Mikko Rantanen scored a hat trick, capped by a power-play goal at 3:52 of overtime, to lift the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night.

Rantanen’s Overtime Winner Ends Bruins’ Streak

The loss halted a five-game winning streak for the Bruins, who finished their four-game Western Conference road trip with a 3-0-1 record and seven of a possible eight points. Rantanen struck early in the second period to tie the game at 1-1. He tied it again at 2-all in the third period when a Roope Hintz shot deflected off the leg of Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy straight to the right face-off circle, where Rantanen poked it past Jeremy Swayman with 6:22 remaining in regulation. In the extra session, Rantanen executed close-range stick work to beat Swayman over the left shoulder on a power play.

“He’s a guy that takes over games,” Stars defenseman Tyler Myers said. “It’s fun to watch, especially when the third one’s an OT winner. Gets the whole group excited.”

Bruins Power Play Stalls in Texas

Boston went 0-for-4 on the man advantage against a Dallas penalty kill that entered the contest allowing an NHL-best 1.5 goals per game and holding the fourth-best success rate in the league. The visitors failed to capitalize on a crucial opportunity early in the third period while holding a 2-1 lead. Matthew Poitras opened the scoring at 2:09 of the first period with a one-timer from the left circle off a cross-ice feed from Frederic Brunet. James Hagens added Boston’s second goal in the middle frame by chipping in a wrap-around pass from Casey Mittelstadt.

“I thought the guys played great, I really do,” Boston coach Marco Sturm said. “Deserved definitely a point. A little unfortunate to give up the second point, but looking back, what a great road trip. I really liked our effort tonight.”

Goaltenders Deliver Under Pressure

Jeremy Swayman stopped 22 of 25 shots for Boston, including two breakaway attempts by Wyatt Johnston just 10 seconds apart during overtime. At the other end of the ice, Jake Oettinger turned aside 18 shots to secure the Stars’ third win in a row and improve the Stars’ record to 5-3-1.

“It’s hard to win in this league,” Swayman said. “It’s been the best trip ever, just because of the camaraderie and the way we’ve competed and been able to just stick together every single day.”

Did you know? With this performance, Mikko Rantanen recorded his 11th three-goal game in the NHL, which was his first regular-season hat trick since he was acquired by the Stars via trade during the 2024-25 season. He is the fourth player in franchise history to score an overtime hat trick since the club relocated to Dallas for the 1993-94 season.

Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen skates by his bench after scoring a goal against the Boston Bruins during the second
Photo: TSN

Stars defeat Bruins in overtime

What was the final score of the Bruins-Stars game on Tuesday?

The Dallas Stars defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2 in overtime at American Airlines Center in Texas.

How did Mikko Rantanen score his three goals?

Rantanen tied the game 1-1 in the second period, tied it again 2-2 in the third period off a deflection from Charlie McAvoy, and won it at 3:52 of overtime with a close-range power-play shot past Jeremy Swayman.

OVERTIME WINNER 🚨 Boston Bruins vs. Dallas Stars | Full Game Highlights | ESPN NHL

Who scored the goals for the Boston Bruins in Dallas?

Matthew Poitras scored in the first period off a pass from Frederic Brunet, and James Hagens scored in the second period following a setup from Casey Mittelstadt.

What were the records of both teams entering Thursday’s schedule?

The Bruins dropped to 7-2-1 while concluding their road trip, and the Stars improved to 5-3-1 with their third straight win.

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