The Dallas Stars are prepared to take on the Winnipeg Jets in Game 2 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight at 8:30 p.m.
Dallas managed to steal home-ice advantage in Game 1 with a decisive 3-2 victory over the Jets, with the team being led by yet another commanding game by forward Mikko Rantanen.
Rantanen now has four straight games in these playoffs with at least three points, including two straight games with three goals to help the Stars close out the Colorado Avalanche and take a lead over Winnipeg.
Stars center Sam Steel raved about Rantanen’s performances in these playoffs after Game 1 and called him “one of the best players in the world.”
“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,” he said, per NHL.com.
Dallas has now taken a 1-0 lead in the series for the first time in years, snapping a streak of eight consecutive losses in the first game of a playoff series.
“I think it’s the first time we won a Game 1 since 2019,” said Stars Coach Pete DeBoer, according to NHL.com.
“I thought our group did a lot of good stuff. [Jake Oettinger] made some huge saves down the stretch, PK was outstanding, got a power-play goal, special teams again were great. So, a lot of things there for us to build on.”
Despite the 1-0 series lead, Dallas will still have a difficult time winning this round against the Jets.
Winnipeg finished the regular season with the best record in the NHL and took down the Stars in the regular season series, as Dallas put together a record of just 1-3 against the Jets leading into the playoffs.
However, stringing together performances similar to Game 1 should help the Stars maintain control of this series.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Stars will likely lean on Oettinger to help slow down the Jets’ explosive offense. The goalie performed incredibly well in the first eight games of the postseason.
Dallas will now look to take a commanding lead in the series before the team travels back to American Airlines Center for Games 3 and 4.