The Dallas Stars eliminated the Minnesota Wild last week in six games. They got a bit of a break while awaiting who won the Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken series. On Sunday night, the Kraken eliminated the Avalanche from the playoffs and advanced to take on the Stars in the second round.
It’s a very interesting matchup for a slew of reasons. From the top rookies this past season taking on each other to how Seattle has only been in the league for two seasons, this series will have it all. Joe Pavelski returning to the lineup after that huge hit he took is another huge series storyline. Let’s take a look at some of the storylines for the Dallas Stars Seattle Kraken series.
Dallas Stars vs Seattle Kraken Storylines: 3. Joe Pavelski returns to the lineup
The Dallas Stars fought hard in the first round to make sure Joe Pavelski could play some more playoff hockey this season. Well, he will be returning to the lineup in game 1 of this series which could give the Stars a huge offensive boost. Now I’m sure the Stars are going to ease him in a bit and not give him as many minutes in game 1 but it’s nice to see him back after that nasty hit.
Dallas Stars vs Seattle Kraken Storylines: 2. Seattle’s experience
Now for those casual hockey fans that don’t follow the league that much and are wondering who are next opponent is, let me explain. The Kraken literally just started playing hockey last season as a recent NHL expansion team. They had a lot of rough patches last season which is expected of an expansion team unless you are the Vegas Golden Knights. The Stars can’t take this team lightly this round or else they will end up like the former defending Stanley Cup Champions, The Colorado Avalanche.
Dallas Stars vs Seattle Kraken Storylines: 1. Battle of the rookies
The final storyline that you need to keep an eye on is the battle between Wyatt Johnston and Matty Beniers. Both of these players are up for the Calder Trophy which is awarded to the top rookie. Johnston scored his first-ever career playoff goal in game 6 of the last series. Beniers scored a goal as well in the last series for the Kraken. I think that since they both have gotten over the hump of scoring their first career playoff goal we will see a lot more of them in this series.