Heika's Take: Stars erase bad memories of past with overtime winner

NEW YORK --If ever a game had Dallas Stars written all over it, it was Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
The Stars lost defenseman John Klingberg and goalie Braden Holtby during the game, blew a two-goal lead in the second period, and had to fight through overtime against the New York Rangers in the season opener.

But in a nice twist from last season, the Stars found a way to win this game, and both Klingberg and Holtby might've escaped serious injury. So, maybe 2021-22 could give this team a new version of Dallas Stars hockey.
Dallas led the NHL in overtime losses last season with 14, and that was a big reason they missed the playoffs, so piling another loss onto that platter might've been incredibly disappointing, even if this is a clean slate. But instead of repeating mistakes, the Stars played strong defense, got the big save, and then made the great play in transition. Captain Jamie Benn found Miro Heiskanen in open ice, and the smooth-skating defenseman cruised in and beat New York goalie Igor Shesterkin for his first ever OT winner.

Asked if getting the OT win was big for mental reasons, forward Joe Pavelski said: "Yeah, I think so. You want to get that off your shoulder right away."
The preseason has been filled with talk about how important the extra standings point is in games like this, and how much of a difference it can make in the very tough Central Division.
"The extra points are huge, that was proven last year," Pavelski said. "It's a fine margin and you lose a guy like Klinger fairly early. These points are important."

And how they were gathered also carries some amount of value. Dallas had to survive this game, and it did just that. The Rangers had a 77-50 advantage in shot attempts and spent a good deal of time in the Stars' end of the ice. That's the reason Holtby had to leave the game because he was suffering from dehydration from the overload of work. Klingberg was twisted in an awkward hit and tried to play through it, but eventually had to go to the dressing room for good and sit out the third period.
That meant Heiskanen had to play 26:28 and came up with a goal, an assist and six shot attempts.
It was a story of little heroes everywhere.
Holtby was fantastic in net before he had to leave. Anton Khudobin then came on and stopped all six shots he faced to register the win. Radek Faksa scored a goal in six seconds of power-play time. And rookie Jacob Peterson made his NHL debut, played 16:35 on a line with Pavelski and Roope Hintz, and scored a gorgeous goal late in the first period.
It was a beautiful display of stepping up.
"He played tonight like he played all of training camp," Stars head coach Rick Bowness said. "He's very smart and very confident with the puck, very skilled, he scored a great goal for us. I really liked his game."

Peterson made a great read on a mistake by the Rangers defense corps. He picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, swerved to the center of the ice and drove to the net, flipping in a backhand at 19:25 of the first period.
The 22-year-old, who came over from Sweden this season, said his parents were watching back home and that he was looking forward to answering some of the messages on his phone.

Pavelski said Peterson played like a veteran.
"He fit right in, I'm really happy for him," Pavelski said. "I was never worried about him. I think you saw the trust right from the first shift from us playing with him, and then the last shift from Bones starting him in overtime. He's earned it, and he's getting an opportunity now."
That's important because the Stars are already missing Jason Robertson and Blake Comeau, who are out with upper-body injuries. To have a player like Peterson step up is a big deal. To have him look like a player who can really contribute is even bigger.
It's important because the team still has a lot to work on. After a fast start and a 2-0 lead, the Stars were hemmed in their own zone a good deal. Mistakes were made by key players, and the Rangers gained all sorts of momentum.
"Terrible puck management," Bowness said. "We just kept giving them the puck. We just made it way too easy for a very highly skilled team to play in the second period."
But they came out in the third and managed the game. Even when Holtby had to leave and Khudobin came in cold, the goaltending saved the team.

"They both played great," Bowness said. "Dobby stepped in a very tough situation, all of the sudden they've got a power play, and he made some huge saves for us. They both played outstanding. The goals they got were shots that were tipped and there's no chance you can stop those. They gave us a good chance to win the game."
And when that chance came, the Stars seized it. One of their best players made a money play and the Stars were able to exit the opener at 1-0-0 headed to Boston. And that's a very good feeling.
"It had a little bit of everything," Pavelski said with a chuckle. "We found a way to win."
And, as we learned last season, that's all that really matters.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.