THN.com/podcast. From The Hockey News Podcast: Where Did All the Second-Round Drama Go? Roope Hintz [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk3OTc2ODUzODU4NzU2Mzgx/usatsi_20673112.jpg] Roope Hintz They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the hockey victories. The Dallas Stars booked their ticket to the Western Conference final on Monday night, defeating the Seattle Kraken by a score of 2-1 in a tightly-contested Game 7 to advance to the third round of the playoffs since the 2020 post-season bubble. Fittingly, it was Dallas' stars leading the way en route to victory, with center Roope Hintz making his case as the most underrated player in the NHL by opening the scoring late in the second period. Rookie sensation Wyatt Johnston then continued his impressive debut season in the big leagues by padding the lead to make it 2-0 shortly after. The drama wouldn't end there, though. With just 18.6 seconds left in the third period, Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand potted a quick goal to cut the deficit in half and bring his team within one. And while the Kraken tried valiantly to even things out and extend their season, time simply was not on their side. The Stars will now go on to face a Golden Knights squad that is remarkably well-matched to them, with both teams boasting solid bluelines complimented by deep forward corps headlined by elite talent. Watching Hintz, Jason Robertson and Jamie Benn trade blows with Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault will be a joy to watch and will hopefully give national viewers an exciting glimpse into two markets that don't nearly get enough coverage. As for Seattle, the Kraken blew expectations out of the water (pun intended) in their sophomore season as an NHL franchise, getting contributions from practically every single member of their roster and executing a system that was deployed perfectly by coach Dave Hakstol. Needless to say, the future is bright in the league's newest market. Game 1 between the Stars and Golden Knights kicks off on Friday, May 18 at 8:30 p.m. ET in Las Vegas. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-announces-conference-finals-schedule]
