In just a few short hours, the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues will help usher in the second round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Take that in for a moment.
Just a few months ago, the two sat in the bottom half of the Central division and looked to be playoff hopefuls at best. Following a late-season surge by both clubs, though, they now make up 25 percent of the teams still in the running for the Stanley Cup.
And that’s exactly what makes this second-round series so enticing. Not only do these two teams not like each other and have a rough history, but the stakes are now higher with a trip to the Western Conference finals on the line.