Series highlights: Mikko Rantanen scores hat trick in 3rd period to eliminate Avalanche

Last night was the first game #7 of the current National Hockey League playoffs.

The Dallas Stars hosted the Colorado Avalanche in a decisive game.

Here are the game highlights.

Mikko Rantanen breaks his former team’s hearts

Since the start of the playoffs, most NHL fans agreed that this series between the Avalanche and Stars would probably be the best one yet, as well as the one that would decide which Western team would advance to the finals.

Seven games later, I’m among those who still believe the same thing, as I see the winner of this series in the final.

So it was an extremely important game last night, with one team advancing to the next round, and the other going home as the season’s big disappointment.

With the Stars at home, you’d think they’d have some advantage, but it was the Avalanche who had the upper hand in the first two periods, and even early in the third.

Indeed, even though the game was very close and few shots were registered on either side, the Avalanche managed to build a two-goal lead,

Josh Manson opened the scoring on a shorthanded goal midway through the second period.

Nathan MacKinnon then added to his tally early in the third period with a goal to make the difference.

At this point, the Avalanche looked to be on their way to a fairly easy victory, as they continued to control the game and quietly run out the clock.

However, one particular player had other plans.

A certain Mikko Rantanen, former Avalanche star, decided to take matters into his own hands and bring the Stars back into the game by hurting his former teammates and fans.

The Finn scored back-to-back goals to bring everyone back to square one.

At this point, the Avalanche looked to be on their way to a fairly easy victory, as they continued to control the game and quietly run out the clock.

However, one particular player had other plans.

A certain Mikko Rantanen, former Avalanche star, decided to take matters into his own hands and bring the Stars back into the game by hurting his former teammates and fans.

Former Rangers defenseman was having good night until epic Avalanche collapse in Game 7

Ryan Lindgren certainly knows about highs and lows in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 27-year-old defenseman was on both ends of the spectrum many times during his tenure with the New York Rangers.

But nothing quite like what he experienced with his current team, the Colorado Avalanche, on Saturday night.

Lindgren played a big role in helping the Avalanche skate to a 2-0 lead early in the third period of their decisive Game 7 on the road against the Dallas Stars. But he was also in the middle of an epic collapse, when the Avalanche allowed four unanswered goals — including three to former Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen — in a devastating 4-2 loss that ended their season.

“It’s pretty shocking,” Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon said in a stunned postgame locker room. “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. They were missing their best [defenseman in Miro Heiskanen] and maybe their best forward (Jason Robertson), so we still couldn’t beat them. Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Lindgren was on ice for each of Colorado’s first two goals. The first was a short-handed goal by Josh Manson at 9:50 of the second period, when Lindgren was the last man back defending and had a good look at Logan O’Connor’s takeaway and Manson’s rush back the other way.

Adam Fox’s former defense partner then made a play early in the third period which likely made his buddy proud. Skating with the puck along the blue line, Lindgren drew a Dallas defender toward him before making a blind drop pass right on to the stick of MacKinnon, who burst into the offensive zone on left wing.

MacKinnon did the rest, taking it to the net for a gorgeous finish that made it 2-0 Colorado 31 seconds into the third period. The assist was Lindgren’s third of the series.