The Dallas Stars went into enemy territory and left with a series lead in a 3-2 Game 1 win against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday.

The Moose remains loose

I would say the Moose is loose, but let’s face it, he has been loose since Game 6 in Colorado.

Mikko Rantanen continued to break records in Game 1 against the Jets, recording another single-period hat trick — this time a natural hat trick — and leading Dallas to victory.

Rantanen became the second player in Stars history to record multiple playoff hat tricks… he’s played eight games. He became the first player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to record multiple three-goal periods. He became the first in SCP history to score or assist 12 consecutive goals, overtaking Mario Lemieux (nine).

He basically broke all the records and did all the things to help the Stars get past Colorado and out to a 1-0 series lead in Winnipeg.

Remember when both Colorado AND Carolina traded this guy??????

Bend, don’t break & do what it takes

The playoffs are quite simple, really.

The team that does what it takes in the key moments usually wins the game and series. Take risks at the right times, but focus on the most important areas of the ice. Dallas did that tonight.

They controlled the beginning of the game, found a few key moments from the man mentioned above, and then did what they needed to do to lock down defensively while not overtaxing Jake Oettinger.

Here’s a good example:

The Stars have been far better at this in the postseason. They do a much better job of protecting their net and making good stick plays when opponents do get in tight. They rarely broke down completely, and when they did, Oettinger was there.

It’s simple, but it works.

The curse has been lifted

The date was Sept. 19, 2020. Dallas was taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in the Edmonton bubble.

Defenseman Joel Hanley scored his first NHL goal, giving the Stars a 1-0 lead and putting them on their way to a 1-0 series lead.

Fast forward to May 7, 2025… and believe it or not, it would be the first time since that the Stars would win a Game 1 in the playoffs.

It took them nine tries over five years. But they got it done.

I don’t know what this means for the rest of the series — Dallas lost 4-2 in that Stanley Cup Final the last time they won Game 1 — but it certainly puts them in a good spot. It also takes this Game 1 question out of the rotation for the media in front of Stars coach Pete DeBoer… which I know he is excited about.

And how about the building they did it in? Is there any cooler or more intimidating environment than the whiteout in Winnipeg?

Very impressed by what Dallas did tonight.