Because of his effortless style of play and his bashful personality, his metronomic consistency and quiet brilliance, it can sometimes be easy to overlook the impact Miro Heiskanen has on the Stars.
Not Tuesday night.
During a 5-2 Stars win over the Kings, Heiskanen made his return to the lineup noticeable after missing three games due to an upper-body injury. Heiskanen had two assists, was on the ice for all five Dallas goals, and was a force in almost every facet of the game.
“He’s one of the best in the world for a reason,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “When he’s out of the lineup, you’re a different team.”
Need to jumpstart a stagnant power play that went 0 for 10 without Heiskanen? The Stars scored three power-play goals on Tuesday, eased by Heiskanen’s ability to enter the offensive zone.
Need to get off to a fast start? Heiskanen dominated the first period, leading the Stars in transition and dispossessing Kings with ease. Dallas outshot the Kings 18-8 in the opening period.
Need to slow an offense averaging 4.33 goals per game in the past week, facing the Stars’ backup goaltender? Heiskanen helps there, too, as he wasn’t on the ice for either of the Los Angeles goals Tuesday.
“He’s a huge part of this team,” Roope Hintz said. “We can see every time he’s on the ice, he’s skating so well and making plays both ways. That’s huge.”
Hintz (two goals, one assist) and Jason Robertson (one goal, two assists) each had three-point nights for the Stars. Jamie Benn had two assists, both primary ones on the power play. Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin each scored goals. Denis Gurianov picked up his first point of the season by assisting on Seguin’s goal.
Scott Wedgewood made 30 saves in his first start since Jake Oettinger’s lower-body injury on Saturday as the Stars moved to 6-3-1. Dallas begins a three-game road trip on Thursday in Arizona.
Heiskanen missed the last three games after suffering an upper-body injury during the loss to Ottawa last week. The Stars went 1-2-0 and were outscored 9-6 without Heiskanen.
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