The truth has been revealed - now Mikko Rantanen speaks

Mikko Rantanen stated after the Dallas Stars’ season ended that the spring playoffs went on without new injuries, even though there were many rumors about his situation during the spring.

Stars’ head coach Glen Gulutzan confirmed on Monday that the Finnish star was fully fit to play during the playoffs.

According to Rantanen, the injury he sustained during the winter Olympics affected his performance for a long time.

– I couldn’t reach the same level after my injury as I did before the Olympics, Rantanen told DLLS Sports.

The Finnish forward had to miss the bronze medal match at the Olympics due to the injury. He returned to the NHL rink only at the end of March, when there were about ten games left in the regular season.

Rantanen did not elaborate on the nature of the injury but emphasized that he was ready to play in the playoffs.

Dallas’ season was short, as the Minnesota Wild eliminated the Stars in the first round with a series score of 4–2. Rantanen collected 1+6 points in six games but did not manage to score points at even strength.

The forward was also disappointed with his own performance level.

– I need to be better in the playoffs next year. I need to be able to create more offensive threats five-on-five, he said.

Rantanen mentioned that he tried to find his rhythm by increasing his training but felt that at times he might have overdone it.

– My body felt pretty good, but things didn’t go as I wanted, so I started working even harder. Sometimes that’s not a good thing; you have to find the right rhythm.

In the regular season, Rantanen played 64 games, scoring 22 goals and 55 assists.

Other Finnish players on the Stars also suffered injuries in the spring. Miro Heiskanen reported that he strained his abdominal muscles in the last game of the regular season but still played all the playoff games. According to Heiskanen, the injury will heal completely over the summer.

Roope Hintz, on the other hand, had to watch the playoffs from the sidelines due to a hamstring injury. According to Hintz, a return to the ice was close, but his recovery slowed down later.