NHL Playoffs 2020: Stanley Cup Conference Finals Schedule and Predictions

With one more win, the Dallas Stars will be heading to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000. And with the way they have been playing of late, they could be on their way to winning the Cup for the first time since 1999.

On Saturday night, Dallas took a commanding 3-1 series lead over the top-seeded Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final with a 2-1 win. Of the first four games in the series, three have been decided by one goal.

In the Eastern Conference Final, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a 2-1 lead. However, the New York Islanders will be looking to even the series in Sunday's Game 4.

Here's a look at the schedule for the rest of the conference-finals round, followed by a prediction for the next game in each series.

Remaining Conference Finals Schedule

Sunday, Sept. 13

Game 4: No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning at No. 6 New York Islanders, 3 p.m. ET, NBC

Monday, Sept. 14

Game 5: No. 3 Dallas Stars at No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights, 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Tuesday, Sept. 15

Game 5: No. 6 New York Islanders at No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning, 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Wednesday, Sept. 16

Game 6 (if necessary): No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights at No. 3 Dallas Stars, 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Thursday, Sept. 17

Game 6 (if necessary): No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning at No. 6 New York Islanders, 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Friday, Sept. 18

Game 7 (if necessary): No. 3 Dallas Stars at No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights, 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Saturday, Sept. 19

Game 7 (if necessary): No. 6 New York Islanders at No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC

Upcoming Predictions

Lightning Take Commanding 3-1 Lead Over Islanders

In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final, Tampa Bay was without center Brayden Point, its leading scorer this postseason. He suffered an unspecified injury in Game 2, and it's not clear when he will be back on the ice. Regardless of whether Point returns for Sunday's Game 4, the Lightning are poised to take control of the series.

Tampa Bay hasn't lost consecutive games this postseason. It beat both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins in five games in the first two rounds. And despite a 5-3 loss to New York in Game 3 of the conference final, it was competitive, as the Islanders didn't take the lead until there was only three minutes, 25 seconds remaining.

After a game that could have swung the other way, the Lightning will continue to keep playing strong hockey—as they have all postseason, going 12-4 in the bubble—and put together an impressive showing in Game 4.

"I think we just go to the mindset of just playing every game like it's a clinching game," Tampa Bay left winger Pat Maroon said, according to NHL.com's Brian Compton. "We've got to find ways to just keep playing the way we're playing. We have a good group in there. We have a good team that knows how to bounce back when a loss happens."

While it's not clear whether Point will play, Alex Killorn will be back in the Lightning's lineup after he missed Game 3 because of a one-game suspension for boarding in Game 2. That will give Tampa Bay better offensive depth.

And don't be surprised if Nikita Kucherov comes up with a big goal. He tallied the game-winning score with 8.8 seconds to go in Game 2 and has played at a high level all postseason.

Golden Knights Bounce Back, Stave Off Elimination

If the Golden Knights are going to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in the franchise's three-year history, they will need to win three straight games against the Stars after dropping three of the first four games of the Western Conference Final. It's a tough task, and it starts with Monday's Game 5.

However, it's not the first time that Vegas has faced adversity this postseason. In the second round, it had a 3-1 series lead before the Vancouver Canucks won Games 5 and 6 to force a decider. The Golden Knights responded with a 3-0 win in Game 7.

"We've been here before," Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "We were in the same exact situation with Vancouver, with a goalie and a team playing like this. We stuck with it. This is a long way from over and we're going to be a tough out."

The Golden Knights got off to a better start in Game 4, as they scored first. However, the Stars quickly answered back with a pair of second-period goals and rode strong goaltending and defense to keep Vegas off the board for the rest of the game. It was the third time this series that the Golden Knights scored two or fewer goals.

While it will be tough to overcome a 3-1 deficit, it's not insurmountable. And whether or not the Golden Knights can come back to win the series, they are at least going to make things interesting. Expect them to bounce back with a Game 5 win, staving off elimination for at least two days.

At this point, Vegas likely knows what it needs to do better offensively. It's just a matter of execution. This is a talented team that has had previous playoff success, and that will help it win for the first time since Game 2 on Monday.