Moose on the Loose: Rantanen's Overtime Hat Trick Snaps Boston's Streak and Gives the Stars Three Straight Wins

By Nolan Frost, RF Sports Radio Stars voice

Stars Nation, I asked for a statement against a Boston team that had been winning every night. I did not expect it to come from one guy. Mikko Rantanen scored all three goals, the last one in overtime, and the Stars are rolling.

The facts

The Dallas Stars beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at American Airlines Center, per NHL.com and the AP. Rantanen scored the winner on the power play at 3:52 of overtime, taking a pass from Miro Heiskanen low on the left side and holding the puck before beating Jeremy Swayman with a backhand. It snapped Boston's five-game winning streak. Dallas is 5-3-1 with three straight wins; Boston is 7-2-1. Attendance was 18,532, per ESPN.

Boston led 1-0 on Matthew Poitras' goal at 2:09 of the first. Rantanen tied it at 2:50 of the second on a rebound of a Jason Robertson poke, James Hagens put the Bruins back ahead at 7:30, and Rantanen tied it 2-2 at 13:38 of the third when a Roope Hintz shot deflected off Charlie McAvoy to him. Boston held Dallas to two shots on goal in the third. Robertson had two assists and Jake Oettinger made 18 saves. Swayman made 22, including two stops on Wyatt Johnston breakaways 10 seconds apart in overtime.

Per the AP, it was Rantanen's 11th career hat trick and his first in the regular season with Dallas, and he is the fourth Stars player with an overtime hat trick since the move to Dallas. NHL.com notes his 321st career goal tied Olli Jokinen for third among Finnish-born players. Boston went 0-for-4 on the power play; the AP says Dallas has allowed one power-play goal on opponents' last 25 chances.

"He made some plays tonight. He was all over it," Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. "You need those guys to do that in order to win these types of games."

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: this is why Dallas made the trade. Some nights the system wins. Some nights the best player just takes the game. Down a goal twice against the hottest team in the East, Rantanen dragged the Stars into overtime and finished it himself.

But do not ignore the penalty kill. Zero-for-four for Boston is the hidden story. The defensive identity I loved in Chicago held up against a real offense. The worry is the third period: two shots on goal is not good enough at home, and against better teams it will not be bailed out every time.

My call: Stars beat Winnipeg Thursday and make it four straight, with Johnston finally getting rewarded after those overtime breakaways. That is a prediction, not a report.

What to watch next

Winnipeg visits American Airlines Center on Thursday. Watch Dallas' shot totals in the third period, the goalie decision, and whether the power play keeps clicking. For the Oettinger shutout in Chicago, read our Oct. 20 Stars column on Oettinger's shutout in Chicago, and follow the Dallas Stars page.

Radio question: is Mikko Rantanen the Stars' most important player this season, or is it still Jake Oettinger?

Sources: NHL.com — Rantanen caps hat trick with OT goal, lifts Stars past Bruins; ESPN / AP — Stars 3-2 Bruins (OT) game recap; Washington Post / AP — Rantanen's overtime hat trick gives the Stars a 3-2 win.