The old adage of "preparation meeting opportunity" perfectly describes the NHL this year.
First of all, the Vegas Golden Knights are having the greatest expansion season in the history of pro sports.
Second, the Colorado Avalanche have gone from a historically bad last-place finish to sitting in playoff position.
And third, six teams that missed the playoffs last season are on pace to get into the postseason party, including Tampa Bay, which has the best record in the NHL.
Oh yeah, the Stars are one of those teams, too.
It's an intriguing study into just how quickly fortunes can change in this league.