When you’re hot, you’re hot.
Mikko Rantanen scored three times in the span of just eight minutes for his second straight hat trick and the Dallas Stars won Game 1 over the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Wednesday at the Canada Life Centre.
Mark Scheifele returned to the lineup for the Jets, but the Stars scored three straight goals in the second period to end an eight-game losing streak in Game 1’s.
“I thought our detail, whether that was on faceoff, execution when we won draws, whether that was tape to tape passing, just execution – there was a lot of sloppiness to that game,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “That did not feel like a playoff game in Game 1 in round two. That felt like game 45 in the middle of December.
“We know the high that we were on coming off that St. Louis game, but man this is the playoffs.”
Rantanen became the first player in 40 years and just the third in NHL history to record hat tricks in consecutive playoff games. And he’s also the only player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history with multiple three-goal periods in the same post-season.
“He’s always a fantastic player, but we got to find a way to shut him down,” said Jets forward Nino Niederreiter. “And don’t make it too easy on him.”
Niederreiter and Scheifele scored the goals for Winnipeg in the loss as they went 0-for-4 on the power play.
In what’s becoming a bad habit, the Jets had another rough start with the Stars registering the first nine shots of the game before the Jets finally turned it around.
The loss ended the Jets franchise-record tying four game home win streak in the playoffs.
“I’m disappointed,” Arniel said. “The players are disappointed too. We know we just gave up home ice advantage and it wasn’t a game that they rolled over top of us for three periods. That was a game where we weren’t at our best.”
With Scheifele returning to the lineup, it was the first time in the playoffs the Jets had a full compliment of forwards after Scheifele missed the final two games of their first round series.
“I probably didn’t find my stride until probably later in the second and the third period,” said Scheifele. “Then I started feeling better, so, move on to the next one, be better next one.”
The crowd was roaring before the beginning of the game, trying to set the tone for their hometown team.
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The Jets took that energy right into the game, starting off with two huge hits from Jets captain Adam Lowry.
The Stars maintained some early O-Zone pressure just over 4 minutes into the game, but Connor Hellebuyck was solid early, stopping three quality chances from the Stars, including a one timer from Rantanen.
Just before the halfway mark, the Jets began to generate some of their offensive chances after not getting their first shot on goal until 7:15 into the game. Gabriel Vilardi grabbed the puck from behind the net and set up Kyle Connor for a one timer in the slot, but Jake Oettinger stood tall.
The Jets would nab the game’s first power play of the night after Stars forward Mason Marchment held Neal Pionk as he entered the offensive zone. The power play would start with Nikolaj Ehlers getting a decent chance, trying to stuff it short side on Oettinger, but it would not go. Vilardi would have another chance later on in the man advantage, with some nifty stick handling, but Oettinger was able to squeeze the puck against the post. The Stars were able to kill the penalty, keeping it a scoreless game.
The reunited Jets top line with Scheifele’s return picked up right where they left off. Connor had a chance right in front but Oettinger made a really nice glove save. Shortly after that, Scheifele would set up Vilardi with a cross seam pass for a one timer, but again, Oettinger would make the save.
The Jets would head back to the power play with seven seconds left in the period, but there would be no late scoring in this period. The Jets outshot the Stars 13-12 and out hit Dallas 14-10.
The second period would begin with a Jets power play but Winnipeg would be unable to open the 2nd with a goal.
Three and a half minutes into the second the Jets would open the scoring. Niederreiter came flying down the right wing side and flicked a backhand past the blocker side to put the Jets up 1-0.
The Jets would ratchet up the physicality, Brandon Tanev laid a huge hit on Stars D-man Esa Lindell in the corner and Morgan Barron followed that with a huge hit in the other corner.
The Jets were controlling the play until just before the 11 minute mark when a one timer from Evgenii Dadonov squeaked through Connor Hellebuyck. Rantanen potted home the loose change to tie the game up at 1-1 for his sixth goal of the playoffs.
Shortly after the goal, the Jets would head back to the power-play after a 2 minute hooking call went to Jamie Benn. Outside of a chance by Vilardi in front towards the end of the penalty, the Stars did a good job of shutting down the Jets power play.
With just over five minutes left, the Stars would maintain offensive zone time and Rantanen would pick up his second of the night after deflecting a point shot from Thomas Harley, beating Hellebuyck upstairs.
The Stars would continue to get chances, but Hellebuyck made his two best saves at this point in the game, when he snagged a wicked wrist shot from Matt Duchene in the slot and followed that up with an equally impressive glove save on Harley.
The Jets would take their first penalty of the game after Hadyn Fleury was called for interference. The Stars would get right to work on the power play after Hellebuyck misplayed a Rantanen pass in front.
It wouldn’t take long for the Jets to respond. Scheifele received a great pass from Vilardi behind the net and ripped a wrister to beat Oettinger low glove side.
The Jets out shot the Stars by a narrow margin 21-20 and out hit the Stars 34-18 in the middle frame.
The third period would start with the Jets switching Niederreiter and Ehlers up front. Vilardi would be called early in the period for interfering with Stars forward Jason Robertson. The Jets wouldn’t have to kill the whole two minutes after Tyler Seguin took a 2 minute high-sticking penalty.
Outside a Connor chance midway through the power play, the Jets would once again fail to generate enough traffic and chances on the man advantage.
The Jets would have a late push, with a scramble in front of the net that almost saw puck cross the goal line.
The series resumes on Friday with Game 2 at the Canada Life Centre at 8:30 p.m.
