The NHL released two possible Eastern Conference Final schedules on Thursday, setting the Carolina Hurricanes up to return to the ice on Thursday, May 21, even as Montreal and Buffalo were still fighting for the last spot in the round. Carolina, the Eastern Conference’s top seed, will open the series at home against whichever team survives a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday.
The Hurricanes have not played since May 9, when they swept the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round, and they entered the schedule release at 8-0 in the playoffs. If the bracket unfolds as planned, Carolina will host Game 1 on May 21 and Game 2 on Saturday, May 23, before the series shifts to Buffalo or Montreal for Games 3 and 4 on May 25 and May 27. A Game 5 would be back in Raleigh on May 29, with Game 6 set for May 31 on the road and a potential Game 7 in Carolina on June 2. Start times were still to be determined.
The timing matters because the Eastern Conference Final was still unresolved when the league put the calendar out. Montreal beat Buffalo 6-3 on Thursday night to take a 3-2 series lead, then the Sabres answered with an 8-3 win in Game 6 to force the deciding game Monday. The winner will travel to Raleigh with little margin for error, and the Hurricanes will have home-ice advantage against either club.
For Carolina, the schedule also points to a familiar place. This is the third Eastern Conference Final appearance in four seasons for the Hurricanes, who have not returned to the Stanley Cup Final since winning the 2005-06 season. They are the bracket’s rested team, and they will be asked to prove that the layoff since May 9 is an advantage rather than a break in rhythm.
The Western Conference side was already set, with top-seeded Colorado scheduled to begin its series against Vegas on Thursday, May 20. A potential Game 7 there would be played on June 1, one day before a possible deciding game in Raleigh. The NHL’s calendar gives both conferences a clear path forward, but the Eastern race still has one unfinished night attached to it. When the puck drops Monday, Carolina will know exactly who is coming — and exactly how little time there is to waste.
