Rantanen makes history with another single-period hat trick as Stars take Game 1
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Dallas Stars trade-deadline acquisition Mikko Rantanen became the first player to ever record multiple three-goal periods in the same playoffs with his second-period hat trick Wednesday in Game 1 against the Winnipeg Jets.
Rantanen provided all of the offence for the Stars in their 3-2 victory, which came one game after he lifted Dallas into the second round with a third-period hat trick in Game 7 against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
The 28-year-old winger has caught fire after recording just one assist in his four playoff games this spring. He's now scored in four straight games, posting a total of eight goals and 14 points over that span.
“Sometimes it’s ups and downs in hockey and now it’s going well individually and as a team,” Rantanen said after Wednesday's win. “But it’s important in the playoffs, like I’ve said before, if you win or you have a good game never get too high. You’ve got to reset and enjoy. Enjoy it for five minutes after the game and then reset.”
“Let’s see how long he can run this for,” Stars head coach Pete DeBoer joked. “Yeah, he’s rolling and he’s feeling it. Pretty impressive, what he’s doing. I mean, considering the opponent and the time of year and how he’s dominating games - really impressive."
The Stars are the third team Rantanen has played for this year after he was blindsided by a trade from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes in January. He was on pace to push for another 100-point season in Colorado with 25 goals and 64 points in 49 games, but struggled during his brief time with the Hurricanes. After posting two goals and six points in Carolina, the team elected to trade him to the Stars, bringing Rantanen back into the Central Division.
He exacted his revenge on Colorado in Round 1, and now the Jets face Rantanen again after falling to him and the Avalanche in five games last spring.
“[Rantanen is] just somebody that you always have to know when he's on the ice,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “Whenever you face elite players, you have to know where they are. Obviously, he's feeling it coming off of Game 7. We've got to know when he's on the ice. He's a guy that you have to make sure especially you tie up that stick of his.”
Game 2 of the first-round series will take place Friday in Winnipeg before the series shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Sunday.