WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Maybe Nico Harrison knew what he was doing.
There may not have been enough room in the city of Dallas for two superstars of this caliber.
Each night the Dallas Stars play, Mikko Rantanen continues to fill the Luka Doncic-sized hole in the hearts of sports fans across the city. He’s quickly making a case to be the city’s biggest superstar.
Rantanen, whom the Stars acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes exactly two months ago, recorded a single-period hat trick for the second consecutive game, leading the Stars to a 3-2 victory in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre Wednesday night. It was the Stars’ first Game 1 win in five years.
Related:5 thoughts from Stars-Jets: Mikko Rantanen’s hat trick helps Dallas end Game 1 skid
Rantanen became just the third player in NHL history to record hat tricks in back-to-back playoff games and the first in 40 years. He became the first player in Stanley Cup Playoff history with multiple three-goal periods in the same postseason and the fourth to do so at any point in their career, joining Wayne Gretzky, Maurice Richard and Tim Kerr.
“He’s rolling, and he’s feeling it,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Pretty impressive what he’s doing, considering the opponent and the time of year and how he’s dominating games.”
The 28-year-old Finnish forward opened the scoring for Dallas 8:43 into the second period when he crashed the net after a shot by Evgenii Dadonov. Less than six minutes later, he deflected a shot by Thomas Harley, and just a couple minutes later, he scored a wrist shot on the power play.
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Despite playing most of his minutes on Dallas’ top line, he scored two of his goals while double-shifting on the fourth line. Used to playing big minutes in Colorado, DeBoer has used Rantanen more than he would most forwards.
“I don’t think it matters to him who he’s out there with,” DeBoer said. “He’s trying to make a difference.”
Rantanen’s three goals were scored in less than nine minutes. His latest hat trick came just two periods after he scored three goals in the third period to lead Dallas to a comeback win in Game 7 against Colorado.
His Game 7 hat trick was his first career playoff hat trick.
Related:What happens to the hats from Stars forward Mikko Rantanen’s Game 7 hat trick?
Rantanen is making an early case for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the postseason. He has now scored or assisted on the Stars’ last 12 goals, dating back to Game 5 of the last round. That is an NHL playoff record, passing the previous streak of nine goals.
He leads the NHL in postseason points with 15 (eight goals and seven assists).
“He’s one of the best players in the world, and he’s on fire right now,” Stars forward Sam Steel said. “I’m not sure I’ve seen much like it. He can take over games, and there’s not many players in the league that can do that.”
Rantanen’s hot streak also comes after facing endless doubt and criticism this season. The forward was traded twice in a single season, departing his home of a decade in Colorado against his will in late January just to be traded again to Dallas in early March.
Some said he wasn’t worth the money he was asking for. Others said his numbers were only as good as they were because he played on a line with Nathan MacKinnon. Others said he was a locker room cancer in Carolina, where he recorded just six points in 13 games. And some said he took too long to adjust in Dallas, despite producing at nearly a point-per-game pace in his 20 regular-season games.
But he’s proved all of those statements wrong, and shown that even after giving up four draft picks and young star Logan Stankoven, he was still a steal. Signing an eight-year, $96 million deal, he’ll have nearly a decade to continue to prove that. This playoff run isn’t even included in that term.
There’s a new superstar in Dallas, and there’s no need to worry.
Jim Nill knows better than to trade him away.
Twitter: @lassimak
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