Rantanen Hat Trick Snaps the Streak, But Bruins Grab a Point in 3-2 OT Loss in Dallas

By Soapz · Oct 21, 2026

Well, B's fans, all good things come to an end, and the winning streak ended at five on Tuesday night in Dallas. But don't you dare hang your head over this one. The Bruins led 1-0 and 2-1, took the Stars to overtime in one of the toughest buildings in the league, and walked out with a point. Mikko Rantanen scored all three Dallas goals, including the winner on the power play in overtime, and the Stars took it 3-2.

Zoom out, and this road trip was a massive success. Four games, three wins, one overtime loss, and seven of a possible eight points. The Bruins head home at 7-2-1, sitting first in the Atlantic and second in the whole East. If you'd offered that before the team left for California, every single one of us would have taken it in a heartbeat.

So let's go through it. The kids scored both goals again, Sway was strong, and one guy in a green sweater just had one of those nights. Here's how it played out.

First period: Poitras gets the party started

The Bruins wasted no time at all. Just 2:09 into the game, Frederic Brunet and Tanner Jeannot got the puck moving the right way, and Matthew Poitras snapped one past Jake Oettinger to make it 1-0. That's his fourth goal of the season, and it's Brunet setting him up just a few nights after his own first NHL goal in Anaheim. The kids helping the kids. We love to see it.

From there, the first period was tight. Thomas Harley went off for hooking at 8:58 after a battle with Khusnutdinov, but the Boston power play couldn't cash in. Late in the frame, Jeannot was called for roughing at 18:27, and the penalty kill carried that one over into the second. The B's got to the room up 1-0, and honestly, it felt like the right score. Both goalies were sharp, and neither team was giving up much.

Second period: Hagens with the answer

Dallas tied it early in the second. At 2:50, Jason Robertson found Rantanen, and Rantanen snapped one past Swayman. 1-1. He was in the right spot, and he made no mistake with it. That was the first sign that it was going to be his night.

But the Bruins had a quick answer, and it was a beauty. At 7:30, Casey Mittelstadt went behind the net and threw a wraparound-style pass into the slot, Nikita Zadorov had a hand in it as well, and James Hagens was right there to tip it in. 2-1 Bruins. That's Hagens's third goal of the year, and he was named the second star of the game. Every week, the 19-year-old looks a little more comfortable against grown men, and this was a goal-scorer's goal from the doorstep.

The rest of the period was a missed opportunity. Miro Heiskanen went off for cross-checking Pastrnak at 13:17, and then Rantanen took a goaltender interference penalty on Swayman at 18:39. Two more power plays, and the Bruins couldn't add to the lead on either. Still, they went into the second intermission ahead 2-1, with 20 minutes to go to make it six straight.

Third period: one more power play, and Rantanen again

The third started with yet another Bruins power play when Sam Steel went to the box for holding Geekie just 43 seconds in. That made four power plays on the night, and once again, Oettinger and the Dallas penalty kill held. Looking back, that's the part of the game that stings. One more goal on any of those chances, and we're probably talking about a sixth straight win.

McAvoy took a tripping penalty at 6:55, and the B's penalty kill did its job. Then, at 13:38, Dallas found the equalizer. Roope Hintz and Harley worked the puck to Rantanen, and he snapped home his second of the night. 2-2. The Bruins pushed back after that, Sway made some big saves to keep it even, and the game went to overtime.

Overtime: the hat trick

Three-on-three overtime is chaos, and it took one bad break to decide it. At 2:28 of the extra period, Pavel Zacha was called for slashing Harley, which put Dallas on a four-on-three power play. That's a tough spot against a team with that much skill. At 3:52, Heiskanen and Robertson moved it around, and Rantanen finished it on the backhand. Hat trick, game over, 3-2 Stars.

It's a tough way to lose, no doubt. But look at it this way: it took a hat trick from one of the best players on the planet and an overtime power play to beat this team in its own building. That's not a bad loss. That's a sign of how good the Bruins have been.

Sway kept them in it

Swayman finished with 22 saves on 25 shots, and he was a big reason this game got to overtime. Dallas had the edge in shots, 25 to 20, and the Stars got some quality looks in the third. Sway stood tall through most of them, and the only guy who could figure him out was Rantanen. That's back-to-back strong starts from him to close the trip, and he looks locked in.

At the other end, Oettinger was very good too. He stopped 18 of 20 and turned away all four Boston power plays. This was a goaltender's game in a lot of ways, and on another night, the bounces go the other way.

The kids keep scoring

Let's spend a minute on the young guys, because this trip was their coming-out party. Poitras scored again, his fourth goal of the season. Hagens scored again, his third. Brunet picked up another assist after scoring his first NHL goal in Anaheim. Over four games on the road, the young core was at the center of just about everything good this team did.

And it's not just the scoring. Poitras won every faceoff he took on Tuesday. Hagens blocked two shots and played over 13 minutes. Brunet played 16:37 against a deep, heavy Dallas team and didn't look out of place. These kids are going to be a big part of the story of this season, and maybe the next ten.

The vets held the line

McAvoy played a team-high 27:04 and blocked four shots. Zadorov was rock solid for 20:48 and grabbed an assist on the Hagens goal. Mittelstadt made the play of the night on that pass. Zacha put four shots on net and Minten added three. Even in a loss, there was a lot to like from just about everybody in black and gold.

Marat Khusnutdinov didn't find the scoresheet after his big night in L.A., but he drew a penalty in the first and played over 14 minutes in his middle-six role. That's the kind of steady, two-way game that makes him so valuable on a night when the offense is hard to come by.

Looking ahead: home sweet home

After more than a week on the road, the Bruins are finally coming back to TD Garden. They host the Nashville Predators on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on NESN, and then the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. After a trip like this one, the Garden should be rocking.

Things to watch: Can the power play get back on track after an 0-for-4 night? Do the kids keep it rolling in front of the home crowd? Does Sway get the start again, or does DiPietro get the Nashville game? And can the Bruins start a brand new streak right away?

Our takeaways

The road trip was a huge success. Seven of eight points through four tough road games. The kids scored again. Poitras and Hagens were the only Bruins to score, and Brunet set up the first one. The power play needs a tune-up. 0-for-4 in a game decided by one goal. Sometimes the other guy is just great. Rantanen had one of those nights, and Sway still kept it close all the way to overtime.

The streak is over, but the Bruins are 7-2-1 and heading home on top of the Atlantic, second in the East. We'll take it. Let's go, B's. 🐻

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