Technologies
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: How to Watch the Conference Finals Tonight
Only four teams are left vying for the Stanley Cup. Florida and Carolina kick off the Eastern Conference finals tonight.
Hockey’s final four is set, with the Florida Panthers taking on the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals and the Dallas Stars facing off against the Vegas Golden Knights in the West.
The Stars are looking to win their first Cup since 1999 and hoping to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019-20 season. The Vegas Golden Knights have also been to the Stanley Cup Final recently, losing to the Washington Capitals in the team’s inaugural season of 2018.
Meanwhile, the underdog Florida Panthers are attempting to make their second Stanley Cup Final appearance and their first since they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in 1995-96. The Carolina Hurricanes last won the Stanley Cup in the 2005-06 season, when current coach Rod Brind’Amour was the captain of the team.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes will be played tonight, Wednesday May 18, at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on TNT.
Thanks to live TV streaming services, cord-cutters can stream all the action with no cable subscription required. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch or stream the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers meet in the Eastern Conference finals.
NHL playoffs FAQ
What is the 2023 Conference finals schedule?
Here’s the schedule for the first four games of each series in the NHL Conference finals, including the series status. See NHL.com for the full schedule.
Thursday, May 18
- Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 1, 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on TNT
Friday, May 19
- Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights, Game 1, 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT) on ESPN
Saturday, May 20
- Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 2, 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on TNT
Sunday, May 21
- Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights, Game 2, 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT) on ABC
Monday, May 22
- Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers, Game 3, 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on TNT
Tuesday, May 23
- Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars, Game 3, 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on ESPN
Wednesday, May 24
- Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers, Game 4, 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on TNT
Thursday, May 25
- Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars, Game 4, 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on ESPN
What does the full bracket look like?
An updated look at the Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket 👀 pic.twitter.com/o4sp5lF764
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 16, 2023
What channels will broadcast playoff games?
The NHL playoffs air on a collection of networks, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, TNT and TBS.
The Stanley Cup Final will air on TNT in the US and on Sportsnet in Canada.
How can I stream the games on my phone?
If you have a live TV streaming service (like Sling TV, YouTube TV or one of the ones below), you can use its app. If you have cable or satellite, you can use your provider’s app or one of the following, after logging in with your cable provider’s credentials:
- For ABC games, use the ESPN app. Click the gear icon in the upper right and then select Manage TV provider.
- For TNT games, use the TNT app. Click the person icon to sign in with your TV provider.
How to watch, livestream the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
As these games all air nationally, the best way to catch all the hockey action live, without cable, is with a live TV streaming service.
ESPN Plus is the home of hockey’s out-of-market coverage and will air all Stanley Cup playoff games simultaneously with ABC and ESPN.
While the $10 a month, $100 per year service is best suited for die-hard fans of the sports it covers well — mainly hockey, soccer and UFC — more casual fans might find themselves with an ESPN Plus subscription anyway through the Disney bundle, which also includes Hulu and Disney Plus with ads for $13 total.
Sling TV’s Orange plan includes ESPN and TNT. ABC, however, is only available in eight markets (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Fresno, Houston and Raleigh) and requires the Orange and Blue combo plan if you want ESPN too. That combo plan costs $65 per month in all of those cities except Fresno, Houston and Raleigh, where it costs $60. Even if ABC isn’t available in your area, you can watch those games using the simulcast stream available on ESPN3.
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $70 a month and carries ABC, ESPN and TNT.
DirecTV Stream is expensive. It’s the priciest of the five major live TV streaming services. Its cheapest, $65-a-month Entertainment package includes ESPN, ABC, and TNT. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels and RSNs are available in your area.
It is worth noting that DirecTV has an additional $15 «advanced receiver service» fee that automatically applies and is added on to the sticker price, which makes the Entertainment package $80 per month.
FuboTV costs $75 a month and also includes ABC and ESPN but not TNT.
Most live TV streaming services offer a free trial or discounts during the first month and allow you to cancel anytime. All require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.
Technologies
Mario Kart World Direct: Live Nintendo Switch 2 News
Technologies
Nintendo Fails to Justify $80 Price Tag in Mario Kart World Direct
Nintendo still hasn’t explained why it’s charging more for the game.
Nintendo held its Mario Kart World Direct on Thursday morning to show off the flagship game that’ll launch with the Switch 2 in June. But even as the company showed off the game’s new features, most people watching wanted one thing: For Nintendo to lower the price.
Mario Kart World received backlash when it was revealed to have an $80 price tag after the Switch 2 reveal event on April 2. Those interested in the Switch successor are excited about the new games but concerned that its higher price may be the start of a new trend. There are already concerns about the Switch 2’s price and whether it will increase from the announced $450 mark following recently instituted tariffs, which caused a delay to preorders for the US. The price of new games currently tops at $70 across different platforms.
While Nintendo didn’t justify the price, the showcase did go over all the details about the game.
Mario Kart World will be the biggest Mario Kart game, giving players the freedom to travel across the map on their own. This is the first time racers can freely roam with no need to stay on the track — unless, of course, they want to win the race.
The Mario Kart World Direct showed off the game’s new courses: Mario Bros. Circuit, Crown City, Salty Salty Speedway, Starview Peak and Boo Cinema. Reimagined tracks from older games will also be included. There are three new racers: Goomba, Spike and Cow.
It couldn’t be a Mario Kart game without new items to use during a race. Those items include the Coin Shell, which can knock out opponents as well as drop coins, the Ice Flower to freeze other racers, the Mega Mushroom to grow huge to bump everyone out of the way and the Feather to make some big jumps. There’s also Kamek, the longtime magical enemy of Mario who will help a racer by transforming everyone else on the course.
There are two racing tours: Grand Prix and Knockout Tour. In Grand Prix, there are three cups to choose from — Mushroom, Flower, Star — and players compete in multiple races to earn points in order to win the cup. Nintendo teased that after completing the Grand Prix, the beloved Rainbow Road track might be unlocked. Knockout Tour is similar to Grand Prix except that you have to place or else get kicked out of the next race. In both tours, players will have to drive from one track to another.
New techniques are making their debut in #MarioKartWorld!
With Charge Jump you can leap over obstacles, grind along power lines, and dodge attacks from rivals!
Charge Jump toward a wall to Wall Ride for a short period of time! pic.twitter.com/xuFqRsFDny
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 17, 2025
During that roaming time between races, players can experience the Mario Kart World map. There are hidden coins and panels, as well as P buttons that will start quests to collect blue coins in a certain amount of time. The world also has Yoshi drive-thrus, where players can pick up food that will unlock new outfits for characters.
One of the big new additions in Mario Kart World is the Rewind function. During a race, a player can rewind themselves to make a jump or reach a platform. However, if done during a race, all the other racers will continue forward, which could cost you the race.
For multiplayer, one person with Mario Kart World can let up to four players play on the same system via split screen. Online races will support up to 24 players, and with the Switch 2 Camera and GameChat, players racing against each other can see their faces positioned over their characters while playing.
Mario Kart World launches on June 5 for $80 with the Switch 2. There is a Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle for $500, and during the Direct, Nintendo mentioned that this bundle will be available for a limited time.
