Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee start with a chat about the narrative around Elias Pettersson in Vancouver after his lethargic presser yesterday. Joining the conversation, Oilers analyst Rob Brown (7:00) weighs in on Pettersson's play, the Canucks' scrappy mentality, the Oilers' bold call in playing Pickard and their power-play dominance. Later, former NHLer Adam Graves (26:42) sets the stage for the Rangers/Hurricanes Game 6 - the pressure on the Rangers to close in Carolina, Chris Kreider's growing legacy in New York and Lafrenière's growth.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Western Battle in the Balance

Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne talk all things Maple Leafs and NHL!  Airing live on Sportsnet 590 The FAN weekdays from 3-4 PM ET.

Sports

Hockey

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee start with a look ahead to tonight's Game 5 between the Oilers and Stars before they are joined by Doug MacLean (5:38) for Off-the-Rails Friday! Mac gets into Shesterkin's dominant series, Florida's leadership, Knoblauch's gutsy lineup decisions and the impact of Tanev's injury. Then, he shares his thoughts on the Leafs and why they should reconsider trading Marner this offseason. Later, they regroup with Sam to go through Paul Maurice's entertaining availability and answer your questions on the text line!

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Panthers Push Rangers to the Ropes

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look back on the Oilers' Game 4 win over the Stars to tie up the series and the back-and-fourth momentum swings throughout the WCF. NHL Network's Mike Rupp (6:12) shares his thoughts on the Oilers' period-to-period inconsistencies, their resilience after going down 2-0 and how the team responded to the heat on Darnell Nurse. Then, to the East, Rupp gets into the Rangers' broken defensive structure and their lack of star production. Later, TNT's Mark Messier (26:49) sets the stage for Game 5 at MSG, outlines the keys to the game for each team and chats about pressure and leadership at this time of year.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Rangers' Top-Line Tension with Mark Messier

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee look back on the Panthers' overtime win over the Rangers last night, Shesterkin's outstanding play despite the result and the Rangers' stars failing to show up so far in the series. Recently retired Jets coach Rick Bowness (5:41) discusses how Roope Hintz changes the WCF, the Stars' roster-building path to this point, Darnell Nurse's struggles and the right way to coach stars out of slumps in the postseason. Later, they get into the missed penalty-shot call in OT last night, the uptick in embellishment calls and a return to the ice to forget for Blake Wheeler. Finally, they review Darnell Nurse's frustrated game-day availability.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Coaching Playoff Slumps with Rick Bowness

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee start with a look back on Game 3 in the WCF - Dallas flipping a switch in the 2nd to power their way to a 2-1 series lead over Edmonton. TNT's Eddie Olczyk (4:59) shares his takeaways from the game, whether the Oilers should start Skinner in Game 4, how Hintz changes the series and reminisces on his Cup run with the Rangers and Kyp 30 years ago. Later, some coach talk as only the Sharks remain active in the coaching market - the Devils' ceiling under Keefe, Berube meets with Marner and Arniel is announced in Winnipeg. Finally, they navigate Brady Tkachuk trade murmurs.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Stars Shining in the WCF

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee start with a look back on the Oilers' overtime win over the Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. ESPN's Ray Ferraro (4:05) tees up tonight's Game 2 between the Rangers and Panthers - what went wrong for New York in Game 1, how effective Matt Rempe can be in this matchup and pressure starting to grow for the Rangers' stars. Doug MacLean makes his weekly Off-the-Rails Friday appearance to share his thoughts on the Conference Finals thus far (27:50). Mac digs into the significance of Game 1s, the Maurice effect, offseason coaching hires and Waddell stepping down as Canes' GM. To close, he shares his takeaways from the Oilers' win in Game 1.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Western Battle in the Balance

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