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Posted
20 hours ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

are you not?

which part do you take exception with? Tell me which Stars player, past or present, is better than Rantanen. show your work. I'm not saying he's jesus, but he sure as shit won that series for us. we'll see if it was an aberration or the norm, but 1.5+ppg lifetime in the playoffs is no bullshit. the Stars have never had a player that averaged that much in the regular season, much less the playoffs. 

Jaromir Jagr 

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Posted

Only one game off in between all series once we get started.  No rest days.  I would prefer home ice, but if we don't have that, having an extra day on the Jets while they played 2OT running 5 D the entire game hopefully helps a bit.  Both teams with interesting injury situations to start the series.  I'm sure there will be lots of transparency for availability game 1 from both coaches today LOL.  I still haven't seen reports of Robo skating 'hard' so I'm going to assume he is out first 4 games at least. I'll be really interested to hear if Miro is back to full contact at practice today.

Posted
1 hour ago, markstanco said:

 

Which eliminates me from going. 😡

I love it. Gives me an excuse to extricate myself from my wife's family mid-afternoon after Mother's Day Brunch.

Posted (edited)

Couple of interesting stats from the Colorado series. The Avs outscored the Stars 24-21. Colorado's collective +/- was +31. Dallas was -37. I'm not going to bother myself with the math but I guess you can get there when you consider the Avs got three power-play goals (really four because MacKinnon's goal on Saturday night was on a delayed call) and two shorties. The Stars scored seven PP goals so the Avs held 19-14 edge in even-strength tallies. (Most of that difference came from Colorado's 5-1 win in Game 1, which was 4-0 if you eliminate the teams' PP goals in that game. It also illustrates that +/- is an outdated, or at least severely flawed, stat.)

Edited by C-Man
Posted

Promised y'all this yesterday. Apologies for the delay.

Stars’ playoff monster Mikko Rantanen has been unlocked: ‘Mikko put the team on his back’

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6332221/2025/05/04/mikko-rantanen-stars-avalanche-nhl-playoffs-2025-game-7/

Quote

DALLAS — Imagine someone pulling Mikko Rantanen aside during training camp in Denver back in September and dropping this kind of crystal ball nonsense to him.

“Hey Mikko, you’re going to score a hat trick in Game 7 … for the Dallas Stars to beat out the Colorado Avalanche.’’

Say what?

“I think I would have left the room in disbelief,’’ Rantanen said with a smile on Saturday night. “But yeah, for sure I would have not believed it had someone told me that.’’

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Never mind traded to Carolina in between all that.

“Yeah, difficult year personally, you know, mentally tough overall,’’ Rantanen continued. “Getting traded twice — it’s not fun ever to get traded even once, but twice in a season. But I got to thank everyone here in Dallas. Everybody who works for the team, obviously the players and coaches, massage therapist, every guy. They’ve been very welcoming, helping me to adapt. It obviously takes time to adapt. But everybody has been so welcoming. It makes it easier for me.’’

This may be the night that he truly became a Dallas Star in every sense of the word.

Rantanen’s drama-filled season added a wild chapter with his Game 7 heroics Saturday night in a comeback, 4-2 win over his old team to cap one of the most memorable first-round series in the modern era.

“Mikko put the team on his back,” Stars GM Jim Nill told The Athletic moments after a win people won’t soon forget in these parts. “Colorado’s a heck of a team. But Mikko decided to put the team on his back. He drove it.’’

It’s the kind of game Nill had in mind when he pounced on the opportunity to get him out of Carolina at the deadline March 7, and sign him to an eight-year extension. He was adding a playoff monster, one he saw up close in this Dallas-Colorado rivalry.

“That’s what you’re hoping,” Nill said. “His history and resume show that’s what he is.’’

The playoffs began with Rantanen feeling the heat for putting up just one assist in four games. There were questions about whether No. 96 was struggling to adjust to his new surroundings. There were questions about whether it was too difficult for him to wrap his mind around playing his longtime pals in Colorado. There were questions about whether he could still produce at the same level without his old buddy Nathan MacKinnon on his line.

“I think he answered that question,’’ Stars head coach Peter DeBoer said to that last one.

Rantanen put up 11 points (6-5) in the last three games, and well, playoff Mikko was back. And he saved the Stars in a series where they were outplayed for long stretches by the Avalanche.

Which was punctuated by his first goal Saturday night to get his team going, the Stars down 2-0 in the third period, a laser of a wrist shot that beat MacKenzie Blackwood and ignited the improbable comeback.

“He just said, `F–k this’ on that first goal,’’ said Stars veteran Matt Duchene. “And after that, you could feel something was coming. You could just feel it. He stepped up last few games big time. It was great.’’

“It’s emotional. They’re my brothers for sure,” said Rantanen of facing his former teammates after the Stars’ Game 7 win. (Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images)

It was billed the Mikko Rantanen bowl. It only made sense the guy named after it decided the outcome.

“You can’t write it up any better than that,” said Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, who was excellent again Saturday night. “Guy comes over, knocks out his old team, puts the team on his back. One of the best individual performances I’ve seen in the playoffs in my life. So happy for him.”

Midway through this series, Rantanen was still fighting it. But behind the scenes, the Stars saw a quality person and star player not letting it affect his attitude, his preparation, his demeanor. He stayed with it. And then he exploded.

“He took over the series the last three games,’’ said DeBoer, now a ridiculous 9-0 coaching in Game 7s. “He just decided that we were not going to go home and we were not going to lose. It started then. What you witnessed there was special. This is the best league in the world, against one of the top five teams in the world, and what he did there down the stretch was special.”

It was shock and disappointment in the Avalanche dressing room. But certainly not surprise when it came to their old pal playing playoff hero. They saw that first-hand for a decade in Coronado.

“Credit to him,” Avs superstar defenseman Cale Makar said. “Obviously he’s their guy. He took over. Just a tough circumstance of events. I don’t really have any words right now to describe what happened.’’

Added MacKinnon, who scored his playoff-leading seventh goal on this night: “I don’t know. It’s pretty shocking. Felt like we were in total control and then Mikko, credit to him, he made some amazing plays. He was a difference maker and he took over. I don’t know. I’m in shock to be honest with you. Felt like we were in complete control of the game the whole time and just lost it.’’

Because the Moose took over. Rantanen’s second goal, a spectacular wraparound effort banked off Samuel Girard, brought the house down. Then he assisted on Wyatt Johnston’s game-winner on a power play. Then, well, of course Rantanen capped the night with an empty-netter which rained down hats on the ice.

“Obviously the feeling is incredible,’’ said Rantanen. “To win a series, first of all, against a really good team. The series was exactly what I expected, you know, I expected a seven-game series even before Game 1.’’

The handshake line was predictably charged. There were affectionate embraces between Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog, and then Rantanen and MacKinnon.

“It’s emotional. They’re my brothers for sure,” Rantanen said. “Most of them I know really well and played with them for 10 years. A couple of guys have been there since Day 1, Nate and Landy. So it’s emotional. We’re enemies this series on the ice, but I always love them off the ice. Between games, day off, I love every one of them. And then when we go on the ice, they’re enemies. But that’s how it goes. Yeah, it’s emotional for sure. Because everything happened so quick. It’s only a couple of months since I was still with them, playing with them, and chasing a playoff spot and all that. And all of sudden playing against them in a Game 7, emotional is the right word for sure.’’

I go back to a comment MacKinnon made to me the morning of Game 5 when I asked him again to revisit his own emotions from the day Rantanen was traded to Carolina. It was a trade at the time No. 29 couldn’t wrap his mind around. Even three and a half months later, it’s a trade hard to digest.

“You just never really think it’s going to get to that point,” MacKinnon told The Athletic last Monday. “I feel like in hockey, most guys stay, star players at least, and most guys figure out contracts. He’s a star, he’s one of the best players in our league. Yeah, it was shocking. He was my linemate for close to 10 years. Close friend. Definitely shocking. And we still miss him. He’s a great person.’’

A lot will be made now of the Avs’ decision coming back to haunt them. It’s a bit unfair. First of all, they thought they were never going to be able to to sign him to a number that worked for them. So they got the best trade they could for him as a pending UFA. Second, never in their wildest dreams did they think he would get dealt again and dealt to their rival in Dallas.

The Stars and Avalanche meeting in the first round was going to be unfair for one team. Turns out it wasn’t only unfair, it was, for Colorado, soul-crushing in the manner in which it ended.

But it was as close a series as you’re going to see.

“I have a hard time believing there’s any team that’s that much better than Colorado out there left,” said Oettinger.

“That was an absolute gauntlet of a series,’’ DeBoer said, tipping his hat to the Avs.

In the hallway joining both teams, Nill and his counterpart Chris MacFarland exchanged a warm hug after Game 7. There’s so much respect between both GMs and between both organizations.

“One of us wasn’t going to be happy,” Nill said. “They’ve done a heck of a job there. This was like a finals series.’’

But in the end, it’s a Stars team without No. 1 defenseman Miro Heiskanen and leading scorer Jason Robertson that found a way. Which says a lot about the team’s DNA.

“They’ve done it all year this season, they’ve done it for the last two to three years,” said Nill. “We got a great room. They just dig in.’’

It’s the hallmark of a championship team.

“You know what? Jim’s done an unbelievable job making this team deep enough where we can kind of afford to have injuries like that and still be great,” said Duchene. “Just huge. We had a lot of guys stepping up and doing big things. It takes a village, right?’’

DeBoer said postgame that Heiskanen and Robertson are getting closer and both should play in the second round at some point.

Watch out, NHL, the Stars are getting healthy. And after a title belt series with the Avs, they’re feeling mighty good.

“I think there’s something special going on,’’ said DeBoer.

After losing in the Cup final in ’20 and going to back-to-back conference finals in ’23 and ’24, Dallas is knocking at the door.

Rantanen, for one, sees some similarities to his Avs championship squad from ’22.

“I think it was a really deep team (in ’22) when we won,” said Rantanen. “I can see some similarities in this team. Obviously we were missing Miro and Robo the whole first round, they’re two elite players. Whenever we get them back it’s going to help and give us even more depth. But I think the depth is a really big key in a Cup run.’’

And hey, who knows, we might get a Carolina-Dallas Stanley Cup final in six weeks, the Mikko Rantanen bowl, part deux.

On this night, Rantanen couldn’t stop smiling.

He had the weight of the world on his shoulders before this series. And he delivered in the most dramatic of ways.

Was it delicious revenge? Nah, that’s not Rantanen’s style.

“Well, I don’t know. Like I said before when I got traded, it’s business,’’ he said. “Obviously things happened not the way I expected. But it’s business like I’ve said many times. I don’t know about revenge, I’m just happy to win (against) another team in the playoffs. It doesn’t matter who it is. So, I’m just happy to be on the winning side and move on here.’’

 

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Posted
1 hour ago, Jive Turkey said:

 

was this the greatest playoffs comeback in dallas pro sports history?

 

rangers

2011 world series we lost game 6 after coming from down 7 - honorable mention

2023 alcs game 4 won after coming back from down 7-3 to astros in the 9th - this is probably equal

2023 world series game 1 won after coming back from down 6-2 to dbacks in the 9th - again probably equal

 

mavs

2011 finals game 2 down 15 in the 4th to miami - won by 9 - tied series 1-1 probably equal

 

boys

staubach: '72 (49ers), '75 (vikings/hailmary)

white: '80 (falcons)

 

burn

1999 west semis game 3 down to chicago fire 0-2 after only 11 minutes came back with deering on 55', zarco pk on '84 and graziani wininer on '86

this was the most frenetic crowd in dallas soccer history and it was a nasty nasty match with 10 cards, fire's last 4 in the last 12 minutes trying to hold on

 

fc dallas

none - and that's fucking sad 20 years after the hunts bought the franchise

 

tornado

were down 0-1 for 1 minute of game 2 in the '71 best-of-3 that dallas won for their only nasl title

can't find box scores for the '71 semis vs. the rochester lancers but of note from the wiki:

The road to that title was marathon that, barring a rule change, might never be duplicated. In Game 1 of the best-of-three semifinal against the Rochester Lancers, league scoring champion Carlos Metidieri mercifully ended the match 2–1, late in the 6th 15 minute-overtime period in the 176th minute, less than four minutes shy of playing two complete games in one day. Three days later Dallas evened the series at one game each with a 3–1 regulation win. In the rubber match four days later, the two teams ended regulation tied again at 1 goal apiece. The game reached 4OTs before Bobby Moffat sent Dallas into the Finals in the 148 minute. Four days after that, Dallas lost Game 1 of the NASL Championship Series, 2–1 in the 3OTs to Atlanta after 123 minutes. All totaled, Dallas had played 537 minutes of football (3 minutes short of six games) in 13 days time.

Posted
1 hour ago, Hagbard Celine said:

was this the greatest playoffs comeback in dallas pro sports history?

 

rangers

2011 world series we lost game 6 after coming from down 7 - honorable mention

2023 alcs game 4 won after coming back from down 7-3 to astros in the 9th - this is probably equal

2023 world series game 1 won after coming back from down 6-2 to dbacks in the 9th - again probably equal

I don't believe Rangers had any real comebacks in the 2011 World Series. The Rangers led for most of Game 6 and were up 7-4 after seven innings. Cardinals tied it with two runs in the 9th, then scored two in the 10th to matchJosh's HR in the top of the before walking it off in the 11th when Cruz misjudged Freese's double off the wall.

Game 4 of the '23 ALCS was a 10-3 drubbing of the Rangers. In Game 5, the Astros got a 3-run HR from Altuve in the top of the 9th to win 5-4. Games 6 and 7 were easy Rangers' victories. In G1 of the WS, the Rangers came back from down 5-3 in the bottom of hte 9th with Seager's HR before Adolis won it in the 11th with a dinger. That should definitely be thought of among the best comebacks in DFW playoff history but it wasn't a four-run deficit that was erased.

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Posted
1 hour ago, Hagbard Celine said:

was this the greatest playoffs comeback in dallas pro sports history?

 

 

<edit>

burn

1999 west semis game 3 down to chicago fire 0-2 after only 11 minutes came back with deering on 55', zarco pk on '84 and graziani wininer on '86

this was the most frenetic crowd in dallas soccer history and it was a nasty nasty match with 10 cards, fire's last 4 in the last 12 minutes trying to hold on

 

<edit>

 

I should still probably slewfoot Dema Kovalenko if I ever meet him. Not sure why the league catered to him so much, or why the players let him live.

Posted
11 minutes ago, C-Man said:

I don't believe Rangers had any real comebacks in the 2011 World Series. The Rangers led for most of Game 6 and were up 7-4 after seven innings. Cardinals tied it with two runs in the 9th, then scored two in the 10th to matchJosh's HR in the top of the before walking it off in the 11th when Cruz misjudged Freese's double off the wall.

Game 4 of the '23 ALCS was a 10-3 drubbing of the Rangers. In Game 5, the Astros got a 3-run HR from Altuve in the top of the 9th to win 5-4. Games 6 and 7 were easy Rangers' victories. In G1 of the WS, the Rangers came back from down 5-3 in the bottom of hte 9th with Seager's HR before Adolis won it in the 11th with a dinger. That should definitely be thought of among the best comebacks in DFW playoff history but it wasn't a four-run deficit that was erased.

Yeah, I was at game 4 and 5 of the ALCS so remember those.  Game 5 was about as sick as I've felt leaving a game.  The insane 2011 road Game 2 comeback was pretty epic and probably most epic comeback (not a game 7 but also a finals).   I was thinking about that series this weekend.  I think last few minutes of Game 5 of might be the only other time I've seen the AAC as electric as it was last 10 mins of Saturday night.  Looked it up and we went on a 15-3 run to close out what had been an extremely tight game (down 100-97 to win 112-103). I know there have been other huge playoff games and wins I'm not thinking of but game 7 Saturday now joins that as a standout for me.

Posted
32 minutes ago, C-Man said:

I don't believe Rangers had any real comebacks in the 2011 World Series. The Rangers led for most of Game 6 and were up 7-4 after seven innings. Cardinals tied it with two runs in the 9th, then scored two in the 10th to matchJosh's HR in the top of the before walking it off in the 11th when Cruz misjudged Freese's double off the wall.

Game 4 of the '23 ALCS was a 10-3 drubbing of the Rangers. In Game 5, the Astros got a 3-run HR from Altuve in the top of the 9th to win 5-4. Games 6 and 7 were easy Rangers' victories. In G1 of the WS, the Rangers came back from down 5-3 in the bottom of hte 9th with Seager's HR before Adolis won it in the 11th with a dinger. That should definitely be thought of among the best comebacks in DFW playoff history but it wasn't a four-run deficit that was erased.

the rangers data is copypasta direct from google so shame on the ai

Posted
20 minutes ago, GoldAppleCorps said:

I should still probably slewfoot Dema Kovalenko if I ever meet him. Not sure why the league catered to him so much, or why the players let him live.

/obiwan longtime

i hated that fucker

Posted
7 hours ago, C-Man said:

Promised y'all this yesterday. Apologies for the delay.

Stars’ playoff monster Mikko Rantanen has been unlocked: ‘Mikko put the team on his back’

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6332221/2025/05/04/mikko-rantanen-stars-avalanche-nhl-playoffs-2025-game-7/

 

If you ever want to read a full Athletic article for free (on mobile) here is an easy two step process. 

step one:

IMG_8051.thumb.jpeg.cf58c02a091fa8c18f9e72bfa55da668.jpeg
 

step two:

 

IMG_8053.thumb.jpeg.5dd84c343de1e752910f238df797f38a.jpeg

Posted
3 minutes ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Gotta bring this one back too. 

 

image.jpeg


hopefully after Wednesday nights game. DeBoer can break our game 1 streak but keep his game 7 streak. 

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Posted
21 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

 

Thanks for posting that.  I've never seen video of Josh and Razor during the game, and that's really fun.  I didn't realize they were so close to the fans (Josh even giving a fist-bump after a goal).  And Razor so sedate is really kind of weirding me out.

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Posted
2 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

Thanks for posting that.  I've never seen video of Josh and Razor during the game, and that's really fun.  I didn't realize they were so close to the fans (Josh even giving a fist-bump after a goal).  And Razor so sedate is really kind of weirding me out.

Razor writes something down almost immediately after each goal. he doesn't really even react to the actual goal. maybe it is a scorebook?

Posted

Robo practicing on a line with Marchment and Johnston today (2nd line Benn, Duchene, Seguin) and all Finn line intact.  Miro still not in a top 6 defensive pairing.  I wonder if this means Robo actually ahead of Miro? I never thought that would be the case but DeBoer said yesterday on The Ticket that Robo's process was different than Miro's as it didn't involve surgery.  I assumed that just meant he didn't have to ramp up for 2 weeks but didn't expect he might be back before Miro.   He also said Miro needs surgical sign off.  Pretty clear that despite listing him as day to day before playoffs started they knew he wasn't playing round 1.

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Posted

On a separate note, I wondered where they would slot Robo upon his return because I didn't think they would break up the all Finn line after the last few games.

Posted
Thanks for posting that.  I've never seen video of Josh and Razor during the game, and that's really fun.  I didn't realize they were so close to the fans (Josh even giving a fist-bump after a goal).  And Razor so sedate is really kind of weirding me out.

They’re basically set up in the seats, center ice at the top of the bottom bowl. They’re roped off but you can almost walk right up to them.
Posted
13 hours ago, tfoolry said:

 

 

I mean, it's a video . . . for a hockey team . . . in Winnipeg.  So I really don't know what I was expecting.

But even so--that's the whitest goddamned thing I've ever seen.  And I fucking went to Highland Park High School.  And SMU Law.  So I've seen some white goddamned shit in my day.

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Posted

Looks like they are likely getting Scheifele back per Jets morning skate reports.  He's back with the top line.  Morrissey not with a D pairing so he may be out and also Stanley (although he was playing low minutes and I saw chatter from Winnipeg fans they wanted him benched regardless after play last series).

Posted

As expected, Miro officially out and Robo officially a gametime decision.   Per Jets coach, their entire lineup is "gametime decision" LOL.  But all signs point to Scheifele in and Morrissey out for them.

Miro not surprising but pretty damn clear he was never really that close in the Avs series.  I was holding out a decent amount of hope we would be able to go game 6 (last Thurs) but 6 days later and still not ready.  I guess we are probably now crossing fingers for game 3 Sunday but sounds like it will be whenever medical clears him.  Who knows if they actually have a date in mind or it's largely based on post skate evaluations.

Posted

magnitudes of scale less nervous for this series. maybe misguided, but I like our chances going into this series. Both teams missing their top d-man and top line forwards are both making appearances after injury. hope we break the game one jinx tonight

Go Stars!!!!!

Posted

I'm still plenty nervous.  Jets were my pre-playoff cup pick based on regular season.  Not just how much they outplayed us in the series but Tiffin had a couple of regular season articles breaking down their top power play, etc. that highlighted how impressive they were.  But then of course, they get to the playoffs and completely lay an egg on the road and weren't really even competitive.  Granted, that was a Blues team that didn't lose at home in their last 15 games or something but still.  I think all together I favor stars slightly and I certainly felt the inverse before the Colorado series.  I'm pretty sure I posted here I actually felt better about the Colorado series after losing game 1 as I saw enough there that we flipped the switch from last few weeks of regular season, but I still kind of expected Colorado to pull that series out right up until Miko scored to tie it up and then i knew we were winning. 

This is going to be a completely different series though. They don't have the star power but good all around team with suffocating defensive structure and elite goaltending (if he's on).  They beat us last game playing conservative, shutting us down and then pouncing on mistakes.  If Morrissey is out hopefully that is something we can exploit.   Would be huge to get game 1 tonight.   I'm leaning slightly towards the Stars but fully expect some swings this series.  Our top line is going to need to continue to score but would be great if they got a bit more support starting tonight.

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