Avs' Gabriel Landeskog, Jared Bednar gets 100% honest about $96,000,000 former teammate's hat-trick in Game 7

Gabriel Landeskog spoke after the Colorado Avalanche’s Game 7 loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday. Mikko Rantanen had a hat-trick and an assist in the third period as he helped the Stars come back to win 4-2. It was only the first third-period hat-trick in a Game 7 in NHL playoff history, according to Sportsnet.

When asked about Mikko Rantanen’s big night, Gabriel Landeskog said that he didn’t care who scored for the other team.

"I couldn't care less who scored for them," Landeskog told reporters."I really couldn’t. I've told you, Miko's one of my best friends, and I love him, but I couldn't care whether he scored or somebody else."

Here, the revenge factor makes Rantanen's performance even more special. Rantanen was traded in January, and the Avalanche moved him to Carolina when they couldn’t agree a new contract. They didn't want to lose Rantanen for nothing in free agency.

Later, Carolina traded him to the Dallas Stars because Rantanen didn't want to sign there. Following his trade to Dallas, Rantanen signed an eight-year, $96 million deal with the Stars before the deadline.

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar also talked about Rantanen’s performance.

"Well, kind of what he (Rantanen) did in the second period the other night," Bednar said. "That's the thing with Miko. It's not about always just creating multiple chances or every time he touches the puck, but big moments."

Rantanen had a four-point game in Game 6 and ended the series with five goals and seven assists in seven games.

"Look at that first goal," Bednar added. "Pretty nice individual effort, rips it off the bar and down, then finds a way to get the other one on the wraparound. It's off our skate. It's still high-quality play. He capitalizes on it. That's what he is. He's a pure goal scorer. He did that in the third."

Rantanen had 24 shots on goal, 10 hits and eight blocked shots in the series. He finished with a minus-1 rating as he led Dallas to the second round of the playoffs.

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Gabriel Landeskog talks about the third-period disaster

Gabriel Landeskog described the defeat to Dallas as tough. He was at a loss for words while explaining the third-period disaster. Nathan MacKinnon scored to make it 2-0, but things didn't go as planned in the last 12 minutes, as the Stas scored four goals.

"Yeah, It's tough," Gabriel Landeskog said. "... It su**s."

"Have a great start to the period, I think we came back down, created some good looks and stayed on the gas, earned the power play, and you know, Cale breaks his stick... they get a power play out of it. And all of a sudden, it's a tie hockey game after that. We talk about the margin for error in the playoffs is really small. I mean, that's how small it is."

Rantanen sealed the win with an empty-net goal. Jake Oettinger made 24 saves for the Stars as Gabriel Landeskog and the Avs' season ended with a Game 7 defeat.