In a dramatic Game 7 showdown worthy of its stakes, the Dallas Stars stormed back from a two-goal third-period deficit to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 on Saturday night, winning the Western Conference first-round playoff series 4-3.
The hero of the night? None other than former Avalanche standout Mikko Rantanen, who delivered a jaw-dropping four-point third period — his second straight game accomplishing that feat — and capped it off with a hat trick that sent his old team packing.
Trailing 2-0 early in the third after Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon scored just 31 seconds into the period, Dallas looked to be in serious trouble. But Rantanen, traded twice earlier this season — including a deadline deal from Carolina to Dallas that came with a $96 million extension — was about to flip the script.
He started the rally with a laser shot from above the circles that beat Colorado goalie Mackenzie Blackwood with 12:11 remaining. Then, on a power play with 6:14 left, Rantanen tied the game 2-2 on a wraparound attempt that ricocheted off defenseman Samuel Girard’s skate. The Stars seized control minutes later when Rantanen set up Wyatt Johnston for the go-ahead power-play goal with just 3:56 to play. Rantanen then sealed his first career playoff hat trick and the series win with an empty-netter with three seconds left.
“It’s one of those nights you dream about,” said Rantanen, who won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022 and posted five goals and seven assists in the series against them. “To do it against the team I started with — it’s emotional, but I’m proud to be part of this group now.”
Matt Duchene added two assists for the Stars, while goaltender Jake Oettinger, playing in his fourth straight postseason with a Game 7 appearance, made 24 saves. He improved to 3-1 in such games.
Blackwood, who made 15 saves, was solid for Colorado but couldn’t stop the third-period onslaught. He made one of the game’s top saves in the second period, flashing his right pad to rob Mikael Granlund from in close and keep the game scoreless at the time.
Josh Manson opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal for Colorado midway through the second, thanks to a fortuitous bounce, and MacKinnon’s early third-period goal gave the Avs a cushion. But that lead evaporated under the pressure of Dallas’ top line — and Rantanen’s vengeance.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer extended his remarkable Game 7 resume to a perfect 9-0, the most Game 7 wins for any player or coach in NHL history. His Game 7 victories have come with four different franchises: New Jersey (1), San Jose (3), Vegas (2), and now Dallas (3). The Stars have now won a seven-game series in each of DeBoer’s three seasons behind their bench.
The Avalanche, meanwhile, extended a brutal streak — they’ve now lost seven consecutive Game 7s dating back to 2002, the longest active streak across the NHL, NBA, and MLB, according to OptaSTATS. Four of those losses have come under coach Jared Bednar.
With the series win, Dallas now awaits the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 between top-seeded Winnipeg and St. Louis. The Stars would travel to Winnipeg if the Jets advance, but would open the second round at home against the Blues.
For Dallas, the victory is historic in more ways than one. They have now won all four Game 7s they’ve played against Colorado — previously doing so en route to the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, 2000, and during the pandemic-shortened 2020 playoffs. Now, with a surging star in Rantanen and a coach with Game 7 magic, the Stars look like a team built for a deep run once again.
