Joel Kiviranta's unlikely heroics etched his name in the record books.
The Dallas Stars forward became the first rookie ever to notch a Game 7 hat trick when he capped off his three-goal effort Friday with the overtime winner that eliminated the Colorado Avalanche and propelled the Stars into the Western Conference Final.
Joel Kiviranta of the @DallasStars is the seventh player in NHL history – and the only rookie among that cohort – to score a hat trick in a #Game7. #NHLStats #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/lFrbFCQFY2
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) September 4, 2020
The 24-year-old was noticeably emotional postgame.
A game Joel Kiviranta will never forget. 👏#NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/1gNukUeUjy
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 4, 2020
The winner came less than eight minutes into the extra frame. His second marker, which tied the contest 4-4 with 3:30 remaining in the third period, came 10 seconds after Avalanche forward Vladislav Namestnikov scored his second goal of the game to give Colorado the lead.
Friday marked Kiviranta's third career playoff contest after he suited up for Game 6 of the Stars' first-round series against the Calgary Flames and a round-robin matchup against the St. Louis Blues.
The undrafted winger collected one goal and no assists in 11 games during the regular season.
Dallas clinched its first Western Conference Final berth since 2008 with the 5-4 victory Friday. The Stars will meet the winner of Game 7 between the Vancouver Canucks and the Vegas Golden Knights.
