Mikko Rantanen posts four points as Stars shut out Sabres 4-0

Mikko Rantanen touched the scoresheet on four different plays Thursday, and the Dallas Stars left KeyBank Center with a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

The forward finished with a goal and three assists - his 26th career four-point game, tied with Artemi Panarin for the fifth most since Rantanen's NHL debut in 2015-16, according to NHL.com. Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots for his second straight shutout as Dallas moved to 2-2-0.

Rantanen described the difference as pace. "We had our legs again, I think that's the key," he said after the game. "Playing well, you need to skate well, and I think the last two games we've been playing really fast.

The first two periods really good, and then in the third, sitting back a little bit, they get a couple chances, but 'Otter' was pretty good in net."

Involved from the start

His assists started early. Jason Robertson put Dallas ahead 1-0 at 9:03 of the first, skating down the right side on a 2-on-1 with Rantanen and snapping the puck low blocker side on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Sam Steel made it 2-0 at 9:36 of the second with a shot from high above the slot through traffic.

Rantanen's own goal pushed the lead to 3-0 at 13:57 of the second. Nils Lundkvist's shot from the left point bounced off the end boards to Rantanen, who backhanded it into an open net with Luukkonen pulled to the other side of the crease.

Roope Hintz later took a pass from Wyatt Johnston and buried Dallas's first power-play goal of the season at 15:34, finishing a night in which Rantanen's three helpers lined up with the team's depth scoring.

Connected look

Coach Glen Gulutzan pointed to puck movement on the back end and forwards arriving in the right spots. "I just like the game all of our guys are giving us right now," Gulutzan said, per NHL.com. "Our 'D' has been moving the puck great the last couple games, and our forwards are working to spots for them.

So we're a little connected. We've just got to keep stacking here. We've got to stack plays and games up on each other."

Hintz echoed the same idea from the forward group: play quick hockey and trust instincts rather than overthinking. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said his team has to start better and finish early chances after trailing by multiple goals in three straight games. Luukkonen finished with 14 saves and said allowing four goals is not how you win, regardless of how the plays develop.

For Rantanen, the four-point night landed on a team that has now won two in a row with Oettinger untouched. The skating he described after the game showed up in the primary assist on the opening goal, the boards bounce that became his own tally, and the continued pressure that forced Buffalo into another night spent chasing.

Sources

nhl.com

The Associated Press