Mikko Rantanen continued his extraordinary postseason form, recording a natural hat trick in the second period to power the Dallas Stars to a narrow 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 1 of their Western Conference second-round series. Coming off a hat trick in Game 7 against Colorado, Rantanen once again demonstrated why he’s among the most feared forwards in the playoffs.
With his second consecutive hat trick, Rantanen joins an elite circle in Stanley Cup playoff history, etching his name alongside a rare class of goal-scorers. So far, he has tallied 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in just eight postseason games, asserting himself as the offensive centerpiece of Stars’ campaign.
“Sometimes it’s ups and downs in hockey and now it’s going well individually and as a team,” Rantanen told NHL.com. “But it’s important in the playoffs, like I’ve said before — if you win or have a good game, never get too high. You’ve got to reset and enjoy it for five minutes after the game and then reset.” His message sent a clear signal of focus and humility to his teammates as they pursue a deeper playoff run.
Rantanen praises team effort
Beyond his goals, Rantanen was quick to credit Jake Oettinger, who anchored the Stars defensively with a crucial third period. “I thought [Oettinger] was excellent,” Rantanen said.
He added: “I think we played a good two periods and then they were pushing really hard in the third and we kind of sat back maybe too much. We talked about trying to be aggressive but they’re obviously a very good team. They were pushing and we were kind of on our heels. ‘Otter’ was the difference-maker in the third.” Oettinger ended the night with 30 saves, many of them coming under heavy pressure late in the game, securing a hard-fought victory for Dallas.
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Jets strike early but falter against Rantanen’s onslaught
For Jets, it was Nino Niederreiter who broke the deadlock, giving the home crowd something to cheer early in the contest. However, Rantanen responded emphatically, scoring three goals in a span of under eight minutes to flip the scoreline entirely. Mark Scheifele later brought the Jets within one, but it wasn’t enough.
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Despite the efforts of Connor Hellebuyck, who stopped 21 shots, the Jets were unable to contain Rantanen’s second-period explosion. The loss was a tough blow for a team that captured the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s top regular-season squad. The series will continue with Game 2 also in Winnipeg, where the Jets will look to regroup and respond.
