The Dallas Stars were a better (hungrier) team than Vegas this season
The Dallas Stars are one of the best teams in the NHL on paper. It was tough to see them have to match up with the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round but that is the way the cookie crumbled this season.
Vegas went up 2-0 in Dallas and looked like they were going to make easy work of the Stars heading back to Vegas. Dallas rallied and won both games in Vegas to bring this thing back home tied up at two. In hindsight, they probably played better in the first two games as well but weren't able to win.
They won two of the final three games of the series which moved them onto the second round. Dallas is healthier, better, and hungrier this year. They want this thing badly.
Joe Pavelski is one of the most playoff-productive players in NHL history to never win the Stanley Cup. These guys want to get him one. They are leaving it all out there to try and do it.
With the depth they have up front, on defense, and with Jake Oettinger in the net, they are a very good team that can beat anybody when they stick to their game. Vegas wasn't good enough to take them down this year.