Florida’s road has only been a touch tougher. The Panthers beat in-state rival Tampa Bay in five games before needing seven games to get by Toronto, winning the decisive game in Canada. Florida dropped the first two games to the Maple Leafs and trailed Game 3 by two goals, but stormed back in that series.

The Dallas Stars have done what no other team has over the past three decades in reaching three conference finals in a row. “Three years in a row now, you get that close and you come up short ... obviously not a good feeling,