Because of their 3-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night time, the Dallas Stars took a commanding 3-1 sequence lead of their second-round playoff sequence and are only one win away from their third consecutive Western Convention Last look. For a lot of the first two rounds, their massive trade-deadline addition, Mikko Rantanen, has been carrying the offense.
However for as nice — and dominant — as Rantanen has been, he isn’t the one midseason addition who’s making a big effect for the Stars this postseason.
Veteran ahead Mikael Granlund, acquired in a commerce with the San Jose Sharks, can also be having an awesome postseason.
He performed his greatest sport of the playoffs in Tuesday’s win, offering all the offense by recording a hat trick.
Along with his three targets on Tuesday, Granlund is now as much as 4 targets and 7 complete factors in 11 playoff video games, whereas bringing his Dallas totals (together with common season) to twenty-eight complete factors (11 targets, 17 assists) in 42 video games.
It isn’t fairly the identical stage as what Rantanen or a few of the Stars’ different prime gamers have accomplished, however it’s nonetheless a big impact from a secondary scoring perspective.
It must also be thought of a really nice shock for the Stars.
Dallas paid a major worth to amass him, sending a first- and third-round decide to the Sharks for Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci. Not solely is Granlund a pending free agent after this season, however there was some respectable concern that a few of his scoring manufacturing in San Jose was a little bit of a mirage.
Despite the fact that he had led the Sharks in scoring in every of the previous two seasons, there have been some critical pink flags along with his play. For one, he was getting probably the most minutes and largest offensive position for a nasty staff that had few scoring choices. Anyone needed to get the factors for the Sharks. Granlund had proven vital indicators of slowing down in his profession earlier than arriving in San Jose, and there was good cause to imagine he was simply feasting on favorable offensive conditions.
He additionally was not a lot of an impression participant defensively.
Briefly: There have been some potential flaws, and given the worth the Stars paid, it may have been an acquisition that shortly went sideways for them.
However along with his efficiency on Tuesday — and since arriving in Dallas — he has silenced lots of the doubters. He might not be a top-line participant, however the Stars don’t want him to be. They’ve these — loads of them. They simply wanted one other veteran ahead to have the ability to present some secondary and complementary scoring. He’s giving them that, and on Tuesday, he was the distinction in a pivotal sport in a sequence towards the NHL’s Presidents’ Trophy-winning staff.
There may be nonetheless an extended approach to go within the playoffs, however it’s simple to say the Stars had been the massive winners of the NHL commerce deadline. Their two greatest additions are profitable video games all by themselves.
