When Mikko Rantanen takes over a game, he takes over a game.
Rantanen continued his hot streak Wednesday when he scored a second-period hat trick in the Dallas Stars’ 3-2 victory in Game 1 against the Winnipeg Jets. That ended the Stars’ streak of losing Game 1 in eight consecutive series.
He already became the first player in NHL history to record four-point periods in back-to-back games in Games 6 and 7 against the Colorado Avalanche. His Game 7 hat trick in the third period helped Dallas overcome a 2-0 deficit and knock off his former team.
By the time he scored his third goal on Wednesday, he had a hand in 12 consecutive Stars goals, an NHL playoff record. He’s also the first NHL player with multiple three-goal periods in the same postseason.
His Game 1 hat trick couldn’t have been more varied.
Rantanen, who was being double-shifted, poked a rebound into the net with one hand on his stick while he was being knocked down. That tied the game at 8:43.
He tipped in a Thomas Harley shot at 14:21 for a 2-1 lead. The third goal was a fluke when his pass attempt banked in off Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg at 16:38.
But when you’re hot, those things happen.
‘Let’s see how long he can run this for,’ Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. ‘He’s rolling and he’s feeling it. Pretty impressive what he’s doing, considering the opponent and the time of year and how he’s dominating games.’
Rantanen, nicknamed Moose, is known for his size, shot and skating, plus his playoff prowess. He had 101 points in 81 playoff games with the Avalanche before they shockingly traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes in January. The Hurricanes, worried they wouldn’t be able to re-sign him, dealt him to Dallas on trade deadline day and he signed an extension there to play alongside the Stars’ stable of Finnish players.
With the hat trick, Rantanen leads the NHL with eight playoff goals, passing Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, who’s out of the playoffs.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
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