Miro Heiskanen scored the winning goal and the host Dallas Stars forced Game 7 in their Western Conference first-round series against the Calgary Flames with a 4-2 home-ice victory on Friday.
Roope Hintz and Michael Raffl each had a goal and an assist and Tyler Seguin added an empty-net tally for the Stars. Jake Oettinger made 36 saves for the win.
Michael Stone collected one goal and one assist, and Mikael Backlund also scored for the Flames. Jacob Markstrom stopped 36 shots.
Game 7 will be Sunday in Calgary.
After watching their 2-0 lead disappear, the Stars regrouped and regained the edge with 2:28 left in the second period. Heiskanen’s shot from the high slot found its way through the maze of players for his first of the series and made it a 3-2 game.
Seguin sealed the victory with 42 seconds remaining in the third period.
Hintz opened the scoring 14:52 into the first period. Seconds after Oettinger denied Johnny Gaudreau on a golden chance, the Stars took the puck the other way. Joe Pavelski left a drop-pass for Hintz, who buried a shot from the left faceoff dot for his second goal of the series.
Raffl doubled the lead at 6:04 of the second period. Joel Kiviranta outbattled Oliver Kylington for the puck at the Calgary blue line, only to be denied by Markstrom. However, Raffl shoveled home the loose puck for his second goal of the playoffs.
Stone provided the Flames a much needed jolt two minutes later. Gaudreau led a three-on-one rush and fed a pass to Stone to convert for his first goal of the playoffs.
Backlund’s third tally in as many games tied the clash at 11:59 of the second period. Just as a power play ended, Backlund sent a one-timer from the right circle that Oettinger stopped, but it bounced off a defender and into the net.
The Flames also took a huge roster hit. Defenseman Christopher Tanev left the game before the midway point after going down awkwardly in a collision when Raffl scored.
–Field Level Media
