Just like that, four teams now remain in their quest for Lord Stanley’s silver. The Toronto Maple Leafs jumped to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 19 years. However, they could not overcome the red-hot Florida Panthers, and the Cats will now weather the storm against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. It was only fitting that a former Soo Greyhounds player ended the Leafs’ dreams of moving on in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; Panthers Nick Cousins was the Game 5 overtime hero. The Canes fought off the New Jersey Devils in a rough and tough fashion. Even without big-time players like Andrei Svechnikov, Teuvo Teravainen, and Max Pacioretty, Jordan Martinook stepped up to the plate and notched nine points in four games. With Teravainen now practicing in a regular jersey and likely making a return to the lineup, the Canes could be a handful to deal with.
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the Vegas Golden Knights advanced to their fourth Conference Final after knocking out Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers in six games. The Golden Knights have now gone to the Western Conference Final for the fourth time in their six-year franchise history.
The Dallas Stars were able to fend off the feisty Seattle Kraken, who looked to make the Western Conference Final in just their second NHL season. The Stars took it home in dramatic Game 7 fashion by a score of 2-1. The Stars now look forward to their second trip to the Conference Final in just four years after they defeated the Golden Knights to capture the West title but ultimately lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Final.
Here is the schedule for Round 3 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs:
Eastern Conference
#M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. #WC2 Florida Panthers
| Date | Game | Time |
| Thursday, May 18 | 1. Florida at Carolina | 8 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, May 20 | 2. Florida at Carolina | 8 p.m. ET |
| Monday, May 22 | 3. Carolina at Florida | 8 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, May 24 | 4. Carolina at Florida | 8 p.m. ET |
| *Friday, May 26 | 5. Florida at Carolina | 8 p.m. ET |
| *Sunday, May 28 | 6. Carolina at Florida | 8 p.m. ET |
| *Tuesday, May 30 | 7. Florida at Carolina | 8 p.m. ET |
Western Conference
#P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. #C2 Dallas Stars
| Date | Game | Time |
| Friday, May 19 | 1. Dallas at Vegas | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, May 21 | 2. Dallas at Vegas | 3 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, May 23 | 3. Vegas at Dallas | 8 p.m. ET |
| Thursday, May 25 | 4. Vegas at Dallas | 8 p.m. ET |
| *Saturday, May 27 | 5. Dallas at Vegas | 8 p.m. ET |
| *Monday, May 29 | 6. Vegas at Dallas | 8 p.m. ET |
| *Wednesday, May 31 | 7. Dallas at Vegas | 9 p.m. ET |