Stars beat Bruins 3-2 in overtime as Mikko Rantanen completes hat trick
Mikko Rantanen scored twice in regulation and won it in overtime, lifting the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins and ending Boston's five-game winning streak.
Rantanen's hat trick beats Boston in overtime
The Dallas Stars beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday at American Airlines Center, and Mikko Rantanen was the whole story. Rantanen scored twice in regulation to answer two Boston leads, then won it on the power play at 3:52 of overtime for the hat trick.
On the winner, Rantanen took a pass from Miro Heiskanen down low on the left side, held the puck for close to a minute, then beat Swayman with a backhand to the glove side. Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said simply, 'He came up big.'
How the scoring went
Boston led first. Matthew Poitras scored at 2:09 of the first period, a one-timer from the left circle off a cross-ice feed from Frederic Brunet.
Rantanen tied it 1-1 at 2:50 of the second period, burying the rebound of a Jason Robertson poke attempt at the net. James Hagens later put Boston back in front for the Bruins.
Rantanen tied it again, 2-2, at 13:38 of the third period. Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy blocked a Roope Hintz shot in the slot, the puck deflected right to Rantanen in the right face-off circle, and he snapped it past Swayman to force overtime.
Records and reaction
The win is the Stars' third in a row, pushing Dallas to 5-3-1. Boston came in at 7-2-1 off a five-game winning streak and a 3-0-1 finish on a four-game road trip, both now stopped by the loss.
Bruins coach Marco Sturm pointed to the trip as a whole rather than the final result. 'What a great road trip,' he said. Swayman, who made 22 saves in net, added, 'It's hard to win in this league.'
By the numbers
Jake Oettinger stopped 18 of 20 shots for the Stars. Jason Robertson picked up two assists, including the one on Rantanen's tying goal in the second period.
Stars defenseman Tyler Myers summed up Rantanen's night this way: 'He's a guy that takes over games.' Rantanen's own read on it was simpler. Of his second-period goal, he said, 'It helps when you get a goal in the second.'
Facts per NHL.com, ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.