COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 16: Nick Foligno #71 of the Columbus Blue Jackets celebrates after Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 16, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus defeated Tampa Bay 7-3 to win the series 4-0. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
The field of 16 teams in the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs has been dwindled down to just eight after a conference quarterfinal round that saw several upsets. These eight teams will now face off in the conference semifinals to determine who will be the 2019 NHL’s version of the “Frozen Four.”
Match-ups and How They Got Here
Eastern Conference
Boston Bruins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets: After finishing in second place in the Atlantic Division with 107 points, the Boston Bruins dispatched the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games to set up a series with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus was the Eastern Conference’s second wild card with 98 points. The Blue Jackets not only pulled off a huge upset of the conference’s top seed and President’s Trophy winner Tampa Bay Lightning but did so in only four games.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders: Like the Bruins, New York finished second in their division, the Metropolitan, with 103 points. That pit them against the division’s third-place team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. New York advanced after getting four consecutive wins over Pittsburgh. The series for Carolina was a stark contrast, going seven games. The Hurricanes were the Eastern Conference’s top wild card with 99 points.
Western Conference
Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues: St. Louis is the only third-place team in its division in the final regular season standings to advance to the conference semifinals. The Blues recorded 99 points in the regular season then defeated the Central division’s second-place team, the Winnipeg Jets, in six games. Dallas also defeated the Nashville Predators, who won the Central division, in six games. The Stars were the Western Conference’s top wild card with 93 points.
Colorado Avalanche vs. San Jose Sharks: Colorado’s five-game defeat of the Western Conference’s top seed, the Calgary Flames, was another upset pulled off by a second wild card in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Avalanche were the final team to make the playoffs in the West with 90 points. San Jose finished second in the Pacific division with 101 points then advanced by defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in seven games.
Conference Semifinals Schedule by Date
The conference semifinals start on Thursday, April 25 and most of the games will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network. A few games on the weekends will be on regular NBC. All series are a best of seven and follow a 2-2-1-1-1 format. All times listed are Eastern.
Thursday, April 25
Columbus at Boston, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Dallas at St. Louis, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN
Friday, April 26
Carolina at New York, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Colorado at San Jose, 10 p.m., NBCSN
Saturday, April 27
Dallas at St. Louis, 3 p.m., NBC
Columbus at Boston, 8 p.m., NBC
Sunday, April 28
Carolina at New York, 3 p.m., NBC
Colorado at San Jose, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN
Monday, April 29
St. Louis at Dallas, 8 p.m., NBCSN
Tuesday, April 30
Boston at Columbus, 7 p.m., NBCSN
San Jose at Colorado, 10 p.m., NBCSN
Wednesday, May 1
New York at Carolina, 7 p.m., NBCSN
St. Louis at Dallas, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN
Thursday, May 2
Boston at Columbus, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN
San Jose at Colorado, 10 p.m., NBCSN
Friday, May 3
New York at Carolina, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Dallas at St. Louis, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN
Saturday, May 4
Columbus at Boston, 7:15 p.m., NBC
Colorado at San Jose, 10 p.m. NBCSN
Sunday, May 5
St. Louis at Dallas, 3 p.m, NBC
Monday, May 6
Boston at Columbus, 7 p.m., NBCSN
San Jose at Colorado, 10 p.m., NBCSN
Tuesday, May 7
Dallas at St. Louis, 8 p.m., NBCSN
Wednesday, May 8
Colorado at San Jose, 9 p.m., NBCSN
Conference Semifinals Schedule by Series
Carolina vs. New York: Hurricanes win 4-0
Game 1: Friday, April 26, in New York, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Game 2: Sunday, April 28, in New York, 3 p.m., NBC
Game 3: Wednesday, May 1, in Carolina, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Friday, May 3, in Carolina, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Colorado vs. San Jose: Sharks win series 4-3
Game 1: Friday, April 26, in San Jose, 10 p.m., NBCSN
Game 2: Sunday, April 28, in San Jose, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN
Game 3: Tuesday, April 30, in Colorado, 10 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Thursday, May 2, in Colorado, 10 p.m., NBCSN
Game 5: Saturday, May 4, in San Jose, 10 p.m., NBCSN
Game 6: Monday, May 6, in Colorado, 10 p.m., NBCSN
Game 7: Wednesday, May 8, in San Jose, 9 p.m., NBCSN
Columbus vs. Boston: Bruins win series 4-2
Game 1: Thursday, April 25, in Boston, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Game 2: Saturday, April 27, in Boston, 8 p.m., NBC
Game 3: Tuesday, April 30, in Columbus, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Thursday, May 2, in Columbus, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN
Game 5: Saturday, May 4, in Boston, 7:15 p.m., NBC
Game 6: Monday, May 6, in Columbus, 7 p.m. NBCSN
Dallas vs. St. Louis: Blues win series 4-3
Game 1: Thursday, April 25, in St. Louis, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN
Game 2: Saturday, April 27, in St. Louis, 3 p.m., NBC
Game 3: Monday, April 29, in Dallas, 8 p.m., NBCSN
Game 4: Wednesday, May 1, in Dallas, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN
Game 5: Friday, May 3, in St. Louis, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN
Game 6: Sunday, May 5, in Dallas, 3 p.m. NBC
Game 7: Tuesday, May 7, in St. Louis, 8 p.m., NBCSN
The conference semifinals will pair eight teams all riding the momentum of a playoff series win against each other. The result should be four series full of exciting hockey.