The Vegas Golden Knights clinched their spot in the Western Conference final on Thursday.
Their 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks gave Vegas a 4-2 series win and a matchup against the Colorado Avalanche for a spot in the Stanley Cup final.
The Montreal Canadiens, meanwhile, chased the Buffalo Sabres on the scoreboard during the first half of Game 5 but then took the lead late in the second period and never looked back. Montreal now has a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 scheduled for Saturday.
Since that's the only series left to decide, there is no NHL playoff hockey on Friday.
That doesn't mean there's no hockey going on before the weekend, however. The men's World Championship is underway in Switzerland, and there are Friday playoff games in the AHL, ECHL, WHL, QMJHL and USHL.
Here are series updates, odds for the next game from BetMGM and leading scorers in these NHL playoffs.
May 15 NHL Playoff Schedule
No games
NHL Playoffs 2026 Conference Final Schedule: Dates, Times, Where To Watch
NHL Playoffs 2026 Conference Final Schedule: Dates, Times, Where To Watch The NHL released the schedule scenarios for the conference finals. Here's when and where to watch the games.
Buffalo Sabres (A1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (A3)
Montreal leads 3-2
Game 1: Montreal 2, Buffalo 4
Game 2: Montreal 5, Buffalo 1
Game 3: Buffalo 2, Montreal 6
Game 4: Buffalo 3, Montreal 2
Game 5: Montreal 6, Buffalo 3
Game 6 odds on BetMGM: Buffalo (2.35/+135), Montreal (1.62/-160)
– Keeping Jakub Dobes In Game 5 After Shaky Start Validated In Canadiens Victory Vs. Sabres
– Canadiens Overcome Bad Start And Win Big
– From Game 4: The Sabres Survived Absolute Chaos To Save Their Season
Carolina Hurricanes (M1) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (M3)
Carolina wins 4-0
Game 1: Philadelphia 0, Carolina 3
Game 2: Philadelphia 2, Carolina 3 (OT)
Game 3: Carolina 4, Philadelphia 1
Game 4: Carolina 3, Philadelphia 2 (OT)
– The Carolina Hurricanes 'Cakewalk' To The Eastern Conference Final
– Post-Mortem: Flyers Take Step In The Right Direction But Require Off-Season Moves
– Jackson Blake Shooting Into Stardom
Colorado Avalanche (C1) vs. Minnesota Wild (C3)
Colorado wins 4-1
Game 1: Minnesota 6, Colorado 9
Game 2: Minnesota 2, Colorado 5
Game 3: Colorado 1, Minnesota 5
Game 4: Colorado 5, Minnesota 2
Game 5: Minnesota 3, Colorado 4 (OT)
– Wild Blow 3-0 First Period Lead, Eliminated In 5 Games To Avalanche
– Game Blog: Minnesota Wild Vs. Colorado Avalanche, Game 5
– Post-Mortem: Minnesota Wild Reminded They Aren't Cup Front-Runners Yet
Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs. Anaheim Ducks (P3)
Vegas wins 4-2
Game 1: Anaheim 1, Vegas 3
Game 2: Anaheim 3, Vegas 1
Game 3: Vegas 6, Anaheim 2
Game 4: Vegas 3, Anaheim 4
Game 5: Anaheim 2, Vegas 3 (OT)
Game 6: Vegas 5, Anaheim 1
– Duck Hunters: 3 Takeaways As Golden Knights Advance to Western Conference Final
– Takeaways From The Ducks' 5-1 Loss
– Golden Knights 'Rallied Around Each Other' After Losing McNabb
Leading Scorers
1. Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights: 18 points, 12 games
T-2. Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild: 15 points, 11 games
T-2. Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild: 15 points, 11 games
T-2. Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights: 15 points, 12 games
T-5. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche: 13 points, 9 games
T-5. Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild: 13 points, 11 points
Image
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
