<p>The Conference Finals have begun.</p>
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<p></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is What’s Going On In The Playoffs, where we look at how each series is going so far this post-season. The second round has wrapped up, with one Canadian team left standing. Moreover, three of the four teams were in last season’s final four.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s take a look at what’s happened in the post-season since last Wednesday!</span></p>
<h2>Oilers score overtime goal to clinch series</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights played a tight-checking, defensive game in Game 5. With the Knights’ backs against the wall, the score was 0-0 heading into overtime, before Kasperi Kapanen of all players scored the game-winning goal to send the Oilers to the Conference Finals.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">THERE IT IS!!! 😱 </p>
<p>KASPERI KAPANEN IS YOUR <a href="https://twitter.com/Energizer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ENERGIZER</a> OT HERO IN GAME 5 AND THIS SERIES IS OVER! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StanleyCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StanleyCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ao34byyu3m">pic.twitter.com/Ao34byyu3m</a></p>
<p>&mdash; NHL (@NHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1922876246565728299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This game was Stuart Skinner’s second consecutive shutout, but the question was, who would they face?</span></p>
<h2>Jets fall in six games to the Stars</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last Wednesday, the Jets were down 3-1 in their series after a 3-1 defeat in Game 4. They responded well to force a Game 6, as Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Ehlers (again) scored to give the Jets a 4-0 win.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before Game 6, Scheifele’s father passed away, but the longest-tenured Jet played anyway, scoring a goal five minutes into the second period.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hours before Game 6, Mark Scheifele&#39;s dad, Brad, unexpectedly passed away</p>
<p>Mark decided to still play tonight, and scored first goal of the game. What a moment ❤️🙏 <a href="https://t.co/GMV9ZAnlOa">pic.twitter.com/GMV9ZAnlOa</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1923916826515317054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unfortunately, the Stars tied it and then won it in overtime when Scheifele was in the penalty box. No matter what team you cheer for, this was a crappy ending.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">THOMAS ******* HARLEY!!!!!!!!!! <a href="https://t.co/L4kOLoHhrI">pic.twitter.com/L4kOLoHhrI</a></p>
<p>&mdash; X &#8211; Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) <a href="https://twitter.com/DallasStars/status/1923938202886230521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>Leafs collapse at home, lose in seven</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The other Canadian team that made it to the second round, the Toronto Maple Leafs, blew a 2-0 series lead to the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. Game 5 was in Toronto, and it didn’t go great for the centre of the universe, as the Panthers won 6-1.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the series shifting to Sunrise, Florida, the Leafs were able to force Game 7 thanks to a game-winning goal from Auston Matthews, the first time he’s scored in the second round. Max Pacioretty scored an insurance goal with just under six minutes left in the third.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That set up a winner-take-all Game 7 in Toronto, which ended in the exact same score as Game 5. The two teams were tied after one period, but the Panthers scored three times in the second for a 3-0 lead. Max Domi scored early in the third to give the Leafs hope, but the Panthers responded with three more goals, iced by a Brad Marchand empty-net goal.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">That makes 3 points for Marchy tonight!! <a href="https://t.co/pbjT6ORvBx">pic.twitter.com/pbjT6ORvBx</a></p>
<p>&mdash; x &#8211; Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) <a href="https://twitter.com/FlaPanthers/status/1924287493936955832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>Hurricanes wrap up the series in five</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Up 3-1 in the series last Wednesday, the Hurricanes made quick work of the Washington Capitals, defeating them in five games. Game 5 was a 3-1 victory, with the teams trading a goal in the first period. It stood that way until late in the third period, when Andrei Svechnikov beat Logan Thompson with a bad-angle shot. Seth Jarvis added an empty-netter for good measure.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="lv" dir="ltr">SVECH SEALS THE SERIES <a href="https://t.co/E6imKxrKiI">pic.twitter.com/E6imKxrKiI</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Canes/status/1923199471292166241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>Panthers defeat Hurricanes in Game 1</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sticking with the Hurricanes, their first-round match-up is against the Panthers. Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scored in the first period, with Sebastian Aho cutting the lead in half with just 16 seconds remaining in the first.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Panthers took a 3-1 lead in the second thanks to A.J. Greer’s second of the postseason. In the third, former Calgary Flame Sam Bennett scored to make it 4-1, and then Eetu Luostarinen added a fifth for good measure. Jackson Blake scored late in the game for the Hurricanes, but it wasn’t enough as they fell 5-2.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">the dogs and cats are loving this one! <a href="https://t.co/56MygkViIS">pic.twitter.com/56MygkViIS</a></p>
<p>&mdash; x &#8211; Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) <a href="https://twitter.com/FlaPanthers/status/1925014804864930302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Game 2 is on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. MT, the start time of every game in this series. The third game shifts to Sunrise, Florida, on Saturday, with Game 4 also in Florida.</span></p>
<h2>Setting up the Oilers/Stars series</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the second consecutive post-season, the Edmonton Oilers and the Dallas Stars play in the Western Conference Finals to determine who goes to the Stanley Cup Finals.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Game 1 is on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in Dallas. Game 2 is on Friday, same time. With the series shifting to Edmonton, Game 3 is an afternoon game, starting at 1:00 p.m. MT, disgusting. Game 4 is on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. MT again.</span></p>
<hr />
<p><strong><i>Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for <a href="https://flamesnation.ca/combinations">FlamesNation</a>, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.</i></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sponsored by bet365:</strong></p>
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The Conference Finals have begun.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2109" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="328"></div>


<span style="font-weight: 400;">This is What’s Going On In The Playoffs, where we look at how each series is going so far this post-season. The second round has wrapped up, with one Canadian team left standing. Moreover, three of the four teams were in last season’s final four.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s take a look at what’s happened in the post-season since last Wednesday!</span>
<h2>Oilers score overtime goal to clinch series</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights played a tight-checking, defensive game in Game 5. With the Knights’ backs against the wall, the score was 0-0 heading into overtime, before Kasperi Kapanen of all players scored the game-winning goal to send the Oilers to the Conference Finals.</span>

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1922876246565728299

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This game was Stuart Skinner’s second consecutive shutout, but the question was, who would they face?</span>
<h2>Jets fall in six games to the Stars</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Last Wednesday, the Jets were down 3-1 in their series after a 3-1 defeat in Game 4. They responded well to force a Game 6, as Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Ehlers (again) scored to give the Jets a 4-0 win.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Before Game 6, Scheifele’s father passed away, but the longest-tenured Jet played anyway, scoring a goal five minutes into the second period.</span>

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1923916826515317054

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Unfortunately, the Stars tied it and then won it in overtime when Scheifele was in the penalty box. No matter what team you cheer for, this was a crappy ending.</span>

https://twitter.com/DallasStars/status/1923938202886230521
<h2>Leafs collapse at home, lose in seven</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The other Canadian team that made it to the second round, the Toronto Maple Leafs, blew a 2-0 series lead to the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. Game 5 was in Toronto, and it didn’t go great for the centre of the universe, as the Panthers won 6-1.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">With the series shifting to Sunrise, Florida, the Leafs were able to force Game 7 thanks to a game-winning goal from Auston Matthews, the first time he’s scored in the second round. Max Pacioretty scored an insurance goal with just under six minutes left in the third.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">That set up a winner-take-all Game 7 in Toronto, which ended in the exact same score as Game 5. The two teams were tied after one period, but the Panthers scored three times in the second for a 3-0 lead. Max Domi scored early in the third to give the Leafs hope, but the Panthers responded with three more goals, iced by a Brad Marchand empty-net goal.</span>

https://twitter.com/FlaPanthers/status/1924287493936955832
<h2>Hurricanes wrap up the series in five</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Up 3-1 in the series last Wednesday, the Hurricanes made quick work of the Washington Capitals, defeating them in five games. Game 5 was a 3-1 victory, with the teams trading a goal in the first period. It stood that way until late in the third period, when Andrei Svechnikov beat Logan Thompson with a bad-angle shot. Seth Jarvis added an empty-netter for good measure.</span>

https://twitter.com/Canes/status/1923199471292166241
<h2>Panthers defeat Hurricanes in Game 1</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sticking with the Hurricanes, their first-round match-up is against the Panthers. Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scored in the first period, with Sebastian Aho cutting the lead in half with just 16 seconds remaining in the first.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Panthers took a 3-1 lead in the second thanks to A.J. Greer’s second of the postseason. In the third, former Calgary Flame Sam Bennett scored to make it 4-1, and then Eetu Luostarinen added a fifth for good measure. Jackson Blake scored late in the game for the Hurricanes, but it wasn’t enough as they fell 5-2.</span>

https://twitter.com/FlaPanthers/status/1925014804864930302

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Game 2 is on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. MT, the start time of every game in this series. The third game shifts to Sunrise, Florida, on Saturday, with Game 4 also in Florida.</span>
<h2>Setting up the Oilers/Stars series</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">For the second consecutive post-season, the Edmonton Oilers and the Dallas Stars play in the Western Conference Finals to determine who goes to the Stanley Cup Finals.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Game 1 is on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in Dallas. Game 2 is on Friday, same time. With the series shifting to Edmonton, Game 3 is an afternoon game, starting at 1:00 p.m. MT, disgusting. Game 4 is on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. MT again.</span>

<hr />

<strong><i>Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for <a href="https://flamesnation.ca/combinations">FlamesNation</a>, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.</i></strong>

<strong>Sponsored by bet365:</strong>
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