“So is he a Cubs Pope or a White Sox Pope?”

The GIST: Forget the yellow brick road, it’s time to skip skate down the Walter Cup freeway as the PWHL’s second-ever postseason hits the ice. Both Game 1s are already in the books, but these feisty best-of-five semis are just beginning.

💛 Toronto Sceptres strike first with Game 1 win over Minnesota Frost: Sceptres rookie forward Julia Gosling lit the lamp twice in her playoff debut, burying both goals in less than two minutes to give No. 2 seed Toronto an early three-goal lead. And while the No. 4 seed defending champ Frost didn’t go quietly, Wednesday’s series-opener ended 3–2 in Toronto’s favor.

• The puck drops on Game 2 tonight at 7 p.m. ET, with bad blood in the air. The latest on-ice incident between the teams saw polarizing Frost forward Britta Curl-Salemme slapped with a game misconduct penalty. Watching, waiting to see if additional disciplinary action comes down.

🔥 Ottawa Charge upset Montréal Victoire in series opener: Sometimes choice can be a burden. Just ask the Victoire, who chose to play the third-seeded Charge and — for the second straight season — were on the losing end of a Game 1, falling 3–2 last night.

• Montréal have notably finished atop the regular-season standings for the last two seasons but have yet to tally a postseason win, a trend they’ll try to buck when the series resumes Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

The GIST: Think your bestie’s bachelorette was chaotic? Try the NBA Playoffs. For the first time in league history, two 60-win teams are down 0-2 in the second round — an unprecedented double whammy that has us questioning everything.

🤔 Can the defending champ Boston Celtics bounce back? Wednesday’s Game 2 saw the NY Knicks pull off a 91–90 win that was eerily similar to the stunning series opener. Immaculate comebacks aside, Boston’s led for all but 12 minutes in the first two tilts…just not when it mattered. In fact, the C’s have scored a measly 38 points combined in two fourth quarters and an overtime.

• Tomorrow’s 3:30 p.m. ET Game 3’s already the hottest ticket in town as the series shifts to NY, and only time will tell if Jayson Tatum and the C’s can claw back in this rivalry matchup.

🍳 Are the shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers cooked? Just like the other assumed beast-in-the-East, the Cavs are down two games to a lower-seeded foe, the Indiana Pacers. But there’s even bigger concerns plaguing The Land: injuries. Three key players, including Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, are questionable ahead of tonight’s 7:30 p.m. ET Game 3. Welp.

🔥 Was the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Game 2 domination an anomaly? OKC completely overwhelmed the Denver Nuggets from tip-off to the final buzzer in Wednesday's 149–106 Game 2 shellacking, but this kind of domination isn’t new for the Thunder: They beat teams by a historic 12.87 points on average during the regular season.

• Still, this series is level at one game a piece, meaning three-time MVP Nikola Jokić’s Nuggets aren’t going to roll over, especially with things moving to the Mile High City for tonight’s 10 p.m. ET Game 3.

❤️‍🩹 Can the Golden State Warriors survive without Steph Curry? You can ask the Magic 8 ball, but it’s not looking promising after the Minnesota Timberwolves evened the series with last night’s lopsided 117–93 win. Curry will miss at least a week, and hamstring injuries are notoriously pesky — that’s why tomorrow’s 8:30 p.m. ET Game 3 (and Monday’s Game 4) are already out of the question.

The GIST: Hold onto your acorns because, though they moved at a glacial pace, the Utah Hockey Club will now be known as the Utah Mammoth, a thrilling development amid a flurry of Round 2 Stanley Cup Playoff updates. Let’s skate to it.

💙 Toronto Maple Leafs take 2-0 series lead over Florida Panthers: Just 17 seconds after Florida center Anton Lundell tied the game in the third period, Leafs winger (and new dad) Mitch Marner played hero, scoring the game-winner in Toronto’s 4–3 Wednesday dub. The series shifts to Sunrise, FL, with the defending champs in desperate need of a Game 3 win tonight at 7 p.m. ET.

⭐ Shine bright, shine far, Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen’s a superstar: The Stars took Game 1 3–2 over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, almost entirely thanks to Rantanen, who notched his second consecutive hat trick (yes, all three of Dallas’ ginos) in the victory. Can’t wait to see what he does in Game 2 tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET.

🔥 Washington Capitals weather the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2: The energy has shifted in this spicy series. After the Canes won a hard-fought Game 1 on the Caps’ home ice, Washington showed up last night, winning 3–1 behind a 27-save night from goaltender Logan Thompson. Now, it’s Carolina’s turn to play host tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET.

👊 Edmonton Oilers win second game on the road: The Oilers are getting the job done away from home, jumping out to a 2-0 lead after surviving last night’s 5–4 overtime win over the injury-hampered Vegas Golden Knights. And if forward Leon Draisaitl can keep up the barrage of shots, the odds are certainly in the Oilers’ favor for Game 3 in Edmonton tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET.

Picture this: You’re hosting friends to watch the game, but you’re spending more time bartending than enjoying the party. Sound familiar? We thought so.

• Let Smirnoff No. 21 be your watch party’s MVP. The triple-distilled spirit brings its eh-game to every glass, ensuring each guest can star as their own mixologist.

• Even better? From classic serves to creative concoctions, the only thing that rivals Smirnoff No. 21's versatility is your team’s top skater.

So grab your jersey, set out the mixes and garnishes, and prepare to toast the game-changers — on and off the ice.*