First, Ian and Hailey discuss the reaction to the Eugene Melnyk piece Ian, Katie Strang, and Dan Robson published last week in The Athletic, as well as some of the behind the scenes details about how much work went into writing it, whether we’d rather see a Conor McDavid vs. Jack Eichel first round playoff matchup or for the Vegas Golden Knights to miss the playoffs entirely, the St. Louis Blues going on an under-the-radar hot streak as of late, buoyed by the strong play of Vladimir Tarasenko, and more.

Then, The Athletic’s own Joe Smith joins the show to talk about the recent struggles for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, if the Bolts would be favored in a first round playoff matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs, how trade deadline acquisition Nick Paul has fit in so far, and more.

Plus, to close things out, Ian and Hailey play a couple of rounds of Multiple Choice Madness, including which top-25 scorer in the NHL hasn’t gotten enough buzz this season and which team needs to win the NHL Draft lottery the most.

And, right now, you can get a 6 month subscription to The Athletic for just $1 a month when you visit http://theathletic.com/hockeyshow
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