Heiskanen Passes Hintz for Dallas Overtime Win

Roope Hintz skated alone toward the empty net with 3:47 remaining in overtime, and his finish gave the Dallas Stars a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets at American Airlines Center on Thursday night.

The winning play began with a defensive recovery. Jason Robertson blocked a scoring chance for Winnipeg, ending a sequence that had started with a turnover by his teammate. Miro Heiskanen immediately passed the puck out to Hintz, turning the defensive stop into an attack. Hintz took the shot and scored.

Heiskanen did not record a goal in the game, but his workload was heavy. With Esa Lindell out of the lineup, Heiskanen played 29 minutes and 20 seconds. Thomas Harley followed closely behind with 28 minutes and 27 seconds. The next Dallas defender on the ice was Lian Bichsel, who played 17 minutes and 47 seconds. Nils Lundkvist, Tyler Myers, and Kyle Capobianco also logged time, but the top two defensemen carried the bulk of the minutes.

The Stars trailed for much of the game. Connor Johnston scored early in the second period for Winnipeg. Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor added goals later in that period to put the Jets ahead. Dallas stayed behind until Hintz scored a six-on-five power play goal with two minutes left in regulation to tie the score at 2-2.

The Stars dominated the shot count but struggled with finishing. Dallas outshot Winnipeg 38 to 19. Connor Hellebuyck made 35 saves, forcing the Stars to work for every goal. The defense limited Winnipeg's opportunities, but the offense could not convert its high volume of attempts into a lead before overtime.

Heiskanen finished the night with five shots, one block, and the winning assist. Harley finished without a goal. The game did not provide a schedule for Lindell's return or a permanent change to the defensive pairing structure. For one night, the Stars relied on their top two defensemen to secure the victory.