Mikko Rantanen played healthy in the playoffs

Mkkko Rantanen was not injured Picture: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Philadelphia

Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan said Monday at the Stars’ final press conference of the season that he did not Mikko Rantanen played injured in the playoffs.

For example, reports on the matter of the Dallas News supplier Lia Assimakopoulos In the X service.

However, Gulutzan said that Rantase had trouble getting into a proper game mood after the injury that happened at the Olympics. Rantanen did not play in the Olympic bronze medal game and returned to the rink only at the end of March, when there were ten games left in the NHL regular season.

Rantanen did not want to reveal what injury he suffered at the press conference. However, he said his health was good when the playoffs started.

The Stars fell in the first round against the Minnesota Wild with match wins of 2–4.

Rantanen did not play at his best level, so it was assumed that he would play injured. The Suomalaistahtih scored valid power points 1+6, but his chain was the most even field in difficulties.

Rantanen went 5-for-5 with no points against the Wild and didn’t step up in the most important moments of the Stars’ season.

“I didn’t reach the same level after my injury as before the Olympics,” Rantanen admitted.

He said that he worked hard, even too hard.

“My body felt great, but things didn’t go the way I wanted, so I started working even harder. Sometimes that’s not a good thing, you have to find the right rhythm,” he said.

“I need to be better a year from now in the playoffs. I need to be able to especially create more of an offensive threat 5-on-5.”

Rantanen also added that in the playoffs he simply has to succeed in scoring.

In the regular season, Rantanen scored 77 (22+55) points in 64 matches.

Miro Heiskanen on the other hand, tore his abdominal muscle in the last game of the regular season against the Minnesota Wild and was not at full fitness.

Heiskanen’s playing status was uncertain before the match series, but he played all six matches. Heiskanen said he will recover to full fitness during the summer.

Stars the Finnish center Roope Hintz said he suffered from a hamstring injury. Hintz did not play a single game in the playoffs. He said he probably would have been able to play in the second round.

Hintz was already close to returning to playing condition, but recovery took a back seat.