Bob and Matt chat with Jeff O'Neill and Craig Button about last night's Leafs performance and Scott MacArthur checks in to give an update on the latest Ricky Romero spring training start.

Hour 1:

Hour one of Gameday with Macko and Cauz sees Jeff O'Neill join the guys to chat about last night's loss to the Sabres. Hour 1 Audio

Hour 2:

Craig Button, Scott MacArthur, and Jack Armstrong join Macko and Cauz during hour two of Gameday. Hour 2 Audio

Hour 3:

On Gameday Michael Landsberg, Host of Off the Record joins Macko and Cauz. Hour 3 Audio

Jeff O'Neill, Longtime NHLer, Co-Host of Leafs Pre/Post Game on TSN 1050

The guys broke down last night's Leafs game against the Sabres, and they chatted about the incredible success that Nazem Kadri has had this season. He's so gifted with the puck, and is such a unique player, Jeff can see the comparisons to Doug Gilmour. They also talked about Jake Gardiner's play, and how he always tries to execute the flashy option, he needs to tone it down a little bit and try to make more solid plays as opposed to go for the home run every time. If the Leafs keep dropping points in the shootout, they're going to have some problems. The shootout is as much a part of the sport as anything else, and being proficient there is something that the Leafs really need to improve in.

Craig Button, TSN Resident Scout

Craig touched on last night's loss to the Sabres, and how the Leafs could use that dynamic defenceman that could really help out on the power play and eat a ton of minutes. A guy like Dan Boyle would fit perfectly in that role. They also touched on Sean Day being granted exceptional status, and how it's gone about to determine he's ready. There's a lot more to being successful in the OHL than just on-ice play. A lot of it has to do with their emotional and mental demands in addition to the physical demands of playing against older and stronger players. They also chatted about Nazem Kadri, and how he has moved into the category of a number #1 Centre, and definitely has the ability to stay there.

Scott MacArthur, TSN Blue Jays Reporter

Scotty discussed what the saw from Ricky Romero and his awful start against AA opponents yesterday afternoon. Romero acknowledged yesterday that he's having a hard time mixing the competitive nature of the game, and doing some different things on the mound that the pitching coaches are asking him to do. That's currently compromising what he's able to do. Hoping for a breakout season from Brett Lawrie is realistic. This is a guy with immense potential, and in spite of his current injury, he's going to be a huge part of the team going forward.

Jack Armstrong, NCAA Analyst (In Studio)

Jack weighed in on Anthony Bennett's NBA draft stock, and how UNLV's loss to Cal last night won't have a dramatic impact on his status heading into June's draft. Scouts have a good sense of his entire body of work, so one lacklustre performance won't negatively affect him too much. They also touched on Gonzaga's poor opening round performance, and how Davidson blew a great opportunity to upset Marquette on Vander Blue's last second bucket.

Michael Landsberg, Host of Off The Record

Michael checked in with his week in review, and the boys chatted about Mike Komisarek's departure from the Maple Leafs, Brian Urlacher's last days in Chicago, if we should care about the health and safety of an athlete, and Matt Cauz called Dave Stieb "Derek Stieb"

Bob and Matt are joined by Buffalo Sabres Radio Analyst Rob Ray and James Duthie to chat about the Ryan Miller, Patrick Kaleta drama and preview Leafs/Sabres.

Hour 1:

North America's best championship tournament, the Heat's streak, James Duthie, Chad Owens's MMA career. Hour 1 Audio

Hour 2:

Sabres radio analyst Rob Ray, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com, discussing player safety in the NFL vs NHL. Hour 2 Audio

Hour 3:

Host of Inside the Lines Arnie Spanier, Baltimore Ravens analyst Qadry Ismail. Hour 3 Audio

James Duthie, NHL on TSN:

James joined Macko and Cauz this morning to chat about the NHL's reluctance to make changes to the rules that would be beneficial to the sport. He considers the NHL to be way behind the NFL, as the NFL is quick to alter rules and make swift change. They also discussed Ryan Miller's comments on Patrick Kaleta, and how ultimately, Kaleta said things he shouldn't have said. In this case, Miller is an eccentric individual, and he can be blunt at times, but the Sabres are a team in disarray, things like this happen in times like these.

Rob Ray, Buffalo Sabres Radio Analyst:

Rob discussed the visor issue with Bob and Matt, and how he expects visors to be grandfathered in. In the past, players were looked at as "soft" for wearing visors, but in this day and age, with visors so prevalent in the minors, it doesn't seem like such a drastic change. With the Ryan Miller comments, Miller is a leader of this team and is a vocal person. He's one of those guys that is willing to say what he has to say and be a spokesperson for the team. Sometimes he goes a little overboard and says things he regrets. But the reality is, if you have a problem with someone on your team, you keep it within the locker room, you don't say anything to the media.

Gregor Chisholm, MLB.com

The author of the North of the Border blog joined Bob and Matt to chat about Romero's struggles, and how he's in a different scenario from most starters. His outing today, even though it's a minor league start, is very important for him going forward. There's a lot that he's been working on, whether it be from his knee and elbow injuries or his overall struggles, he's a guy who needs a jumping off point as he's been struggling early on. He expects the leash on a guy like Colby Rasmus to be very long, and the reason for that is they want Anthony Gose to be a full-time player in AAA, and ultimately, Rasmus is still a bit of a wildcard, there have been flashes of his talent, he needs to prove his worth before the Jays have a real tough decision between him and Gose.

Arnie Spanier, Inside The Lines

The elite teams do not necessarily have elite players, but a team like Georgetown has Otto Porter, who is expected to be a high lottery pick. Arnie broke down his bracket, and has Arizona going to the Final 4. He also expects Saint Louis to be a real contender, and a team that could upset Louisville. He has Duke over Miami in the Finals, and Duke winning the entire tournament.

Qadry Ismail, WBAL Ravens Analyst

With regards to the NFL rule changes, when you're looking at a referee and trying to determine in a snap judgment decision, it's very difficult. The referees are going to have a lot of problems enforcing this rule. They also touched on the Baltimore Ravens, and how he doesn't expect there to be any undue pressure on Joe Flacco this season, in spite of his large contract. The team has lost a lot of valuable pieces, both on offence and defence, but that can't be blamed on Flacco.

Bob and Matt are joined by the Tampa Tribune's Erik Erlendsson to chat Leafs/Lightning and Barry Melrose checks in to talk about his time in Tampa coaching Steven Stamkos.

Hour 1:

Hour one of Macko and Cauz includes an interview with Bruce Arthur, who chats about Ricky Romero and what he saw at Blue Jays spring training. Hour 1 Audio

Hour 2:

Jeff O'Neil joins Matt & Bob to preview tonight's Leafs-Lightning tilt from the Toronto end, while Erik Erlendsson previews the Tampa side. Hour 2 Audio

Hour 3:

Former NHL coach Barry Melrose and former tough guy Kelly Chase join Bob & Matt for some hockey talk. Hour 3 Audio

9:30 - Bruce Arthur, National Post

The legendary Bruce Arthur arrives home from Florida after taking in Spring Training for a few days, and talks the maturation of Alex Anthopoulos after a very busy offseason for the Blue Jays. Alex hardly ever feels pressure, but he certainly has a lot of it coming from the fan base this year. You can't look at what he had before, and what he has today, and say that Anthopoulos didn't do a good job, even if the moves don't happen to work out. If the Jays do falter, they haven't committed to any long-term contracts – other than Jose Reyes – they have the ability to move almost anyone out if they need to. All of Ricky Romero's problems right now are between his ears, and the Jays are trying to figure him out just as much as he is himself. They'll give Romero a few chances to return to the pitcher that he once was – if you have Romero from two years ago as your #5 pitcher, you're in a phenomenal spot.

10:30 - Erik Erlendsson, Tampa Tribune

Erik is in town to cover the Leafs and Lightning tonight, and discusses an injury-plagued Tampa Bay team which has seen young players step into roles throughout the lineup. The Lightning players still believe they have a chance at the playoffs - the thing about this team and head coach Guy Boucher is that they never quit. Vincent Lecavalier got off to a great start this season but injuries and other issues have arisen throughout the course of the year, which have taken him off his game. Trade rumors surrounding Martin St. Louis are more speculation - he has a lot of good hockey left in him and three years remaining on his contract, so the Lightning are likely to hold on to him. Steven Stamkos is revered for his offensive production but his face-offs have really improved over the past few weeks, he's up over 60% over the past several games.

11:00 – Barry Melrose, ESPN

The former Lightning head coach talks about his time spent in Tampa and with Steven Stamkos in his rookie year. Stamkos came into the league hungry to learn - he didn't come in thinking he was God's gift to hockey, his eyes were open and he listened to guys like St. Louis and Lecavalier. Even at 38, St. Louis is still one of the best players in the NHL today – he's been there so long he transcends the entire Lightning team. Stamkos is the second-best offensive player in the game right now, but a guy like Jonathan Toews is the most complete player in the NHL. The new CBA benefits superstars like Corey Perry, but it hurts the 3rd and 4th line players who lose money to help fit players like Perry under the cap. The Ducks will run into problems the same way that Chicago did after winning the Cup, they're going to have to get rid of some very good players just to bring in younger players who won't ask for as much money.

11:30 – Kelly Chase, Former NHLer, Blues play-by-play for KMOX

The brother-in-law of famous Sportscentre anchor Darren Dutchyshen, Kelly joins the boys to recount some stories of playing with Jeff O'Neill with the Hartford Whalers. At one point in Hartford, the team was 1st in the league before the news came out that the team would be moving after the season. It was the elephant in the room for the rest of the season; some guys were already putting their houses up for sale. There is a lack of respect in the game today, we keep apologizing for the fighting in the game today but we should be apologizing for some of the dirty play. Players didn't need to get a call from Brendan Shanahan to know they had done something wrong, they would have a guy like Bob Probert to deal with instead. So many players are taught how to draw penalties, and referees are scared to death to miss a call on a play where a player looks hurt.

Bob and special guest Jeremy Taggert are joined by Ian Eagle of CBS Sports to dicuss March Madness and TSN Jays Reporter Scott MacArthur stops by to update the spring status of Sergio Santos and Casey Janssen.

Hour 1:

Bob Mackowycz and Jeremy Taggart talk about Tiger's new girlfriend, Corey Perry's contract extension, and chat with Ian Eagle of the NCAA on CBS. Hour 1 Audio

Hour 2:

Bob Mackowycz and Jeremy Taggart talk with TSN Jays reporter Scott MacArthur, James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail, and Jay Onrait of Sportscentre. Hour 2 Audio

Hour 3:

Bob Mackowycz is joined in-studio by Micheal Landsberg talk about Corey Perry's contract extension, and chat with Mike Halford of Pro Hockey Talk. Hour 3 Audio

Ian Eagle – CBS

Details his lengthy career calling every sport from lacrosse to track and field. March Madness this year, as much as any year, is wide open until we get into the games. The state of college basketball is shifting to the point that mid-majors can put the right group of players together and win a championship. The overexposure of teams and players in the digital age has also watered down the expectation level of these games and teams. What we are seeing with the Heat right now could the closest thing that we see to a Jordan-esque dynasty in our generation.

Scott MacArthur – TSN Jays reporter

The Mac Attack, Scott MacArthur, brings us the latest from Dunedin as the Jays gear up for the start of the season. Sergio Santos is working his way back from a triceps injury this week and should be ready for the start of the season, but Casey Janssen still has some hurdles to clear on his way back from shoulder surgery. JA Happ has clearly outpitched Romero this spring, but the Jays have invested more in Ricky and the fifth starter spot is his to lose at this point.

James Mirtle – Globe & Mail

After jumping a hurdle, James Mirtle joined the show to chat about the effect that the Corey Perry signing has on the Leafs as they move forward and into free agency. Management is in no rush to re-sign Kessel, and they are in a wait and see approach to see how things progress. Both Phil and Phaneuf have their contracts expiring after next season, and the team will need to determine what direction they want to move with the faces of the franchise. As Grabovski continues to struggle offensively, the questions about his usage will continue to come up as his defensive zone starts remain high and his line mates remain offensively incompetent.

Jay Onrait – Jay & Dan Podcast

Awoken from his slumber before noon for the first time this year, Jay Onrait explains his ridiculous night-owl routine that includes hours of Top Chef Canada and poutine. The power of social media brought Jay into Taggart's life as they discussed the quality of Popeye's chicken and those delicious biscuits.

Mike Halford – Pro Hockey Talk

Straight west coastin', Mike Halford checks in to explain just how impactful the Corey Perry deal will have on the rest of the league. The Ducks are positioning themselves as a team that can score goals with the best of them, but crash and bang if they have to. The Canucks are struggling on the left coast in a way that they haven't in years as their goaltending situation remains unclear and the injuries are mounting down the middle. The goalie market is soft at this point, and the Canucks may have to honestly look at moving Schneider if things continue down this path.

In the debut of Macko and Cauz, Bob and Matt chat with Darren Pang and Dave Feschuk about the Leafs goaltending situation and the impressive return of Joffrey Lupul.

Hour 1:

Jonas Siegel recaps the Leafs shootout loss vs. the Jets, tempers flare in Buffalo, & does Gonzaga have what it takes to win it all? Hour 1 Audio

Hour 2:

Pierre McGuire & Darren Dreger discuss the Leafs shootout loss vs. the Jets, Dr. Phil & Jose Reyes call in, & the Miami Heat extend their win streak. Hour 2 Audio

Hour 3:

Macko and Cauz are joined in studio by OTR's Michael Landsberg to discuss the latest in sports. Hour 3 Audio

Dave Feschuk, Toronto Star:

The first ever guest of Macko and Cauz, Dave Feschuk joined the boys to chat about Joffrey Lupul's impressive return and how Joffrey Lupul has developed into one of the top leaders in the Leafs dressing room. A lot of that has to do with what he's been through as a player, whether it be his injury problems or his previous relationship with Randy Carlyle. Leafs management has to realize there are some serious holes in this club, Holzer being one of them, and you've got to be on edge and be thinking about making changes. The decline of John-Michael Liles is very interesting, and ultimately, might be counter-productive. Sitting a guy down for 1 month, less than 12 months after signing a 4-year contract extension, just doesn't make much sense.

Darren Pang, TSN Hockey Analyst:

Darren joined Matt to discuss some of the latest news and notes from around the NHL, including rumours involving Blues forward Chris Stewart and Kings goaltender Jonathan Bernier. Stewart has come into camp in phenomenal shape, and has been one of the Blues best players this season. As for Bernier, he's ready to be a top goalie, and reminds Pang a lot of Cory Schneider. Most people around the NHL agree that the potential for Bernier is exceptionally high. As for the Leafs, Randy Carlyle has worked with many different goaltending coaches, and we assume that James Reimer has the most upside of all the Leafs goaltenders, and he's still making an adjustment from Francois Allaire.

Brian Windhorst, ESPN's HEAT Index:

Brian joined Bob and Matt live from Boston to preview the Heat/Celtics game, and considers it a terrific opportunity for the Heat to prove how good they really are. The trio of LeBron/Bosh and Wade has never won in Boston in the regular season while together. If the Heat are healthy, no one can take 3 games from the Heat in a playoff series. This is a team that is 27-3 at home, and they've proven consistently that they're a force, and are 7-1 in their playoff series in the LeBron era. Brian also chatted about the importance of camaraderie, and how the team really built up some bonding time on Super Bowl Sunday, when they stayed in Toronto and watched the game at Real Sports. But ultimately, the way the Heat play requires a lot of sacrifice. The team as a whole has bought into philosophy preached by Pat Riley and Eric Spoelstra.

Jeff Borzello, NCAA Basketball Coverage for CBS Sports:

Bob and Matt chatted about Selection Sunday with CBS' Jeff Borzello, who believes that Indiana is the most complete team in the field. They also discussed the importance of Ryan Kelly to the Duke offence, but an underrated aspect of his is his defence, he's adept at guarding smaller players. He also discussed Otto Porter, and the potential for his explosion in this tournament. Right now, he's a lottery pick, but if he has a big tournament, and can lead Georgetown to the Final 4, he might go somewhere in the top 5.

Michael Landsberg, Off The Record:

Michael joined Bob and Matt to discuss Matt's stomach ailments occuring during the debut episode of Macko and Cauz.