Howdy!

It’s Christmas in April for co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz, with the NHL Playoff picture all but set ahead of Saturday’s postseason puck drop. Today’s episode includes a deep dive on all things playoff hockey, from why the Stanley Cup is arguably the hardest trophy to win in sports to the gals’ picks to win it all.

Then after the break, El and Steph shift gears to cover an unfortunate NBA story: Now former Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter has been banned from the NBA for life after making illegal sports bets on league games and disclosing confidential health information to a bettor in order for them to profit off a parlay. And it’s just the latest instance of pro sports entangling with sports gambling.

A huge thanks to our pals at Aflac for supporting today’s pod! Just like The GIST tackles the gap in women’s sports coverage, Aflac closes the gap that health insurance leaves behind. Learn more at aflac.com.