Mikko Rantanen is quickly making himself indispensable to the Dallas Stars faithful.
After catching fire late in Dallas`s first-round series win over his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, which culminated in a Game 7 hat trick victory, Rantanen carried that scoring prowess directly into the second round`s Game 1 matchup against the Winnipeg Jets.
With the Stars trailing the Jets 1-0 during the second period, Rantanen once again delivered a spectacular offensive display, netting a natural hat trick to completely swing the momentum and put Dallas in the lead.
By scoring three goals in two consecutive playoff games, Rantanen has etched his name into a very exclusive group within NHL post-season history.
He joins just two other legendary players who have achieved back-to-back hat tricks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs: Doug Bentley, who did so in 1944, and Jari Kurri, who accomplished the feat in 1985. Rantanen is now the third member of this rare club.
Remarkably, after recording only a single assist in the opening games of the series against Colorado, Rantanen has exploded offensively, accumulating eight goals and 14 points across his last three games, including the first two periods of Wednesday night`s contest. Astonishingly, Rantanen was involved in scoring or assisting on the last 12 goals for Dallas.
Rantanen`s scoring outburst to kick off the series against Winnipeg immediately propelled him into sole possession of first place for goals scored during these Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Considering the 28-year-old forward was notably traded twice during the 2024-25 season—first from Colorado to Carolina, and then from Carolina to Dallas—his current exceptional performance run has captivated the hockey world as he writes a significant chapter in the NHL post-season record books.
Tristan Blackwood