NHL Playoff Bracket 2019: Latest Times, TV Schedule for Stanley Cup Bracket

The Eastern Conference finals are set, but there is still much to be decided in the West.

On Monday, the Boston Bruins finished off a series win over the Columbus Blue Jackets with a Game 6 victory. They advance to face the Carolina Hurricanes, who swept the New York Islanders in the second round.

This will be the first time the Bruins and Hurricanes have faced off in the playoffs since 2009.

Meanwhile, the Western Conference finals won't be decided until a pair of Game 7 matchups, one on Tuesday and another on Wednesday. The winner of the St. Louis Blues-Dallas Stars contest will advance to face the winner of the San Jose Sharks-Colorado Avalanche matchup.

Remaining Second-Round Schedule (All Times ET)

Tuesday, May 7

Game 7: Dallas at St. Louis, 8 p.m., NBC Sports Network

Wednesday, May 8

Game 7: Colorado at San Jose, 9 p.m., NBC Sports Network

Game 7 Previews

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

The first team to advance to the Western Conference finals will be either the Blues or Stars. St. Louis won Game 6 on the road and now returns home to host Game 7.

While the Blues are 5-1 in road games this postseason, they are only 2-4 at home. They've lost their last two home contests—Games 2 and 5 against the Stars.

But it will be home-ice advantage nonetheless, even if St. Louis plays with a different mentality.

"Treat it like a road game as much as we can," Blues coach Craig Berube said, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "Play a simple brand of hockey and get to our game as quickly as possible. Just keep the noise out and focus on playing. Just put the noise behind us and play."

The Avalanche also forced a Game 7 in their series with the Sharks, as they notched an overtime win in Game 6 at home. San Jose and Colorado have alternated wins in the series, meaning the Sharks would win Game 7 to advance if the pattern continues.

"We didn't play good enough to win [Game 6]," San Jose right wing Timo Meier said, according to NHL.com's David Satriano. "We've got to bring a better effort. It's a Game 7 now, we know what to do. It's going to be loud in our building, we're going to come out and we're going to bring our best hockey."

This isn't anything the Sharks haven't already faced this postseason. They were down 3-1 in their first-round series before winning three straight games, including Game 7 at home, to advance.

Eastern Conference Finals Preview

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

The Hurricanes have been one of the surprise teams of the postseason, and they'll look to keep that going against the Bruins.

After outlasting the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals in seven games in the first round, Carolina swept the New York Islanders in the second round.

The Bruins also played a seven-game series in the opening round, taking down the Toronto Maple Leafs, before a six-game-series win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second round.

These two teams have met in the playoffs twice before since the Hurricanes' first season in 1997-98. Boston won a six-game first-round series in 1999, while Carolina won a seven-game second-round series in 2009.

In 2009, the Hurricanes went on to lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final. They didn't make the postseason again until this year.

Carolina will be looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006, when it won its only Cup. Boston last reached the finals in 2013 and won its last Cup in 2011.

"If you're playing this time of year, you're doing something right," Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask said, according to NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin. "You've built something great as a team. We're super happy that we're in the position. Trying to keep the train rolling."