Miro Heiskanen made an immediate impact for the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Playoffs upon his return, despite having missed 42 games due to a knee injury.
Heiskanen rejoined the lineup for the first time in three and a half months on Tuesday night. He registered an assist as the Stars defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3-1, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in their second-round Western Conference series.
“I thought it was a perfect night. He got 15 minutes in, made a huge play for us on the power play,” said coach Pete DeBoer. “You can see what he adds, just his composure and patience with the puck. It’s hard not to play him more, you know, we’ve got to fight that urge. But talking to him after, he got through the game and he feels good. So, mission accomplished.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Heiskanen was activated from the long-term injured reserve list and participated in an optional morning skate. He was one of the initial players to hit the ice for pre-game warmups, receiving cheers from the Stars faithful, and was included in the starting lineup.
“Just try to be smart, play short shifts and make simple plays at the beginning there and just try to be smart and handle the pressure well,” Heiskanen commented. “But it’s a long time between the last game, but it was fun to be back and guys helped me out there pretty well.”
