Rantanen's Historic Hat Trick in Semifinal Loss

Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche made NHL history with a natural hat trick in the second period, marking his second consecutive playoff hat trick and making him the first player in nearly 40 years, and only the third in NHL history, to achieve the feat. Despite his efforts, his team fell 3-2 to the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. Rantanen has now factored in 12 straight Avalanche goals, setting a new NHL postseason record. The Stars overcame a 1-0 deficit, with contributions from their own roster and strong goaltending by Jake Oettinger, who made 30 saves. The Jets, whose players Nino Niederreiter and Mark Scheifele scored, were not involved in this series. Game 2 is scheduled to continue in Dallas, with both teams looking to gain an edge in the series.