NHL Playoffs 2023: Top Storylines for Conference Finals Schedule

The NHL conference final field is down to two Eastern Conference teams looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in over a decade and a pair of Western Conference franchises that recently advanced to the championship series.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers open up the conference final round on Thursday in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Carolina and Florida relied on their defenses to reach this point of the postseason, and that means we may be in store for a low-scoring series.

The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights, who start the West final on Friday, are coming off two offensive-minded second-round series.

The top lines for each Western Conference finalist could once again produce a high point volume and turn that series into one where five or six goals is required to win a game.

Conference Finals Schedule

Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images

EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 14: Brayden McNabb #3 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates against the Edmonton Oilers in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 14, 2023, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Eastern Conference

Game 1: Florida at Carolina (May 18, 8 p.m.)

Game 2: Florida at Carolina (May 20, 8 p.m.)

Game 3: Carolina at Florida (May 22, 8 p.m.)

Game 4: Carolina at Florida (May 24, 8 p.m.)

Game 5: Florida at Carolina (May 26, 8 p.m.)

Game 6: Carolina at Florida (May 28, 8 p.m.)

Game 7: Florida at Carolina (May 30, 8 p.m.)

All Times ET

All games televised on TNT

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Western Conference

Game 1: Dallas at Vegas (May 19, 8:30 p.m.)

Game 2: Dallas at Vegas (May 21, 3 p.m.)

Game 3: Vegas at Dallas (May 23, 8 p.m.)

Game 4: Vegas at Dallas (May 25, 8 p.m.)

Game 5: Dallas at Vegas (May 27, 8 p.m.)

Game 6: Vegas at Dallas (May 29, 8 p.m.)

Game 7: Dallas at Vegas (May 31, 9 p.m.)

All Times ET

All games televised on ESPN or ABC

Defense Will Dictate East Final

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RALEIGH, NC - MAY 11: Carolina Hurricanes Defenceman Brent Burns (8) celebrates scoring a goal during game 5 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the New Jersey Devils and the Carolina Hurricanes on May 11, 2023 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Carolina-Florida series should not have a ton of goals in it.

Carolina held the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders to 12 goals in its eight victories in the first two rounds.

The Hurricanes conceded more than two goals once in their eight wins, and that was when the Islanders scored three times in Game 2 of the first-round series.

Florida did not allow the Toronto Maple Leafs to score more than two goals in its second-round triumph.

The Panthers went 4-1 in the series and conceded twice in their only loss to the Leafs in Game 4.

Florida's defense improved from its first-round performance in which it allowed at least three goals in each of the seven games against the Boston Bruins.

The Panthers' success can be tied to Sergei Bobrovsky's performance in net. He owns a .918 save percentage in the postseason.

Carolina has a .911 save percentage in the postseason. Frederik Andersen performed the best of the three goalies, and he could be preferred.

The team that receives the best goaltending will end a long drought to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.

Florida's lone championship series appearance came in 1996, while Carolina was last there in 2006, when it beat the Edmonton Oilers in seven games.

Dallas, Vegas Enter with In-Form Top Lines

Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 11: Roope Hintz #24 of the Dallas Stars celebrates his goal with Thomas Harley #55 during the first period against the Seattle Kraken in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 11, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Dallas and Vegas played two different types of second-round series than Carolina and Florida.

The Stars' Game 7 win over the Seattle Kraken marked the first time the winning team in that series scored fewer than five goals.

Vegas needed at least four goals to earn each of its four victories over Connor McDavid and the Oilers.

Dallas' offense was powered by the top line of Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. Hintz has the most points of any player left in the postseason with 19.

Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault were fantastic for Vegas in the Edmonton series. They have 33 playoff points between them.

The West Final could be a continuation of those tremendous offensive performances, and it would serve as a nice contrast to the potentially low-scoring Carolina-Florida series.

However, Oettinger and Adin Hill will have a say in how often the top stars are celebrating goals.

Oettinger limited the Kraken to one goal in Game 7, and he made over 20 saves in his first eight postseason starts.

Hill has a .934 playoff save percentage, and he turned away 70 shots in the final two games against Edmonton. He was thrown into the starting role after Laurent Brossoit got hurt in Game 2.

Dallas and Vegas' top lines could take over the series, like they did in the second round, but there is a chance their form can be halted by Hill and Oettinger.