NHL Wraparound Podcast

Two very different games Friday with overtime drama in Florida settled by a one who manages to stick in the craw of the Maple Leafs almost every spring. Meanwhile, the Jets were dominant from start to finish in evening their series with Dallas as Connor Hellebuyck picked up his first post-season whitewash in four years.

Vic and Neil also hit on Saturday action as second round games shift to Carolina and Edmonton.

This Day in Stanley...

Both needing a win after dropping their second round series openers, the Capitals prevailed while the Golden Knights fell short amidst controversy.

That word also rings true in Anaheim where Joel Quenneville has been named the Ducks head coach after almost four years from his last game behind an NHL bench.

This Day in Stanley Cup history looks back at the game which turned the 1974 Stanley Cup Final.

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Should the Conn Smythe Trophy be handed to Mikko Rantanen after just eight post-season games? Maybe so after the Moose collected his second consecutive hat trick to help the Stars get the jump on Winnipeg in the opening game of their second round series.

Over to eastern Canada where the Toronto Maple Leafs are giving actual hope to their championship-starved fans for the first time in over three decades as they win a second straigh...

There is an expectation which comes with watching professional athletes that - both men and women - are often looked at to perform with robotic efficiency.

As we all know, it doesn't exactly work that way.

In the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck fought the St. Louis Blues, fought the puck and fought himself for two weeks. A mental thing.

In other instances, a decision in an eyeblink o...

There's a quick sense of urgency in Washington and Vegas as the Hurricanes and Oilers carried play for much of the night in a pair of conference semi-final openers.

The question in Toronto is whether Anthony Stolarz returns to the net after having to leave Game 1 with the Panthers while the Jets and Stars get their series underway in Winnipeg.

This Day in Stanley Cup History brings it home. The Big Rig nets his biggest goal in the c...

It was a fast start and a shaky finish but the Maple Leafs managed to draw first blood against the defending champs in the opening game of conference semi-final action.

Still, there's reason for concern in Toronto with goalie Anthony Stolarz leaving the game in the second period.

Vic and Neil break it down and look ahead to a pair of other series openers on Tuesday. Plus, we have a surprise winner in the Draft lottery and This D...

The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is here and what can be done for an encore following a first round which delivered more curves and unpredictability than anyone could have imaged?

TSN Analyst Craig Button joins us once again to look ahead to all four conference semi finals while The Human Side of the Story looks at the highs and lows players experience within a timeframe as long as a series and as short as a split-second...

In a seventh game where the Dallas Stars were short on juice for almost 48 minutes, high-profile, twice traded Mikko Rantanen, delivered perhaps the most epical, single game playoff performance since Mark Messier in 1994.

While the Stars await the winner of Sunday's Winnipeg-St. Louis game, the Colorado Avalanche are left having to answer how they have now fallen short in seven straight Game 7's.

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The Presidents Trophy winners have one game to salvage their season after another disaster in St. Louis.

Their opponent will already have been determined Saturday when the Avalanche and Stars bring their series in Dallas.

With both the Blues and Stars involved in Game sevens, Today in Stanley Cup History takes us back to a classic playoff game between two expansion teams 57 years ago.

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Neil Smith: ht...

Three more clinchers Thursday as the Maple Leafs overcame mounting pressure to book a second rate date with the defending champion Panthers while the Golden Knights and Oilers will see each other after wrapping up their respective series.

Two seats at the table for eight remain as the Avalanche used a furious third period to force a seventh game with the Stars. Meanwhile, the Jets will be looking to close out the Blues Friday with ...

The upstarts from DC and the defending champions join the Carolina Hurricanes in the Conference Semi-Finals as the Canadiens and Lightning bow out. In the West, the Winnipeg Jets move to within a win of shaking off the St. Louis Blues but it may have come at a steep price.

Vic and Neil break down the Wednesday action and look ahead to Thursday's big card where the Stars, Golden Knights and Oilers all look to advance - as will the M...

A freak injury in 2020 became the beginning of an odyssey lasting the better part of four-and-a-half years for Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. After multiple knee surgeries, including a cartilage replacement procedure never before performed on an NHL player, Landeskog made his return in Game 3 of the Avs opening round series against Dallas and added his first goal in Game 4.

His story is one of dedication and persever...

Two had the opportunity to move on. One did and other is being reminded of their history. Meanwhile, the Oilers and Golden Knights have rebounded from series deficits to put themselves from within a win of advancing in the West.

We look ahead to Wednesday's games with Washington and Florida both having the opportunity to advance while the Jets try to find their game back back home.

This Day in Stanley Cup History takes us back to 1...

Not the best of nights for two teams looking to feed off the momentum of their previous games. The big guns for Dallas play a major role in giving the Stars a 3-2 series lead while the Lightning are stunned late and also lose a player to a high hit just after returning from a one-game suspension.

We look ahead to the four games on Tuesday, the type of head coach the Penguins might be looking for and This Day in Stanley Cup History ...

Longtime NHL executive and Columbus Blue Jackets senior advisor John Davidson joins Neil and Vic to share thoughts on a stirring opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the three organizations which have been part of his hockey career for over 50 years.

We'll look at all of the series and wrap up the show with "The Human Side of the Story." 34 months after his last game in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, Avalanche captain Gabriel...

Any of the four Saturday games would have been headline worthy on their own merit. However, when a player returns to the lineup after 34 months and gets on the scoresheet, it's worthy of top billing.

Vic and Neil update Gabriel Landeskog's heroics in Colorado as the Avs pull even with Dallas. There was also overtime drama in St. Paul and Ottawa while the Lightning get off the mat with a much needed win in Sunrise.

All that plus a q...

Returning home Friday proved just the tonic for the Canadiens, Devils and Oilers with an abundance of storylines and subplots.

Vic and Neil also look ahead to Saturday's four-game slate. The Lightning will be forced to go without Brandon Hagel in Florida, Colorado and Vegas look to pull even and Toronto is in the unfamiliar position of trying to advance via a sweep.

This Day in Stanley Cup History notes the 50th anniversary of the Is...

As if there was any doubt before, the Presidents Trophy winning Jets and Pacific leading Golden Knights had it confirmed they have their hands full with the Blues and Wild respectively.

Meanwhile, consecutive overtime wins have the Maple Leafs on the verge of being the first team to advance and it's good news and potential bad new for the defending champs. The Panthers head home having won both games in Tampa but may have injury co...

A virtuoso goaltending performance sends the Capitals into Montreal with a 2-0 series while the Kings are enjoying a similar advantage thanks to a sizzling power play against the Oilers. Meanwhile, a long-awaited return does not net the desired Game 3 result for the Avalanche.

In league news, Chris Drury's future in New York has been decided and "This Day in Stanley Cup History" celebrates one of the great goal call of all time.

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