Miro Heiskanen scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and added two assists as the visiting Dallas Stars rebounded from a slow start to earn a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.
Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski each scored second-period goals for the Stars, who finished off the victory in regulation time after a pair of shootouts (a win and a loss) to open the season. Pavelski also had an assist, and Jake Ottinger made 27 saves for Dallas.
Leo Carlsson scored for the Ducks in his NHL debut, while Troy Terry added a goal and an assist for Anaheim. John Gibson had 21 saves for the Ducks.
In addition to the debut of the 18-year-old Carlsson, the second overall draft pick earlier this year, defenseman Tristan Luneau also made his NHL debut for Anaheim. Luneau, 19, was a second-round selection in 2022.
The Stars moved in front for good at 6:47 of the third period when Heiskanen worked his way to the left side of the Anaheim goal and sent in a centering pass that rebounded off the skate of Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler and into the net for his first of the season.
Carlsson was on the ice in the first period when Terry redirected a rebound from a Trevor Zegras shot into the goal past Ottinger at 4:37 for his first of the season. The Ducks dominated the first period with a 17-7 advantage on shots.
The roles were reversed in the second period, with the Stars holding a 12-1 advantage on shots. Dallas got even at just past the midway point of the game, finishing a length-of-the-ice rush when Pavelski sent a pass to a charging Hintz for his first goal of the season.
The Stars jumped in front 2-1 at 18:06 of the second when Heiskanen fired the puck into the slot and Pavelski deflected it into the goal past Gibson, his second.
Carlsson tied it 2-2 one minute into the third period when he took a pass from Terry while on a two-on-one break and beat Ottinger with a wrist shot. At 18 years, 297 days, Carlsson became the second-youngest Anaheim player to score in his debut. Mason McTavish was 18 years, 256 days when he tallied on Oct. 13, 2021.
–Field Level Media
