Latest news with #Heiskanen
NBC Sports
22-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Stars score 3 PP goals in 5 1/2 minutes early in 3rd, rally to beat Oilers 6-3 in Game 1
DALLAS — The Dallas Stars powered their way to a series-opening victory in their Western Conference final rematch with the Edmonton Oilers. And it was quick turnaround. Miro Heiskanen, Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene scored power-play goals in a 5:26 span early in the third period, when the Stars overcame a two-goal deficit in a 6-3 victory Wednesday night. 'It started with a power play,' Duchene said. 'You get one right way, and it's like, 'Hey, we're back in it now with momentum.' Get another one right away.' Dallas opened the third period with a man advantage from a penalty that carried over from the second. Heiskanen scored 32 seconds in on a shot from near the blue line, Granlund tied it at 3 and Duchene put the Stars ahead to stay with a second-effort score. 'I didn't feel through 40 minutes that we had made (the Oilers) earn the position they were in. so, guys responded. We got fortunate. We got some power-play goals,' Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. 'Happy for our power play. It took a lot of heat last year at this point of the year. it was the difference tonight for us, so it's great.'' Tyler Seguin had two goals and an assist for the Stars. Esa Lindell added a empty-netter that went almost the entire length of the ice for their first five-goal third period in a playoff game. Jake Oettinger stopped 24 shots. Game 2 is Friday night in Dallas. Dallas went 0 for 14 on power plays in losing the West final last year in six games, and gave up two short-handed goals in the process. The Stars also failed to convert with a man advantage only 7 1/2 minutes into this opener, but quickly turned that around in the third period. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists for the rested Oilers, who played for the first time since wrapping up their second-round series a week earlier in Game 5 at Vegas. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a power-play goal and an assist, defenseman Evan Bouchard had his fifth goal and Connor McDavid two assists. Stuart Skinner, who had lost his starting job in these playoffs before Calvin Pickard got hurt in the last series, stopped 22 of 27 shots. Skinner had closed out the Golden Knights with consecutive shutouts. 'Goals have been going in a little differently, in different ways. Again, it's a different series so they show us different things,' Skinner said. 'The PK, it's been a little bit up and down. It was bad at the start of the first round then got better. It was great all series against Vegas and (now) a struggle for one game. I mean, again, it's one game.' Heiskanen and Duchene both scored for the first time this postseason. It was only the fourth game for Heiskanen since missing the last 32 regular-season games and first 10 playoff games because of left knee surgery. He scored a wrister from near the boards just inside the blue line. Duchene got his goal after his initial shot went off teammate Roope Hintz, who was laid out on the ice after getting knocked down. The puck went right back to Duchene, who then flicked it into the net. 'The first one that hit him, I'm like, this is kind of par for the course this postseason for me. If there's something that could go wrong, it did, and then it comes back and goes in,' Duchene said. 'I couldn't believe I still had room. Kind of a funny one. But it feels good.' The Stars won their seventh consecutive home game this postseason, a first since the franchise moved to Dallas in 1993. The Stars also have won back-to-back series openers after losing eight consecutive Game 1s.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stars Must Avoid Woeful Power Play Stat from Previous Oilers Series
The Dallas Stars are a different team for this year's rematch of the Western Conference Final from 2024 against the Edmonton Oilers for a multitude of reasons, but one miserable special teams statistic from last season has to be avoided at all costs. A major factor in the 4-2 series loss to the Oilers last season was the abysmal 0-for-14 power play statistic for Dallas (while even allowing a short-handed goal). The Stars could never get anything going on the man advantage against what was statistically an average-at-best penalty kill unit on the other side. In fact, the power play woes continued right into this year's regular season, essentially lasting until the end of the 2024 calendar year. So often, the two units looked stagnant on the ice, not moving their skates and barely moving the puck, which made them extremely predictable as a unit. The power play at home was under 10 percent for the first half of the season. The Stars found mild success on the road even when they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn at home, but it finally revved up after Jan. 1. The team went from 28th overall in the league before the new year to fourth overall in 2025. Part of that was due to Thomas Harley's outburst after Miro Heiskanen was injured. Harley moved to the top power play unit and put up 15 power play points in three months. Harley only had three points on the man advantage before that. That second half success carried into the playoffs, where the Stars are clipping along at over 32 percent through two rounds. The Oilers penalty kill couldn't stop the Los Angeles Kings no matter what they tried in the first round, but Edmonton still managed to win that series in six games. Then, Edmonton took advantage of a Vegas lineup where goal scoring had dried up throughout the lineup. So both teams come in to the series on completely different trajectories than last year, but the possibility of a repeat for Dallas should scare them into putting extra emphasis on executing this season. If the 0-for wasn't bad enough for Dallas, the Oilers went 4-for-11 on the job, which was enough to sink Dallas in several games. Even though there were other factors as to why Edmonton won the series, the special teams performance on both sides was more than enough to doom the Stars. The big question for Dallas is whether to keep Harley on the top unit or re-insert Heiskanen there. In the three games Heiskanen has played since his long injury absence, Dallas has chosen to ease him back onto the top unit more often. But Harley scored the overtime series winner against Winnipeg as part of the second unit that barely had 30 seconds to work after Heiskanen's unit was unsuccessful. Head coach Pete DeBoer said that it would be more of a game-by-game feel thing, and even joked that Harley would probably show them why taking him off the top unit was a bad idea. One would think that winning a series would be Harley showing them, but it sounds like nothing has been fully set in stone for the Western Conference Final. If Dallas has hopes to get revenge for last season and make it to the Stanley Cup Final, execution on special teams better be at the forefront of the ways to a different outcome. Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Wayne Gretzky Shows Love To Wyatt Johnston Thomas Harley Continues To Add To Playoff Resume With Game 6 Winner Stars Forward Gives Words of Advice to Mark Scheifele Stars Announce 2025 Full Playoff Schedule vs. Oilers Follow Taylor on Twitter: @THN_taylor
NBC Sports
20-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Dallas Stars finally have a version of their full lineup going into 3rd consecutive West final
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Stars began these NHL playoffs without standout defenseman Miro Heiskanen and top goal scorer Jason Robertson, and still made it to their third consecutive Western Conference final. Both returned in the second round, with Heiskanen coming back in the middle of the six-game series against Winnipeg after missing 3 1/2 months with a left knee injury. Now, coach Pete DeBoer gets to prepare for a West final rematch against Edmonton with something he hasn't really had in a long time. 'Well, first time since January we've had any kind of version of our full lineup,' DeBoer said. 'You never want to go into a fight with one arm tied behind your back. Really, the first two rounds, that's what we had, and to our group's credit, they found a way to grind through those series. But it's nice not to have to be in that type of situation.' Dallas hosts the West opener after the Oilers wrapped up their second-round series in Game 5 with a 1-0 overtime win at Vegas. Stars players got their second consecutive day off, when they would have been playing Game 7 at Winnipeg if they hadn't finished off the Jets with a 2-1 overtime win. 'We just went through two of the best teams in the league, so we're comfortable and we're getting, I feel, healthier and more up to speed with the guys that we put back in,' DeBoer said. Robertson, who like Heiskanen was drafted by the Stars in 2017 and is 25, suffered a lower-body injury in the regular-season finale and missed the first-round series against Colorado. After 80 points (35 goals) while playing all 82 games for the third regular season in a row, he had only one assist, along with eight shots on goal and 19 total shot attempts, in six games against the Jets. 'He's not a young, immature player anymore. He's not looking for excuses or making excuses,' DeBoer said. 'He's looking in the mirror, looking for solutions. Been very coachable. So I see a world of maturity in him.' Heiskanen needed surgery after getting injured on a big hit from Vegas captain Mark Stone on Jan. 28. The Stars defender missed the last 32 regular-season games and the first 10 in the playoffs before Game 4 against Winnipeg, when he had an assist in the 3-1 win. 'Listen, he took the proper amount of time. He wasn't rushed back, he didn't rush back,' DeBoer said. 'It took him a few games to get his timing, but I'm not surprised he's back where he's at right now.' After playing nearly 15 minutes over 19 shifts in his first game back, Heiskanen increased to 18 1/2 minutes and 22 shifts in Game 5, then more than 23 1/2 minutes and 29 shifts in the series finale. Heiskanen said he felt 'pretty normal' after the series against the Jets, and was getting more comfortable with every period and every game. Dallas has gone with 11 forwards and seven defensemen since Heiskanen returned, but could soon go back to dressing 12 forwards. Either way, DeBoer said Heiskanen returning to the defensive mix has been 'game-changing' for the Stars. 'All of a sudden you're slotting guys, you're playing them less minutes, they're more effective, they're playing in better matchup situations,' DeBoer said. 'Adding a guy like that back into your lineup slots everybody back properly.' That includes Thomas Harley, who had the series-clinching OT goal against the Jets. He got extended ice time while Heiskanen was out, going from 22 1/2 minutes to nearly 25 minutes a game while playing about the same number of shifts. 'We loaded this guy up, so I think he understands,' DeBeor said. 'He's a better, more effective player with a little bit less and he also understands of course the importance of Miro back there for us to win.'
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'Looking forward to next round': Miro Heiskanen about his return and performance post the knee injury
Miro Heiskanen With Miro Heiskanen back in the game for the Dallas Stars , things are getting into motion. The star took a break after sustaining a knee injury earlier in January. He returned right on time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and has played in three games since then. In a recent interview, Miro spoke about how he has been feeling since his return. Miro Heiskanen confirms that he has been well since returning after the knee injury Heiskanen marked his return to the game in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets on May 13. This comes after he took time off from the ice for three months. After winning the series against the Jets, the Stars are now all set to compete against the Edmonton Oilers . Miro Heiskanen is regarded as the number one defenseman for the Stars, and his return has charged up the fandom of the Dallas Stars . After Game 6 against the Winnipeg Jets , Heiskanen played a huge role in securing the win for the Dallas Stars. When asked about how he felt since his return, Heiskanen shared, 'Yeah, I kind of feel pretty good. It feels like I'm getting more comfortable every game and every period. It feels pretty normal right now. Really looking forward to the next round.' At the same time, Mikko Rantanen , the star forward of the Dallas Stars, shared his excitement about Heiskanen being back in the game. He said, 'It's been great. He's obviously one of the best defensemen in the League and the way he skates and moves and escapes from guys, for us as forwards, that's a dream kind of defenseman because they kind of attract people to them and then open up ice for forwards. He's obviously a big addition to the lineup.' Also Read: Miro Heiskanen to return for Game 4 after January 2025 The coach of the Dallas Stars, Peter DeBoer was also excited to welcome back Heiskanen. He shared, "I think it's welcomed. We loaded this guy up, so I think he understands. He's a better, more effective player with a little bit less and he also understands of course the importance of Miro back there for us to win." Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
San Francisco Chronicle
19-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Dallas Stars finally have a version of their full lineup going into 3rd consecutive West final
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Stars began these NHL playoffs without standout defenseman Miro Heiskanen and top goal scorer Jason Robertson, and still made it to their third consecutive Western Conference final. Both returned in the second round, with Heiskanen coming back in the middle of the six-game series against Winnipeg after missing 3 1/2 months with a left knee injury. Now, coach Pete DeBoer gets to prepare for a West final rematch against Edmonton with something he hasn't really had in a long time. "Well, first time since January we've had any kind of version of our full lineup,' DeBoer said Monday. 'You never want to go into a fight with one arm tied behind your back. Really, the first two rounds, that's what we had, and to our group's credit, they found a way to grind through those series. But it's nice not to have to be in that type of situation.' Dallas hosts the West opener Wednesday night, a week after the Oilers wrapped up their second-round series in Game 5 with a 1-0 overtime win at Vegas. Stars players got their second consecutive day off Monday, when they would have been playing Game 7 at Winnipeg if they hadn't finished off the Jets with a 2-1 overtime win Saturday night. "We just went through two of the best teams in the league, so we're comfortable and we're getting, I feel, healthier and more up to speed with the guys that we put back in,' DeBoer said. Robertson, who like Heiskanen was drafted by the Stars in 2017 and is 25, suffered a lower-body injury in the regular-season finale and missed the first-round series against Colorado. After 80 points (35 goals) while playing all 82 games for the third regular season in a row, he had only one assist, along with eight shots on goal and 19 total shot attempts, in six games against the Jets. 'He's not a young, immature player anymore. He's not looking for excuses or making excuses,' DeBoer said. 'He's looking in the mirror, looking for solutions. Been very coachable. So I see a world of maturity in him.' Heiskanen needed surgery after getting injured on a big hit from Vegas captain Mark Stone on Jan. 28. The Stars defender missed the last 32 regular-season games and the first 10 in the playoffs before Game 4 against Winnipeg, when he had an assist in the 3-1 win. 'Listen, he took the proper amount of time. He wasn't rushed back, he didn't rush back,' DeBeor said. 'It took him a few games to get his timing, but I'm not surprised he's back where he's at right now.' After playing nearly 15 minutes over 19 shifts in his first game back, Heiskanen increased to 18 1/2 minutes and 22 shifts in Game 5, then more than 23 1/2 minutes and 29 shifts in the series finale. Heiskanen said he felt 'pretty normal' after the series against the Jets, and was getting more comfortable with every period and every game. Dallas has gone with 11 forwards and seven defensemen since Heiskanen returned, but could soon go back to dressing 12 forwards. Either way, DeBoer said Heiskanen returning to the defensive mix has been 'game-changing' for the Stars. "All of a sudden you're slotting guys, you're playing them less minutes, they're more effective, they're playing in better matchup situations,' DeBoer said. 'Adding a guy like that back into your lineup slots everybody back properly.' That includes Thomas Harley, who had the series-clinching OT goal against the Jets. He got extended ice time while Heiskanen was out, going from 22 1/2 minutes to nearly 25 minutes a game while playing about the same number of shifts. 'We loaded this guy up, so I think he understands," DeBeor said. "He's a better, more effective player with a little bit less and he also understands of course the importance of Miro back there for us to win.' ___
