To kick things off, The Athletic’s Joe Smith joins the show to discuss the Lightning’s 5-4 win over the Panthers in Game 1 of their opening round series, Nikita Kucherov’s incredible performance in his return to the ice, and the cap circumvention accusations surrounding his debut, Sam Bennett’s hit on Blake Coleman, the health of Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman, and much more.

Plus, Ian and Hailey give their thoughts on opening weekend of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, go over their brackets and picks to win it all, the weirdness of Vancouver and Calgary still playing out their regular season after the postseason has already begun, Multiple Choice Madness, and much more.

And, don’t forget, you can sign up for an annual subscription to The Athletic for just $3.99 a month when you visit http://theathletic.com/hockeyshow
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