Colorado Avalanche: Mikko Rantanen Scores 2nd Career Hat Trick

Colorado Avalanche star winger Mikko Rantanen scored his second-ever career hat trick in the win over the New Jersey Devils.

The Colorado Avalanche are definitely starting the new year on the right foot. They’ve now won two games in a row, beating St. Louis at home and the Devils in New Jersey.

Well, en route to a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils, winger Mikko Rantenen scored a hat trick. It was his second ever in his career.

His first goal was the first of the game. It didn’t come, though, until halfway through the game. It was a beauty of a goal set up by his longtime linemate Nathan MacKinnon:

Man, I love watching MacKinnon make moves like that. And I’m pretty pleased with Rantanen’s snipe.

The second goal was also a pretty one. By that point, the Avalanche were already up 2-0. In the opening seconds of the third period, Rantanen scored. Literal seconds — just eight, to be exact.

The goal started with a beautiful move by Cale Makar:

Man, he evades Devils players like he’s a greased pig at the county fair. (Side note: I don’t think the pigs like that too much. But then, Damon Severson didn’t seem to be having a good time either.)

That tip-in by Rantanen, though — that’s the finishing touch. That goal also happened to be the game-winner.

The Colorado Avalanche “made the game interesting” by letting the Devils get back into it. First, Blake Coleman scored a short-handed goal, and, late in the third, Jesper Boqvist scored a power play goal.

With the score now 4-2 with just under a minute-and-a-half left to go, the Devils pulled their goalie for the extra attacker. Well, Rantanen was on the ice, and of course he wanted the hat trick. Unfortunately, his first attempt went wide, and the Avs got called for icing.

Rantanen isn’t a selfish player, and he would have never kept trying for the hatty if it wouldn’t also benefit the team. Well, with just 16 seconds left in the game, the Avalanche gained possession of the puck.

Sam Girard got the puck and passed it to Rantanen, who streaked up the ice. He actually stopped just before the blueline. He seemed to be looking for someone else to make the empty-net goal — color analyst Peter McNab opined during the broadcast that he wanted MacKinnon to get another point.

Nope, it was all Rantanen:

Mikko now how 15 goals on the year and a total of 31 points — he’s just one point shy of eclipsing Makar for second on the Avs. Cale earned the primary assist on Rantanen’s second goal.

Here’s Rantanen talking about missing that first empty net:

https://twitter.com/Avalanche/status/1213655351041646592

That’s ok, Rants, you got it in eventually. Naturally, being in New Jersey, the hats for the hat trick were few. They were, in fact, just one.

Meanwhile, fun fact — last year when the Colorado Avalanche were in New Jersey, Gabriel Landeskog scored his second-ever hat trick. Lucky barn for the Avs.