Heiskanen's late pass sends Hintz alone for Dallas win over Winnipeg

Miro Heiskanen played 29 minutes and 20 seconds on Thursday night, the longest shift total for a Dallas Stars defenseman in the contest against Winnipeg. He did not score, but his final pass determined the result.

The decisive play occurred in overtime. Jason Robertson blocked a Winnipeg scoring attempt, and Heiskanen immediately released the puck to Roope Hintz. Hintz carried the puck alone down the ice and scored at 3:47 of the extra period to give Dallas a 3-2 victory at American Airlines Center.

The sequence reversed a defensive recovery into an offensive chance. Heika reported that a Robertson turnover had created the initial Winnipeg opportunity, which his block then ended. The possession changed hands quickly, allowing Heiskanen to shift the momentum before Winnipeg could regroup.

The heavy workload for Heiskanen resulted from the absence of Esa Lindell, who was scratched for the game. Thomas Harley logged 28 minutes and 27 seconds. Lian Bichsel played 17 minutes and 47 seconds, while Nils Lundkvist, Tyler Myers, and Kyle Capobianco also saw time on the ice. The distribution of minutes showed the team relying heavily on its top two defensemen.

The Stars trailed until late in regulation. Johnston scored early in the second period, and Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor extended the Winnipeg lead later in that period. Hintz tied the game with a six-on-five goal with two minutes remaining in the third period.

Dallas outshot Winnipeg 38-19, but Connor Hellebuyck was not on the ice; instead, the source notes Skinner made 35 saves. The goaltending performance forced the Stars to work for every goal despite the numerical advantage in shots on goal.

Heiskanen finished with five shots, one blocked shot, and the winning assist. Harley recorded no goals. The team did not establish a permanent rotation change for future games following Lindell's absence on Thursday.