Struggling Rantanen in spotlight as Stars-Avs shifts to Colorado
Published
Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen was always going to be in the spotlight in a first-round series against the team he started the season with.
A poor start to the series against the Colorado Avalanche, though, has only added to the pressure facing the 28-year-old.
Rantanen was traded twice this season, first to the Carolina Hurricanes in January and then to the Stars in March ahead of the trade deadline. His production dropped significantly in Carolina, but picked up again to end the year in Dallas.
He began the year with 25 goals and 64 points in his first 49 games with the Avalanche. He then posted just two goals and six points in 13 games with Carolina and finished with five goals and 18 points in 20 games with the Stars, who he signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with as part of the deadline-day deal.
In the first two playoff games against the Avalanche, Rantanen has been silent. He is without a point, minus-3 and took a penalty late in third period of Dallas' 3-2 overtime win in Game 2.
“He’s got a lot on his plate,” Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said of the forward, per NHL.com. “I don’t think anyone should be surprised that this hasn’t come easily and all at once. I think the track record of guys in similar situations to this tells everyone in this room, including our coaching staff, that this isn’t going to be easy.”
The series now shifts back to Colorado with the two teams tied at 1-1 as Rantanen faces the fans of his former team. He posted one assist when the two teams met in Colorado in just the fourth game of his Stars tenure in March, a 4-3 overtime win for the Avalanche.
Rantanen was a proven playoff performer during his time with the Avalanche, posting 34 goals and 101 points over 83 playoff games in seven trips to the postseason. He had five goals and 25 points in 20 points en route to helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 2022.
The Stars are hoping Rantanen can find some of that success once again after posting just one goal in his past nine games.
“We need him, but he’s not going to win this series for us singlehandedly,” DeBoer added. “He’s got to play a part, but we’ve got a big group around him. Until he gets to a point where he’s making a nightly impact, other guys have to do some heavy lifting.”