Stars-Avalanche Game 7: Mikko Rantanen gets revenge on former team with hat trick in comeback win

Daniel Chavkin

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Stars-Avalanche Game 7: Mikko Rantanen gets revenge on former team with hat trick in comeback win image

The Stars-Avalanche series was one of the most anticipated of the first round, and it had an ending straight out of Hollywood when Dallas defeated Colorado 4-2 in Game 7.

The Stars struggled through the first two periods, as the Avalanche built a 2-0 lead after the first 40 minutes of play So, of course, it had to be Mikko Rantanen, the former Avalanche great who Colorado traded at midseason, to lead the Dallas comeback.

In the third period, Dallas scored four unanswered goals, with Rantanen collecting three, including the game-tying goal and the empty-netter to seal the deal. Additionally, on the game-winning goal, Rantanen had an assist, giving him four points on the night and a part in all four Dallas goals.

In doing so, Rantanen became the first player in NHL history to score a third-period hat trick in a Game 7.

To make it even more fitting, the Stars' game-winning goal came on a power play when Jack Drury was called for a penalty. Drury was one of the players Colorado received when it traded Rantanen to the Hurricanes earlier this year.

It must've been a satisfying moment for Rantanen, who spent the majority of his career in Colorado but couldn't agree on an extension during the season. The Finnish star is moving on, while his former team is headed home.

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Mikko Rantanen hat trick vs. Avalanche Game 7

Down two goals in the third period, Rantanen scored a hat trick to lead the Stars to a comeback win. Additionally, on the lone Stars' goal that he didn't score, the forward got an assist as Wyatt Johnson lit the lamp.

Rantanen ended the series with five total goals, leading all Stars players and finishing second to Nathan McKinnon in the series.

Mikko Rantanen stats

Rantanen has produced five straight years of at least 30 goals and totaled over 100 points in the past two seasons. Here's a look at Rantanen's stats this year by team:

TeamGamesGoalsAssistsPoints+/-
Avalanche45253964+12
Hurricanes13246-3
Stars2051318+4

Why did Colorado trade Mikko Rantanen?

The Avalanche decided to trade Rantanen to the Hurricanes when the two sides failed to agree on a contract extension. However, Carolina also couldn't get Rantanen to sign long-term, so the Hurricanes traded him after just 13 games to the Stars at the trade deadline.

Mikko Rantanen contract

Unlike Colorado and Carolina, Dallas was able to get Rantanen to sign an eight-year, $96 million extension upon completion of the trade.

Who do the Stars play next?

The Stars will play the winner of the Jets vs. Blues series in the next round. Winnipeg will host St. Louis in Game 7 on Sunday to close out the first round.

Daniel Chavkin

Daniel Chavkin is a Digital Content Producer for The Sporting News. A 2018 graduate from the University of Maryland, he has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports and NFLTradeRumors.com.