The NHL playoffs are heating up, and we now know when the conference finals will drop the puck. With the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes already locked into the next round, and the Vegas Golden Knights on the verge of joining them, the league has set the stage for what promises to be an electrifying finish to the postseason.

The Western Conference final is set to begin on May 20 at Denver's Ball Arena, where the Avalanche will face the winner of the Golden Knights-Anaheim Ducks series. For the East, it's a bit more of a waiting game. If the Buffalo Sabres or Montreal Canadiens wrap up their series in six games, the Eastern Conference final will start on May 19 at the Hurricanes' Lenovo Center. If it goes the distance to seven games, the puck drops on May 21.

While we gear up for the on-ice action, the NHL is also rolling out the red carpet for its annual awards. The finalists for the league's top honors have been announced, and the competition is fierce. Among the highlights: Tampa Bay Lightning's Jon Cooper is up for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year, while teammate Andrei Vasilevskiy is a Vezina Trophy finalist for best goaltender. Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar is in the running for the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship.

The Ted Lindsay Award, given to the most outstanding player as voted by the players, features a star-studded list: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid. Meanwhile, Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ville Husso is the Masterton Trophy nominee for perseverance and dedication to hockey.

Whether you're cheering from the stands or watching from home, now's the time to gear up in your team's colors. Stay tuned for more updates as the road to the Stanley Cup continues.