After over six months of play, the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs have arrived and, with that, Neil and Vic are pleased to welcome back TSN's Craig Button for another round of analysis of all eight opening round series.

Lively discussion about the series, some GM news and a few other burning questions will get listeners primed for the most intense competition in sports.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[02:43] - Carolina vs. Ottawa

[07:54] - Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia

[12:51] - Buffalo vs. Boston

[16:52] - Montreal vs. Tampa Bay

[22:43] - Two pieces of GM news with Patrik Allvin out in Vancouver and Sunny Mehta installed to run the New Jersey Devils.

[29:52] - Colorado vs. Los Angeles

[33:36] - Dallas vs. Minnesota

[39:24] - Vegas vs. Utah

[43:54] - Edmonton vs. Anaheim

[48:33] - The Playoff Salary Cap: SIgnificant or much ado about nothing?

[50:24] - Coming out parties, teams and players with most pressure and picks for the Final.

[1:00:29] - Wrap up segment with TV schedule for first weekend of the playoffs.

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The final installment of Smith's Pix is here for the 2025-26 regular season.

Only one game of significance on Wednesday as Neil correctly picked Vegas to clinch the Pacific, doing so with a win over Seattle.

With three games in the Pacific Division deciding the final two opening round matchups, Neil puts a 573-317-124 record on the line.

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With the regular season coming to close, Neil and Vic welcome Jeff Marek from the Sheet back to review predictions made back prior to the start of start of the 2026-campaign.

Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To updates what's at stake on the final night of the season with a potential TV schedule for the first playoff week while the show wraps up with stat leaders and a couple of personnel notes.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[01:47] - Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To

[06:51] - Jeff Marek welcomed to the show to go over predictions on our preview show from back in October. Some fun banter and then the expert thoughts from items covered six months ago starting with the Kirill Kaprizov contract in Minnesota.

[14:02] - Predictions starting with coaches and further to discussion to upper management.

[28:57] - The Breakout Players.

[32:56] - Team Power shifts.

[36:44] - Playoff shifts from a season ago, would the Panthers repeat and revisiting picks for the Stanley Cup Final.

[39:01] - Biggest surprises of the 2025-26 regular season.

[43:15] - Personnel notes.

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The sixteen playoff teams have been determined with only some final positioning and matchups left to be determined.

Vic and Neil go bring the latest on how the final three berths were wrapped up on Monday and, in the process, sent five teams home for the summer, including the defending Presidents' Trophy winners and a team whose coaching was seething mad at his teams' season finale.

We'll also bid farewell to a future Hall of Famer and a broadcast legend and who knows with Ovi?

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Neil posted a 2-2-1 mark selecting only meaningful games on the schedule. With two days left in the regular season, his mark stands at 572-317-124.

Only Seattle at Vegas has post-season significance on Wednesday. Check out who Neil picked.

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Looking to finish strong, Neil checked in with a 5-1-1 mark in the meaningful games on the Monday schedule to bump his season record to 570-315-123.

Although all sixteen spots in the post-season are now secure, five of the nine Tuesday games will have some impact on positioning so check them out.

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Deux, deux, deux for Neil Sunday taking his mark for the season to 565-314-122. Only seven of the 10 games Monday have significance to the league standings so check them out.

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Four more in, four more out and three spots remain up for grabs with eight teams vying for them.

Vic and Neil have the latest on the races, including the astonishing collapses of Detroit and the N.Y. Islanders, and a special weekend for Alex Ovechkin as the Capitals have managed to stay alive heading into the final four days of the regular season.

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