Leafs Hour: Defensive Disarray + Playoffs in Question?

Former NHLer and Sportsnet colour analyst Garry Galley (3:25) joins Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne to chat about if Kevin Lankinen is ready to step into the role as the Vancouver Canucks' top goaltender with Thatcher Demko out with an injury, the demand around Connor McDavid on and off the ice, why the Montreal Canadien's goal this season is nothing more than reaching the playoffs, and the buy-in from the Anaheim Ducks. Then, Nick, Justin and Sam McKee touch on the reasons why Nikita Zadorov did not want to fight Max Domi, and who they would choose to start an NHL franchise today. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look back on the Leafs' bad 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins. They discuss the team's response to Nikita Zadorov, a lack of team toughness, and whether the Leafs can dig themselves out of this poor stretch. Then, they get into Auston Matthews and Anthony Stolarz's injuries and how the Leafs will fare in their potential absences. Finally, they weigh in on whether the issues stem from coaching or personnel, who is first on the block if the front office starts feeling desperation, and the consequences of potentially missing the playoffs.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Former NHL goaltender and CEO of Clear Sight Analytics Steve Valiquette (5:35) joins Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne to look at some of the numbers that reveal how bad the start to the Nashville Predators' season is, why he expects major changes on their roster, how the New York Rangers turned around their defensive performance, why goaltenders' save percentages are trending downward, and how the Canadian goaltenders rank in the NHL ahead of the Winter Olympics. Then on Grill the Panel, Vally asks the guys who is the top clutch scorer, playmaker, and goaltender in the NHL today.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look ahead to the Leafs' rematch against the Bruins in Boston. They discuss the importance of the game after a rough weekend, Craig Berube's demeanour behind the bench, the defensive depth, Auston Matthews and William Nylander splitting up in the top six, and whether the Leafs will seek retribution on Nikita Zadorov after his hit on Scott Laughton on Saturday. Later, NESN Bruins analyst Billy Jaffe stops by (34:26) to share a Boston perspective of tonight's matchup, what's behind their recent surge, how much credit goes to Marco Sturm early on, and Fraser Minten's maturity.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne are joined by former NHLer and Edmonton Oilers analyst Rob Brown looks at the team's inconsistency from their coaching staff to the players' performances on the power-play, why too much line juggling can hurt the chemistry, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard future, Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard's tense exchange at practice, and Jack Roslovic's incredible decision making. Then, Nick, Justin and Sam McKee take a listen to Kris Knoblauch's post-game comments against the Colorado Avalanche on the magnitude of a 9-1 loss, and how the Oilers are comparable to the 2024-25 team in the same month of November. Finally, the guys touch on Flyers' captain Sean Couturier calling out his teammate Matvei Michkov.  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee reflect on their game at the Easter Seals charity tournament on Friday before looking back on the Leafs' weekend where they lost back-to-back games to the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes. They discuss Anthony Stolarz's play, defensive struggles and Craig Berube's impact. Then, they ask what's wrong with Auston Matthews and whether the Leafs are at serious risk of missing the playoffs. Later, they react to John Tavares's critical postgame comments calling the team 'immature.' The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne are joined by Hockey Hall of Famer Adam Oates (5:45) to chat about Alex Ovechkin netting in his 900th NHL goal, how much has Auston Matthews' offence changed over the years, Trevor Zegras' impressive start to the year with the Philadelphia Flyers, the evolution of the power-play, and if Macklin Celebrini could crack the Team Canada roster. Then, Nick, Justin and Sam McKee react to Jordan Binnington pocketing Ovi's puck, why Nazem Kadri is the hottest name in the trade market, and Sidney Crosby and Ovechkin meeting for the 99th time. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look back on the Leafs' 5-3 win over the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday night, their third straight win. They discuss Craig Berube's system, the stars rounding into form, Matias Maccelli's play after being scratched, Dakota Joshua getting more comfortable, and whether Max Domi will enter the press-box rotation. Then, they get into Anthony Stolarz's heavy workload and project when Joseph Woll will draw back in. Later, Sportsnet Leafs reporter Luke Fox (32:43) weighs in on Auston Matthews' role in the team's recent streak, John Tavares pushing for a spot on Team Canada, Matthews' leadership, Matthew Knies' playmaking, and who will be the odd man out from the Leafs' bottom six.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne are joined by former NHLer and NHL Network analyst Nate Thompson (3:23) to chat about Evan Bouchard's costly error against the St. Louis Blues, how Matthew Schaefer has handled a new level of physical play, why he believes in Macklin Celebrini cracking Team Canada's Olympic roster, Justus Annunen knocking off the net from its moorings on the Wild's controversial game-winning goal, and the Montreal Canadiens' surprising start to the 2025-26 season. Then, Nick, Justin and Sam McKee discuss whether a goaltender should be penalised for displacing the net and what has gone wrong for the defending Stanley Cup Champion Panthers. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look ahead to the Toronto Maple Leafs' Wednesday-night matchup against the Utah Mammoth. They discuss whether the Leafs can build off a big third period against the Penguins, Scott Laughton making his season debut, Easton Cowan getting the game off, and Nick Robertson's rising stock. Later, KSL Sports insider Cole Bagley (32:23) shares the state of the Mammoth ahead of their head-to-head against the Leafs, what's behind their hot start, Nick Schmaltz showing out early in a contract year, the ownership's impact, and how aggressive Bill Armstrong will be in the trade market. Finally, Nick, Justin and Sam react to Cowan being sent down to the AHL.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.