NHL Playoff Bracket 2020: Latest Dates, TV Schedule for Stanley Cup Bracket

The Tampa Bay Lightning cut the Stanley Cup playoff field down to seven by advancing to the Eastern Conference Final Monday. 

The Lightning had to work harder than usual to put away the Boston Bruins in Game 5 since the game went into double overtime. 

Colorado did not have to sweat out its survival against Dallas, as it used five first-period goals to extend that series to Game 6. 

The New York Islanders and Vegas could join Tampa Bay in the conference final field with wins in their respective Game 5s Tuesday. 

Each conference final is scheduled to take place in the Edmonton hub, which means the Lightning and either the Islanders or Philadelphia Flyers will have to move.

NHL Playoff Schedule

Tuesday, September 1

Game 5: New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN)

Game 5: Vancouver vs. Vegas (9:45 p.m. ET, NBCSN)

Wednesday, September 2

Game 6: Colorado vs. Dallas (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN)

Don't expect any of the four teams playing Tuesday to replicate Colorado's Game 5 offensive output. 

The Islanders and Flyers have not reached five goals in any of their four matchups and the most tallies netted in the first 20 minutes of a Vegas-Vancouver game was two. 

New York will likely need to win a defensive battle to advance to the East final in the same number of games as Tampa Bay. In their three victories, the Islanders have allowed three total goals to the Flyers, who have seven strikes on 125 shots in the series. 

Philadelphia's inefficiency has been caused by shots not being challenging enough and the play of Islanders goalies Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss. 

The New York goalies have combined for a .944 save percentage, which is much better than the .903 save percentage put up by Carter Hart and Brian Elliott. 

To force Game 6, the Flyers need more production from their veteran forwards. Claude Giroux has one point and 11 shots on goal in the series, while Jakub Voracek is without a point in 67 minutes and 59 seconds of ice time. If they can provide some sort of offensive boost, the Flyers could stay alive for another game. 

Vancouver's path to forcing Game 6 comes through players on the opposite end of the experience spectrum. Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson have combined for five goals, two assists and 24 shots on goal against Vegas. 

But the missing piece for the Canucks has been Quinn Hughes, who has three assists and a plus-minus of -7. The defenseman had an assist in four of six games against St. Louis in the first round.

If the 20-year-old chips in with more of an offensive threat from the point and Brock Boeser and Jake Virtanen—who have one point between them—are more active in front of the net, the Canucks could outclass the Golden Knights. 

But all of the effort could go for naught if Vegas receives another stellar performance in net. Robin Lehner saved 79 of the 83 shots he faced and Marc-Andre Fleury turned away 28 of 31 attempts in Game 4. 

Lehner sat out Game 4 because it was the second half of back-to-back games. If he plays well yet again in Game 5, Vegas could absorb most of Vancouver's offensive pressure and qualify for the Western Conference Final for the second time in three years. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Hockey Reference.