DALLAS — Mikko Rantanen carried the Dallas Stars past his former team in the first round of the NHL playoffs, punctuated with a hat trick that was part of his historic four-point third period in Game 7.

Mikko Rantanen figures he would have left the room in disbelief had someone told him at the beginning of this season that he would score a hat track in a Game 7 against Colorado. After all, that was the organization with which he made his NHL debut just weeks before his 19th birthday.

Mikko Rantanen scored three goals in the third period, and the Dallas Stars utilized a furious rally to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, defeating the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in Game 7 on Saturday night at American Airlines Center.