Dallas Stars fans went through every mood swing imaginable. They were angry that the Stars only having nine shots on MacKenzie Blackwood andhad screaming their heads off after Rantanen tied the game up at 2. The Dallas Stars kept Pete DeBoer's game 7 undefeated streak alive as they scored four unanswered goals in the third period. They advanced to the semifinals with a 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche. What a fantastic comeback for the Stars that will be remembered for a while.
Before we get to the four takeaways from the game tonight, I want to shout out to the Avalanche. They laid it all on the line tonight, from the game's beginning to the final seconds. This is a team I would not want to go up against next year in the playoffs. They got their captain back and will be stronger next season. They are one of the reasons the Central Division is so deep in terms of talent. Here are the four takeaways from tonight's win over the Avalanche.
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Recap: 4. Slow start
Let's get the two negatives out of the way before getting to the good stuff. First, the Stars can't get out to a slow start in a game 7 against Winnipeg or St. Louis. Either team would feast on getting the early lead and slaughter the Stars. I'm happy Mikko Rantanen showed up in the third period because their slow start almost eliminated them from the playoffs. Let's work on getting a quicker start next time to avoid having Rantanen drop a hat trick to save the Stars.
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Recap: 3. Jamie Benn
Jamie Benn has to be smarter than that to give the opponent a four-minute power play. I yelled the loudest curse word in my head when Benn cross-checked Valeri Nichushkin in the face. The team would have been so mad at him if that even resulted in a goal. Luckily, the Stars killed off the penalty and got back to business. Benn has to play smarter hockey against Winnipeg or St. Louis. However, let's celebrate the win tonight, and hopefully, he can clean up his act.
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Recap: 2. Wyatt Johnston
What an amazing power-play goal for an outstanding young player. Wyatt Johnston has officially earned the nickname of Mr. Game 7. Johnston's goal sent the American Airlines Center into a frenzy tonight. I even started crying when he scored that goal because it shows how resilient this team is when it comes to winning hockey games from behind. After scoring the go-ahead goal, Johnston can enjoy some late-night Taco Bell with the boys. Congrats to Johnston on his heroics tonight.
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Recap: 1. Mikko Rantanen
Fans are okay with Jim Nill trading Logan Stankoven for Mikko Rantanen. He had an excellent third-period performance tonight to help the Stars advance to the next round of the playoffs. There's a reason Jim Nill backed up two Brinks trucks to his house to bring him to Dallas from Carolina. Colorado fans will talk about how the Rantanen trade will haunt them this offseason. What a great game from the Stars tonight. Bring on the Winnipeg Jets or the St. Louis Blues.