NHL Playoff Bracket 2019: Known Schedule Details for Stanley Cup Final

Back at the beginning of the NHL season, 31 teams aspired to end their campaign by winning the Stanley Cup.

Now, only four teams still have that dream alive. And after the conference finals, that number will be down to two.

The Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues are the last teams alive in what has been an exciting, competitive NHL postseason. There have been back-and-forth series, thrilling overtime contests and games that have come down to the wire.

With the conference finals still in its early stages, the NHL has yet to announce the schedule for this year's Stanley Cup finals. The earliest that the conference finals round could be over is Friday, when Game 4 of the Western Conference finals takes place, if both rounds are sweeps.

However, it's unlikely that will happen, so the Stanley Cup finals shouldn't start until later. If both conference finals went seven games, then the round wouldn't be over until May 23, when the Western Conference finals would wrap up.

It is likely that the Stanley Cup finals would not begin until three days after the conclusion of the conference finals round, allowing the teams to receive two days of rest and a media day before the battle for the Cup begins.

Conference Finals Outlook

*If necessary. All times ET.

Eastern Conference

Game 1: Boston 5, Carolina 2

Game 2: Carolina at Boston, Sunday at 3 p.m., NBC

Game 3: Boston at Carolina, Tuesday at 8 p.m., NBC Sports Network

Game 4: Boston at Carolina, Thursday at 8 p.m., NBC Sports Network

Game 5: Carolina at Boston, May 18 at 7:15 p.m., NBC*

Game 6: Boston at Carolina, May 20 at 8 p.m., NBC Sports Network*

Game 7: Carolina at Boston, May 22 at 8 p.m., NBC Sports Network*

Western Conference

Game 1: St. Louis at San Jose, Saturday at 8 p.m., NBC

Game 2: St. Louis at San Jose, Monday at 9 p.m., NBC Sports Network

Game 3: San Jose at St. Louis, Wednesday at 8 p.m., NBC Sports Network

Game 4: San Jose at St. Louis, Friday at 8 p.m., NBC Sports Network

Game 5: St. Louis at San Jose, May 19 at 3 p.m., NBC*

Game 6: San Jose at St. Louis, May 21 at 8 p.m., NBC Sports Network*

Game 7: St. Louis at San Jose, May 23 at 9 p.m., NBC Sports Network*

Prediction

It's been an unpredictable postseason so far, with all four division winners already eliminated, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, who were the best team during the regular season. And it's not over yet, meaning there is still plenty of time for more surprises to come.

That's what will happen in the conference finals. Although the Bruins and Sharks are the more favored teams to advance to the Stanley Cup finals, it will be the Hurricanes and Blues that continue their unexpected runs and battle for the Cup.

Carolina is a strong defensive team, and although it allowed five goals in its Game 1 loss to Boston, four of those goals came in the final period. Don't expect another defensive lapse like that from the Hurricanes this series, and they'll continue their unexpected run as a wild-card team making it to the Stanley Cup finals.

Jaccob Slavin leads the Hurricanes with 11 points in 12 postseason games, and as the anchor of their defense, he'll help them rally back from their series-opening loss to not only get back into the series but to win it.

St. Louis has shown resiliency by winning five of its six postseason road games, including a Game 6 matchup against the Dallas Stars in the second round while facing elimination. The Blues then notched a Game 7 double-overtime victory at home to advance.

Goalie Jordan Binnington continues to be a key part of St. Louis' success, and he'll play a big role in helping the Blues reach the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1970. Binnington has been a surprise for St. Louis, coming up from the minors to play well for it down the stretch and into the playoffs.

"It would be disingenuous to say that this was anywhere part of the plan," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said, according to the Associated Press. "This is the Jordan Binnington story in the sense that he’s made the best of the opportunity."