Heading into Saturday’s do-or-die game, the Dallas Stars‘ secret weapon appeared to be coach Peter DeBoer’s 8-0 record in Game 7s.
He’s 9-0 now because of the Stars’ not-so-secret weapon. Mikko Rantanen stunningly turned the game around in the third period, erasing a 2-0 deficit with a tremendous skating display and three goals and an assist in a 4-2 victory against the Colorado Avalanche.
He did it against the team that shockingly traded him to Carolina earlier in the season. He ended up on the Stars after they made a trade deadline deal with the Hurricanes and gave him an eight-year extension. He had 101 points in 81 playoff games with the Avalanche, and that’s what the Stars were looking for when they made the move.
They got it. The Stars looked spent when they were held to 10 shots over the first two periods and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon made it 2-0 just 31 seconds into the third period.
But Rantanen darted into the offensive zone and ripped a shot past Mackenzie Blackwood at 7:49. He tied the game on a power play after zipping behind the net and putting the puck out front, where it bounced off a defender’s skate. He picked up an assist on Wyatt Johnston’s go-ahead goal and completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal.
“He was a motivated guy to make an impact in this series,” DeBoer told reporters. “He just better and better.”
The Stars are heading to the second round, where they’ll face the Winnipeg Jets or St. Louis Blues, who have their own Game 7 Sunday night in Winnipeg.
USA TODAY Sports provided live coverage of Game 7. Highlights from the Stars’ Game 7 win:
They will either head to Winnipeg or host St. Louis, depending on what whether the Jets or Blues win Sunday night.
They went 1-3 against the Jets and 3-0 against the Blues during the regular season.
With their season extended, they might to be able to get back injured forward Jason Robertson, who’s day-to-day, and defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
Their once-promising season is over after a first-round exit.
“They were missing their best D and maybe their best forward,” MacKinnon told reporters. “We still couldn’t beat them so, yeah, I don’t know what we’re gonna do.”
The Avalanche will continue to be a threat with the core locked in long-term and Gabriel Landeskog back after a three-season injury absence. They’ll have to make some decisions on trade deadline acquisitions Brock Nelson and Ryan Lindgren, who are pending unrestricted free agents. Joel Kiviranta is also unrestricted.
Mikko Rantanen, who knocked his former team out of the playoffs, said it was emotional going through the handshake line after the 4-2 win.
“They’re my brothers,” he told ABC. “I still love every one of them. Obviously we were enemies in the series on the ice, but they’re my dear friends off the ice.”
The Dallas Stars are heading to the second round, thanks to Mikko Rantanen, who had three goals and an assist to help Dallas overcome a 2-0 deficit early in the third period. Stars coach Peter DeBoer now 9-0 in Game 7s.
He gets an empty-netter for his third goal of the game. Four points in a period for the second game in a row. Stars 4, Avalanche 2
Makenzie Blackwood out for an extra skater.
Dallas doesn’t need long to connect on the power play. Matt Duchene makes a cross-crease pass to Wyatt Johnston for the go-ahead goal. Mikko Rantanen gets the secondary assist. Stars 3, Avalanche 2
Jack Drury called for holding with 4:13 lef.
He skates hard around the net and puts the puck out front, where it bounces in off Avalanche defenseman Sam Girard’s skate. Another goal against his former team. There’s 6:14 left. Stars 2, Avalanche 2
Cale Makar’s stick breaks and he ends up tripping Roope Hintz. Martin Necas appears to be hurt as he goes into the boards. It’s 4-on-4 play.
Matt Duchene is called for tripping.
Former Avalanche star Rantanen skates into the zone, makes his way to the slot and rips a shot past Mackenzie Blackwood for Dallas’ first goal. Avalanche 2, Stars 1
The Stars’ top defenseman is slow getting up as he goes awkwardly into the boards. But he eventually skates off.
Nathan MacKinnon jumps off the bench on a delayed penalty to Jamie Benn and repeats the move he made in the first period. This time, he beats Jake Oettinger, 31 seconds into the third period. It’s his seventh goal of the playoffs. Avalanche 2, Stars 0
Avalanche lead 1-0.
Defenseman Josh Manson had one goal in the regular season and five in the playoffs heading into this postseason. But he jumped up in the play for a shorthanded goal that gave Colorado the lead. He had a empty-netter in Game 6. Shots are 14-10 Colorado.
Dallas had a 9-8 shot advantage, but now they trail 14-9. The Stars finally get one.
Penalty killer Logan O’Connor pulls up and feeds a breaking Josh Manson for a shorthanded goal. That’s two goals in two games for the low-scoring defenseman. Then Colorado kills off the rest of the penalty. Avalanche 1, Stars 0
Dallas has been having more chances on the rush and when that happens, it could lead to a penalty. It does as Colorado’s Sam Malinski is called for interference.
Granlund gets the puck down low and skates around the crease to try to get Blackwood out of position, but the goalie stays with him and makes a leg save. Best scoring chance of the game so far.
Scoreless so far.
The Avalanche got a couple good looks on an extended power play and the action was back and fourth, but not a lot of shots on net. Colorado holds a 5-4 lead. Some big hits. Dallas leads 14-10 in that category.
Jamie Benn heading to the penalty box. While teammate Wyatt Johnston puts on a skating display, Benn high-sticks Valeri Nichushkin, who’s down on the ice and needs repair work. Benn gets four minutes.
Nathan MacKinnon and Marin Necas get chances, but Dallas kills it off.
Parker Kelly is called for holding. Stars get one shot. Avalanche kill it off.
Gabriel Landeskog line vs. Roope Hintz line.
Game 7 of the Avalanche-Star series is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET in Dallas.
Colorado’s Mackenzie Blackwood is in his first playoffs so this is his first Game 7. Dallas’ Jake Oettinger is 2-1 with a 1.54 goals-against average and .956 save percentage.
Stars forward Jason Robertson and defenseman Miro Heiskanen haven’t played all series and have been ruled out in Game 7. Heiskanen has been out since before the 4 Nations Face-Off and had knee surgery. Robertson was hurt in the regular-season finale and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
The Game 7 winner will face either the Winnipeg Jets or St. Louis Blues in the second round. Those teams are playing Game 7 in Winnipeg on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, TBS). The Blues won Game 6 and Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck was pulled for the third time in three games in St. Louis.
Jason Anderson – Avalanche 5, Stars 2: Colorado has created more of the chances throughout the series, and that has to add up to something. Expect a close one that sees Cale Makar dominate, with the Avs finally sealing the series with a late empty-netter.
Mike Brehm – Avalanche 5, Stars 3: DeBoer can’t stay perfect forever, right? I had the Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup and I have faith they can pull this one off against a Stars team still missing Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. Just make sure you don’t give up a goal in the first nine seconds this time.
Jace Evans – Avalanche 4, Stars 3: I picked Avalanche in seven before the series and I’m sticking with it. The Avs have, on balance, been the better team this series, holding a 22-17 advantage in goals and a 214-167(!) edge in shots.
The Carolina Hurricanes signed goaltender Frederik Andersen to a one-year, $2.75 million contract extension on Saturday. He can earn performance bonuses for playing 35-plus games ($250,000) and 40-plus games ($250,000). If the Hurricanes reach the conference finals next season with him playing at least half of the team’s playoff games, he’d earn another $250,000.
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