Mikael Granlund had his first career playoff hat trick, Jake Oettinger stopped 31 shots and the Dallas Stars beat Winnipeg 3-1 to take a 3-1 series series lead over the top seed in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Well, that “U.S. backup” has Dallas on the verge of its third consecutive trip to the Western Conference Final. Oettinger mostly has outplayed Hellebuyck throughout these NHL playoffs and in the second-round Western Conference series that the Stars lead 3-1 over the top-seeded Jets.

Game 5 is at Winnipeg on Thursday, when the Stars will have their first chance to advance to the West final for the third year in a row.

When Dallas scored again late in the first period for a 2-1 lead, Rantanen was on the ... 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 ...