Granlund, acquired from the San Jose Sharks with defenseman Cody Ceci on Feb. 1, has nine points (five goals, four assists) in 15 games including his first career hat trick in Game 4 of the second round against the Winnipeg Jets.

SportsLine NHL analyst Scott Erskine gives his thoughts on the top picks in Sunday's Game 3 of the Western Conference Final between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers

The Stars began Game 2 on Friday with a starting five of Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, Mikael Granlund, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell, all of whom are Finnish-born players. According to the Stars’ social media account, it’s the first time since the NHL began tracking starters that a team put out five Finns to begin a game.

The Dallas Stars began Friday with the mission to bury the Edmonton Oilers. And they did, in a 2-0 series deficit in their 2025 Western Conference Final series in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. To that end, the Stars decided to go with a lineup, the kind never before seen in the league.

Another playoff hat trick for a Finnish forward the Dallas Stars acquired in a trade during the regular season. This time, it was a first for Mikael Granlund.