Stanley Cup Playoffs 2025: Stars' Mikko Rantanen among the three stars of the NHL postseason so far

A look at some of the NHL's top producers of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Stanley Cup Playoffs saw some riveting action throughout the first round. Two of the Western Conference series went the full seven games. The Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets ultimately moved onto the next round despite both looking dead in the water late in Game 7.

There were many spectacular individual performances that played a huge role in teams moving onto the second round, which begins on Monday with the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting last season's champions, the Florida Panthers. Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen was certainly one that changed the entire complexion of the series against the Colorado Avalanche.

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Austin Nivison

Here's a look at three of the top stars from the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

1 -- Mikko Rantanen, Stars

Revenge is a dish best served cold, and that was definitely the case when Stars forward Mikko Rantanen took on his former team in the first round.

After the two sides couldn't come to terms on a contract extension, the Avalanche elected to trade Rantanen to the Hurricanes in a package that netted Colorado Martin Necas. However, Carolina also ended up moving Rantanen to Dallas just prior to the trade deadline. 

Rantanen did get off to a slow start against his former team with just one assist through the opening four games of the series. However, Rantanen put together a stretch for the ages in the final three games of the series. He tallied five goals and six assists in the span, but no performance was more electric than what he produced in Game 7. Rantanen racked up three goals and an assist in flipping a 2-0 third-period deficit into an improbable 4-2 victory.

Rantanen became the first player in league history to record four points in a period in consecutive games after tallying a goal and three assists in the second period of Game 6. He was able to finish off his hat trick performance in Game 7 with an empty-net goal.

The Stars winger truly brought a new definition to the phrase "putting the team on his back." Rantanen rose to the occasion when the Stars needed him the most, and they're moving on to face a Jets team that needed its own share of heroics to survive a scare from the Blues.

2 -- Anthony Stolarz, Maple Leafs

Anthony Stolarz has spent the majority of his NHL career as a backup goaltender, but finally got his chance to shine when the Stanley Cup Playoffs got underway for the Maple Leafs.

Stolarz spent the majority of the regular season splitting time with Joseph Woll, but Toronto coach Craig Berube elected to move forward with the veteran goaltender in net when they took on Ottawa. In six games, Stolarz recorded a 2.21 goals-against-average and a .901 save percentage, while winning four of his next starts. Stolarz also surrendered two or fewer goals in five of the six games in the first-round series. 

Stolarz stopped 11 of the final 12 shots that he faced in the third period of the series-clinching game. The veteran goaltender also gave up just four total goals over the final two games of the series, which helped the Maple Leafs avoid a Game 7.

The Maple Leafs were able to depend on Stolarz to shut the door when the team needed him the most. Considering that he only appeared in one career playoff game prior to the first-round series, Stolarz certainly passed his test with flying colors.

3 -- Connor McDavid, Oilers

The Oilers had a rough start to their opening round series as they were outscored 12-7 in their first two games. However, when a team has a player of the caliber of Connor McDavid on its roster, they're never out of it.

McDavid ended up registering two goals and nine assists throughout the six-game series as he continued to rise to the occasion. The Oilers star recorded three multi-point performances with his playmaking ability being on full display all series long.

When facing a 2-0 series deficit, McDavid managed to dominate in a spot where the Oilers desperately needed a win in order to shift the momentum. The Oilers superstar ended up tallying a goal and two assists, including recording the primary assist on Evander Kane's game-tying goal in the third period in a contest where the Oilers ultimately won 7-4.

When the lights are the brightest, McDavid has proved to be absolutely electric. While it doesn't always come from putting the puck in the net, McDavid affects the game in so many different ways that the opposition consistently has their hands full, much like the Kings did in the first round.