The Carolina Hurricanes were teetering on the brink of elimination under two weeks ago, with the reigning Stanley Cup champions poised to deliver the knockout blow. The Hurricanes fended off the challenge to win that first-round series and recorded three more victories to push the New York Islanders to the edge prior to Game 4 of the second-round set on Friday in Raleigh, N.C.

The St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars have split the first four contests of the Western Conference semifinal, setting up what amounts to a best-of-three series heading into Game 5 on Friday night in St. Louis. Both teams understand the magnitude of the next matchup after each won Game 5 en route to posting six-game victories in the first round of the playoffs.