Heiskanen assist seals 3-2 Stars victory over Jets
Roope Hintz scored the lone overtime goal after a breakaway pass from Miro Heiskanen, who played 29 minutes and 20 seconds.
By Sakura Novak ·
The Dallas Stars defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in overtime at American Airlines Center on Thursday. The game featured a high volume of shots for Dallas, but the team required a late equalizer in regulation and an extra-period goal to secure the win.
Miro Heiskanen provided the decisive play in the extra period. Following a block by Jason Robertson that ended a Winnipeg offensive chance, Heiskanen passed to Roope Hintz. Hintz skated in alone and scored at 3:47 of overtime to break the tie.
The sequence began with a defensive stop by the Stars. Heika noted that Robertson initially had a turnover that created the Winnipeg opportunity, but his subsequent block shifted possession back to Dallas. Heiskanen then moved the puck down the ice to set up the breakaway finish.
Heiskanen logged a heavy workload during the contest. With Esa Lindell out of the lineup, Heiskanen played 29 minutes and 20 seconds. Thomas Harley also logged a heavy shift total at 28 minutes and 27 seconds. Lian Bichsel played the next most minutes among Dallas defenders at 17 minutes and 47 seconds.
The Stars trailed for much of the second period. Johnston scored early in the frame, and Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor added goals to put Winnipeg ahead. Dallas remained behind until Hintz scored a six-on-five equalizer with two minutes remaining in regulation.
Dallas outshot Winnipeg 38-19, but the Jets netminder Skinner made 35 saves. The defensive effort limited Winnipeg's chances, but the Stars struggled to convert their high shot volume into goals during regulation.
Heiskanen finished the game with five shots, one block, and the winning assist. Neither he nor Harley scored a goal. The team's defensive workload was distributed among the top pairs, with Lindell's absence leaving the rotation open for the near term.
