NBA and NHL title guides and predictions, Pulse-style
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Good morning! Carry your own bag today.
Tonight, a high-stakes stretch begins on our televisions. The puck drops in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final at 8 p.m. ET, and we embark on what could be a three-week run of alternating title-series games between the NBA (which starts tomorrow) and NHL.
From the surface, these look like interminably different series: on one side, a rematch of last year's championship series; on the other, two franchises who have never won a title. Hm. Dive deeper and you'll find similarities, though.
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To put it into proper context, I convened a Slack roundtable with Red Light author Sean McIndoe and Bounce wizard Zach Harper, two of the best minds you'll find on hockey and basketball, respectively. The funniest, too, for my money.
The predictions come last, because I want you to stay with me as long as possible:
1. What's the most interesting thing to you about the other sport's title series?
Sean: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I think it's cool how you guys have copied the NHL's longstanding 'the best player in the final is a Canadian' gimmick.
Zach: They move around on knives! How does this not freak people out?! I also find it fascinating that we haven't had a Canadian team win a Stanley Cup title in over 30 years, and a team from Florida could block the Oilers two years in a row.
2. There is anxiety over the marketability of both series. What are you most wary about?
Sean: The concern these days in the NHL isn't that smaller-market teams are having success. The problem is whether those smaller markets now have an advantage over the bigger ones, due to financial factors and player preferences, among other things. There's debate over whether this is actually a real problem at all. But as a league, and a business, you don't want the markets that are driving your revenue to feel like they're falling behind. That narrative, accurate or not, will only get stronger with another Florida win.
Zach: I think I'm most wary about this being a short series. The basketball should be really good. But you can have good basketball in all of the games and it ends up being a sweep. Just ask last year's Pacers, who played the Celtics extremely well in the conference finals but ended up getting swept. This is a great basketball matchup, but the Thunder might make quick work of it.
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Let's take a quick news break before getting back to it:
The Knicks' splashy risk
In news I'm still having a hard time processing, the Knicks fired coach Tom Thibodeau yesterday, just days after the franchise's best season in 25 years. Thibodeau had $20 million left on his contract and the backing of franchise cornerstone Jalen Brunson. In a statement, Knicks president Leon Rose called it a 'difficult decision.' James L. Edwards III thinks the franchise may find out the grass isn't always greener, and I tend to agree.
Wait, that Hilary Knight?
In the newish PWHL, teams can place players on an expansion protection list, meaning new franchises can only draft certain players from existing teams. The full list was released yesterday, and Boston superstar Hilary Knight was not on it. It was a complete shock, and our resident PWHL expert Hailey Salvian described Knight — for those unfamiliar — as a Steph Curry/Sidney Crosby/Diana Taurasi-level player who, even at nearly 36, is playing great hockey. Her next stop will inevitably be in Seattle or Vancouver.
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Back to Sean and Zach:
3. Concerns aside, there are superstars here aplenty. Outside of the obvious names, who's the most interesting player a general fan should know before puck drop/tip off?
Sean: Let me go off the board here with my pick: Sasha Barkov, the Panthers center who may be the best two-way player in the league. On a team full of rats (and proud of it), he just quietly goes about his business, dominating at both ends of the rink. He's kind of the Phil Hartman of the Panthers, the glue guy who makes it all work even if he isn't the one getting most of the headlines.
Zach: Chet Holmgren and Pascal Siakam! Holmgren moves around like his shoulders are held up by a wire coat hanger. Chet can do it all on the court and he's 7-foot-1. Like watching a Tim Burton drawing audition for a new 'Space Jam' movie. And despite Siakam giving himself the horrible 'Spicy P' nickname, he's been a tremendous weapon. He's scoring in four seconds after opponent baskets and he's been the Pacers' leading scorer.
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4. In 25 words or fewer, give us one wild yet realistic prediction for your series.
Sean: The Edmonton Oilers become the greatest Canadian Stanley Cup winners of the last 32 years.
Zach: The Pacers will win Game 1 and Haliburton will have his teammates mock the Thunder by doing the sideline interview together.
Thank you to Sean and Zach for that lively conversation. Almost done:
📺 NHL: Panthers at Oilers
8 p.m. ET on TNT/Max
Here we go. Florida is the favorite to repeat. Edmonton has more star power and home-ice advantage. Read our full preview here. The atmosphere, even through the TV, should be electric. Can't wait. We'll also have video highlights from this game tomorrow in The Athletic app. Finally, need to pick someone to root for? We have you covered on that, too.
📺 WCWS: Texas Tech vs. Texas
8 p.m. ET on ESPN
It still boggles my mind how much softball pitchers play, as NiJaree Canady has thrown every pitch for the Red Raiders in this WCWS. Let's see how the Longhorns fare against her. If you're not into hockey, this is your easy switchable option.
Get tickets to games like these here.
I just want to remind you that soccer transfer rumors will be flying at breakneck speed in the coming weeks. Our DealSheet is an essential bookmark. Get the lowdown on, well, everyone here.
Andrew Marchand has a striking column on ESPN's bizarre NBA announcer saga, which began with laying off Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson and ending up with a mismatched mess. It could all change next year.
The MLB trade deadline is lurking, and Jim Bowden has a list of possible sellers. Also, don't miss this week's Power Rankings.
Jim Ayello has a fiery fantasy football take for your offseason: Saquon Barkley should not be a first-round pick.
🎥 'No Dunks' also did an NBA Finals preview in the way only they can. Watch it here.
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Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our list of NCAA super regional matchups. Games start Friday.
Most-read on the website yesterday: The newser on Thibs' firing.
Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
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