He The Eastern Conference final begins Thursday night when the carolina hurricanes shelter the florida panthers. Both teams are coming off rapid second-round series and are just four wins away from the Stanley Cup Final.
After winning the Metro Division, the Hurricanes dispatched New York Islanders in the first round. face a powerful New Jersey Devils team in the second round, the Carolina team’s excellent defense and scoring depth took over. The Canes eliminated the Devils in just five games, outscoring them a total of 24-13.
The Panthers barely made the playoffs this season, but they quickly made their presence known. Florida overcame a 3-1 deficit against the favorites boston bruins win the series in seven games. Once past the Bruins, the Panthers extinguished Stanley Cup hopes in Toronto by defeating the Maple Leafs in five games in their second-round matchup.
Tkachuk has been the Panthers’ undisputed leader throughout their playoff run, and he’s put in some brilliant performances. Tkachuk has 16 points in 12 games, and neither the Bruins nor the Maple Leafs found a way to contain him. If Florida is going to get past a deep Carolina team, the supporting cast needs to continue to contribute alongside Tkachuk.
Through the first two series, for Carolina, defenses brent burns and jacob slav They have been the biggest stars. Carolina has completely dominated games with those two on the ice, earning a goal differential of over 10. That pairing will face their biggest test of the postseason when they face a red-hot Matthew Tkachuk in the conference finals.
Follow everything you need to know about the Eastern Conference Finals, including the schedule and results, right here.
*if necessary
game 1
- Date: Thursday May 18 | Time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Location: PNC Arena — Raleigh, North Carolina
- TELEVISION: T.N.T.
game 2
- Date: Saturday May 20 | Time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Location: PNC Arena — Raleigh, North Carolina
- TELEVISION: T.N.T.
game 3
- Date: Monday May 22 | Time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Location: FLA Live Arena – Sunrise, Florida
- TELEVISION: T.N.T.
game 4
- Date: Wednesday May 24 | Time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Location: FLA Live Arena – Sunrise, Florida
- TELEVISION: T.N.T.
*Game 5
- Date: Friday May 26 | Time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Location: PNC Arena — Raleigh, North Carolina
- TELEVISION: T.N.T.
*Game 6
- Date: Sunday May 28 | Time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Location: FLA Live Arena – Sunrise, Florida
- TELEVISION: T.N.T.
*Game 7
- Date: Tuesday May 30 | Time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Location: PNC Arena — Raleigh, North Carolina
- TELEVISION: T.N.T.