Former Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen speaks out on recent on-ice alteration with Cale Makar

Mikko Rantanen gave us an insight into the mindset of an NHLer who will compete against his friends again tonight as the Dallas Stars seek to take back an edge in Game 2 of the 1st-round matchup against the Avalanche.

While they may be friends off the ice, for Rantanen, it's all business.

Rantanen is no stranger to this feeling, as he and Finland competed against Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, who played for Team Canada in the Four Nations Face-Off.

But the stakes are much, much higher in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Stars were thought to be Stanley Cup contenders under Head Coach Peter DeBoer, and the addition of Mikko Rantanen made it seem like they were destined for a cup.

Now down 0-1, Rantanen sounds cold-blooded in the assessment of the games against his former teammates, but in reality, it's just business.

The Stars would lose 5-1 in the 1st-game. Rantanen would come out of the night with a -2 rating, 3 shots on goal, 1 blocked shot, 1 hit, and 22 shifts played that night.

He'd play a total of 18:03 TOI, with one face-off loss.

If Rantanen is to get even with his former teammates, he's going to have to bring his A-game tonight at 8:30 PM.

For now all that remains is just talk, and it looks like he's incapable of helping to mount any significant offense against the Avalanche.