The Dallas Stars defeated the Colorado Avalanche in their Game 7 matchup by a 4-2 final score. With this, the Stars are moving on to the second round, and former Carolina Hurricanes forward Mikko Rantanen is the main reason for it.
After the Stars went down 2-0 early in the third period, Rantanen put Dallas on his back and simply dominated. The former Hurricanes forward recorded a hat trick and an assist in the third period, leading the Stars to their massive Game 7 comeback win.
With this dominant performance, Rantanen finished the first-round series against his former club with five goals, seven assists, and 12 points. This included posting 11 points in his final three games of the series. Needless to say, he has been simply on fire, and the Stars’ playoff run is still alive because of it.
The Hurricanes traded Rantanen to the Stars in exchange for Logan Stankoven, a conditional 2026 first-round pick, a conditional 2028 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick at the NHL trade deadline. This was after Rantanen made it clear that he was not interested in signing an extension with the Hurricanes. Thus, Carolina moved him a little over a month after acquiring him from the Avalanche.
It will now be interesting to see if Rantanen can build on his hot streak with the Stars from here. Right now, he is showing no signs of slowing down.
Recent Hurricanes News
Hurricanes Sign Frederik Andersen To Contract ExtensionThe Carolina Hurricanes have announced that they have signed goaltender Frederik Andersen to a one-year, $2.75 million contract extension. The Canes also shared that Andersen can earn bonuses of $250,000 for 35 games played, $250,000 for 40 games played, and $250,000 if the Hurricanes make the 2026 Eastern Conference Final and Andersen makes appearances in at least half of their post-season games.
Former Hurricanes Star Has Big Playoff GameSince being traded to the Colorado Avalanche in January, former Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas has undoubtedly had plenty of success. In 30 regular-season games following the trade, the 26-year-old forward recorded 11 goals, 28 points, and a plus-1 rating in 30 games. Now, he is only continuing to make a big impact during the post-season.
Hurricanes Surging Forward Is Continuing To ImpressThe Carolina Hurricanes had an excellent first-round series against the New Jersey Devils. The Hurricanes knocked the Devils out in just five games and are now set to face off against the Washington Capitals in the second round because of it.
Hurricanes’ Rod Brind’Amour Makes NHL HistoryWith their 5-4 double overtime win over the New Jersey Devils on April 29, the Carolina Hurricanes have officially moved on to the second round. The Hurricanes are now set to face off against the Washington Capitals in the next round, which should be a great series between the two Metropolitan Division rivals.
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