Mikko Rantanen is making NHL playoff history – and making his former team wish they’d never let him go.
The 28-year-old Stars forward became the first player ever to score hat tricks in back-to-back Stanley Cup playoff games on Wednesday night.
His latest three-goal explosion came in the second period against the Winnipeg Jets, powering Dallas to a crucial 3-2 win in Game 1 of their series.
But it’s the timing that makes this even more remarkable. Just four days earlier, Rantanen torched his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, with three goals in the third period of Game 7. That hat trick helped Dallas complete a stunning comeback to win 4-2 and eliminate Colorado.
The story behind Rantanen’s path to Dallas is pretty wild. The Avalanche traded him to Carolina back in January over a contract dispute. The Hurricanes then flipped him to the Stars in March.
Dallas immediately locked him up with a massive eight-year, $96 million deal.
Now he’s making that investment look like a bargain. In just two playoff games, he’s already scored six goals – all of them coming in clutch moments.
For Colorado, watching their former All-Star right winger torch them in Game 7 and then make NHL history just days later has to be tough to swallow. The contract dispute that led to his trade is looking more expensive by the day.
