NHL Game Night: Referees and Linesmen for Leafs vs Panthers and Stars vs Kraken

The NHL Playoffs are heading into the second round after eight teams bowed out in the first round. For the second straight year and fifth time in NHL history, a Stanley Cup Playoffs round had at least seven series requiring more than six games.

Leafs and Panthers kick off Round 2 of NHL Playoffs

REFEREES	LINESMEN
Kelly Sutherland	Steve Barton
Trevor Hanson	Bryan Pancich

Series Officiating Supervisor: Kay Whitmore

Standby Officials: Kendrick Nicholson, Matt MacPherson

(Source: scoutingtherefs.com)

The Toronto Maple Leafs have reached the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 19 years. They are here after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in a close 4-2 series win.

The Florida Panthers are coming off a massive upset against the best regular season team in NHL history, the Boston Bruins. The Panthers shocked the hockey world by not only taking the series to Game 7 but defeating Boston, who had a 3-1 series lead.

The Panthers will probably stick with veteran Sergei Bobrovsky after he took the crease and won three straight games against the Bruins. Bobrovsky's numbers are far from elite but the 34-year-old has found a way to win. He is 3-1 with a 3.94 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in the postseason.

Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov overcame a horrific start to lead Toronto to a six-game series victory against Tampa. After a .793 save percentage in a blowout Game 1 loss, Samsonov went 4-1 with a .918 save percentage. In Game 7, Samsonov stopped 31 of 32 Lightning shots (.969 percent).

Matthew Tkachuk and Auston Matthews will go head-to-head on the ice. It remains to be seen which American will earn the bragging rights as the best NHL center in this series.

Dallas Stars vs Seattle Kraken

REFEREES	LINESMEN
Kyle Rehman	Kiel Murchison
Jean Hebert	Shandor Alphonso

Series Officiating Supervisor: Don Van Massenhoven

Standby Official: Chris Lee

(Source: scoutingtherefs.com)

Seatte Kraken upset defending champions Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the NHL playoffs. They go up against the Dallas Stars, who defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-2. The Wild were expected to win the series, but Kirill Kaprizov could not step in the postseason and fell to the Stars.

The Dallas Stars are the favorites in this matchup regardless of Kraken beating the Avs. Stars look to be a more cohesive team with a good mix of young talent and experience in their squad.

Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, and Jamie Benn will be required to deliver on the offensive end for the Stars. If they are forced to defend, Norris-caliber defender Miro Heiskanen and a group of veterans will be there for it. And finally, if the Stars are ever in a goaltending duel, most will pick Jake Oettinger to come out on top.