The Dallas Stars defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3–2 in Game 1 of their playoff series on Wednesday, May 7. Jets center Mark Scheifele scored in his return to the ice, but it wasn’t enough to lift Winnipeg to a win.
Stars forward Mikko Rantanen delivered a natural hat trick in the second period to secure the victory for Dallas.
Mark Scheifele Pulls No Punches in Postgame Analysis
Speaking to reporters after the game, Scheifele didn’t sugarcoat the Jets’ performance.
“It obviously wasn’t a great start, so obviously there are some things that we can do better,” Scheifele said via TSN.
“I don’t think we really found [our game] until the third period. We didn’t play great, and we were right in it, so there’s a positive you can take out of it. From there, we can move on to the next one.”
Scheifele had missed the final two games of the Jets’ first-round series against the St. Louis Blues due to an undisclosed injury that took him out during Game 5. He reflected on the challenge of watching the dramatic finish from the sidelines.
“It was awful,” Scheifele said. “It’s a feeling that you don’t want to wish on anyone. It was tough to watch, but obviously just super proud of the boys for that Game 7 comeback and win and to make sure my season wasn’t ended.”
NHL Records Tumble With Mikko Rantanen’s Consecutive Hat Tricks
Rantanen recorded his second straight playoff hat trick after scoring three goals during the Stars’ Game 7 win over his former team, the Colorado Avalanche.
Each of Rantanen’s hat tricks came in a single period, making him the first player in NHL history to record multiple three-goal periods in back-to-back games and in the same postseason. He joined Jari Kurri (Edmonton Oilers) and Doug Bentley (Chicago Blackhawks) as the only players to tally hat tricks in two consecutive playoff games.
“Sometimes it’s ups and downs in hockey, and now it’s going well individually and as a team,” Rantanen said via NHL.com.
“But it’s important in the playoffs, like I’ve said before, if you win or you have a good game, never get too high. You’ve got to reset and enjoy. Enjoy it for five minutes after the game and then reset.”
Rantanen has eight goals and six assists for 14 points. He scored or assisted on 12 straight goals for Dallas, another Stanley Cup Playoffs record.
The Stars snapped an eight-game losing streak in the opening game of a playoff series. That skid dated back to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final, when they lost Game 1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.