For Mikko Rantanen, revenge is finest served chilly. In actual fact, it is best served on ice.
The Dallas Stars ahead delivered a legendary efficiency towards his former workforce, the Colorado Avalanche, of their first-round collection, together with a four-point exhibiting within the winner-take-all Sport 7.
The 28-year-old Finn signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with the Stars on the 2025 commerce deadline. He was initially dealt from the Avalanche — for whom he performed elements of 10 seasons — to the Carolina Hurricanes, in a transfer he known as “stunning,” however after failing to achieve an settlement there, he was acquired and signed by Dallas.
Even after the months-long debacle got here to an finish, Rantanen maintained that he by no means requested to go away Colorado and wished to stay with the workforce that drafted him.
“Colorado was at all times the place I wished to remain, however I perceive it is enterprise they usually decided,” Rantanen said in March.
What higher solution to present the Avalanche entrance workplace what they missed than by placing on an absolute clinic towards them?
Rantanen’s Stars seemed to be on the outs once they have been down two targets with 18 minutes remaining. Cue playoff Mikko, who scored not as soon as, however twice to deliver his workforce again even.
Then, on an important late-game energy play, Rantanen recorded the secondary help on Wyatt Johnston’s game-winner.
The cherry on prime? Rantanen despatched the puck into the empty internet to finish the hat trick with 2.7 seconds remaining, bookmarking the Stars’ 4 unanswered-goal comeback.
Rantanen has been dominant all collection towards his former squad, racking up 12 factors in seven video games (5 targets, seven assists), and his efficiency Saturday stands because the lone Sport 7 third-period hat trick in NHL historical past.
“They’re my brothers. I nonetheless love each one among them. It was emotional,” Rantanen informed ESPN’s Emily Kaplan after the sport about his former workforce.
Additionally making historical past is Dallas bench boss Pete DeBoer, who, with a 9-0 file, has gained extra Sport 7s than any coach or supervisor within the historical past of North American main sports activities, together with the NHL, NBA and MLB.
The file has been collected with 4 completely different groups since 2012. His first got here with New Jersey, and he has since had three every with San Jose and Dallas and two with Vegas. The Stars have gained a seven-game collection in every of his first three seasons with them.
Two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Darryl Sutter was 8-3 in Sport 7s.
In the meantime, on the other finish, the Avalanche are the primary workforce in North American main sports activities to lose seven consecutive Sport 7s.
After a wild finale to an excellent wilder collection, listed here are among the finest reactions from across the sports activities world.
— With information from the Related Press
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