NHL Playoffs 2025: Rantanen, Pacioretty Lead 3 Stars of the Night

The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs just got even more exciting with two huge games Wednesday night that had fans on the edge of their seats.

The Toronto Maple Leafs grabbed a commanding 2-0 series lead by holding off the Florida Panthers 4-3 in a nail-biter. Max Pacioretty led the way with a goal and an assist, continuing his red-hot playoff run.

Over in Winnipeg, Mikko Rantanen put on an absolute show. The Stars’ forward scored all three goals in Dallas’s 3-2 win over the Jets – the first natural hat trick in Stars history.

Jake Oettinger came up huge in net for Dallas, stopping 30 shots to steal Game 1 on the road.

The night’s biggest story was Rantanen, who’s been unstoppable lately. His most impressive goal came in the second period when he somehow batted in a rebound one-handed while falling to the ice. That’s the kind of highlight-reel stuff that makes playoff hockey special.

It’s turning out to be quite the trade deadline pickup for Dallas GM Jim Nill, who brought Rantanen over from Colorado. The Finnish star has now scored six goals in his last four playoff games – something only two other players have done in Stars/North Stars history.

In Toronto, William Nylander kept his own hot streak alive. His second-period goal was his sixth of the playoffs, set up beautifully by Pacioretty on a two-on-one rush. Nylander’s now scored in three straight games and sits second in playoff scoring with 13 points.

Pacioretty’s been a game-changer since returning to Toronto’s lineup in Game 3 of their first-round series against Ottawa. The veteran forward has racked up six points in his last three games, including a sweet power-play deflection goal Wednesday night.

The action shifts to Florida next, where the Panthers will try to climb back into their series against Toronto. Meanwhile, the Jets will look to bounce back at home against Dallas in Game 2.

The way these playoffs are going, you won’t want to miss what happens next.