Heiskanen's Outlet Pass Gives Hintz Breakaway to Win 3-2 Overtime Thriller
After a defensive scramble, the Finnish defenseman launched the puck to Roope Hintz, who scored with 3:47 remaining in overtime to secure a victory for Dallas over Winnipeg.
By Tomas Rahman ·
Miro Heiskanen decided the game without scoring. After Jason Robertson blocked a Winnipeg Jets attack in overtime, Heiskanen sent the puck down the ice to Roope Hintz. Hintz carried the puck unopposed and buried the shot at 3:47 of the extra period. The goal gave the Dallas Stars a 3-2 victory at American Airlines Center.
The sequence turned a defensive stop into a scoring chance in seconds. Robertson first committed a turnover that created the Winnipeg opportunity, but his subsequent block ended the threat. Heiskanen immediately converted that recovery into an offensive play. His outlet pass allowed Hintz to race the other way and finish the play.
Heiskanen finished the night with the decisive assist, five shots on goal, and one blocked shot. He did not record a goal, but his minutes were extensive. With Esa Lindell scratched from the lineup, Heiskanen played 29 minutes and 20 seconds. Thomas Harley followed closely with 28 minutes and 27 seconds of ice time.
The Stars relied heavily on their top defensive pair for the duration of the contest. The next most used defenseman was Lian Bichsel, who logged 17 minutes and 47 seconds. Nils Lundkvist, Tyler Myers, and Kyle Capobianco also appeared in the game. The disparity in minutes between the top two defenders and the rest of the group shows the weight of the workload.
Dallas overcame a shaky start to the game. Connor Johnston scored early in the second period to give Winnipeg the lead. Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor then added goals for the Jets, putting them ahead by two. The Stars trailed until Hintz scored a six-on-five power play goal with two minutes remaining in regulation to tie the score at two.
The Stars dominated the shot count but struggled with finishing. Dallas outshot Winnipeg 38 to 19. Connor Hellebuyert made 35 saves to keep the game close. The defensive unit limited Winnipeg's chances, but the attack required a late surge to equalize. Heiskanen and Harley went without goals, yet their defensive stability set the stage for the final play.
Source: Plano Weekly
