Mikko Rantanen rocking a Dallas Stars jersey? Yup, it’s real, and the Avalanche are probably still crying in the locker room. It all started back in January when Colorado shocked the NHL world and hit eject on one of their biggest names. Word on the street was that Rantanen wanted a little too much dough in contract talks, and the Avalanche weren’t ready to break the bank. So off he went to the Hurricanes in a wild three-team shuffle… except Carolina couldn’t lock him down either.

And just like that, bam, Dallas swooped in like a playoff-hungry eagle at the trade deadline. Now? Rantanen’s living his best postseason life in Texas, absolutely torching defenses and low-key becoming a Conn Smythe frontrunner while leading the Stars to a 2–1 series edge over the NHL’s top squad. The kicker? One of his former Colorado teammates just threw a sneaky little jab at the Avalanche, right when Mikko Rantanen’s cooking on high heat in the playoffs. Talk about karma skating in full speed, huh?

You know it’s bad when one of your old boys calls you out, and that’s exactly what happened with the Avalanche. Nazem Kadri, now rocking Flames red but forever stamped in Colorado’s 2022 Cup-winning history, saw what Mikko Rantanen’s been doing in the postseason and couldn’t hold back. He hopped on X and dropped the most loyal, lowkey savage line ever: “Rule number one: You always keep the dawgs … #96”. And honestly? He’s not wrong. Rantanen has turned into a one-man playoff storm, and the Avs? Yeah, they’re watching it all unfold from their couches.

The true heartbreak hit when Mikko Rantanen, who clearly had a vendetta in his skates, straight up ended Colorado’s season with a third-period hat trick in Game 7 like it was a casual Tuesday. Since that soul-snatching performance, the man has been on an absolute heater, leaving defenders in the dust and fans wondering why on earth the Avs ever let him walk.

Well, even Nathan MacKinnon couldn’t totally hide the feels when the Mikko Rantanen trade talk came knocking. The dude tried to skate around the “was it a mistake?” question, but his heart kinda spoke louder than his words. “It’s tough to say,” MacKinnon said. “I can’t really give you an answer. I don’t know. Obviously, I’d love to have him on the team, but he’s not on the team, so I don’t really know what to say. Definitely miss him. Obviously, he scored a hat trick on us in Game 7. Amazing player and great friend as well.”

Oh boy, if the Colorado Avalanche weren’t already regretting letting Mikko Rantanen walk, they sure are now, because THE MOOSE IS LOOSE, and he’s wrecking absolute havoc. As per B/R Open Ice, “Mikko Rantanen in his last 6 games … -9 goals -17 points -2 game-winning goals -2 hat tricks THE MOOSE IS LOOSE,” and yeah, the numbers ain’t just pretty, they’re scary good. He’s got defenders spinning, goalies shaking, and Avs fans probably sobbing into their old #96 jerseys wondering what could’ve been.

And let’s be real, this isn’t some random hot streak. Mikko’s been out here bodying box scores and lighting up arenas since the puck first dropped. With 18 points in just 10 games, he’s not just playing… he’s putting on a playoff clinic. The Stars? They’re shining a lil’ brighter because of him. The Avs? Whew, they might’ve just handed their worst nightmare to a Western rival on a silver platter.

Mikko Rantanen helps Stars win while making waves!

Mikko Rantanen is cooking, and the whole league’s catching the smoke. Just days after torching his old squad, the Avs, with a third-period Game 7 hat trick that slammed the door on Round 1, he strutted into Winnipeg and lit it up again. After a scoreless first period, the Jets started the second period with a bang courtesy of Nino Niedereiter’s backhand shot of a peach of a feed from Mason Appleton at 3:30. But Rantanen wasn’t done dancing.

This man was out there straight-up rewriting playoff history with a Sharpie. He dropped a natural hatty in the second period like it was light work, just days after that Avs-killer hat-trick in the third. And boom, he became the first player ever in Stanley Cup Playoff history to drop multiple three-goal periods in the same postseason. “Sometimes it’s ups and downs in hockey and now it’s going well individually and as a team,” Rantanen said. “But it’s important in the playoffs, like I’ve said before, if you win or you have a good game never get too high. You’ve got to reset and enjoy. Enjoy it for five minutes after the game and then reset.”

And it was not just one outlet losing its mind. Real Sports added: “Mikko Rantanen becomes the 3rd player in NHL playoff history to have back-to-back hat tricks.” Wild, right? Or as Stars coach Pete DeBoer said with a knowing grin, “Let’s see how long he can run this for… he’s rolling, and he’s feeling it.” Translation? Somebody better check if that stick’s powered by stardust.