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.”
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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
