After sweeping their first two rounds of the NHL playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes finally know who they'll face in Round 3.

Game 7 is at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC). Of course, no one knows who will win, but NHL.com staff writers and editors who have been covering the Stanley Cup Playoffs are weighing in with their predictions here (listed in alphabetical order by staffer):

Schedule confirmed: The Hurricanes and Canadiens open the Eastern Conference Final on May 21 in Raleigh, following Montreal’s overtime Game 7 win over Buffalo. Contrasting paths: Carolina is 8-0 after sweeping two series, while Montreal advanced through ...

Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook has made himself into a cult hero after sending Montreal to the East Final.

Alex Newhook scored at 11:22 of overtime to give the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at KeyBank Center on Monday. Newhook took a cross-ice pass from Alexandre Carrier,

The Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres in overtime in Game 7, with Alex Newhook scoring a second consecutive series clincher.

Here are the top NHL playoff trades available at Kalshi for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday

The Vegas Golden Knights stunned the hockey world on Tuesday by closing out the Colorado Avalanche in the minimum of four games to advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.