Mikko Rantanen’s Historic Hat Trick Propels Stars Past Jets in Game 1

Mikko Rantanen’s Historic Hat Trick Propels Stars Past Jets in Game 1

Mikko Rantanen recorded a natural hat trick in the second period, and goaltender Jake Oettinger made 30 saves to lead the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 1 of their second-round NHL playoff series on Wednesday night at Canada Life Centre.



Rantanen, who also had a hat trick in Game 7 of the first round, entered the history books by becoming just the third player in NHL history to record hat tricks in consecutive playoff games.

Game Summary

• Final Score: Dallas Stars 3, Winnipeg Jets 2
• Series Status: Stars lead 1-0 in the best-of-seven series
• Venue: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg

Rantanen Makes NHL History

• Mikko Rantanen continued his postseason tear with a natural hat trick, scoring all three of Dallas' goals in the second period.
• He joined NHL legends Jari Kurri (1985) and Doug Bentley (1944) as the only players to notch hat tricks in back-to-back playoff games.
• Rantanen now has 8 goals and 7 assists (15 points) in the 2025 playoffs, with a point streak extending to four games.
• Thomas Harley picked up an assist on Rantanen’s second goal with a smart point shot.
• Sam Steele assisted on Rantanen’s opening goal of the night.

Oettinger Holds the Line

• Jake Oettinger was sharp in net, turning away 30 of 32 shots to help the Stars secure the road win.
• The Dallas netminder made key saves in the third period as Winnipeg pushed to tie the game late.

Jets Fall Short Despite Strong Effort

• Nino Niederreiter opened the scoring for Winnipeg with a slick backhand from a tough angle at 3:30 of the second period. He became the first Swiss-born player to reach 100 NHL playoff games.
• Mark Scheifele, returning from an upper-body injury suffered in Round 1, cut the deficit to 3-2 in the third with his first goal of the series.
• Connor Hellebuyck stopped 21 shots in the loss as the Jets saw their four-game home winning streak snapped.

How the Game Unfolded

First Period:

• Scoreless opening frame with both goaltenders solid.

Second Period:

• 3:30 — Niederreiter puts Winnipeg ahead 1-0
• 8:43 — Rantanen ties it with his sixth playoff goal
• 14:21 — Rantanen tips Harley’s point shot to make it 2-1 Dallas
• 15:04 — Rantanen completes the natural hat trick on the power play (3-1 Stars)

Third Period:

• 15:47 — Scheifele scores to cut the lead to 3-2, but the Jets can’t find the equalizer

Key Stats

• Shots on Goal: Winnipeg 32, Dallas 24
• Power Plays:
• Dallas: 1-for-2
• Winnipeg: 0-for-2

Postgame Reactions

• Mikko Rantanen:

“Sometimes it goes that way… now it’s going well individually and as a team.”

• Sam Steele (Stars):

“He’s one of the best players in the world… we’re just trying to get him the puck.”

• Scott Arniel (Jets Head Coach):

“We know we just gave up home-ice advantage. That wasn’t our best.”

What’s Next

• Game 2: Friday, May 10, 2025
• Location: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg
• Current Series: Dallas Stars lead 1-0