Where is Rantanen? Who is Rantanen? Why is Rantanen? What is Rantanen?

[Hockey2Hockey]

I'd say nothing dramatic has happened to him. It's rarely possible for one guy to carry a team for so many rounds. Dallas always needed more players to step up if they were going to win a cup/advance there. It hasn't happened yet.

Though they are still very capable of winning three straight here.

 

[Muffin]

I'd say nothing dramatic has happened to him. It's rarely possible for one guy to carry a team for so many rounds. Dallas always needed more players to step up if they were going to win a cup/advance there. It hasn't happened yet.

Though they are still very capable of winning three straight here.

There's nothing wrong with him. There's only so much a winger can do to impact the game. How often do wingers actually take over a game? Even Ovechkin in his prime only did so much.

 

[jalapenoWithAnH]

I'd say nothing dramatic has happened to him. It's rarely possible for one guy to carry a team for so many rounds. Dallas always needed more players to step up if they were going to win a cup/advance there. It hasn't happened yet.

Though they are still very capable of winning three straight here.

Yeah. So far Rantanen has scored almost fifth (17%) of Stars points while he only represents 1/18 or 5,5% of skaters in the line up. This isn't a formula that's ideal for playoffs.

There's something wrong in the group dynamics of Stars. They are lacking grit and aggression but also leadership. Players are underperforming and losing puck battles by a significant margin. Their share of takeaways from opponent of all takeways (from opponent +to opponent) is the lowest in playoffs: 36.43%!

It was only a matter of time before this got to Rantanen too. He is not some lone wolf John Wick out there but is a part of the group. And the group is not performing well.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Yeah. So far Rantanen has scored almost fifth (17%) of Stars points while he only represents 1/18 or 5,5% of skaters in the line up. This isn't a formula that's ideal for playoffs.

There's something wrong in the group dynamics of Stars. They are lacking grit and aggression but also leadership. Players are underperforming and losing puck battles by a significant margin. Their share of takeaways from opponent of all takeways (from opponent +to opponent) is the lowest in playoffs: 36.43%!

It was only a matter of time before this got to Rantanen too. He is not some lone wolf John Wick out there but is a part of the group. And the group is not performing well.

View attachment 1043578

Rantanen is 3rd in league scoring.

Stars are getting very thoroughly outcoached. Unless Deboer has a tactic switchup tonight, it will be another defensive chokehold and a f***load of Florida forwards skating back and forth the entire length of the ice with not a whole lot of slot chances.

Scoring certainly won't get easier when Ekholm gets back into the lineup.



They could completely open it up and try trading chances with Drai and McD but that's generally been pretty ill-advised.

 

[Cypher]

5 games (Game 5/6/7 vs Avs and Game 1/3 vs WIN)
=
9 goals 8 assists for 17 points


the other 13 playoff games
=
0 goals 5 assists for 5 points


Talk about boom or bust

 

[koyvoo]

Pure cheese. Was inspired to prove a point against his former team and the momentum carried into the first couple of games vs Winnipeg, but for the entire rest of the playoffs, pure cheese.

 

[AvsWraith]

But what about Mikko's playoff production!!!

 

[coooldude]

He singlehandedly won a few critical playoff games for his team. I can't believe the Avs fans coming in here now, trying to dunk on him because he didn't continue to singlehandedly win games for his team. The list of players in history who could have kept up that level of production is extremely short.

 

[Oilslick941611]

He singlehandedly won a few critical playoff games for his team. I can't believe the Avs fans coming in here now, trying to dunk on him because he didn't continue to singlehandedly win games for his team. The list of players in history who could have kept up that level of production is extremely short.

He showed up for a grand total of 4 games in the playoffs. Got most of his point in batches and looked lost and uninterested in most games. It was a sorry showing. More in line with 3 months with Carolina than his time with Colorado. He doesn't appear to be a guy that stirs the drink.

 

[Freaky Styley]

He singlehandedly won a few critical playoff games for his team. I can't believe the Avs fans coming in here now, trying to dunk on him because he didn't continue to singlehandedly win games for his team. The list of players in history who could have kept up that level of production is extremely short.

I think they're just counteracting all the people coming in to dunk on the Avs after an insane 5 game hot streak. Rantanen is streaky, that's why he got traded. A team like the Avs can't commit 12M+ to an inconsistent one-dimensional winger.

Just sucks he got hot at the wrong time for the Avs. Vengeance is a hell of a drug. It really bit them in the ass this year but they traded him to the Canes, not the Stars. There was no way of knowing how it'd play out, and they'll still be better off in the long run.

That being said - after Oettinger, Rantanen was the least of the Stars worries.

 

[Cancuks]

He was motivated vs Colorado and that was his Stanley Cup.

 

[LightningStorm]

I was concerned he'd get worn out for how much he was double shifted. But unlike the latter half of round 2, where he did trail off, in the WCF he had the chances, just didn't get the right bounces. Caught the Skinner curse the Stars seem to have.

 

[coooldude]

He showed up for a grand total of 4 games in the playoffs. Got most of his point in batches and looked lost and uninterested in most games. It was a sorry showing. More in line with 3 months with Carolina than his time with Colorado. He doesn't appear to be a guy that stirs the drink.

I think they're just counteracting all the people coming in to dunk on the Avs after an insane 5 game hot streak. Rantanen is streaky, that's why he got traded. A team like the Avs can't commit 12M+ to an inconsistent one-dimensional winger.

Just sucks he got hot at the wrong time for the Avs. Vengeance is a hell of a drug. It really bit them in the ass this year but they traded him to the Canes, not the Stars. There was no way of knowing how it'd play out, and they'll still be better off in the long run.

That being said - after Oettinger, Rantanen was the least of the Stars worries.

If the trade never happens and Rantanen re-signs for between 12 and 13, the Avs are still playing the Oilers for a chance at the cup. Streaky or not, his high points are incredibly high and that player profile fit well in the Avs core. No player is perfect, everyone wants a PPG+ consistent scorer and they are historical players when they exist.

As a part time Avs fan, I'm firmly of the camp that they should have kept him and would have kept the window open had they done so. Now, it's looking like a real trick to keep the window open despite having two of the best five players in the world on the roster.

Counterfactual, if he had scored say 1-2 more points in the last two games, he'd still be on a historical heater, and by most accounts he was still playing well in game 4 and had his point in game 5.

 

[Oilslick941611]

If the trade never happens and Rantanen re-signs for between 12 and 13, the Avs are still playing the Oilers for a chance at the cup. Streaky or not, his high points are incredibly high and that player profile fit well in the Avs core. No player is perfect, everyone wants a PPG+ consistent scorer and they are historical players when they exist.

As a part time Avs fan, I'm firmly of the camp that they should have kept him and would have kept the window open had they done so. Now, it's looking like a real trick to keep the window open despite having two of the best five players in the world on the roster.

Counterfactual, if he had scored say 1-2 more points in the last two games, he'd still be on a historical heater, and by most accounts he was still playing well in game 4 and had his point in game 5.

exactly, hes a complimentary player that worked extremely well with MacKinnon and Makar and Colorado trading him messed up thier chemistry and Rantanen never found his footing and never looked good, and Dallas might regret signing that contract if Dallas can't surround Rantanen with gamers.

 

[Freaky Styley]

If the trade never happens and Rantanen re-signs for between 12 and 13, the Avs are still playing the Oilers for a chance at the cup. Streaky or not, his high points are incredibly high and that player profile fit well in the Avs core. No player is perfect, everyone wants a PPG+ consistent scorer and they are historical players when they exist.

As a part time Avs fan, I'm firmly of the camp that they should have kept him and would have kept the window open had they done so. Now, it's looking like a real trick to keep the window open despite having two of the best five players in the world on the roster.

Counterfactual, if he had scored say 1-2 more points in the last two games, he'd still be on a historical heater, and by most accounts he was still playing well in game 4 and had his point in game 5.

I mean maybe they get through to the Oilers and still end up losing. In that case they probably still have Mittlestadt at C and only one of Coyle or Nelson, and no Necas or Drury. It's a very different looking team.

Then the Rantanen extension kicks in and Landeskog cap is back and suddenly you have a losing team with no room to make moves. Still was the right move for the Avs this year, there were just unforseen events that came back to bit them - and even so, it was their own fault they lost.

 

[Turin]

Single handedly beat Colorado, caught Hellebuyck playing scared for a couple games and then absolutely dipped out of the playoffs altogether

 

[AvsWraith]

exactly, hes a complimentary player that worked extremely well with MacKinnon and Makar and Colorado trading him messed up thier chemistry and Rantanen never found his footing and never looked good, and Dallas might regret signing that contract if Dallas can't surround Rantanen with gamers.

Oh, they will regret signing that contract for sure.

Mikko's a bus rider, not a bus driver, and he already got his cup, so he's good. He's gonna just chill and collect that cash.

Edit: He'll still score against the Avs though, whenever they play.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Oh, they will regret signing that contract for sure.

Mikko's a bus rider, not a bus driver, and he already got his cup, so he's good. He's gonna just chill and collect that cash.

You have to wonder why Colorado was willing to give him up over the rumoured 1mil difference.

 

[avocadosmoothie]

I said in this thread after Round 1 that the way Rantanen scored against Colorado didn't worry me as a Pacific fan. His points were too opportunistic to carry on for three rounds.

That being said, Colorado still f***ed up massively by not paying him 12M.

 

[MessierII]

Not his fault he put the team on his back for them to get to the final 4. Scapegoating him is a joke. Guy is a star.

 

[AvsWraith]

You have to wonder why Colorado was willing to give him up over the rumoured 1mil difference.

My theory is that they hated negotiating with Rants and his agent. Mikko's previous contract with the Avs also didn't go well, so I think they were just done with it.

Plus, Carolina made Necas available, who both Sakic and CMac covet because they like speedsters.

 

[MikeS24]

Edmonton holds Dallas to just 4 shots in the 3rd period in three games straight

Rantanen is a good player, but man he did not look like some star in this series

 

[NorthStar4Canes]

After a 5-game elimination by their Conference Final opponents:

St. Rantanen vs EDM: 0g 3a 3pts -4 0 gwg 2 PIM 105:51 TOI

McStankface vs FLA: 2g 1a 3pts -3 1 gwg 2PIM 78:15 TOI

Also..

Aho vs FLA: 3g 2a 5pts -3
Jarvis (RW) vs FLA: 2g 4a 6pts +1

With DAL shot down in the same, game-5 place in the Conference Final CAR was, looking at the above I'm not seeing Rantanen as the surefire difference-maker to get past the CF everyone claims he is, at least not in 2025.

If those are his numbers playing hard for a team he really really wants to be on, I can't imagine how shit they'd have been playing half-ass for one he never did.

 

[avocadosmoothie]

After a 5-game elimination by their Conference Final opponents:

St. Rantanen vs EDM: 0g 3a 3pts -4 0 gwg 2 PIM 105:51 TOI

McStankface vs FLA: 2g 1a 3pts -3 1 gwg 2PIM 78:15 TOI

Also..

Aho vs FLA: 3g 2a 5pts -3
Jarvis (RW) vs FLA: 2g 4a 6pts +1

With DAL shot down in the same, game-5 place in the Conference Final CAR was, looking at the above I'm not seeing Rantanen as the surefire difference-maker to get past the CF everyone claims he is, at least not in 2025.

If those are his numbers playing hard for a team he really really wants to be on, I can't imagine how shit they'd have been playing half-ass for one he never did.

you can thank the elite Edmonton Oilers team defense for making Carolina's management look better

 

[NotCommitted]

Rantanen 1.22 P/GP while only one other Stars forward managed to get over 0.7P/GP (just barely). Trying to blame the only guy who showed up for them these playoffs does not make any sense and won't change what happened in the 1st round. Stars were supposed to be a deep team, but that never really happened and Rantanen totally bailed them out early to help them get this far. The rest of team was supposed show up at some point. You can't expect to keep winning series relying on 1 guy having a point in 90% of your teams goals.