May 29 NHL Playoff Schedule: Can Montreal Force Game 6?

Carolina holds a 3-1 series lead over Montreal heading into Game 5 on Friday, May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.

Eastern Conference Final Path

Carolina leads the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final 3-1 after wins in Games 2, 3 and 4. The Hurricanes defeated Montreal 3-2 in overtime in Game 3 and 4-0 in Game 4 to seize control. Montreal opened the series with a 6-2 road win in Game 1 before dropping three straight.

A Carolina victory on May 29 ends the series and sends the Hurricanes directly to the Stanley Cup Final. The winner of this series faces the Vegas Golden Knights, who lead the Western Conference Final 3-1 over Colorado.

BetMGM lists Carolina at -250 to win Game 5 while Montreal sits at +200. The 8 p.m. ET start airs on TNT, truTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC and TVAS.

Montreal must win on the road to force a return to Bell Centre for a potential Game 6 on Sunday. Any further extension would push Game 7 to Tuesday and delay the Cup Final to Thursday, June 4.

Western Conference Final Status

Vegas leads Colorado 3-1 after taking Games 1, 2 and 4. The Golden Knights won 4-2, 3-1 and 2-1 while dropping a 5-3 decision in Game 3. A Vegas closeout in the West clears the path for the Cup Final to open Tuesday, June 2 if Carolina finishes the East on Friday.

Top Performers Driving Both Series

Mitch Marner leads all playoff scorers with 21 points in 16 games for Vegas. Jack Eichel follows with 18 points in the same number of games. Nick Suzuki tops Montreal with 16 points in 18 games while Lane Hutson has 15 points over the same span.

Nathan MacKinnon sits at 15 points in 13 games for Colorado. The statistical edge for Vegas and Carolina in their respective series points to a shorter path to the Cup Final than a prolonged Eastern Conference battle would allow.