The 2019 NHL playoff bracket is set for its four conference finalists and the schedule has been released. The chase for the 2019 Stanley Cup moves to its semifinals stage Thursday with the Hurricanes vs. the Bruins at 8 p.m. ET in the Eastern Conference finals. MORE: Watch NHL playoff games live & on demand with fuboTV (7-day trial) The Western Conference finals gets underway Saturday, May 10, with Game 1 between the Blues and Sharks at 8 p.m. ET. Round 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs could last a full 14 days; potential Game 7s are scheduled for May 22-23. Below you'll find everything to know about watching the second round of the 2019 NHL playoffs, including series-by-series TV schedules and live-streaming information. LIVE: Today's NHL scores, updates, TV schedule 2019 NHL playoffs bracket SN illustration https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/f7/bd/nhl-playoff-bracket_1jt3fpcz036rb10wnxrw6feznv.jpg?t=-1659028150&w=500&quality=80 NHL playoffs 2019: TV channels, live stream The 2019 NHL playoffs will be broadcast across NBC's family of networks in the United States. Games in the conference finals are covered exclusively by NBC and NBCSN. NBC will show every game during the Stanley Cup Final. The primary outlet for live-streaming 2019 NHL playoff games is NBC Sports Live, available on desktop and by downloading the mobile app. You can also stream games live by signing up for fuboTV, which offers a free seven-day trial. Mike Emrick, Mike Milbury and Pierre McGuire are NBC's lead broadcast team for the NHL playoffs. Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes Eastern Conference finals game schedule San Jose Sharks vs. St. Louis Blues Western Conference finals game schedule (*if necessary) NHL playoffs 2019 results Eastern Conference Boston Bruins (A2) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (WC2) New York Islanders (M2) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (WC1) Western Conference San Jose Sharks (P2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (WC2) St. Louis Blues (C3) vs. Dallas Stars (WC1)<doc-sep>Is this an Eastern Conference finals matchup that most people saw? Definitely not, but here we are. What can you say about the Carolina Hurricanes other than they have fully embraced the "Bunch of Jerks" moniker? They went from the last team to advance to the second round to the first team to solidify a spot in the conference finals. They easily swept the New York Islanders out of the Stanley Cup playoffs and will have had a week off by the time the puck drops on this series. SN STAFF PREDICTIONS: Eastern Conference | Western Conference | Stanley Cup In comparison, the Bruins are coming off a hard-fought, six-game series against the Columbus Blue Jackets that wrapped up Monday. The series was the second one of the postseason where Boston had to come back from a 2-1 deficit. Against Columbus, they eventually rattled off three straight wins including a convincing 3-0 victory in Game 6 to close out the series. The Bruins are in the East finals for the first time since 2013, when they went on to lose in the Stanley Cup Final. Carolina has advanced at least this far in each of its last four playoff appearances. Boston Bruins (-150) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (+130): Schedule, breakdown, prediction Date Matchup Time (TV channel) May 9 Game 1 at Boston 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVA) May 12 Game 2 at Boston 3 p.m. ET (NBC, CBC, SN, TVA) May 14 Game 3 at Carolina 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVA) May 16 Game 4 at Carolina 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVA) *May 18 Game 5 at Boston 7:15 p.m. ET (NBC, CBC, SN, TVA) *May 20 Game 6 at Carolina 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN, CBC, SN1, TVA) *May 22 Game 7 at Boston 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN, CBC, SN360, TVA) (*if necessary) Season series The Bruins won the season series 2-1 but each game was close. Boston's No. 1 goaltender, Tuukka Rask, started the Bruins' lone loss, allowing five goals on 37 shots. On the flip side, Carolina netminder Petr Mrazek, who appears to be healthy enough to return from an injury, started in the win (three goals allowed on 30 shots). Mrazek's backup and recent fill-in, Curtis McElhinney, allowed four goals on 38 shots in an overtime loss. Sebastian Aho led all scorers with four goals — one short-handed — and added two assists while teammate Teuvo Teravainen chipped in four points (two goals, two assists). Brad Marchand paced the Bruins with two goals and three assists, including the game-winning goal in the first matchup of the season. DATE ROAD HOME RESULT Oct. 30 Bruins Hurricanes BOS, 3-2 Dec. 23 Bruins Hurricanes CAR, 5-3 Mar. 5 Hurricanes Bruins BOS, 4-3 (OT) Offense Carolina: The Hurricanes roll four lines and can score up and down the roster. Youngsters Teuvo Teravainen (four goals) and Sebastian Aho (three goals) and veterans Justin Williams (two goals) and Jordan Staal (two goals) led the way in the second round. Staal netted the game-winning overtime goal in Game 1 that set the Hurricanes down the path toward a sweep. Carolina has also gotten big point production from the defense corps, led by Jaccob Slavin's 11 assists. That helps explain how the Hurricanes have 3.09 GF/GP when they were at 2.96 during the regular season. They also have 26 goals when skating 5-on-5, which leads all postseason teams. Carolina's offense got back Andrei Svechnikov late in the second round and should get back Micheal Ferland in this round. Ferland had one of the best seasons of his career in 2018-19. Boston: David Pastrnak has had an up-and-down postseason, but the 2019 NHL All-Star did net four goals in the second round, including the game-winning goal late in Game 5. He has 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 12 career games against Carolina. Boston will need him, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand to increase their production. The line has not matched its regular-season level of output, but it has shown its ability in spurts. The unit will need to be more consistent. The rest of Boston's forwards will need to continue chipping in goals, because the Hurricanes have shown they can shut down some of the top players in the game. David Krejci and trade deadline acquisition Charlie Coyle have stepped up their games. Edge: Boston. Defense Carolina: Among the teams remaining, Carolina has allowed the fewest goals against (25) with an impressive 2.27 GA/GP (second-best). That's not a surprise, considering the Hurricanes have allowed the second-fewest shots against per game in the playoffs (27.8). They'll face a solid test in this series as the Bruins have the third-best GF/GP (3.08) and will pepper their netminders (35.7 shots/GP) with an attack that has produced the most shot attempts for (620). Slavin has been a star in the postseason and a workhorse along the blue line (26:36 TOI). His partner, Dougie Hamilton, will have something to prove to the team that traded him 2015. Those two will need to step up their games; they are minus-3 and minus-5, respectively, against Boston in their careers. Boston: Compared to Carolina, the Bruins are not far off their GA number (28) and are first in GA/GP (2.15). They'll be without Charlie McAvoy for Game 1, however; the NHL suspended him for a headshot on Columbus' Josh Anderson. McAvoy was one of the best defensemen in the second round and made a brilliant save in Game 5 — one of his 26 blocks in the playoffs. His partner, captain Zdeno Chara, is no slouch, though. The 6-9 Chara leads all playoff performers this year with a plus-9. He also holds an impressive plus-20 in 69 career games against Carolina to go with 28 points. Edge: Even. (Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/f1/d9/tuukka-rask-boston-bruins-042519-getty-ftrjpeg_jil93u1zmgq11rzbcr5o2yojl.jpg?t=1432633210&w=500&quality=80 Goaltending Carolina: Who will start for the Hurricanes is still to be determined, but considering how Mrazek and McElhinney performed through the first two rounds, it probably doesn't matter. Mrazek, 27, went 5-3 with a 2.22 GAA and a .913 save percentage before getting hurt in Game 2 of the Islanders series. McElhinney, who will turn 36 on May 23, stepped in and went 3-0 with a 1.56 GAA and a .947 save percentage. In seven career games vs. Boston, McElhinney is 3-2-1 with a 2.21 GAA and a .934 save percentage. His numbers far exceed those of Mrazek, who is 4-2-1 in nine games with a 3.09 GAA and an .888 save percentage. Mrazek was Carolina's No. 1 netminder this season, however, and is expected to be back between the pipes if healthy. Boston: Tuukka Rask is 8-5 in this year's postseason with a 2.02 GAA, a .938 save percentage and a shutout; after the series against the Blue Jackets, his GAA dropped to 1.71 and his save percentage rose to .948. As coach Bruce Cassidy said after Rask's shutout in the clinching Game 6 victory, "I think he was our best player tonight. I thought we had a lot of guys play well, but he was our best player." Rask is 9-4-3 with a 2.27 GAA and a .928 save percentage in 17 games liftetime against Carolina, Edge: Boston. Mrazek's status remains uncertain and Rask has been phenomenal. Special teams The Hurricanes' power play has been atrocious in the postseason at just 10.5 percent effectiveness — and 4.8 percent on the road. In comparison, the Bruins are tops in the playoffs at 28.6 percent — and an unheard-of 43.8 percent on the road. With Carolina only 75 percent effective on the penalty kill, it must stay out of the box if it wants to have any chance of winning the series. Edge: Boston. (Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/5f/3d/justin-williams-carolina-hurricanes-new-york-islanders-050119-getty-ftrjpeg_qfj209rqpea71h2jfp8d5xowk.jpg?t=1984645018&w=500&quality=80 Key players to watch Dougie Hamilton, D, Hurricanes. He still isn't sure why the Bruins traded him, but he'll definitely try to show them why they shouldn't have. He has had a solid postseason and is a veteran leader for this young team. Zdeno Chara, D, Bruins. Chara has looked slow at times, but he knows when to pick his spots and is one of the best at positioning. He is 42 years old, however, so one has to wonder how much more he has in the tank. Is this his last chance at another Stanley Cup? One thing you can say about Chara is that he has grit, determination and the utmost desire to be at the top. He's probably the best captain in the game, too, and will use everything he has learned in 21 seasons to get to one more Final. Bruins vs. Hurricanes playoff history YEAR FINISH 2009 Bruins won conference semifinals in seven games 1999 Bruins won conference quarterfinals in six games 1991* Bruins won division semifinals in six games 1990* Bruins won division semifinals in seven games * The Hurricanes franchise was playing as the Hartford Whalers. Last five playoff appearances Boston Bruins YEAR FINISH 2018 Lost in second round to Lightning n five games 2017 Lost in first round to Senators in six games 2014 Lost in second round to Canadiens in seven games 2013 Lost in Stanley Cup Final to Blackhawks in six games 2012 Lost in conference quarterfinals to Capitals in seven games Carolina Hurricanes YEAR FINISH 2009 Lost in conference finals to Penguins in four games 2006 Won Stanley Cup, defeating Oilers in seven games 2002 Lost in Stanley Cup Final to Red Wings in five games 2001 Lost in conference quarterfinals to Devils in six games 1999 Lost in conference quarterfinals to Bruins in six games Bruins vs. Hurricanes prediction It's a tough call because this is the year of the underdog, but this is now the Bruins' Stanley Cup to lose. Boston in six.<doc-sep>
Jack Dempsey/Associated Press 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 Video Play Button Videos you might like 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."