Stanley Cup playoff picks: NHL conference finals predictions - ESPN

The second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs was perhaps less shocking than the first, with two division winners (the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes) making it through, along with the Central Division's No. 2 seed Dallas Stars, and the Florida Panthers, whose Cinderella run continues after being the final team to qualify for the postseason.

We're now on to the conference final round, beginning tonight with Hurricanes-Panthers (8 p.m. ET, TNT) and Friday night with Golden Knights-Stars (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+).

Which clubs will make it to the Stanley Cup Final? Here are the picks from the extended ESPN hockey family:

Jump ahead:CAR-FLAVGK-DAL

Sean Allen: Panthers in sixBlake Bolden: Hurricanes in fiveBrian Boucher: Panthers in sixJohn Buccigross: Panthers in fiveRyan Callahan: Panthers in sevenCassie Campbell-Pascall: Hurricanes in sixSachin Chandan: Panthers in sixChris Chelios: Panthers in six

Ryan S. Clark: Hurricanes in sevenLinda Cohn: Panthers in sevenRay Ferraro: Hurricanes in sixLeah Hextall: Panthers in sixEmily Kaplan: Hurricanes in sevenTim Kavanagh: Panthers in sixPeter Lawrence-Riddell: Hurricanes in sixSteve Levy: Panthers in sevenVince Masi: Hurricanes in sixVictoria Matiash: Hurricanes in sixSean McDonough: Hurricanes in sevenMark Messier: Panthers in sevenAJ Mleczko: Panthers in sevenMike Monaco: Hurricanes in sixArda Öcal: Panthers in sixKristen Shilton: Hurricanes in sixP.K. Subban: Panthers in sevenBob Wischusen: Hurricanes in sevenGreg Wyshynski: Hurricanes in seven

Consensus prediction: Panthers (14 of 27 picks)

Jake Oettinger likes his team's chances against the Golden Knights after the Stars defeated the Kraken in Game 7.

Sean Allen: Stars in sixBlake Bolden: Golden Knights in