Leafs Lose Again + Canada Beats Puerto Rico in World Baseball Classic

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The final five seconds ticking down here in the Canadians have done a masterful job against

the Maple Leafs this year.

A big win for Montreal as they improved their playoff hopes and they beat the Maple Leafs

by a score of 3 to 1.

A lot of losses have grown out.

I mean, I think it's parts of all the games we've been playing, we've been playing, you

know, snippets of GoodHawk people.

And I mean, that's not how we want to play, we want to play a full game of GoodHawk people.

So tell me, try to get closer to that and I think it'll be possible.

You don't have to dominate a period, but you have to be in the game, you know, you've

got to create and you've got to defend and, you know, throw up the stretchers, there's

a lot of good hockey, but there's that stretch of, if it's a period or a 10 minute stretch

in a period where are these teams supposed to be the old ones and, well, right now we can't

find the back of the nutmeg, so, you know, when this is going on, you've got to keep

the puck out of one head as much as possible, hopefully find a little bit scoring, but, you

know, we need more guys to, you know, dig in and contribute that, that's what it is.

Good to just left it at, need more guys.

Fan morning show SportsStat 590 to fan, Ben Ed is Fred Gunning, so the Toronto May

believes still the only team in the NHL to not have registered to win since the Olympics,

which happened a hundred years ago.

Their losing streak is now eight games, three, one loss to the Montreal Canadiens, holy

cow, what a day, though, for the tank, the out of town scoreboard, absolutely electric

on fire, least dropping to seventh in the reverse standings, which means still, still they

have well over 50% chance of losing their pick at the season ended right now, but, man,

you can, you can see them, I don't know, like, how far could they drop, they picked up two

points since the Olympics, the schedule doesn't get any easier. They're playing a bunch of teams

that need victories. It is incredible how different I feel about their opportunity to really,

like, even get into the bottom three of this thing.

It is, it is an inverse Mike Singletary. I want losers. I want losers. Can't lose with them.

Get them out of here. No, this is what you needed, especially out of town scoreboard,

helped the leaves out in a big, big way last night. Look, I came on here and I did my thing

yesterday of like, show some pride, show some fight. If you got to win a game, make it that one,

but I'm not going to sit here and cry about a loss, certainly not. No, no, no, we saved that for

the before times when the points matter. And yeah, how far can they fall? Well, I don't know,

you never lose a game and it's really throwing throwing the gauntlet down to the rest of the teams

in the tank because there's plenty that should be in that position, almost like way more than the

leaves because of because of, you know, the situation they're at and the protections on the pick

and rolling it over very million more years. But no, what a what a night for for the Toronto

Maple Leafs. Nothing to do with their game, though, just to clarify people are like, why what a night?

We'll circle back around to I guess that game in a second. I've thoughts. Yeah, sure. The

Rangers don't check out the flames for nothing. Rangers have won two consecutive. The the

Blues only picked up a single point. They blew a lead against the Islanders, but they did pick

up a single point. So those are still teams behind the Leafs in the reverse standings. The predators

coming back from down to nothing in Seattle against the Kraken off the mat. They have now passed

the Leafs or the Leafs have passed the predators. I don't know how you want to phrase it.

And the predators have a game in hand. Leafs going beyond them. Okay, next up is the Winnipeg Jets

three back. So here's the way the lottery odds look right now. Leafs have a 6.5% chance of

the first overall pick, 6.7% chance of the second overall selection, 0.2% chance of the

third overall selection. Yeah, they have a 44.9% chance of the seventh, 36.2% chance of eighth

and 5.4% chance of ninth. So those are still the highest odds. But man, more losses, more

spots gained in the reverse standings and things looking a lot rosier for this. Yeah, what have we

said? What did we say at the deadline? Like, hey, you got to pick a direction with this team. And

I was, I don't know, maybe I was the last guy left on the boat of, can you just can you just try

to finish 14th and give the Bruins the worst asset humanly possible? Now what? Well, no, they've

picked a direction. Like the front office wouldn't. And players don't tank, I guess. But man,

oh man, this team has picked a direction. I'd snarky tweet yesterday. Jack Adams odds came out.

And honestly, if Craig Brube can do this thing and get this team into the bottom three and completely

protect the pick, you got to, you got to throw them a seventh place vote. I don't know how many

votes are allowed on the ballot. He gets an honorable mention in my book because there's no way they

could do it without him. Man, oh man, this has been a lost season, but they are trying everything

in their power to get something out of it. And, you know, this is the funny thing that I think

people said about the deadline, right? The idea of like, you know, if you trying to bottom out,

doesn't necessarily guarantee it, you get guys here who, yeah, it's like Austin Matthews, Matthews,

William Newlander, John Tvarras, they may have nothing to play for, but your boat grules of the

world and your Eastern cowons do. So luckily didn't, didn't cost them last night that the boat

grew was trying to try to make a, make an impression on somebody, but no, it's just this is,

this is this effective of bottoming out as you can see from a team that has this much level of talent.

They're a worse team still in the NHL. I do believe it. No, no, no one playing worse right now.

And that, that was always the thing that I didn't believe about the true bottom out was like,

look, man, come on, Austin Matthews, William Newlander, John Tvarras, those guys still good hockey players.

And I believe that still, but man, oh, man, when the 69 goal man is not shooting it in the net for

a month straight, going back to before the Olympics, it feels like a very different version of

this hockey team and you're seeing it right now. 12 consecutive games without a goal. Yeah,

for Austin Matthews. That's that's how to what was like, two hundred and 90 minutes or something

that's insane. Yeah, it's crazy. It's the second longest drought of his career. We're one game

away from him matching the longest route, which started in game seven of his entire career.

After that incredible start, the four goal first game. And yeah, what's he supposed to do? Look

at this team. Do you know what his most common line mates were yesterday? No, I did not look it up.

No. Okay. So at five on five, he played seven minutes and 31 seconds with Matthew Nies and Max

Domey. Yep. They were outshot. What tracks? Outshot attempted 12 to four out Fenwick to 10 nothing.

Outshot on gold. Five to nothing. Okay. So he was on the ice for four minutes and 43 seconds

with a William Nieland or an Eastern Cowan. And that was much better. Yeah. And that he was on

for the goal, didn't factor into the scoring on the incredible passing play to William Nieland

from Eastern Cowan. But yeah, okay. No doubt. A lot of this has gone wrong. And what is he

supposed to do? I was supposed to bust the road, but it's not planned with with bombs here. No,

like, like, this is I would say kind of an underrated story as much as it is a story. And I

brought it up in only seven minutes into the show about the Leafs losing eight consecutive.

The captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who is headed towards the final two years of

his term of the contract, second highest cap hit in the league, is having his worst goal-scoring

year ever. And the Leafs look like the worst team in the league and he's playing with human beings.

Yeah. I don't I don't know if it's underrated because I'll just speak for myself. There is not a

day that goes by where I do not have several. And it's not just like me and my two, but we're

doing this again. Yeah, that's my mistake. Where are you? Like, I keep under I feel like it's

understated and you in your bubble. It's something that you see a lot. Well, it's like, yeah, it's like,

I've made this state before where it's like, hey, me and my two buds, what up, Daniel and Richard,

it's like, we just focus on the same thing over and over. But this is broke containment. Like,

I can't go to hockey practice without it. I was at basketball last night. There was a conversation

about it. Like, it is talked about now. I think that I think the thing is is that the difference

in the past has been for as much as we've had complaints about Leafs teams, the complaint has

been one thing. Whatever the one thing is at the time, there's just so many things like, you know,

for all the jokes about, oh, I bet, you know, the Leafs like are they frustrated with Kyle

Dubas? It's like, no, why would they hate the GM? He gave them all the money and all the protection.

How could anyone on this team hate Brad Triliving right now? He's given them all the cover in the

world because you can't have a Leaf conversation for four seconds without complaining about the

deadline or the car low trade. And then you, the slings and arrows that the coach rightfully is

taking all these, you know, the lack of a plan with Count. There's just so many different things

to complain about with this team in the past. There's been kind of one issue. It's been like,

Jake Gardner, Morgan Riley, get us safe, carry Batman, whatever the various things are that

you've all complained about and hand up me to over the years. There's just so many different

things that it's hard to have the focus on one thing. Yeah, this Leafs team was good and Matthews

had a stretch that looked anything like this. It's all we talk about every day, but there's just

so many issues with this team right now. So I don't, I understand what you're saying that in the

past, this would feel like a 10 alarm fire or whatever it is. But I think that right now,

there's just so many of those going on. It's like, you have to triage. You have to use your

resources effectively. And it's like, okay, only have so many arrows. And it's like,

it better believe not a day goes by the Brad Trolivic. It's not going to get some of those.

And Craig Maroube and Austin Matthews, too. But it's not, I don't think it's an underplayed

story. I just think for the first time in leafland, there's so many things going wrong as opposed

to the one or two things we've focused on in the past. I just, yeah, it is a story we're talking

about it. And it'll be one of the stories at the end of the season. But to your point,

I think Brad Trolivic is going to be the bigger story. And I guess he should. But the fact

that Austin Matthew is going to finish in the mid 30s and goals and have his worst shooting

percentage season. And he's not getting any younger, right? And yeah, I guess look at his

teammates, but I just told you that the like, oh no, he's playing with the entire game. He had

one of the two best wingers on his team. You know what? That's called his leaf tenure because

that's gone the entire time other than when it was him and the choppers at the beginning. Yeah.

Again, maybe this isn't fair to compare the Leafs to the other biggest brand name teams

in their respective sports. But I think it is. I imagine the New York Yankees who are, I know

the Dodgers of the new hotness and the Dodgers are one of the most recognizable brands in baseball.

But imagine the New York Yankees finished dead last in the American League. And Aaron

Judge had a season where he hit two. I guess what Austin Matthews is doing isn't hitting like 200.

He's hitting. What is he hitting like 250 with no power? 20 homers. Yeah. Like Aaron Judge

had a season where he hit 250 with 20 homers. The Yankees finished dead last. What do you think the

conversation would be in New York after that? Well, I think it actually would be pretty similar to

this where again, I don't, I don't think Austin Matthews is skating here. I think there's a lot

of criticism. Levy did him. There's been criticism about him as a leader during this stretch.

But I think there'd be a lot of time for, and why the hell is Aaron Boone still here? And Brian

Cashman is just GM Emeritus. Like we can never get rid of him. Like I think there are so many

compared. They're really are. So I think that's what will be happening here. You're right. Like

would Matthews eat it in the same way as Judgewood? Maybe it'd be a touch louder there. But I also

think that's the nature of like an everyday sport for like it's like a literally you'd watch

Aaron Judge every day of your summer. It's the only thing in the world to focus on. He's nine

feet tall. And can you just swap the ball over the damn fence would it be so hard? And I think that

if the Leafs were an everyday sport, my dream one day will get hockey every every day. Every day of

that every, I love hockey. I don't know what to tell you, man. I'm sorry. Like, well, and I gotta say

the upside of that bargain is like, I know it never feels like it now. And it might not be tell

my kids can drive and they were just born to of them. But it's like one day they'll be good again.

They'll be like, yeah, every day of that. Like remember, I know the worst time of all the Canadian

divisions, like Leafs were just run a rough shot over everybody. You wouldn't have signed up to

watch that every night. Please, please, please give me more. So the first period though looked like

it was, oh, they're going to have a public firing of Craig Baroube. I, I, if again,

Gord Stelix line, if you're going to, if you're going to suck, do it on the road. Good job by

them sucking on the road. But also if you're going to fire Craig Baroube in game, do it at home.

That's true. Yeah. Yeah. First period, outshot 18 to five shot attempts for 33 to nine. They're

outscored two to nothing. And I, I guess in the intermission, everybody looked at these

others like, we're bad. And like, we can't, we're obviously can't bring the passion right now.

But like, we can't do this, right? We can't lose eight nothing, six nothing to the Montreal

Canadian. That was right. I don't know who I'm pointing yesterday. Yeah. I mean, it looked like

we were handed that way after the opening 20 minutes. I know. I'm, I'm, I'm not kidding. I feel like

a conversation like that happened in the first intermission. Could you, can you imagine hearing,

like, you know, we've heard these stories in like games of great import before. It's like Jason

Hayward went in there and gave the cups of top talk. And it's like Max Tome just ripped his

shirt off and said, we can't die like this. We can die. But not like this. Oh, what I'd give

to read that, that, that tail, but it did feel that way. Honestly, because the rest of the game,

and it was a two one game, and they got a six on five at the end of the game and, and pressing and

with puck possession. Yeah. I thought there was a chance that they were going to screw it all up

by picking up even one point on a day where the tank was perfect. But no, they didn't. It worked out

perfectly. The Canadians score into the empty net. Yeah. Matthew's sitting there dusting off

the puck on his one-time recite. I'm like, oh, here it comes. This is going to be it. No,

it's going to be the most conflicted. I've ever felt about the captain scoring your goal here.

But luckily, luckily did not come to fruition. Yeah. They lost just picked up zero points and

they actually gained a spot in the reverse standings and things look really rosy right now all

the sudden. No, it's exactly what you want. Just while I'm well, we're actually talking about the

game for two seconds. I got to get this in here. It's like I remember when the Leafs were a good

team and they were leading games. You would have had to murder someone in cold blood to get two

power plays up a goal late in the third and then knives again, like none of this matters,

but it's like knives gets hauled down with 40 seconds left. They're like, yeah, who cares?

Like even the refs are like, man, I'm not going to game manage this. But it's just at that

whiny Montreal crowd like, oh, we need more penalties late in the game. It's like you just had

two power plays in the last four minutes or the last six minutes of a game against the Leaf team

and you couldn't convert on it. Maybe pipe down with that one. So the hate, it's Simmers beneath me

for the Montreal Canadian still and it just came, came flying out because God, that crowd,

it is so good and it just makes me hate them even more because I've sat there and I hate it when

the Leafs lost like I think it was like five two when I went there for my trip. Yuck, gross.

Well, Jake, Jake McCabe has the passion as well. Sure does. Yeah, standing up for his boy,

Eastern Cowan greasy hit. Yeah. Yeah, there are fellas and they've extricated one of them in

Scott Lawton from this this core. Oh my God, that's Eastern Cowan's like his little baby child.

Did you imagine if Jake McCabe did that? It's like, Eastern Cowan would have gone like Gino

Maulkin and then fought him. Yeah, Jake McCabe is, yeah, not, he's got some blame, okay?

From what's happened here and he came back from the injury and he didn't look like himself right

away, right? Like, this has not been a great season for Jake McCabe, but he's not gone anywhere.

And he still has the thing that a lot of this core misses and it's the passion.

He still has it. Even in a game that, I mean, he doesn't care. But like the Leafs are,

it is their prerogative to lose. It should be. He doesn't care. He sees those two sweaters

on the ice. He knows his job is to protect his rookie and Eastern Cowan and and droplet gloves

run Gallagher in a game that, yeah, again, it would be more meaningful for the Leafs to lose

than to win. Yeah, it would. But that's, that's what you need to see. You need to see

still. And again, if I guess, no, not, no, not, I guess that's how this turns from, okay,

you know what, you got to get your tank, you got to do what you got to do. Life is about hard

decisions and you have to make one and go through with it here. But you can't have that

fester into next year. And I'm not even saying of like, because they have to compete,

even if you're throwing out that idea of it, that's how you end up sad sack org like the Sabers

who are stuck in this for 14 years and just nobody cares. You know, here, I'll do this just

for you because you don't think he eats it enough. When the captain of your team is not the most

fiery ra ra guy, you can't allow that to fester and linger in your locker room. So I think that's

actually so important to see in the game. And it shouldn't just be, again, is this relief

conversation from 2026 or 2018, you tell me, can't just be about a Jake McCabe or whoever.

It has to actually exist up and down the lineup. And it's like one day, you hope that's

Eastern Cowan coming in to defend someone's honor because he's got that also good on Jake

McCabe. We do this all the time with tough defensemen who like play a hard tough game where we're

like, and obviously they can fight. Maybe not so much. And like, I'm happy he's stuck in stuck in

there. But the fighting skill to talk a tough defensive defenseman is not always or like big hitter

defenseman is not always a one to one there. So good on him for sticking up. And that's what you

need to, you need to still have some of that existing. And that's why like, look, someone's going

to give you something for him. I would never regret trading him. But it's like, it's kind of

important that Max Domey is still here. Like another guy who's going to have that in him. And that's not

the solution. That is not the solution to fixing this problem or turning this thing around. But it

is the antidote to going and wandering the desert for five, 10, 14 years, like the Sabers have been

where there's just a kind of lack of care, a lack of gumption. It's been a problem with this

team when they're good. What do you think the care factor is going to look like when there's nothing

to play for it? So I don't want to make too, too much out of it. But men, that's massive.

The McCabe steps in like that. And again, shouldn't just be about him and Domey. And that's that.

Maybe like Nick Waw wanted to do that when he was here. Yeah. They've been a good thing.

Yeah. Nick Waw and a scrap yesterday, of course, for the avalanche against Trent Fredrick.

Yeah. They're just, they're just doing bullying out there and call her out of their like,

hey, you got to prove it. Yeah. It's like, no problem. That's hazing is what that feels like.

Yes. Anyways, Trent Frederick, he should fight every day until he wants to.

A good direction for the oilers who all these only signed for a thousand more years.

It's too much money. Yeah. Yeah. They're winning some games against decent opposition recently.

So it's a good feeling. Better about them. That's a good team. They'll be. Yeah. Yeah.

No. I was referring to the Vegas game, but yesterday was a good win. Yeah. The way you said it,

it's like, I mean, you want to be, you want to give them credit for breeding Colorado. Yeah.

I mean, that's in the loss of the Leafs. Come on. Let's get real here. Okay.

Four times though. Yeah. That's right. And in overtime, um, had to get that loser point. Yeah.

God. Uh, Bo Grue. Yeah. Making his Leafs debut and looking pretty good. A nice little

uh, dipsy doodle in the third period. Walked walks in there. So he's an interesting fella.

Again, I'm confused as to why he wasn't on that French national team at the Olympics,

like born in France, but like grew up and come back. Here's what the Marles passion have.

I guess. But he's also a former second round pick. Yeah. Like he's got some pedigree.

27 goals with the Marles this year. Played up the middle. I'm not saying like this is

some obvious solution for the Leafs and they're center depth problems. And it's good because it's

not. But okay, it's, it's good that he's getting a runway here. Yeah. And it should be the rest

of the season because there might be something there with him. Yeah. It's, it depends what

you think. Again, like everyone's readjusting the what you think the Leafs are going to be in

the next years to come. It's like if we were having this conversation in the before times where

the Leafs are supposed to win at least around to the playoffs. No, it's not a solution to anything.

It's 26 years old. And uh, you, you're about to turn 26. He's third and the Ameri or fourth.

Yeah. Tied for third and the American League in goals this season. It's what you want to see.

But this feels like your classic tweener guy guy who can come up give you some fine minutes.

I did think it was funny that they still don't know what to do with East and Cowan. I know

eventually he ended up with Matthews, but it's like he starts that game with crew and I'm like,

who are they trying to build? Like, is this really like it's supposed to work the other way

where the Marley's games are there for the Leafs purposes, but it's like who are they trying

to make sure the Marley's are ready to cook for the playoffs, getting Cowan and grew together on

the on the, on the same line. But no, this is, this is the type of story you want to see late in the

season. Do I think it means anything? No. Do I think he'll ever carve out the career Ryan

Paling has carved out for himself in the NHL? No. I think you're on a streak of mentioning Ryan

Paling. Well, the three consecutive days. Okay. It's not my fault that he was like on a

gondola and Venice signing his contract extension to trade deadline days. We talked about that

on Friday, every story we talked about that on Monday and then they'll at least play the Canadians

and it's hot in the brain. So like, if you want, I can promise I won't bring them up tomorrow.

No, no, keep it going. I want to see how long you can go. I just keep workshopping like

finding ways to sneak it in. Okay, I'll try to do that. Hey, I mean, Bo Group keeps doing this.

Maybe I'll have more and more excuses. But no, I mean, he's, he's competent and much like I just

talked about the care factor, the passion doesn't have to be punched in the guy in the face. That's just

look like you have something to play for. And so many of the guys on this team don't like even,

even like Calla Yarncrock, right? Like somebody like him should be playing for his next NHL deal.

No, he's going to Sweden like this has already been decided. He's already signed with a Swedish

team for next year. Like what are we, what are we doing here? So yes, having your cowons of the

world, having your bogro's of the world come in, just have a spark. What do you look for in hockey

games on teams that do not have aspirations? You look for guys that pop, you look for guys that

you notice. And again, like, yes, yes, insults to the rest of the leaves. But Bo Group was more

noticeable than most of them last night. So good story. And again, like, you know, his name's Benoit

Olivier better play well in Montreal. Never going to feel more at home there. Good on William

Nealander. He doesn't have a gold route. He's riding a one game goal streak. I was though struck by

his pregame media availability. This is a fella who once upon a time when the Leafs were going through

a little bit of a down spell this year and they lost what I think three consecutive. He's like,

talk to me after game five. And every time he would say that he'd be proven correct. He'd go on a

goal scoring streak. The Leafs would look much better. And it's like, hey, deferred of this guy,

he's right. Not not singing from the same hand him book these days. This is a losing skid that

since you've been pleased for you, like, how have you been processing it? How do you see off of

the stick? I mean, hard to really stay optimistic in this situation, but yeah, just try to get a one

turn. Do you feel like this is just a one-off and you guys can get back to form next season?

Yeah, I mean, I sure hope that that's the case. Otherwise, yeah.

I love that. Yeah. Good. Otherwise, you keep going.

No, I, yeah, honestly, a lot of, well, the funny thing is is like, yeah, otherwise, yeah,

does it not, does it not feel like, okay, maybe I'm doing too much of like the mani

being mani with Willie, if that's other players, I'm like, you have hard and fast answers

to otherwise and like, go on, like, I want to hear what Jeff say. He's like, yeah, you

talk to me. You tell me, like, William Newlander, and I do not say this is a knock because I'm

not much of one myself. It doesn't strike me as the world's biggest planner, okay?

Like, when he goes on a sick vacation, like, do you think he's planning that or do you

think somebody's like, hey, Willie, we're going a combo. We're going back home to Stockholm.

We're going wherever he's like, okay, yeah, that sounds great. I'll pack the clothes

that much I can, I can take care of, you know, he's got his YouTube channel. I'm sure,

children producers are pulling their weight over there and putting the content together.

I don't think he's sketching out all the ideas that he has. So that's the funny thing with

me about that is like, if that's Austin Matthews, I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, we're

not leaving until otherwise go on. Yeah, I mean, that if it was Austin Matthews, the

implication would be otherwise. I'm leaving. Yeah, right. Exactly. Whereas this guy

has got the contract. He's the guy that took the term. Yes. Well, obviously. Yeah. But

no, I mean, Newlander, there was another one yesterday where it's like he's reached

the acceptance stage of grieving on it. It's much better now that we've accepted that

we suck. Great. I guess. No, this is, but what do you want him? Like that's, I want him

to be disappointed. I suppose you want him to be like ripping the pain off the walls

and screaming and yelling about it. I don't know. He tried that with the, with at least

half of the, the stars that are still here and it hasn't worked either. Well, I think

for me, the thing that stands out about that media availability, that media availability,

again, comparing it to what we've heard previously from him during the season was, hey, maybe

if you were more open to the idea that it could get this bad, there would have been a higher

level of urgency from you and some of your teammates earlier in the season because, and,

and we deferred to him because he, he'd been right for a decade. He'd been right, right?

And that's probably part of the reason why he felt so confident that things were going

to turn around. But if I wonder if he had known, then what he knows now, whether he'd have

felt a little differently, whether he had a, I'm not saying that maybe he was holding

something back, but he certainly didn't feel like there was some urgency and maybe that's

the best version of William Nealander guy who doesn't feel under the gun because he's

manny being manny. But yeah, this is a guy that in some dark times earlier in the season,

when it wasn't obvious that the Leafs were going to be a lottery team that he sloughed

off some poor play and said, no big deal. We're going to be good because we're always good

and I'm good. It's going to be fine. Yep. As very notably not fine. No, it's not fine.

I think that, and you know, this is part of the reason why it's like, you know, he only,

actually, he said I was about to say he only just, he still doesn't wear a letter for

this team. Like this is part of the reason why is like he gets to be the like, hey, man,

I'm just here. I still have my 60 points in 48 games. And yeah, it's not the high water

mark of 98. I had two years ago, but that's still better than the captain. Right. That's

still right in line with all of my career averages. I'm more than a point per game.

Also, when I look at Willie, like, yeah, okay, you, I suppose you want to see more of

like the two or three shifts where it just feels like he's bending the game to his

will. But I also don't feel like this has been some massively down will a year. You know

what it feels a lot like to me is like the Matthew night season where it's like, yeah,

I don't, I don't know. Like I look at the numbers and this seems fine. It feels like

there could be more there. But I also think and maybe this is unfair or I don't know,

like too fair to him. But it's with it with kneelander. I just can't get there. I don't

know what it is. I've made my peace with who he is as a guy. And yeah, the idea of the

idea of wanting more or a more, you know, demonstrative kneelander of like beaver tail and give

me the puck. I don't know. The puck seems to find him a lot. He's not, you know, to

me, this isn't a guy who in years past, we could point to the two or three glaring, like

controller disconnect moments coming back on defense or I'm just going to bail out of

this board battle. I don't feel like I've noticed that a ton from him. And also, you

know, you've been playing with a guy in Tavaar. And I know you're just going to tell

me I'm making excuses for all these guys. But you've been playing with a guy in Tavaar

is who's taking a step back or a guy in Matthews, who's that least this year offensive

production is taking a huge step back. And you've still managed to keep your, you know,

relative threshold of point production of what you've been throughout your career. So

I, yeah, with kneelander, I just can't get there. Like everybody wears this, right?

There's no one on this team. I was about to say except, but no, there's no one on

this team that, oh, Chris Tanoff, because he's just not here. And I suppose all of

Reckman Larson, although it's like, yeah, could have had a first round pick for you.

There's no one on this team that doesn't wear the failures of it, but it doesn't feel

like kneelander has like an outside blame for this when he has like an outside's role

on this team. Yeah, it's just he loses the ability. If there's a tough stretch for him

and for the team next year to be like, it'll be fine. I go. I don't think we'll ever hear

that from him again. Oh, I guarantee you we will. You, you think way, you think like

there's something like grand lesson learned. I think of this team heads into next year

and everyone's looking around and going, yeah, maybe it's playoff team. Then I think

there will be more urgency earlier in the year, but the idea that on a, on a competent

Leafs team, you're never going to hear the like that chill, bro, we're going to be fine.

Like he might, he might, I don't, he doesn't strike me as a guy that would follow the NFL

much. But if anybody was more ripe to give us a, an air and Rogers, just relax, bro.

It would not be willy. I guess I would have thought this would be a learning year for

that, but you're right. Maybe not. So six points now separating the Toronto Maple Leafs

from the Chicago Black Oaks in that third to last position, which would guarantee a retention

of their pick this season. That's within reach. It feels like, all right, little acts

of kindness in a time when it seems everything is hopeless is one of the small ways to make

things better. And once a black, you can take today to have a direct and immediate impact

on your community is donating blood at your nearest Canadian blood services donation center.

This small act can save multiple lives. The need is always there and it can bring a sense

of contribution to a world, the need of solutions. Choose a moment of hope today. Make a donation

appointment by visiting blood.ca, the give blood app or call one triple eight to donate.

All right, when we come back, lots to get to still Canada beating Puerto Rico, the world

baseball classic and a game that has some impact on their ability to get through to the second

round, but today's game more important. The United States, they're on the ropes. They're done.

No more games. They lost the Italy Raptors. It's not funny anymore. All the losing to top 10

teams and bam out of bio scored 83 points. I don't know how we're going to get to all of that,

maybe not. What a night for sports. Unbelievable. Anyways, that more next as the fan morning show

continues, Ben and his prank on sports at 590 to fan. The best blue J show out there. Period.

Blair and Barker, be sure to subscribe and download the show on Apple Spotify or wherever you get your

podcasts.

You'd love to see what you have in these guys. You're having got to use them yet.

It's Casey serves on the other direction on a full count. He's going to have extra bases.

Owen Casey just continues to rake. Right side. That one's through for a base hit Abraham Toro.

Might have extra bases. As Owen Casey can cruise home and Canada adds one. It's a 3-1 lead now

in the four. Brock Daxhorn has been really, really aggressive. He's over 30 pitches. He will not

pitch tomorrow, but he's got the first two outs here and that is now 11th straight retired by

in 80 pitches. And a bouncer out to second and Canada will head for its do-or-die match-up tomorrow

afternoon on the strength of a three to two win over Puerto Rico. Yeah, we're looking

forward to it. We got Cuban tomorrow during a day game. Been waiting a while to play those guys.

You know, it's going to be a dog fight. You know, they're a great team. We're going to do our

best to come out and play hard and we'll see what happens.

Fan morning Joe Sports and 5-9 of the fan band and his Brent Gunning, Canada with a 3-2 win

over the host Puerto Ricans yesterday at Hurum Bithorn Stadium with World Baseball Classic.

So Puerto Rico had already punched their ticket to the second round. Unlike those Americans,

if we'll get to Mark de Rosa, maybe being confused about that fact.

Anyways, Puerto Ricans were factually through to the second round. Still important for them,

though, because a win yesterday would have clinched the top spot in the group for them.

For Canada, yesterday was never going to clinch a spot into the second round of this tournament

for the first time in their history. But it does give them an opportunity with a win today over Cuba

to clinch the top spot in the group, which actually weirdly might not be the greatest thing,

because they might have to play the Americans who might finish second. And then who cares,

whatever, getting through to the second round would be cool. And it was a great win against

a Puerto Rican team that doesn't have all its best players, but a lot of pretty good ones,

including a hallfamer, no one ever, not a middle line up. I also, God, I'm just such a sucker for

like makes me feel so old. The yadda, Melina coming out of the man. I'm like, yeah, sure,

why not? Of course, he should be the manager. Yeah. Anyways, they got lots of good players. So

to the Canadians and what's great about this tournament is sometimes, you know, now you can say

big doctor and people will know you're talking about big Brock Dijkshorn, who plies his trade

in the Taiwanese league. Obviously. Yeah. And he's like six foot eight, but doesn't throw up

for 90s. But there's looks like there's some deception there. Anyways, he gets the save for team

Canada going three scoreless, hitless, base runner list innings striking out one incredible

for performance from him that the key moments in this game were bases loaded two outs, bases loaded

walks from Tyler O'Neill and Tyler Black. Yeah, I was going to say like, come on guys at the

intro, really buried the lead there. It's like another walk. They did it. But they were yeah,

and they were incredible played appearances, right? They were battling back. I think the O'Neill

one he was down 02 in the count before eventually taking a bases load of walk Tyler Black as well.

Not exactly what you think of with Tyler O'Neill. It's like you just think of him being the strongest

man in the world and swinging for the fences. He's not like the numbers don't bear it out,

but it's like he has a ton of pop when he does connect. But yeah, the idea that he can work

account that way. Obviously, awesome in that moment. And yeah, hey, same thing for Black there.

Yeah, they could have been through already. If they'd beaten Panama, you know, say they hadn't

given up 300 runs and then ending because they're best player and captain couldn't catch a baseball.

But that's all besides the point. It's all relevant. It's wearing a Jerome again. The jersey is

today. It's awesome. Awesome. It's fine and holy cow. If there is a breakout star from this Canadian

team, it's Burlington zone. Oh, Casey totally had another two hit performance. A couple of doubles

hitting 554 in this tournament with an OPS of 1674 and bumped up to six. Then I don't

know why he doesn't get bumped up even higher for today's game. It's a three o'clock game,

by the way, against Cuba today on sports that it's a win or go home. Like when through to the

second round for the first time ever lose and all of this positive goodwill game yesterday,

irrelevant. Yes, exactly. Hey, if you want stakes in sports, here you go. Baseball season hasn't

even started and you've got a massive game at three o'clock in the afternoon. Feels like

feels like late September already. Look at that. And it kind of did yesterday. Today much different.

Yeah. I've meant like the weather. It's very nice yesterday. Yeah, it did. And not surprisingly,

there were like multiple belts of rain. And you're on bithorn stadium. I feel like every time I

turn on the world baseball classic, whoever's playing in that group at that stadium, there's at

least one rain delay. I don't. Again, I. Is this a clouds love the place? I don't know. Is this

like? This is the rainy season in Puerto Rico. I have no idea. But anyways, there's a rain delay

in yesterday's game as well. Hopefully they they get through today's game without issue.

Canada feeling good about themselves. First time ever playing in a group at the world baseball

classic without the United States. Right. Maybe correlation causation here. I think that they have

a chance to get through. There have been winner take all games for Canada at this tournament,

where they could have won one against the Americans a couple of years ago, won against Mexico,

where they could have gotten through to the second round hasn't worked out in their favor.

But yeah, this is the best opportunity they've ever had to get through to the second round.

And it comes today against a Cuban team, which is no easy task to beat, but a team that they can

beat at this tournament. By the way, so I mentioned the United States. Yeah, playing in a separate

group in Houston and playing the Italians and getting their clocks clean. I mean, I guess they

made it respectable late in that game because it was it was seven. Nothing at one point ends up eight

six final and Aaron judge struck out to for the 27th out. The Italians. Why are more people

talking about that? Aaron judge had a chance. No, I'm joking. Yeah. I mean, there will be

conversation. If things play out in a manner in which the United States is headed home,

which is not that complicated, by the way. And I did the broadcast that was doing the Canada game

needs to get maybe that was the same information. Mark Derosa was going off must have been somebody

sent out a bad email because they were they were convinced that I was wow, they're they're going

to finish second in this group. Isn't that crazy? It's like, no, there's a very real scenario.

The United States is not getting through the quarter finals after yesterday's Italian win.

So Italy's playing Mexico today. Americans are done. Yes, they're finished. Yes, Italy.

If they win, the United States is happy because that means them and the Italians are going through.

If Mexico wins and scores five runs or more, it's Mexico in the United States.

If Mexico wins today in a game in which they score four or fewer runs, it's Mexico and Italy.

Yes. So that that's that's a possibility. Totally. It's baseball. I don't know if you've

watched it before. Totally. Anyways, apparently that was news to Mark Derosa. This is before yesterday's

game. Of course, he's an MLB network host and he's the manager of team USA. Here is Mark Derosa

before they played yesterday's game against the Italians. Tonne respect for Italy. It's it's

weird. We want to win. We want to win this game, even though our tickets punch to the quarter

finals. Notably not punch to the to the quarter finals now. Is it like does he think like

is it a like punch card at a sandwich stop situation where he's like, look at that a punch and it's

like, no, no, no, you need to get to the 10th one before you get the free sandwich or the quarter

finals is like, you just want a game like that's all that happened so far. Yeah. Totally. Now so

after the game, he was asked about that clip and he's like, no, no, no, I just misspoke. I

understood going into the game. We actually had to win it. It's also just for the record. That's

also my move when I just like say something factually wrong. Like, no, I meant to say another thing.

Right. It is kind of curious though that all evidence of that conversation have been,

it's been scrubbed from the internet by Major League Baseball like the MLB.com.

You can't find it. And that that segment he did on MLB Network like that part has been

removed from the website. Yeah, an embarrassing moment from Mark DeRosa's from Mark DeRosa

and an embarrassing embarrassing moment for the United States. So yeah, they don't have their

best, best, best players at this thing. They have the best player that they got though in Aaron

Judge. Yeah. What's like, I watch Paul schemes and Bobby would you like, there's not like,

there's nobody's on this team. This isn't a case of like, hey, Canada's best guys don't show up

and what does the roster look like? Yeah. They got a pretty deep talent pool over there. Yeah,

they do. So all they can do is sit back and watch. I mean, obviously, Major League Baseball,

thinks it could be devastating to not have the Americans in this tournament for the first time

ever or not in the quarter funnel, but a very realistic possibility. Well, let me ask you about that.

What do you think? Like, forget, forget that this impacts Canada's road for a second.

Like, let's remove that because obviously for me, it's like, hey, if Canada has the choice of

somebody else or the Americans when finally making it through, they got rather somebody else.

But the mark basically what I'm asking you is like the March Madness conversation here. It's like,

yeah, we all would love to be like, haha, look at this. America's out and you're going to roll

around to the final and are you going to miss having them there or into the knockout round?

You're going to miss having them there. Like, like, what is more important to you? I saw

all getting to Nelson months and ha ha at the Americans or actually watching like the best baseball

teams. I think one of the best baseball and the defending champions are probably going to be

there. The Japanese having lost again. I'm not saying they're the only team worth watching,

but you can't lie that losing America would lose something of the juice of this game or of the,

you know, semi finals or final or whatever it would be. Yeah, I think it's fine.

Okay, but I mostly agree. Yeah, you lose some star power or no question about it.

Right. But I think there's enough. I think Shoei Otani is a bigger star than the United States

team combined, right? It's the biggest star. Don't disagree. The only crossover star that this

sport has is Shoei Otani. He's still alive and well. And in fact, playing on the defending champion

and the favorite to win the whole thing. So that he exists. I think, yeah, you're right. If it was,

hey, Korea and Panama. Sure. That would suck. No, but even, okay, like if it's Japan,

Dominican Republic, it's like no one's going to be sitting there crying that the Americans aren't

there. And this is unfair to countries I'm about to mention. But if it's Japan, Venezuela,

or something like that, it doesn't have the same feel as it does of like Japan, DR or Japan,

the the States. No, you're on to something there for sure. And obviously, like,

not the people should care about this, but like the ratings are going to get in the epic head.

Yeah. But yeah, the the fellas in charge of the revenue streams created by television viewership.

Yeah, I think they have a rooting interest for today's Mexico Italy game. Yeah, for what I,

what I would say is it is worth more to me to get to collectively laugh at the Americans than it is

to have need them in the knockout round of this tournament. So yes, go, go whatever scenario has

to play out also winning by four or scoring four in that game when there was the ball hit

into like the area just to kind of kind of left center there, but after the Crawford boxes

in Houston and the Italian guys were fist fighting over the ball, trying to make the catch.

And then they go to the picture. I do love when everyone in this event is exactly what they're

supposed to be and the Italian picture doing the finger thing. Oh, yeah, I like it. I'm like,

that's perfect. Good job. Just like I saw it. Like it's like guys are wearing luchador masks.

The Puerto Rican team. They all got their blonde hair. It's like, what? Just Canada. I know Josh

Nailer's leading into it, like wearing hockey jerseys for his warm up every day. Do they all have

to wear like flannel shirts to the next one, looking like a bunch of lumberjacks. I don't know what it

is, but I just love all of the countries there. It's like, yes, good job. You guys are all exactly

what I would just like out of central casting what somebody would expect. Yeah, the Italians have

an espresso celebration when they hit a home run. The one guy did not like it. I don't know if

you saw it. They're like, oh, yeah, Viddie Pasquantino brewed one up and they gave it to the guy.

And he's like, like, spit it out. But apparently, I don't know if this is just like covering

for him. It's like, it was too hot. I just brewed it. So he like burned his lips or whatever it was.

Yeah, whatever. Yeah. John Marosi was wearing a luchador mask. Of course he was amazing.

Horsey was anyways, all right. So, you know, let's get to this golf report is brought to you by

your local Ontario Subaru dealers, Subaru. Welcome to uncommon. Hey, Brent, how was the TGL playoffs?

Yes, Ray, TBD on that. It's next week. Okay. Yeah. All right. Well, hey, well, you know,

spin zone, you can look at it two ways of I was wrong. That's the way I think you're choosing to

look at it. Or I was just so excited. I was trying to wish it into existence for it to be last night.

But honestly, good thing. There's too much going on. You did have too much going on. And yeah,

so no, it's good that it's good that everyone held their fire. Man, we got a we got a firecracker

of a match. I do know one of them. It's Jupiter links, which is Tiger's team. He's not playing

versus versus Boston and their logo is a frog for some reason. And Rory McElroy is the

cap of the ship there. But will he be there? It's like, he needs the extra time to rest up. So

honestly, it's like everything coming up TGL here. Totally. Good question about Rory. Like,

where where where do his allegiances lie? Like, so apparently things all things are pointing in a good

direction for the players this week. Chuck is caddy is in Florida. Harry Diamond boots on the ground.

He was there walking during during practice rounds yesterday. I did see a clip. It must be kind of

again, like all these guys so friendly with each other. But it was funny. It's like there's like

caddies and players are working and they're going through their stuff. And it's like, there's Harry

just going for a walk, pacing off yardages and like, hey, that's that's the job. Like that's what

the money's for. Oh, boohoo, poor like no one's making this argument. We're like, oh, boohoo,

poor you. You had to walk around a beautiful golf course on a nice day in in Florida. But yeah,

it's it would Rory wouldn't send them there to do that if he had no hope of playing. No, the

report is that he's going to at least attempt to give it a go. It's back spasm, right? Which is

it doesn't sound like structurally. There's an issue there and sounds like he needs a massage.

It should be okay. I feel like he probably has got one in the time between him, his back

seizing up and or whatever happened there and today. Also, it is like, you know, this,

I made this point I think to you. I don't know if I did it on air, but it's like his withdrawal

came on the weekend. This wasn't a Friday of like, you know what? I'm done. Let's go home. Let's

catch an early flight or an early drive. You know, he lives in Florida as well. But the idea of

this happened on the weekend. It's like he withdrew himself from hundreds of thousands of dollars

to not get that. So I don't think this is just a minor thing. Brooks Capka didn't play in the

Arnold Palmer because it's not allowed to. That's right. It's an elevated event. And he knows,

no, no, no, no, that allowed him to pick up a T9 though in that alternate field event. So here's

his results in the three tournaments since his return to the PGA tour. Time for 56, cut in Phoenix T9.

So alternate field event. Yeah, got a bit of a bit of an aster's there. It's like T9 when all

the good guys were somewhere else T9 trending in the right direction. And you know what?

That coincides with him changing his phone number. So after he was cut in Phoenix,

here's what he said about changing his phone number. Yeah, I think after Phoenix said just

wanted a little bit of a reset. Then my phone was blowing up. So just really wanted to focus on

preparation and dialing into golf. I thought that was the best way to kind of come unglued from

the world for a half second. Basically, it was only my family. Anybody that's got golf related,

really has my number right now, which has been kind of nice. So he's focused in his social

circle to only golf people and his family. That is a drastic move though to change your number.

Like, how many texts would you have to send out to the people that, like, even your family and

your golf people to know what your new number is? Yeah, a lot. Like, even for that, and that,

that just, I gotta be honest, that just like stresses me out. That gives me the huge EBS.

I don't like that. Aaron Actblad must be devastated. Like his best bud on the P's that

I think he's still the only person in the world who calls them that. He's like, also my,

this is my favorite thing. Like, kept a hockey guy. He's like, he looks like a traffic

pilot. It's like just pilot, not a traffic cone or whatever he calls him. He's holding one up.

But yeah, it's like devastating for all the Florida Panthers that evidently can no longer text him.

Although are they golf people? Because they're getting closer and closer to that season for

themselves as well, despite them winning last night. So no, hey, look, like I, I will hold all my

fire on Brooks Capka because he did the thing I wanted everyone in live to do admit they were

wrong and come back. So I hope it is a success story because I want that to happen for more people.

I want that to happen to John Rom. I want that to happen to the guys I care about. You know,

Patrick Reed, I can't believe he's a good guy in all of this. All of a sudden is he's trying to

have a similar path there. So I want Capka to figure it out. I want him to turn it around.

I don't know. The changing is number is the the way to go about it. Like you ever you ever

just put it on like you always hear these stories and he's like, oh, yeah, I have so many

unreturned texts. It's like, okay, what's the difference? Like I don't know. It's stressed me out

to have that many like unreturned text or like the emails I can like go into the ether. That doesn't

bother me at all. But yeah, it's it is a move and it's it's what he feels he needs to do. But

whatever it takes, don't care. Have no phone. I only have a flip phone. He can't play games on it.

Whatever it takes, I don't care because I want Capka to come back and succeed. And that's not

even I like Capka thing, although I do. I just want more people to see that this is the way.

This is the way. It might be more material to the results him changing his putter. Right. And him

coming off a T9. Yeah, well, you have to have a I hate it because I use a blade putter. But

apparently you have to have a mallet putter. Correct. Akshay. Same thing. Yeah. Oh, did you see that?

I actually meant to send this very quick like a denim to the golf report. We have confirmation.

Ashtray was not a slip up. That is in fact talking with the nickname for Akshay Bati. Daniel

rap report had the exclusive on that. All right. That's good stuff. I really bearing the lead.

That should have been the whole golf report. Totally. Can't wait for next week's report on TGL playoffs.

That's next week, though. Yeah. Stay tuned next week. Yeah, you're not going to be here. I'm going

to I'm going to make the guys send you an MP three of it. Okay. Can't wait. As golf report was

brought to you by your local Ontario Subaru dealer Subaru. Welcome to uncommon. When we come back,

there's a report that Brad tree living is staying. But Craig Bruebe is likely out. Is that

enough for you? That and more next is the fan morning show continues. Ben and his Frank Gunnick sports

that five nine in the fan. It's weird. We want to win. We want to win this game even though our tickets

punch to the quarterfinals.