What in the Game 7?

The GIST: With two thrilling Game 7s in the books, the first round of the NHL playoffs is done and dusted — but since the quest to lift Lord Stanley lasts through June, the fun has only just begun. Wash your favorite hockey jersey stat — here’s what you need to know moving forward.

👀 Winnipeg Jets defy the odds, win Game 7 against St. Louis Blues: Down 3–1 with two minutes to go, the Jets scored two outrageous ginos back-to-back, sending the tilt to overtime (OT) with just three seconds left on the clock, the latest Game 7 goal in NHL history. Woah.

• And it took double-OT in the third-longest Game 7 ever, but the Jets finally got the job done, winning 4–3 thanks to captain Adam Lowry’s clutch shot. A true Canadian hero.

• But on Saturday, Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen officially won the ex games, scoring a third-period hat trick and assisting on the game-winner to knock his former long-term flame, the Colorado Avalanche, out of the playoffs with a 4–2 win. Pettiness level: 100.

📅 Mark your calendar — Round 2 begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET: First on the docket are the defending champs, the Florida Panthers, against the plucky Toronto Maple Leafs. If recent history is any indication, the Leafs have an uphill battle ahead — Florida won the last two Eastern Conference Finals, while Toronto hasn’t advanced past the second round since 2002.

• But our favorite storyline is between the pipes. Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz backed up Sergei Bobrovsky on last year’s Panthers squad, watching from the bench as Bobrovsky became a Florida legend. Now, Stolarz has a chance to flip the script on his old squad.

😅 And that’s not all: Round 2 continues tomorrow with two more high-octane series openers: the Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals at 7 p.m. ET and the Edmonton Oilers vs. Vegas Golden Knights at 9:30 p.m. ET. Buckle up.

• BTW, now that we’re officially moving onto Round 2, it’s time for an update on our Pro Men’s Hockey Bracket Challenge: Of the 723 total brackets submitted, a whopping 693 picked a winner that’s still in the hunt — that’s 95.9%. Y’all really know your stuff.

• Topping the leaderboard? Jaymie with 33 points. When you pick the Jets (be flying) as your Stanley Cup Champion, good things happen…but as we said, there’s still lots of hockey to be played.

The GIST: Before digging into the high-stakes hoopla, it’s only apt that we give San Antonio Spurs coaching legend Gregg “Pop” Popovich his flowers after the icon announced on Friday that he was stepping down as the team’s head coach after 29 years. From his jam-packed trophy case to his generational leadership, the game is better because of Pop.

• Smile because it happened, then scroll on for all the drama of playoff basketball.

🔥 Golden State Warriors lean on experience to secure second-round berth: Last night’s battle of old dogs and new tricks went the way of the veterans as the Warriors, led by Buddy Hield’s explosive 33 points, eliminated the higher-seeded Houston Rockets 103–89. Think you’ve seen this film before? You have: The Warriors haven’t lost a playoff series to Houston in the Steph Curry era.

• And while that wasn’t the only Game 7 this weekend, Saturday’s winner-take-all match between the Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers wasn’t nearly as exciting: Denver led by 20 for most of the game, crushing LA 120–101 to punch their second-round ticket.

➡️ Indiana Pacers upset top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in second-round opener: Well, that wasn’t on our Bingo card. Six Pacers scored in double figures to stun Cleveland with yesterday’s 121–112 win. And while the Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell had a record-setting afternoon, all that matters in the playoffs is dubs, meaning there’s work to do in Ohio ahead of tomorrow’s 7 p.m. ET Game 2.

• The other East semifinal series features the Boston Celtics and NY Knicks, who will renew their heated rivalry for its 16th postseason iteration starting tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Spice, spice, baby.

⛰️ Western Conference semis tip off tonight: The Western Conference’s next round has a faster turnaround than The Biles II: The aforementioned Nuggets play the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET while the Warriors visit the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow at the same time. Booked and busy.

The only thing better than postseason hockey? The high-stakes watch parties that come with it…but party planning is hard work. Luckily, with a little help from our pals at Smirnoff, we’ve curated the perfect playbook for hosting an easy women’s hockey hang.

Here’s the TL;DR:

📣 Gather your hockey-loving pals because people make a party

🍸 Flex your mixology muscles with creative concoctions and a splash of Smirnoff Vodka

🍽️ Whip up some tasty grub to satisfy even the most ravenous hockey fan

✨ Prioritize vibes because ambiance is everything

Ready to drop the puck on the ultimate watch party? Why not grab that Smirnoff-inspired cocktail and raise a glass to the best party planner in town — you.*

You already know the blueprint for the perfect women’s hockey hang, but why should Smirnoff be your spirit of choice? Let us count the ways.

1️⃣ It’s triple distilled and 10-times filtered for a premium taste.

2️⃣ Whether it’s the classic No. 21 or your fave flavour, Smirnoff’s versatility is unmatched.

3️⃣ They have a long history of championing inclusivity and bringing people together.

With Smirnoff, you're not just hosting a watch party — you're creating core memories with your best pals. Talk about lighting the lamp.*