The Telegraph Two of the surprise packages of this clay-court season have been British – initially Dan Evans, who made a deep run in Monte Carlo, and more lately Cameron Norrie, who played his second final in three weeks on Sunday. Unfortunately, Norrie wasn’t able to land a maiden ATP title in Lyon. But then he was up against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has been the dominant force of 2021 outside the slams, and now stands at No 1 in the table of most rankings points gained since January 1. Nevertheless, it had been a hugely creditable effort for Norrie to go this far, especially when you consider that he took out top seed Dominic Thiem on Thursday, and then trounced big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov in Saturday’s semi-final, losing only two games in the process. Norrie has come to clay late in his career, but it feels like this is developing into his favourite surface. He has one of the heaviest left-handed forehands in the game, loaded with top-spin, and uses it like a miniature version of Rafael Nadal. The result has been a tally of 14 wins and only four losses since he began his European clay-court swing in Barcelona. So while the French Open, which starts next Sunday, has traditionally been a graveyard of British hopes, there are reasons to hope that this year’s event could deliver some more positive results. Norrie’s previous final in Estoril had been a nervewracking affair which he eventually lost on a deciding-set tie-break to the more experienced Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Sunday was more straightforward for Tsitsipas, who needed only 69 minutes to hammer home a 6-3, 6-3 victory. It was Tsitsipas’ second title of the clay-court sequence, after he won Monte Carlo in mid-April, taking out Evans in the semi-final along the way. He has become a serious contender to upset the establishment – specifically Nadal and Novak Djokovic – at Roland Garros over the next few weeks. “I felt in good shape from the beginning of the tournament,” said Tsitsipas afterwards. “I am proud of today’s match, I knew it would be a difficult one against Cameron, who has been showing great tennis this week. He has been winning against good players and showing what the left hand can do on clay. “It was not an easy match today. I had to handle the nerves and I am proud of my performance and the way I stayed focused towards my goal.” On this year’s results, meanwhile, both Evans and Norrie stand among the world’s 20 most successful men. Evans is at No 16 and Norrie No 14. The next challenge for them both is to convert that ATP Tour form into a deep run at a major.<doc-sep>The Telegraph Two of the surprise packages of this clay-court season have been British – initially Dan Evans, who made a deep run in Monte Carlo, and more lately Cameron Norrie, who played his second final in three weeks on Sunday. Unfortunately, Norrie wasn’t able to land a maiden ATP title in Lyon. But then he was up against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has been the dominant force of 2021 outside the slams, and now stands at No 1 in the table of most rankings points gained since January 1. Nevertheless, it had been a hugely creditable effort for Norrie to go this far, especially when you consider that he took out top seed Dominic Thiem on Thursday, and then trounced big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov in Saturday’s semi-final, losing only two games in the process. Norrie has come to clay late in his career, but it feels like this is developing into his favourite surface. He has one of the heaviest left-handed forehands in the game, loaded with top-spin, and uses it like a miniature version of Rafael Nadal. The result has been a tally of 14 wins and only four losses since he began his European clay-court swing in Barcelona. So while the French Open, which starts next Sunday, has traditionally been a graveyard of British hopes, there are reasons to hope that this year’s event could deliver some more positive results. Norrie’s previous final in Estoril had been a nervewracking affair which he eventually lost on a deciding-set tie-break to the more experienced Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Sunday was more straightforward for Tsitsipas, who needed only 69 minutes to hammer home a 6-3, 6-3 victory. It was Tsitsipas’ second title of the clay-court sequence, after he won Monte Carlo in mid-April, taking out Evans in the semi-final along the way. He has become a serious contender to upset the establishment – specifically Nadal and Novak Djokovic – at Roland Garros over the next few weeks. “I felt in good shape from the beginning of the tournament,” said Tsitsipas afterwards. “I am proud of today’s match, I knew it would be a difficult one against Cameron, who has been showing great tennis this week. He has been winning against good players and showing what the left hand can do on clay. “It was not an easy match today. I had to handle the nerves and I am proud of my performance and the way I stayed focused towards my goal.” On this year’s results, meanwhile, both Evans and Norrie stand among the world’s 20 most successful men. Evans is at No 16 and Norrie No 14. The next challenge for them both is to convert that ATP Tour form into a deep run at a major.<doc-sep>The conference finals are set for the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. In the East, the Boston Bruins will square off against the surprising Carolina Hurricanes, while it will be the San Jose Sharks facing the St. Louis Blues in the West. All the action will begin Thursday with Carolina and Boston opening their Eastern Conference final series at TD Garden at 8:00 p.m. ET. Sportsnet and CBC will have full coverage as the Stanley Cup finalists get decided. Here’s a look at each series’ schedule: Eastern Conference Final Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes Play-by-play: Jim Hughson; Game Analyst: Craig Simpson; Reporter: Kyle Bukauskas Western Conference Final San Jose Sharks vs. St. Louis Blues Play-by-play: Dave Randorf; Game Analyst: Garry Galley; Reporter: Scott Oake Also of note, Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition will air on both Saturdays of the Conference final on OMNI starting Saturday, May 11 with Game 1 of the Western Conference final at 5:00 p.m. PT. Additionally, Game 3 of the West final on May 15 will be joined in progress on CBC for viewers in Newfoundland due to a provincial election.<doc-sep>The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs continue and you can watch the action live on CBC TV or live streamed through CBCSports.ca and the CBC Sports app. CBC will be the home for every second-round game of the series between the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. The full broadcast schedule for the second round of the NHL playoffs, and where you can watch each game, is below: Eastern Conference semifinals Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Boston Bruins (Bruins win series 4-2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders (Hurricanes win series 4-0) Western Conference semifinals Colorado Avalanche vs. San Jose Sharks (Sharks win series 4-3) Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues (Blues win series 4-3) Eastern Conference quarter-finals Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Bruins win series 4-3) New York Islanders vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Islanders win series 4-0) Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes (Hurricanes win series 4-3) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (Blue Jackets win series 4-0) Western Conference quarter-finals Calgary Flames vs. Colorado Avalanche (Avalanche win series 4-1) Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues (Blues win series 4-2) Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars (Stars win series 4-2) San Jose Sharks vs. Vegas Golden Knights (Sharks win series 4-3)<doc-sep>
Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) The NHL’s feverish field of 16 has now been whittled down to a fascinating final four. The San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues emerge from Game 7s out West, while the Boston Bruins will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in the East. Could we see a first-time champion in the Sharks or Blues? Will the Hurricanes go from a decade of playoff misses to glory? Will Brad Marchand get a chance to lick the Stanley Cup? We’ll begin to get answers very soon, as Game 1 of the 2019 Eastern Conference Final kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday on NBCSN. Here’s the full schedule and TV info, so you can start lining up sick days and excuses to leave family functions early. Here is the complete schedule (All times ET, subject to change): EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL Thursday, May 9, 8 p.m.: Hurricanes @ Bruins | NBCSN Sunday, May 12, 3 p.m.: Hurricanes @ Bruins | NBC Tuesday, May 14, 8 p.m.: Bruins @ Hurricanes | NBCSN Thursday, May 16, 8 p.m.: Bruins @ Hurricanes | NBCSN *Saturday, May 18, 7:15 p.m.: Hurricanes @ Bruins | NBC *Monday, May 20, 8 p.m.: Bruins @ Hurricanes | NBCSN *Wednesday, May 22, 8 p.m.: Hurricanes @ Bruins | NBCSN WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL Saturday, May 11, 8 p.m.: Blues @ Sharks | NBC Monday, May 13, 9 p.m.: Blues @ Sharks | NBCSN Wednesday, May 15, 8 p.m.: Sharks @ Blues | NBCSN Friday, May 17, 8 p.m.: Sharks @ Blues | NBCSN *Sunday, May 19, 3 p.m.: Blues @ Sharks | NBC *Tuesday, May 21, 8 p.m.: Sharks @ Blues | NBCSN *Thursday, May 23, 9 p.m.: Blues @ Sharks | NBC * if necessary MORE: 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Schedule, Bracket, Streams and More For the third consecutive postseason, NBC Sports’ coverage of Stanley Cup Playoff first-round games on NBCUniversal cable networks (NBCSN, USA Network and CNBC), as well as NHL Network, will air side-by-side and will be available for streaming on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app in local markets alongside regional sports network game telecasts. (Local blackouts apply in Las Vegas and Pittsburgh in the first round). — James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.