
brought in, I'm looking at points and just
if you're looking for the new guys on the
team, just go to the Leafs stats and hit
points and search by lowest and they're
the bottom six guys basically.
So aside from Bertuzzi and Domi.
So I mean, you've got LeJoy obviously is a
new guy here, zero points, only played
four games.
Ryan Reeves, 25 games played, two goals,
minus 12, 20 penalty minutes.
We've got him for another two years.
That's something that...
Like to Trey and Keith's credit, he was
still kind of there last year and has been
quite sought after the last couple of
seasons.
And I think we just got like the end of
the pie.
Like there was nothing left of him by the
time we got him.
Which.
have any way to defend that signing
because I do not like that signing
whatsoever.
Three years is insanely long.
Benoit, been great.
Goal in an assist in 36 games, cool.
Two points, but that's two more than he
needs.
We would have signed him at zero points.
Laggason, same deal.
I don't need to see much of him.
Then we get John Klingberg.
14 games.
He's got five points.
Anybody who's following, John Klingberg
still has more points than Ryan Reeves.
He has three more points than him in half
the games.
And he only has one less point than Geo,
who we just found out is hurt.
And so was Connor Timmons.
So this entire bottom here, like you
can...
put a giant fucking cross through this
except for Simon Benoit for none of this
is usable.
Like what are we doing?
But go back to every season previously and
you'd have four or five different signings
or call -ups or draft picks or whatever
from Dubus.
It was the same thing.
So I don't know, I guess the point here is
like, unless you move somebody like one of
the defensemen who's not working out for
somebody that has term, like you're making
an improvement for this team for the next
two, three years, that I can get behind,
but there's not much you can sell.
So I don't see many teams that'll swing on
that.
Unless Robertson and Nyes and Bertuzzi all
kind of finally figure out what they
should have.
a month and a half ago.
I mean, nice has gotten better, but I just
don't think he's at.
I mean, I guess he's at the level that he
should be at his age, but not where they
need him to be for the team at this stage
right now.
But you can't trade him.
level where he should be for his
development, but you need to start giving
him a little bit of rest.
I'm not saying load manage him or anything
like that.
Just, okay, you want him on the top line.
Don't play him the full 25 minutes that
you're playing Matthews and Marner.
Like this past game against...
you put there?
Like that's what I'm saying is he's
playing to his development level, but he
he's filling a role that he can't fill 82
games.
while Nicky Bobby has been playing on
average what four minutes a night when he
plays like the guy's scoring and he gets
no ice time spread it out more like this
past game was the first game I think in
probably four or five games that he got
over 10 minutes.
Yeah, he's averaging 11 right now, but
that puts him like behind Noah Greger.
and he had 14 minutes his pass game.
Yeah, they're really not playing Robertson
So if you can and I guess this is this
comes down to Keith and who he's gonna
play but like there's a couple guys that
if they can figure it out sure you have a
shot but like I just really I'm not I'm
trying I guess internally not to get my
hopes up that like this is a year where
I'm expecting a run out of this team if
Anything happens it's gonna be because
these guys go playoff mode and it's the
opposite of what we've seen in the last
couple years We're like, oh
This is a steamroller through the regular
season.
They have to be able to continue this into
the playoffs.
And it's just not been the case.
So unless the opposite happens this year,
like I'm just I don't know.
I guess I'm just not getting my hopes up.
Not to be negative, I just I don't know.
Not every year is the year.
No, but every year you should have the
optimism that every year could be the
year.
Like that's the whole point of fandom,
right?
Yeah, I mean, I'll get behind Matthews
potentially and probably winning the
rocket.
Knock on wood.
Like there's things to be excited about
this year.
The fact that we've gotten over the first
round hump, I think I've put less pressure
on my own expectations every year to like,
guys, you have to do this or I'm going to
break something.
I feel like just ripping that bandaid off
kind of lets me breathe a little bit and
not see every playoff as like make or
break.
Like, what is one of the things we were
saying about the Oilers at the beginning
of the season?
Was that...
the oilers.
They can turn it around at any point.
that you take McDavid and you take Dry
Cytl away and they're a lot of mid, right?
Yeah, um, yeah.
a little higher, but some are a little
lower.
There's a lot of mid there.
Look at the Leafs.
Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares is
still better than a lot of the NHL.
Right, like there's a lot of talent there.
And the rest of it, like take our Leafs
glasses away.
The rest, we definitely do.
Like there's players with potential, Nice
has great potential, Robertson still has
great potential, but at this point in
time, there's a lot of mid right there.
Well look what the Oilers have been doing.
It's the same goddamn roster, all they did
was add Corey Perry.
I mean, yes, but there's also the the
asterix that their goaltending was
absolutely abysmal.
Like Jack Campbell turned into a non
playable starting goalie and Skinner was
no better.
And Skinner randomly and and and Skinner
randomly just went, oh, if I'm the only
guy, I guess I have to do it and figured
it out.
And now he's completely usable.
whole team started to play better
defensively.
Yeah, definitely things change under the
coach.
But I think like you can't attribute
Skinner's play to just a coaching change.
I I guess, but fuck, man, that's that's a
lot of that's a lot to put on one guy just
because he's McDavid's junior coach like.
yeah, but he - Skinner was playing poorly,
but he was also facing a ton of high
danger chances against.
Yeah.
Like if you limit shots, like I can stop
shots from the blue line.
You put shots down right in the slot with
someone who's been shooting 200 pucks a
day for 20 years.
Yeah, I'm not going to stop that.
But I mean, you saw some of these goals
they were letting in.
It wasn't like it was high danger stuff,
like him and Jack were letting in beach
balls.
-hmm, but when you have absolutely no
confidence because all you're seeing is
shot after shot because your team doesn't
give a shit They're not playing any
defense Like I'm not saying that's all of
it But they do go hand in hand good
coaching and good goal -tending show me a
good coach.
I'll show you a good goalie
Okay, so let's bring that back around to
the Leafs.
Sammy has been...
back, but the last two games are the first
time since he's been back that I've seen
him look around behind him multiple times
to see where the post is, and that shit
freaks me out.
Yeah, so before the All -Star break, he
looked a lot more calm and that he didn't
have to constantly search for where he is.
He wasn't swimming as much.
Like he wasn't doing any unnecessary
movements.
And that's a big change for Sammy,
especially over the last six, seven
months.
But the last two times we've seen him
play.
Yeah, I think he's played two.
Yeah, it was Jones in Ottawa.
Like.
he's starting to kind of revert back a
little bit.
So whatever he did when he had that little
like break before the All -Star break, he
kind of needs to get back to that and get
himself back in the right headspace
because physically we know he's a good
goalie.
We know he can do it.
He's proven he can do it, but he just has
to get in the right headspace for that
because like goaltending is ridiculously
mental.
Well, yeah, and clearly they noticed it if
they put Jones in against the sense now
that I go back to those, you know, reset
where my mind's at here.
But yeah, so obviously they saw it.
They switched into Jones, but it's like,
again, this just shows how fragile this
tandem is, especially like even if wool
comes back, like it's not set in stone
that he's going to be great, especially
after all the time he's missed.
So, you know, again, it's just another
question mark that I don't know if a trade
like a simple trader,
you know, something not so simple like a
coaching change is going to fix this year.
Like, it's I see like it's you got a
surgery on this roster at this point.
Well, yes and no.
Like, they're all hockey players.
They've all, they all can play the game
and they've played many different
structures over their entire careers.
You just need to get everybody committed.
And Keefe is not getting everybody
committed.
The last two, three, four years, they've
actually played a really good team defense
game, but they're not doing that this
year.
They've got away from it completely.
Like, they have the...
side, they've got defensemen that are
playing better.
Like, I mean, we've got Riley having a
much better season than the last two.
And I think, you know, the emergence of
guys like Benoit and I don't know, I guess
just Benoit at this point.
McCabe's been better, too.
Somebody that's going to be sticking
around.
But I think you also see another year on
Geo and another year on Brody.
So.
what I was just going to say is the fact
that we're seeing some aspects of the
Leafs defense that is actually working
really well.
Like Benoit, McCabe's been playing a lot
better.
Playoff Riley has been here all season,
which has been incredible.
And we're doing all this with our best
defensive defenseman over the last, what,
four years?
Isn't playing great with Brody.
Yeah.
And guess who we didn't mention in all of
this?
Timothy Lilligrin, who unfortunately, here
we are in February of 2024.
I mean, look, it was a long road with him
and Sandeen.
We had high hopes for both of them and
rolled the dice and picked Lilligrin and
shipped Sandeen off to Washington.
And here we are.
I don't think either of them are really
what we thought they would be.
I mean, Sandeen's obviously on a shit team
in Washington right now, but.
Like, I don't think Lilligran's getting
any better than we've seen.
Like, I think his best games have already
happened.
Like, this is as good as he gets.
There's potential that he could get
better.
He'll never be a...
like, from what we're seeing, he'll never
be a top two defender.
Well, I didn't think he'd be top two, but
I don't think he's even going to be a top
four, like unless something clicks or they
get him a better partner and the team
starts playing better defense and he's in
better situations.
Like it's going to take a lot because
where they've got him and who and playing
with Giorgiano all these nights, like on
the bottom pair, like they're just not
putting him in positions to develop
properly in the NHL.
And they're just kind of turning him into
a sixth defenseman.
And that's looking like what he's going to
be.
Yeah, all it takes is that one season for
it to click for him with, like you said,
either with a good partner or a better
mindset of how he wants to do things.
Like there's so many defensemen that
coaches, general managers have just said,
you know what, no, they're like, they're
never going to be anything.
And then they turned out to be great.
Like there was doubts on Thomas Cabralet
when he was drafted.
He turns out to be one of the best
defensemen on the Leafs for years.
He probably should have been a winger, but
you know.
yeah, so should Eric Harrelson.
Yeah.
I'm not gonna deny that either.
like I'm not trying to say he's gonna be
amazing.
I love Lily.
There's that's been no secret I've always
loved him him and same man.
I loved both of them It just doesn't work
for every player right and that happens
that's part of the game But a lot can be
said for how they're playing for how
they're like a lot of times there is no
structure some of the plays that
when they're trying to leave the zone or
when they're trying to even just cover
defensively.
It's like, what are you guys doing?
There's so many lapses.
many people out of place and like their
stick is in the opposite lane of where the
pass or the shot would go.
They're like leaving guys open in front of
the net.
Two guys go after one guy.
Like it's it's insane.
The the the Peewee level defense that
they've been playing.
Oh, it's been crazy and like, yet again,
I'm not trying to get anybody fired, but
there's like, there's simple things that
can be done to change it.
And if you want to try to say, okay, it's
just the players not doing what the coach
wants, well then coach.
Like if it's truly you're trying to
instill a system and they're not doing it,
then coach, bench them.
Don't give them the ice time.
You have no issues giving
like not giving players ice time, just ask
Robertson.
Yeah, we've not seen a single player
benched in a long time.
David Camp, yeah, that's it, who pretty
much didn't deserve it.
And the penalty kill hurt for it.
This is coming off of where we would see
Justin Hall play a couple bad games and
it's like, oh my God, sent it to the press
box.
And it would have a good effect.
He would be like, oh shit, yeah, I was
playing bad.
I'm gonna work on a couple things, come
back.
He played great for a couple months.
Regardless of how people talked about it.
He would be good for a while out every
time they scratched him.
He was good after We have seen so many
guys not get scratched literally just we
switch them out for someone else and that
is not the same
No, it's not.
And like, I feel like I'm sounding like a
broken record, but we've tried everything
else.
It's a co look, I I'm not discrediting
that a lot of this is on Keith, but like
I'm back to Lillagran for a sec.
I'm not trying to discount that, you know,
he hit his own ceiling.
I think this team lowered his ceiling in
the way that they handled it.
And that comes down to management and
coaching.
Like if you don't find somebody to fill
out like, OK, how do I put this?
When you're looking at developing
somebody, you have to.
put them in a position to succeed.
And if you see that your 40 year old
defenseman is declining game by game, why
would you put them with the person that
you want to be on this team long term?
And it's going to be here potentially past
when Morgan Riley is here if things pan
out.
Like what, I don't understand the logic
behind tanking them by sticking them on
for, you know, seven, eight minutes a
night with a guy who's not able to keep up
with 85 % of the players on the ice
anymore.
Mm -hmm.
You're trying to utilize his strengths to
cover up another player's weaknesses when
he's brand new in the NHL.
And...
It's like hiring a millennial to do some
like, you know, a bunch of tech stuff at
the company when no one else knew how to
do it.
And all of a sudden, they're doing six
people's jobs.
It's like this isn't a way to have a long
term employee.
And I think that's where they fumbled.
Timothy Lowe.
Yes, now it was working when they first
tried it because Gio and Lillie actually
looked great together when they first
tried it, but you have to try to decide
what type of player you want him to be.
Like, Lillie's kind of, in my eyes, he's
kind of more likely to be like a two -way
defender.
Like, not as defensive as Brody, but not
as offensive as Riley, like, and...
We've seen him take a couple shots from
the blue line that have been, you know,
gone through the crowd and tip off
somebody to go in.
Like, he's got a decent shot and he...
cut up to the net and he'll have a great
tip or a great little play in tight.
Like he can do that.
He just, he needs to find that good happy
median.
Yeah, I wish they tried about more on
power play, too.
I know there's been a couple times when
he's gone out there, but like, I think
that's really where you needed to try him
out, especially after, you know, you lose
Klingberg and you're kind of leaning the
rest of the defense into being defensive.
Like, why not?
I know.
OK, so while we're on defense, we got to
talk about the.
Big ol' elephant in the room, which is the
end of the Senators game.
Oh my good god.
So I was hoping we'd have Souther here
because he was actually at the game, but I
think he might have passed out.
So.
Obviously, empty net, Leaves her down by
one, Ridley Greig, as we've all seen,
comes skating down right in front of the
net, takes a big old clapper.
And as he is skating around the boards
with five seconds left, he is absolutely
demolished.
with a two -handed cross check to the side
of the dome by our very own Morgan Reilly
in the least Morgan Reilly way I've ever
seen.
This is the last guy I expected this from
on the entire team.
It goes to show that this mentality has
indeed bled through all of them.
They are all seeing red when things are
not going their way, and that's kind of
what we wanted.
But what...
What was your initial reaction when you
saw this?
Not like after everyone talking about it
in the replays, like what was your initial
reaction?
So I'm kind of playing the role of Matt
Barnaby on this one because I can see both
sides of it and I like both sides of it.
I am an agitator.
So I would be Ridley Gregg winding up for
a full out clapper on an empty net.
Because that is something I would do just
to try to rub it into the other team.
Because when I'm on the ice, I'm quite an
asshole.
But then at the same time, if I saw
someone doing that, like,
as a goalie if I got pulled and I'm
sitting on the bench because we pulled me
to get an extra attacker, I saw that
happen.
I'd be skating off the bench to block him
in the face.
So like, I can see both sides of it.
When I initially saw it as a Leaf fan from
that aspect of it, I hated what he did.
I loved the fact that Riley went right
over there until I saw the stick go up.
As soon as I saw the stick go up, I'm you
freaking idiot with
Paros in charge of player safety.
This is probably going to be close to 10
games.
Yeah, my guess was seven.
And...
ridiculous.
He's got no history.
It's just like the spezza thing, right?
Like what should be a fine is not going to
be.
Everybody all over Sirius XM, everybody,
oh, they've got to make an example out of
him.
He deliberately went for the head.
Okay, yeah, so did Perron.
Yeah, there's been a lot of deliberate
targeted intent to injure attacks this
year.
And I am in no way defending what Riley
did.
I'm what I'm saying is there is absolutely
zero consistency in how these things have
been punished this season, last season.
And we all know this.
So all we can go off of is the history
with the Leafs in similar situations.
And the closest thing we have is Jason
Spezza.
It's a retaliatory hit that was targeted
and very obvious.
-hmm.
So like.
I want to defend Riley getting pissed off
because like you said from the whole
roster of the team that is probably one of
the least likely players you would expect
to see that from.
So I do like that fact because the team is
showing that they're tired of all the BS,
everything that's going on.
Like the Jets, like, oh, is there anything
better than beating the Leafs?
Like that kind of shit, right?
They're...
They're done with that, which is good.
That's like, that's the next step of the
evolution.
You want that evolution as your team, but
you go about it a different way.
You hammer them into the boards and then
you scrub it up on the ice or, you know,
you grab them and throw them down.
You don't cross check someone in the face.
Yeah, that's where it crossed the line for
sure.
And I mean, obviously both acts from both
guys are on a different level.
But I think my initial reaction, not
initial, but I'd say like 10 minutes later
was like, I think both of those guys
probably both regret and wouldn't do that
again.
Like it's one of those things where in the
moment they're like, fuck yeah.
And then immediately you're like, you know
what?
That probably wasn't a great idea.
Or like if you're gonna cross track him,
break your stick over his arm.
Like, not that it's right, but...
when the guy doesn't see it coming until
the last second and can't protect
themselves, like that's the last time you
expect to get cross checked in the face
after a whistle.
You've just scored.
It's the end of the game.
Like I mean, like you said, rough the guy
up, hit him like sure.
But that's that's dangerous.
And it's just not something regardless of
what jersey you're wearing that.
we need in this game.
And again, it's just so crazy that we're
talking about Morgan Reilly in this
situation.
Like, it's like if Mitch Marner, like two
hands slashed a guy in the face and broke
his teeth out or something.
Like, it's just not what you expect from.
that I would almost expect more because
Marner wears his emotions on his sleeve,
man.
It's true, but you don't see either of
them as being like violence first kind of
guys.
Like it's not how they handle things like
I'd see martyr talking shit and like
really getting up in someone's face and
laughing and being really good at chirping
sooner than I'd see him like to choose
violence.
And that's how I feel about Riley, too.
Apparently Riley's a really good chaper on
that note.
But I just think like as someone who has
had issues in the past dealing with their
emotions, like as a kid I would get so
angry I would burst into tears
immediately.
Like I can understand the craziness of
intense emotions.
So like we've seen Marder break into
tears.
We know how much he loves this team and
how emotional he can get and I'm not
saying that's a bad thing just of either
of the two I could see him losing it
because of that fact.
It's fair.
So I guess what this really comes down to
is how many games like you said, it's
close to 10.
I'm thinking seven.
And how much is this going to affect the
team?
Because like we've been saying up until
this point, the defense has been shaky as
shit and he's been this well solid thing
every night.
So.
Now we're reports are we're down Timmons
and Geo, so that's.
you know, that really limits who you've
got.
I think they did actually say who was at
practice tonight.
I'm just going pull it up.
they would have they called up la joy or
Lajoi, however you want to say it.
So to me, this might actually work as
almost like a best case scenario.
Because it really, really shows you what
you have when you lose your best
defenseman.
And I'm really, really hoping we see
Shanahan or Keefe or someone just snap.
Like, Keef made a couple comments, almost
sort of calling out the Department of
Player Safety.
Like, I just want to see Shanahan come out
and say it.
Or Trey Living, or someone, right?
Like, aside from Keefe, the GM and the
president, neither of them are short of
money.
Yeah, really.
I'm just looking here from David Alter,
Jake McCabe taking PP1 at practice.
And we got here Brody Lillagren.
There we go.
Benoit McCabe, Laggison Giordano, Riley
Lijois, so it'll probably be Laggison and
Lijois because I was pretty sure I heard
Giordano was out.
But it says Timmons is ill.
And I thought, oh, here, Keith says.
They'll see how Giordano and Kamp should
be okay for return tomorrow, but we'll see
how they feel in the morning.
Timmons remains ill and will not play
tomorrow.
Okay.
And in other news, Joseph Wohl was back on
the ice at practice.
So not soon, but soonish.
Yeah, like those are the next steps,
right?
Getting him on, getting him in his gear,
doing the movements, just seeing before
you try to stretch anything.
And even the team defensive structure from
the game he got hurt, like that is why he
got hurt.
Yes, it's amazing that you can go and you
can make those incredible, you know, post
to post saves, stretching across and
robbing guys.
Cause that's like every fan loves to see
that.
But at the same time, you shouldn't have
to do...
three or four of those in a two minute
span.
No, and look, again, if we're looking at
the shitty decor that we're going to have
to go with Brody Lilligrin, Benoit McCabe,
Lagasin, and I guess it's maybe Geo if
he's OK.
So Lagasin Geo, that's going to be in
front of what an unconfident Samsonov or
Martin Jones, who's been really, really 50
50 like one game he can be great in the
next.
It's like whatever.
So.
My God, I don't love this.
who were, let's just say it's seven games,
OK?
St.
Louis, Philly, Anaheim, St.
Louis, Arizona.
OK, that's not bad.
That's really not bad.
That's five.
And then we got Golden Knights and an
Avalanche for six and seven.
And then if it goes eight Golden Knights
again.
So really, they should be able to handle
two games against St.
Louis, a game against the Ducks and
against the Coyotes.
Flyers, who knows?
But they should, holy shit, should be able
to handle those games without Riley.
Like, it couldn't have come at a better
time because the back half of their
schedule sucks.
And this seems like the only easier
stretch based on the current standings
that they have.
Yeah, like I said, I think this is gonna
come to a head.
It's gonna be some drastic suspension,
seven, eight.
I honestly wouldn't even be surprised if
they gave them 10 games, which sounds
asinine.
definitely going to appeal it.
Like they're going to appeal it either
way.
But if it's 10, they would have to.
And I'm sure that goes down just because
of because I think what you get into there
is the Leafs.
I know they can't take this into account,
but like I don't think Batman's going to
want Paros sending a message with a high
profile player on the Leafs where people
are going to protest with their money when
things are getting bullshit.
Well, what do you mean by protest with
their money?
Like if people are going to start, you
know, not going to games or something when
Riley's not there because of like how
bullshit the like if it's 10 games and
they uphold 10 games, like you're going to
see some sort of backlash to that that I
don't think Batman's going to be like I'm
not advocating for the least getting
special treatment.
I'm saying like 10 games to make an
example out of Morgan Riley seems like a
stupid thing to do, like just for the
marketing of the game.
what you're saying, but Betman's already
proven he doesn't give two shits about
Canadian teams.
And with the history of the Leafs, you
could bench Matthews for two months and
they'd still sell out.
But I mean, look, the guy that you just
sent to the All -Star game is the person
you're going to make an example out of for
something that's not as, I don't know.
Again, I'm not, I don't want to sound like
I'm def...
Yeah.
I'm not trying to sound like I'm defending
the hit.
I still think it was, you know, like I
said, it was over the line.
It's dangerous.
It's uncalled for.
It's unsafe.
Yeah.
100%, two or three games, but he's going
to end up getting like 10.
Like it's in person, so we know it's at
least five.
Yeah, tens excessive.
Seven, I would be like fine, sure.
Whatever.
It's.
sure whatever if there was consistency and
if the next guy that did this got the same
thing.
But it's not gonna happen.
It's not.
It's definitely not.
OK, so I mean, we went over where our next
games are.
We've gone over the lineup.
This has pretty much been where the Leafs
are now, because, man, it's been a weird
time.
Slow part of the season.
Things have been very shaky and no one
knows what's going to happen.
Come trade deadline.
So.
Yeah, just our thoughts up until now, I
guess.
Thanks.
If you guys have any questions or some
games you want us to play, we are going to
get back to it here.
But just a short one tonight because we
got to update on this Riley thing and it's
late.
So.
Appreciate y 'all and we'll see you next
time.
Ciao.
Ciao.
Ciao.
Look how tight that hat was.
That was giving me a headache.
That leaf's hat is too small.
Giving away a free small leaf's hat to
whoever claims it.