Sometimes the playoffs structure delivers us familiar match-ups of longtime rivals, and sometimes it puts the NHL on shuffle and sees what comes out. 

The Stars are built to win, qualifying for the second round for the first time since losing in the Cup final in 2020. They convincingly knocked off the Wild but still have plenty of room for improvement after relying heavily on the powerplay.

Meanwhile it took the Kraken two seasons to make it to the second round of the playoffs, twice the amount of time we've become accustomed to waiting for expansion teams in recent years. Despite this staggering disappointment, Seattle fans can be very pleased with having defied the odds to knock off the defending champs in round one and are playing with house money at this point.

My playoff previews are sta