Mikko Rantanen (Terrence Lee-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/856eff98-fdca-4eda-93ca-8b7cae67d44a.jpeg] Mikko Rantanen (Terrence Lee-Imagn Images) Mikko Rantanen picked up right where he left off after the first round when the Dallas Stars took on the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday. Dallas [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars] prevailed in a 3-2 win at the Canada Life Centre on Wednesday to take a 1-0 second-round lead over Winnipeg [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets]. Rantanen put up a natural hat trick in the contest. This was Rantanen’s second straight playoff hat trick after the team’s Game 7 win [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-playoffs-stars-mikko-rantanen-gets-ultimate-revenge-with-game-7-hat-trick] against the Colorado Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche]. This was a historic game for Rantanen [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/mikko-rantanen-breaks-dallas-stars-playoff-record]. Not only did he record back-to-back hat tricks in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but both hat tricks happened within one period. He is the first player in NHL history to record multiple three-goal periods in the same post-season, let alone in consecutive games. Rantanen also became the third player in history to record back-to-back hat tricks in the playoffs. The other two were Jari Kurri for the Edmonton Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] in 1985 and Doug Bentley for the Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks]in 1944. In his last four playoff games, Rantanen scored eight goals and six assists, and he now leads the NHL with 15 points. The 28-year-old has contributed to each of his team’s last 12 goals. He’s also been involved in 62.5 percent of Dallas’ 24 goals in these playoffs. While the spotlight was on Rantanen after his hat trick and the Stars’ first win of the series, left winger Jason Robertson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/dallas-could-get-star-forward-back-in-time-for-game-1] returned to the lineup for the first time since their last regular-season game. He played 13:44 of ice time and recorded one shot on goal in his return from injury. Jets center Mark Scheifele [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets/game-day/mark-scheifele-in-line-to-return-as-jets-host-stars-for-game-1-of-second-round] also returned to the lineup. This was Scheifele’s first game back since leaving during Game 5 against the St. Louis Blues in the first round with an undisclosed injury. The 32-year-old had an immediate impact for Winnipeg, scoring late in the second period to make it a one-goal game. He took seven shots and played 22:36 of ice time. Winnipeg made a strong push late in the contest during the 6-on-5 scenario and was hoping for another episode of Manitoba Magic, much like in Game 7 against the Blues [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues] when they tied the game with 1.6 seconds left to force overtime and eventually win the series. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-playoffs-winnipeg-jets-complete-dramatic-comeback-to-eliminate-the-blues] Despite the team’s late scramble to equalize, Jets coach Scott Arniel was not impressed with his team’s overall performance. “There was a lot of sloppiness to that game,” Arniel told reporters. [https://www.nhl.com/news/dallas-stars-winnipeg-jets-game-1-recap-may-7#:~:text=there%20was%20a%20lot%20of%20sloppiness%20to%20that%20game] "That did not feel like a playoff game in Game 1 in Round 2. That felt like Game 45 in the middle of December.” Arniel added that he didn’t like his team’s execution, specifically after winning draws and their passing. He highlighted there was more time and space on the ice than when they faced St. Louis, but his players didn’t take advantage of that. Winnipeg will host Game 2 on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-playoffs-2025-second-round-schedule-dates-times-where-to-watch], before the series shifts to Dallas for Games 3 and 4. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
