Valeri Nichushkin took strides to take his hard-checking, goal-scoring game to another level this season. Same with his life away from the rink, his Colorado Avalanche teammates, coach and GM maintain.

As if Mikko Rantanen playing his old team wasn't enough, the Stars and Avalanche series is starting to ooze with storylines.

The Stars aren’t just a favorite in this series, they're a favorite to win the Cup. But don't count out the Avs' star power and spite.