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The Stars had one of their biggest wins of the season on Tuesday.

They also might have had one of their biggest losses.

Dallas rallied back from a second intermission deficit for the first time this season and beat the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-3, in overtime on the strength of a Wyatt Johnston hat trick. However, the win was offset by defenseman Miro Heiskanen leaving the game in the third period with a lower body injury after being run into by Vegas captain Mark Stone.

Stars coach Pete DeBoer said the team will know more when it gets back to Texas on Wednesday.

“We’ll get some pictures and then we’ll see,” DeBoer said.

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      Pete DeBoer speaks to the media after the win in Vegas

      Heiskanen was skating up ice when Stone stumbled and fell head first into his knee. Heiskanen immediately grabbed his knee and then hobbled off to the dressing room. Stone said after the game that it was an accident.

      “You never want to see guys get hurt,” Stone said. “I really hope he is alright. I was just trying to make a play and got tripped into him.”

      The play could have really been a punch in the gut for the Stars. Dallas was down 3-2, was trying to right itself after a chaotic start, and didn’t score on the ensuing power play. However, Johnston and Roope Hintz combined on a nice transition play, and Johnston put in a perfect shot to tie things up with eight minutes left in the third period.

      The game then went to overtime, and after Vegas got a stellar scoring chance that was stopped by Jake Oettinger, Esa Lindell got the puck out of the defensive zone and Johnston and Hintz worked their transition magic again. It was the second career hat trick for Johnston, and his 14th goal of the season.

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          DAL@VGK: Johnston has a hat trick against the Golden Knights

          “Wyatt Johnston has been going to another level for probably a month now, so great to see him rewarded for that,” DeBoer said.

          It was also great for the Stars to find another level, so to speak. They entered the game 0-13-0 when trailing after two periods, and it looked like things might not even be that close after the first period. Vegas scored in the opening minute, but that goal was nullified by an offside challenge. Then, the Golden Knights scored in the second minute of the game and eventually had a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.

          “It was a big win, especially considering how the first five or six minutes went,” DeBoer said. “We hung around and clawed and scratched our way into the game. It took almost the entire game to do it.”

          The entire team worked hard to get back to the details of the game, and Oettinger made some big saves. In the end, though, Dallas was even in shots on goal and scoring chances against a Vegas team that is now 31-15-5 (67 points, .657). The Stars move to 32-17-1 (65 points, .650).

          “They're a great team, top tier when it comes to shutting it down in the third and grinding out wins,” Oettinger said. “They've been so good at that. It's impressive, by the group in front of me, and they never counted themselves out. The guys stepped up huge, with a lot of blocked shots and big plays at the end, and obviously the finish was awesome.”

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              Jake Oettinger speaks to the media after the game in Vegas

              Dallas is already missing Tyler Seguin (hip surgery) and Mason Marchment (face surgery) and has juggled up several lines and defensive pairs this season. Since December 23, it has the best record in the league at 13-4-1, and has been finding all sorts of different ways to win hockey games.

              “That’s sticking with it through adversity,” DeBoer said. “We’ve had a lot thrown at us this year at different points. I like our resiliency.”

              Now, they will potentially have even more with Heiskanen out.

              “I just talked to him, we'll see,” DeBoer said. “Just pray.”

              This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

              Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.

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