Mikko Rantanen is quickly becoming a fan favorite for the Dallas Stars.
Following a red-hot finish to Dallas`s first-round victory against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, where his hat trick powered them to a Game 7 win, Rantanen carried that offensive surge into Game 1 of the second round against the Winnipeg Jets.
Trailing 1-0 in the second period, Rantanen again took charge, scoring a natural hat trick to turn the tide of the game in Dallas`s favor.
By scoring three goals for the second consecutive game, Rantanen entered an elite group in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. He joined Doug Bentley (1944) and Jari Kurri (1985) as only the third player ever to achieve back-to-back hat tricks in the playoffs.
After a quiet start to the Colorado series with just one assist in the initial games, Rantanen`s performance exploded. His recent scoring spree includes eight goals and 14 points over his last three appearances, demonstrating his pivotal role in Dallas`s offense.
This scoring outburst against Winnipeg propelled Rantanen to the top of the goal-scoring leaderboard for these Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Considering the 28-year-old forward was traded twice during the 2024-25 season – moving from Colorado to Carolina, then to Dallas – his spectacular run has captivated the hockey world as he writes his name into the NHL post-season record books.
