Mikko Rantanen has truly embraced his new role with the Dallas Stars. He is now returning to Colorado for a playoff series, aiming to help his new team advance.
In his debut playoff series playing for Dallas, against his former team, Rantanen achieved a significant milestone: his first playoff goal and two assists for the Stars. This contribution was crucial in their Game 5 win, positioning them to eliminate the Avalanche for the second consecutive year.
“It`s reality, I guess,” Rantanen commented with a smile on Wednesday, the day before Game 6.
After seven straight playoff appearances and ten seasons with the Avalanche, including their 2022 Stanley Cup win, Rantanen experienced two trades within six weeks. He first moved to Carolina on January 24th, followed by a trade to Dallas on March 7th. This trade deadline acquisition occurred after he signed a substantial eight-year, $96 million contract extension.
Including the current playoff games, the 28-year-old Rantanen has now played 25 games for the Stars.
“That`s the most important thing, I believe, getting comfortable and playing by instinct,” Rantanen stated. “The strategies and everything are now second nature, so I don`t need to consciously think about my positioning on the ice. It happens instinctively, and that will improve further as I play more games… `Settling in` is an accurate way to describe it, and that`s crucial for playing effectively.”
Last season, it was in Game 6 played in Colorado where the Stars clinched their second-round series. Matt Duchene scored the winning goal 11:42 into the second overtime for a 2-1 victory. In that game, Rantanen scored the only goal for the Avalanche.
In Game 3 of the current series, which was his first playoff game in Colorado as an opponent, Rantanen recorded a secondary assist on Tyler Seguin`s overtime goal. This was Rantanen`s sole playoff point for Dallas before Game 5. His goal in Game 5 resulted from a 2-on-1 rush involving skillful give-and-go passes with Roope Hintz. Prior to this goal, he had registered 12 shots on net over the first four games.
Dallas coach Pete DeBoer commented, “He is settling in, and I believe his performance is much better than his statistics indicate. I thought he played two or three very strong games in this series already. He was excellent in Colorado during Game 3… I see him consistently putting together games where he appears comfortable, and he will make a difference even if the point totals don`t fully reflect it.”
Over 81 playoff games with Colorado, Rantanen accumulated 99 points (34 goals, 65 assists). His final game for the Avalanche was on January 22nd. Despite leaving mid-season, he finished the regular season as their third-highest scorer, tallying 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) in 49 games played for them, trailing only Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
Following a 13-game period with Carolina where he earned six points (two goals), Rantanen contributed five goals and 13 assists in his final 20 regular-season games for Dallas. This brought his combined 82-game total for the season to 88 points (32 goals). This marks the seventh time in eight seasons he has averaged more than a point per game, the single exception being the 2019-20 season when he recorded 41 points in 42 games.
In Dallas, he plays on a line alongside fellow Finnish players Roope Hintz and Mikael Granlund. Hintz, the same age as Rantanen, has spent his entire seven-season NHL career with Dallas. Granlund, 33, was acquired from San Jose via trade on February 1st, and has played only 11 more games for Dallas than Rantanen.
DeBoer noted, “They share a history as Finnish players who have played together on national teams and such. I`m unsure if they were ever linemates before, but I believe having that existing familiarity definitely accelerates chemistry. Since they are countrymen and can speak Finnish to each other, their communication is very straightforward.”
Matt Duchene began his NHL career playing over eight seasons for Colorado. His last full season with the team coincided with Rantanen`s rookie year.
“It`s great having him in the locker room,” Duchene commented. “You can tell he`s a fantastic player by how he conducts himself. He`s a very easy person to integrate into the team.”
Tristan Blackwood