The Playoffs Just Got Colder 🏒

The NBA isn’t the only playoff party right now…On the ice, the chase for the Stanley Cup is heating up, and for many of us, it’s a whole new world.

Whether you’re a hockey lover or just here for the drama, we’ve got you covered.

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🏀 Quick Crossover

Before we hit the ice, let’s take a quick bounce through the NBA action.

🚀 Houston Rockets at 🌉 Golden State Warriors

• 🕒 This was a 2-point game heading into the 4th quarter…Want to see who took over the last 12 minutes and got the win?

• Click here to watch on NBA.com before you keep reading!

Courtesy Getty Images

• Rockets win 115-107 and tie the series 3–3

• Game 7 is Sunday night in Houston

⛵️ LA Clippers at 🏔️ Denver Nuggets

• Game 7 TODAY…so it’s win or go home

• Will it be Jokić’s do-it-all magic or Kawhi’s calm, cool jumper that carries their team to Round 2?

• Experts say: 56% chance Nuggets win

❄️ Ice to Meet You

Now let’s swap sneakers for hockey skates. Here’s the basics:

• Each team has 6 players on the ice: 1 goalie and 5 skaters

• The skaters usually include 1 center, 2 wingers, and 2 defensemen, and they all have to work together to move the puck and protect their net

• Each game has 3 periods, not 4 quarters like basketball

Hockey positions; courtesy OWAYO

It’s loud. It’s fast (the puck flies at speeds over 100 miles per hour!). And yes, players can crash into each other (that’s called checking).

🎤 Does hockey remind you more of soccer, basketball, football, or something totally different? Ask your family what they think and see if you agree!

🏆 Trophy Time

Now that you know the basics…let’s talk playoffs. The NHL and NBA playoffs are identical in how they work:

• 16 teams qualify

• Each round is a best-of-7 series

• To win the championship, a team must win 4 rounds

With Round 1 nearly wrapped, it’s the perfect time to take a step back and see how the full playoff bracket is shaping up:

🎤 Can you find how many Round 1 series are heading to Game 7s?

Sure, we’ve got matchups…but what’s the story behind the scores?

🐾 Champs Are Chilling: The Florida Panthers won their first Stanley Cup just last year. And they’re already back in Round 2. They cruised past the Lightning and are chasing a rare repeat: only 3 NHL teams in the last 25 years have gone back-to-back including the Lightning in 2021.

Need a hint? Their star player is the best 3-point shooter in NBA history!

🥅 Goalies Take Over: Want to know one secret to winning in the Stanley Cup Playoffs? A goalie who turns into a wall. 🧱 So far, the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals have the hottest goalies in the playoffs…and guess what? They’re facing off in Round 2!

🎩 Hat Trick Hero: In Round 1, Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes delivered a “hat trick.” ​A hat trick is when a player scores 3 goals in a single game. Why’s it called that? In the 1800s, in a sport called cricket, players who pulled off great performances were awarded hats. The tradition carried over to hockey, where fans celebrate a hat trick by tossing their hats onto the ice. ​

Here’s what the ice looks like after a hat trick; courtesy The Athletic

We’re coming to the end of today’s story, so you decide:

💡 What We Learned Today

Even if you’ve never picked up a hockey stick, following the Stanley Cup chase is thrilling! And just like the NBA, the deeper you go the better the stories get.

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