NHL News: Mikko Rantanen sends stern message to Stars after crushing loss to Oilers

What once seemed like a tightly contested series has swiftly turned into a crisis for Mikko Rantanen‘s Dallas Stars, whose Game 4 loss in Edmonton has left them on the edge of elimination. A 4-1 defeat on Tuesday night handed the Edmonton Oilers their third straight win in the Western Conference Final—and left Dallas reeling both on the ice and emotionally.

As the Oilers celebrated yet another dominant performance, tempers and frustration brewed in the Stars’ locker room. Mikko Rantanen, who has emerged as one of the vocal leaders of the team, didn’t hold back in assessing where things stand.

“This is not the time of year to get frustrated,” Rantanen stressed, according to NHL.com. “You’ve just got to reset and go back at it.” His message was clear: rally, or go home. The Stars will now return to Dallas with their backs against the wall, trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 will not just be a test of their skill, but of their mental fortitude.

Oilers dominate from the start

The tone was set early in Game 4, as Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring on a first-period power play. It was a textbook setup—passing the puck to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, reclaiming it, and hammering a one-timer from the right circle. That goal was the seventh time in as many games that Edmonton scored first, a streak that has tied their longest ever in postseason play.

Dallas found some life in the second period when Jason Robertson converted a power-play opportunity of his own, tying the game at 1-1. But any momentum the Stars might have built was quickly erased. Just two and a half minutes later, Corey Perry buried a cross-crease feed from Nugent-Hopkins, putting the Oilers back on top for good.

Two late empty-net goals by Kasperi Kapanen and Adam Henrique sealed the win for Edmonton, who thoroughly outshot the Stars 13-4 in the third period.

What’s next for the Stars?

Now the Oilers head to Dallas with confidence and momentum, while the Stars must search for answers—and hope their locker room leader’s call to reset doesn’t come too late.