Mikko Rantanen has second straight hat trick as Stars beat Jets 3-2 in series opener

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mikko Rantanen had a natural hat trick in the second period, Jake Oettinger stopped 30 shots and the Dallas Stars beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the second-round series.

Rantanen, who had a hat trick in the third period of the Stars’ Game 7 win over his former Colorado teammates, is the third player in NHL history — and the first in nearly 40 years — with hat tricks in consecutive playoff games.

Edmonton’s Jari Kurri accomplished the feat in Games 5 and 6 of the 1985 Campbell Conference final, and Chicago’s Doug Bentley did the same in Games 4 and 5 of the 1944 Stanley Cup Final.

“Sometimes it goes that way,” said Rantanen, acquired from Carolina at the trade deadline. “The third goal goes off them and goes five—hole. Or when you’re going through a tough stretch, you feel like you could only pray for those and those never come."

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Friday night in Winnipeg.

Nino Niederreiter and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets, who had won four in a row at Canada Life Centre. Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves.

Scheifele returned after sustaining an upper-body injury in Game 5 in the first round against St. Louis. Dallas forward Jason Robertson was back after injuring a knee in the final game of the regular season.

The Jets led the NHL with 116 points to earn home-ice advantage through the playoffs, while Dallas was second in the Central Division and third in the Western Conference with 106.

“We know we just gave up home-ice advantage,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “And that wasn’t a game where they rolled over top of us for three periods. That was a game where we weren’t at our best."

Niederreiter got the sold-out crowd cheering when his sharp-angled backhander beat Oettinger at 3:30 of the second period. He became the NHL’s first Swiss-born player to skate in 100 postseason games.

Rantanen tied it at 8:43 with his sixth goal of the playoffs. His second goal was a tip of Thomas Harley’s point shot with 5:39 left, and he made it 3-1 on the power play 2:17 later when his shot went in off Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg.

"Sometimes it’s ups and downs in hockey and now it’s going well individually and as a team,” Rantanen said.

Rantanen extended his points streak to four games with eight goals and six assists across the stretch. He has 15 points this postseason.

“He’s one of the best players in the world and he’s just on fire right now, so we’re just trying to get him the puck,” said center Sam Steele, who assisted on Rantanen’s first goal of the night.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Winnipeg Jets' Adam Lowry (17) and Neal Pionk (4) collide with Dallas Stars' Roope Hintz (24) during first period NHL playoff hockey action in Winnipeg, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets players crowd the net around Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger trying to score in the last minutes of the third period NHL playoff hockey action in Winnipeg, Canada, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) celebrates the win over the Winnipeg Jets with Thomas Harley (55) in NHL playoff hockey action in Winnipeg, Canada, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Linesman Devin Berg (87) gets between Dallas Stars' Roope Hintz (24) and Winnipeg Jets' Dylan Demelo (2) during the third period of an NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel talks with players during a timeout against the Dallas Stars during the third period of an NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) makes the save on Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55) as Gabriel Vilardi (13) looks for the rebound during the third period of an NHL playoff hockey game in Winnipeg, Canada, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) makes a save on Winnipeg Jets' Mason Appleton (22) during the third period of an NHL hockey playoff series in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Dallas Stars' Mikko Rantanen, right, celebrates his goal against the Winnipeg Jets with teammates during the second period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Dallas Stars' Mikko Rantanen (96) scores on Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) during second period NHL playoff hockey action in Winnipeg, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.

Government officials survey the damage of a home caused by a gas cylinder explosion hours after a wedding reception, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)