The conference finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs are here.
The Hurricanes and Panthers are set to meet in the Eastern Conference Final. Carolina took care of business against New Jersey, defeating the Devils in five games to get to the club’s fifth Eastern Conference Final and first since 2019.
Florida defeated Toronto in five games, punching their ticket to their first Eastern Conference Final since 1996.
Out in the Western Conference, the Stars and Golden Knights are meeting in a rematch of the 2020 Western Conference Final. Dallas defeated Seattle in seven games to get back to conference finals.
Vegas took out Edmonton in six games, marking the fourth time in six years the team is one round away from the Stanley Cup Final.
MORE: NHL playoff bracket, schedule, scores
The Sporting News has the full schedule for every second-round series of the 2023 NHL playoffs.
NHL playoff schedule 2023
Conference Finals
Eastern Conference: (M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC2) Florida Panthers
| Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV/Result |
| Thurs., May 18 | at Carolina | FINAL | Panthers 3, Hurricanes 2 (4OT) |
| Sat., May 20 | at Carolina | FINAL | Panthers 2, Hurricanes 1 (OT) |
| Mon., May 22 | at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| Wed., May 24 | at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| *Fri., May 26 | at Carolina | 8 p.m. | TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| *Sun., May 28 | at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| *Tues., May 30 | at Carolina | 8 p.m. | TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS |
Western Conference: (P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (C2) Dallas Stars
| Date | Site | Time (ET) | TV/Result |
| Fri., May 19 | at Vegas | FINAL | Golden Knights 4, Stars 3 (OT) |
| Sun., May 21 | at Vegas | FINAL | Golden Knights 3, Stars 2 (OT) |
| Tues., May 23 | at Dallas | 8 p.m. | ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| Thurs., May 25 | at Dallas | 8 p.m. | ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| *Sat., May 27 | at Vegas | 8 p.m. | ABC, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| *Mon., May 29 | at Dallas | 8 p.m. | ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS |
| *Wed., May 31 | at Vegas | 9 p.m. | ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS |
* If necessary
Second Round
Eastern Conference: (A2) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (WC2) Florida Panthers
Panthers win 4-1
Eastern Conference: (M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (M2) New Jersey Devils
Hurricanes win 4-1
Western Conference: (C2) Dallas Stars vs. (WC1) Seattle Kraken
Stars win 4-3
Western Conference: (P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (P2) Edmonton Oilers
Golden Knights win 4-2
First Round
Eastern Conference: (A1) Boston Bruins vs. (WC2) Florida Panthers
Panthers win 4-3
Eastern Conference: (A2) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (A3) Tampa Bay Lightning
Maple Leafs win 4-2
Eastern Conference: (M1) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC1) New York Islanders
Hurricanes win 4-2
Eastern Conference: (M2) New Jersey Devils vs. (M3) New York Rangers
Devils win 4-3
Western Conference: (C1) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC1) Seattle Kraken
Kraken win 4-3
Western Conference: (C2) Dallas Stars vs. (C3) Minnesota Wild
Stars win 4-2
Western Conference: (P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC2) Winnipeg Jets
Golden Knights win 4-1
Western Conference: (P2) Edmonton Oilers vs. (P3) Los Angeles Kings
Oilers win 4-2
How to watch the 2023 NHL playoffs
- TV channel (U.S.): ESPN, ABC, TNT, TBS
- TV channel (Canada): Sportsnet, CBC, TVAS
- Live stream (U.S.): ESPN+, SlingTV, Fubo
- Live stream (Canada): SN NOW, CBC Gem
The NHL playoffs will be split in the United States between the ESPN family of networks and Turners. The two media corporations are in the second year of their seven-year contracts with the league.
In the first round, Saturday night games will air on ABC. Other first-round contests will air on ESPN and TNT’s other channels, such as ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, TBS or TruTV.
ESPN and TNT are splitting the second-round series, as well as the conference final. Since ESPN aired the Stanley Cup Final last year, it is TNT’s turn, the first time the network will broadcast hockey’s championship series.
Fans in the United States looking to stream the NHL playoffs have options. Games on ESPN’s platforms can be streamed through ESPN+ or through Fubo, while those on TNT can be streamed through the TNT app and SlingTV.
In Canada, all the playoff games will be aired on Sportsnet and CBC. TVA Sports will also air for the French-speaking audience.
For the Canadian audience, games on Sportsnet are available to stream on SN NOW. Any contests on CBC can be streamed through CBC Gem.
What is the format of the 2023 NHL playoffs?
The Stanley Cup playoffs consist of four rounds throughout the entire postseason — first round, second round, conference finals and Stanley Cup Final.
In the first round, the top team in the conference plays the second wild-card team. The other division winner takes on the first wild-card team. The No. 2 team from a division plays the No. 3 team from the same division.
After that, the teams do not get reseeded in the second round. Rather, the series winner with the No. 2 and No. 3 teams for a division plays the victor of the series with their division winner playing the wild-card team.
For example, for this postseason, the Bruins, Maple Leafs and Lightning placed first through third in the Atlantic, in that order. So the Bruins face a wild-card team and the Maple Leafs and Lightning play each other. The winner of those two series play against each other in the second round, regardless if the wild-card team is not from the Atlantic.
After the second round, the two teams remaining in each conference play in the conference finals. The Eastern Conference winner receives the Prince of Wales Trophy, while the Western Conference victor is awarded the Clarence S. Campbell Trophy.
Finally, the champions from each conference meet in the Stanley Cup Final to determine the season champion.
