Mikko Rantannen’s adaptation to stars ‘Stinge’ playing style improves over time

Mikko Rantanten’s 2024-25 season was not the one he expected. He was not even uprooted by a shocking trade, but twice after he had spent the first decade of his career at the avalanche.

Rantene was treated on January 24 by Colorado to Carolina Hurricanes and once again traded on the stars by Carolina on March 7.

As if this campaign had not yet been strange enough for him, he takes into account the fact that in his first playoff series as a Dallas star he faces the team, which he acted with him a decade three months ago.

Rantenne took time to adapt to playing with the stars, and although he has not yet set up the superstar numbers in Dallas, which he has built in Colorado, he arrives there.

In the first four games in the series, he took a little time until he settled in the playoffs when he held up to one point (an assist for Tyler Seguin’s game in game 3) in the first four games.

But Rantannen finally broke through with his first goal of the Stars Avalanche series and showed a goal and two templates in the 6-2 victory of Dallas.

“Sometimes it is the one you need,” said the stars striker Matt Duchene in a radio interview with 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket (KTCK-AM). “This open network, back door and then everything changes.”

Rantane’s greatest adaptation to playing with the stars is how different Dallas plays as a colorado. While the stars achieve their share of ratings, it is not the same high-flying avalanche system in which rantons saw in its last two full seasons with Colorado Tally 105 and 104 points.

“I think we all tried to find the border between persistent, gravel, flawless hockey and also play our game,” said Duchene. “And Mikko is a very creative, insulting player. He comes from a team that is freedom.

“Basically, he and (Nathan) Mackinnon Carte Blanche had to do everything they wanted out there and we play a little differently.”

What exactly is the difference in the hockey style of the stars? Duchene described it as a “stinging”. Dallas prefers to keep things easier and make opponents low and put the puck in areas where opponents cannot attack.

“This is something that I think I adapted,” he said. “It is more difficult to produce like this, but I think in the game last night I thought we only had a really good balance.”

Don’t you think Duchene? Ask Stars Coach Pete Deboer, who also came to the ticket on Tuesday. After hearing what Duchene said about rantons, Deboer weighed.

“I think that’s right,” said Deboer. “I think he has been programmed in a certain way for 10 years and it adapts. But I think it adapts very well.”

Playing in an open freestyling system together with Mackinnon has been creating habits for a decade and there will almost always be an adjustment time when changing the teams. Rantannen had 64 points up to 49 games with Colorado this season before being traded.

But in his 13 games with Carolina before he was traded again, he only registered six points in a Hurricanes uniform. With 18 points in 20 games, Rantane’s production ticked a little in Dallas.

“I think the experience with Carolina was probably his original moment of shock for” I’m no longer in Colorado with Nate Mackinnon in the middle of the ice, “said Deboer.

It is not always easy to get a Star player like rantons for a new team and a play style in the middle of a season. He bought himself into Dallas by signing his massive contract extension with the stars at the closure of the trade, but Deboer believes that things improve on the ice due to his buy-in.

“I think this adjustment period is getting shorter and we see great improvements,” he said. “The only thing about him is that he is all in. There is no complaint about it.

“He understands that he is an intelligent hockey type and he is everything. I think last night we was a perfect example of playing this game and still creating a crime.”

Dallas certainly created its appropriate share of offensive in game 5 because it took control of the series and put the avalanche on the edge of the elimination.

If the stars are able to end the avalanche and go over to the second round, Rantannen would have another series to familiarize himself with his new team, and could lead to further performances as he had in game 5

While the stars expect Miro Heikanen and Jason Robertson’s return, they can also receive a version of romantas, while the playoffs are continued.

Find more stars with reporting from The Dallas Morning News Here.