NHL Conference Finals Clock Nears As East, West Paths Take Shape

The league is moving into the part of the calendar where every TV executive and every coach starts checking the same thing - the bracket and the clock. This piece lays out when the conference finals are expected to begin and how the East and West scenarios are shaping up behind the scenes. In the NHL, timing is never just timing, because a few extra days can change a series of bodies, matchups, and reputations in a hurry.