Blades of Steel Podcast Justin Levine

On the inaugural episode of the Blades and Steel Podcast, Justin Levine and Mark Freitas kick off their latest venture, talking NHL Playoffs, IIHF Men's World Championship and OHL Priority Selection. Opening the pilot edition, Justin and Mark discuss the Montreal v. Winnipeg series, where leading up to the episode, the Habs led three games to none. Intent on advancing to round three, the duo picks their MVP players, while giving credit to the agility and athleticism of Carey Price. They also discuss what's gone wrong for Winnipeg, including Mark Scheifele's suspension and the lackluster offensive effort from Paul Stastny, Blake Wheeler and and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Moving onto Colorado v. Vegas, Justin and Mark discuss the journey for the Avalanche, leading the Golden Knights 2-0 before a comeback on home ice. Particularly, they highlight Nathan MacKinnon, a veteran force who's been the leader for his hockey club. At the other end, they touch on Marc-Andre Fleury, who's been the backbone in the crease throughout the NHL Playoffs. As the pair continue, they move to Lightning v. Hurricanes, and the long road for each, who bring a story of their own. They touch on Carolina's bench boss Rob Brind'Amour and the hockey club's rise since the 'Bunch of Jerks' promotion. On the other side, they look at Nikita Kucherov, who's led for Tampa offensively, along with Steven Stamkos, both who missed parts of the season while placed on the IR. To close, Mark and Justin chat about Taya Currie, who was drafted on Saturday by the Sarnia Sting in the OHL Priority Selection. To close, they talk Canada's success story at the Men's World Championship in Riga, Latvia. This includes a look back at recent wins by Hockey Canada in international tournament play. Lastly, they review the NHL's cross boarder agreement, which will allow American teams to hit the ice in Canada for the duration of the postseason. This includes implications, such as private travel and mandated tightened restrictions.