Top storylines for 2nd round of Stanley Cup Playoffs

The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs had plenty of excitement. And the second round has every chance of equaling or topping the first round.

There's certainly plenty to talk about before the games even begin. So, here are five storylines for the second round:

McDavid vs. Eichel

We've been waiting eight years for this one. Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, facing Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel, the No. 2 pick in that draft (by the Buffalo Sabres), in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Game 1 is at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday.

McDavid had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) for the Oilers in six games against the Los Angeles Kings and Eichel, who's in the playoffs for the first time in the NHL, had five points (three goals, two assists) in five games against the Winnipeg Jets. Each team certainly has its other game breakers but there will be a lot of focus on these two going head to head.

Year of the rat?

We doubt there were any rats thrown onto the TD Garden ice when the Florida Panthers defeated the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round, but there could be some flying if the Panthers continue their roll in the postseason. Perhaps the Panthers have the same magic they had in the 1996 postseason, when they reached the Stanley Cup Final and rubber rats were their unofficial mascot.

The Panthers play the Toronto Maple Leafs, who exorcised their first-round demons when they eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. Game 1 is at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, SN, TVAS).

Matthew Tkachuk has been outstanding for the Panthers with 11 points (five goals, six assists), followed by Brandon Montour with eight points (five goals, three assists). Carter Verhaeghe leads the Panthers with two game-winning goals.

The Panthers won three straight elimination games to advance to the second round, including two in Boston, where the Bruins had lost four times in the regular season. So, the crazy atmosphere in Toronto shouldn't intimidate them.

Hello again

Dougie Hamilton will be seeing some familiar faces when the New Jersey Devils play the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.

The defenseman played for the Hurricanes from 2018-21 before leaving as a free agent to sign with the Devils on July 28, 2021.

Hamilton had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 31 playoff games with the Hurricanes. He has three points (one goal, two assists) in six with the Devils this postseason. He has averaged 20:22 of ice time per game, third among Devils defensemen behind John Marino (23:03) and Ryan Graves (21:57).

Hamilton had an NHL career-high 74 points (22 goals, 52 assists) this season with the Devils after several solid seasons with the Hurricanes. Now he'll try to play a hand in their elimination.

Release the Kraken

What a season for the Seattle Kraken. After finishing 30th in their inaugural season in 2021-22, they qualified for the playoffs this season and then defeated the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in seven games in the first round.

Pretty impressive, but can the Kraken keep it going? The challenge doesn't get any easier against the Dallas Stars, who eliminated the Minnesota Wild in six games. Game 1 is at American Airlines Center on Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, SN, TVAS).

The Kraken will be brimming with confidence but so will the Stars. The most interesting part of this series could be on special teams. The Kraken's penalty kill was second in the League (88.9 percent) in the first round and the Stars power play was fourth (37.5 percent).

Home not so sweet

During the Stars' first-round series against the Wild, Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said, "if you lined up all the coaches in the NHL and asked them if they'd rather play 5 and 7 at home or on the road, I don't care what their records are, you'll take 5 and 7 at home."

But thus far in the playoffs, home ice hasn't really been much of an advantage. Through Sunday's games, road teams are 31-18, an NHL record for road wins in any round. Visiting teams were 30-18 in the 2012 Conference Quarterfinals.

The Panthers won three of their four games in Boston in the first round. So did the Kraken in Colorado. Each won Game 7 on the road. The Stars eliminated the Wild in Minnesota in Game 6, the Oilers finished off the Kings on the road in Game 6 and the Maple Leafs did the same to the Lightning. Will home ice be advantageous in the second round? Let's see.