Mikko Rantanen has a goal and 2 assists for Stars in 5-2 win over Jets to take a 2-1 series lead

DALLAS (AP) — Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists, including on the disputed tiebreaking goal off defenseman Alexander Petrovic's skate that was finally confirmed after a lengthy review as the Dallas Stars beat top-seeded Winnipeg 5-2 on Sunday to take 2-1 lead in the second-round Western Conference series.

Officials looked at Petrovic's goal for well over five minutes after the NHL's situation room initiated a video review to determine if he kicked the puck into the net for a 3-2 lead with 16:09 left. The final decision was that replays supported the referee's on-ice call that goalie Connor Hellebuyck propelled the puck into his own net.

“At that point, you want them to take as much time as they need to get it right,” said Stars coach Pete DeBoer, adding that the explanation he got was that Hellebuyck was trying to make a play on the puck.

Jets coach Scott Arniel certainly didn't agree.

“The rule states that if the puck gets kicked, if it hits a body or a stick of anybody else other than the goaltender, it counts as a goal. It hit our goaltender’s stick and went in the net. That is no goal,” Arniel said. "So they said that Helly propelled the puck in, and I haven’t seen the word propelled in the rulebook.”

Then only 49 seconds after play resumed, Rantanen scored his ninth goal of the playoffs — all coming in the last six games.

For Petrovic, who has played has played in all 10 postseason games after only five in the regular season for the Stars, got his first playoff goal since 2016 for Florida.

Game 4 is Tuesday night in Dallas.

Roope Hintz had a goal and an assist for the Stars, and Wyatt Johnston added a late goal. Sam Steel and Mikael Granlund each had two assists.

Rantanen, who has 18 points this postseason, had the primary assist on a power-play goal by Hintz only 2:27 in for a 1-0 lead. When Dallas scored again late in the first period for a 2-1 lead, Rantanen was on the ice for defenseman Thomas Harley’s goal, but the assists went to Granlund and Steel.

That ended Rantanen’s NHL playoffs-record streak of consecutive goals involved in at 13 in a row for the Stars since Game 5 of their first-round series against Colorado.

“Obviously I’m happy to help the team, I’ll try to keep doing that as much as I can on both ends of the ice,” said Rantanen, who was traded to the Stars on March 7. “I’m just trying to stay in the moment and even keel after wins and good games.”

Stars goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 23 shots.

Hellebuyck, the odds-on favorite to win his third Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie and also among three finalists for the Hart Trophy that goes to the MVP of the NHL regular season, dropped to 0-4 with a 6.65 goals against average in road games this postseason after giving up the five goals on 26 shots.

Nino Niederreiter got Winnipeg even at 2 midway through the second period on his shot from the bottom of the right circle after Josh Morrissey made a nifty move to get around Stars center Colin Blackwell before making the pass for the score.

The Stars had gone ahead 2-1 late in the first after Niederreiter tripped Granlund, who slid with the puck along the boards behind the net and got his knees to swipe it to Harley in the slot.

Kyle Connor scored for Winnipeg on a wraparound goal that got under Oettinger's extended glove.

“I don’t think (the game) got away from us. We were right there in the game," Connor said. "One deciding goal that may or may not be a goal and we are right there in the game.”

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

Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel, left, talks with referee Chris Rooney (5) in the third period of Game 3 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Dallas Stars in Dallas, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars' Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates his goal in the third period of Game 3 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets in Dallas, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Winnipeg Jets' Nikolaj Ehlers (27) and Dallas Stars' Ilya Lyubushkin (46) work to control the puck in the second period of Game 3 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Dallas, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars' Esa Lindell (23) and Sam Steel (18) help goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) defend the net against pressure from Winnipeg Jets left wing Nikolaj Ehlers (27) in the first period of Game 3 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Dallas, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Winnipeg Jets' Gabriel Vilardi (13) celebrates a goal scored by Kyle Connor, standing nearby, as Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) lies on the ice after the score in the first period of Game 3 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Dallas, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars' Mikko Rantanen (96), Mikael Granlund (64) and Roope Hintz, rear, celebrate Rantanen's goal as Winnipeg Jets' Neal Pionk (4) and Kyle Connor (81) look on in the third period of Game 3 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Dallas, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Four years after showing up late for the Beijing Olympics and missing one of his races because of a case of COVID-19, U.S. long track speedskater Casey Dawson is enjoying what he jokingly terms his “villain arc,” peaking at the right time ahead of the Milan Cortina Games.

Dawson secured a spot for next month in the men's 5,000 meters — an event he was forced to skip in 2022 while sick — by winning at that distance at the U.S. Olympic trials in 6 minutes, 12.857 seconds on Friday night.

“I actually got COVID two or three weeks before going to the competition. Tested positive for 50 straight tests,” said Dawson, a 25-year-old from Park City, Utah. “Couldn’t go over to the Games. I missed the opening ceremonies. Missed the 5,000 meters. Showed up 12 hours before my 1,500 meters. So I kind of got a little screwed over from that point of view. But this time around, I’m just looking forward to getting there smoothly and just getting a little bit of redemption.”

And then, with a chuckle, Dawson added: “It’s kind of fun to have, like, my villain arc, I would call it. Just coming back and having some fun.”

Ethan Cepuran was about 6 1/2 seconds back Friday, finishing next in 6:19.335.

The last American man to medal in the 5,000 at an Olympics was Chad Hedrick at the 2006 Turin Games.

Dawson already had secured the lone U.S. place for Milan in the men’s 10,000 — a race not being contested at these trials — and also will be part of the trio for men’s team pursuit at the Olympics.

Dawson, Cepuran and Emery Lehman took the bronze in that event in Beijing four years ago, set the world record in 2024 and claimed gold in the team pursuit at the world championships in March.

In the other race Friday, the women's 3,000, Greta Myers won in 4:06.799. As of now, the United States does not have a berth in Milan for that distance, but one of its athletes could end up in the field if another country relinquishes an opening.

“It's hard to wait,” said Myers, a 21-year-old from Lino Lakes, Minnesota. “But I'm very hopeful. I think it's at least a 50-50 chance that it'll happen.”

The U.S. Olympic roster for long track won't become official until the four-day trials at the Pettit National Ice Center wrap up on Monday. One element that could come into play is that the Americans are allowed to bring a maximum of eight men and six women to these Winter Games.

The biggest star of the team — and the sport — is scheduled to make his trials debut Saturday in the men's 1,000 meters: Jordan Stolz. The 21-year-old from Kewaskum, a town about 40 miles north of Milwaukee, is not just competing at home this week; he's racing at the same rink where he first began taking lessons as a kid.

He made his Olympic debut at age 17 in Beijing four years ago, finishing 13th in the 500 and 14th in the 1,000.

At both the 2023 and 2024 world championships, Stolz earned titles in each of the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters.

He's already pre-qualified for the Olympics based on performances at those three distances. All he really needs to do to lock down berths on the squad for the Feb. 6-22 Milan Cortina Games is show up at the starting line this week.

The 500 and 1,500 are slated for Sunday, and the mass start is Monday.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Casey Dawson, of Park City, Utah, right, and Ethan Cepuran, of Glen Ellyn, lllinois, left, compete in the men's 5,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials for long track speed skating at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Howard Fendrich)

The Pettit National Ice Center is seen in Milwaukee on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, the first day of the U.S. Olympic trials for long track speedskating. (AP Photo/Howard Fendrich)