How WWE explains the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs' first round - ESPN

The opening weekend of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs coincided with WWE's signature premium live event, Wrestlemania. Both are dramatic spectacles featuring impressive athletes.

The most difficult trophy to win in sports and the grandest stage of them all in pro wrestling, married together for one weekend on the ESPN family of networks.

For a guy who grew up loving both — and happened to eventually work in both — I thought it would be fun to identify a phrase from the world of wrestling that describes each of the first-round series in the NHL postseason bracket.

We start with an obvious one describing the Battle of Pennsylvania:

Wrestling term: Heat

This can describe a lot of things in wrestling — for example, when a crowd boos you mercilessly. Just like what Penguins fans at PPG Paints Arena did to the Flyers during Game 1, despite the loss.

Heat also describes hatred and animosity among two or more wrestlers — the Battle of Pennsylvania embodies that. These two teams hate each other, and we are all along for the ride, gleefully eating our popcorn like the Big E meme gif, enjoying the carnage on the two ends of the Keystone State.

The other way this word can be used is when you have an issue with someone or a group of people. You disrespected me behind my back and I found out? I have heat with you now. Both the Pens and Flyers would certainly be justified in having heat with hockey pundits that wrote them completely before the season off as playoff bubble burnouts at best — or basement-dwelling NHL draft order merchants.

Wrestling term: Pop

A «pop» is the roar of the crowd, a loud cheer, a massive response. The crowd jumping out of their shoes and yelling and screaming. And after 14 years of missing the postseason,