Miro Heiskanen scores 2 power-play goals and Stars beat Avs 5-3 in Game 2 to even series

Dallas Stars’ Roope Hintz (24), Chris Tanev (3) and Esa Lindell (23) celebrate Lindell’s empty-net goal against the Colorado Avalanche late in the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars built another multi-goal lead against high-scoring Colorado. This time, they held on to win and avoid another 0-2 hole in the NHL playoffs.

“Found a way to win the game, and that’s the most important thing,” Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen said.

Heiskanen scored two power-play goals, Roope Hintz had a goal and three assists and the Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 in Game 2 on Thursday night to even the second-round Western Conference series.

Tyler Seguin got his first goal this postseason on a short-hander at the end of a 3-on-1 breakaway for the Stars that put them up 4-0 late in the second period. Esa Lindell added an empty-netter with 20 seconds left, with Hintz getting his final assist.

Jake Oettinger had 28 saves against a Colorado team that led the NHL in scoring during the regular season and had averaged an NHL-high 5.33 goals in its first six games this postseason.

Joel Kiviranta, Brandon Duhaime and Valeri Nichushkin scored in the third period for the Avalanche, but they failed to score on a power play in the final three minutes that was partly a 6-on-4 after goalie Alexander Georgiev skated to the bench.

Dallas Stars’ Joe Pavelski (16), Roope Hintz (24) and Jamie Benn (14) celebrate a goal by Miro Heiskanen against Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

“Obviously, I think we can handle those situations better. But I think that the silver lining is that we built 3-0 and 4-0 leads, so we’ve played some very good hockey for long stretches against them,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “I thought tonight was better than Game 1. We did most of the things that we wanted to do tonight. Building that lead, the right guys scored, got on the board for us.”

Game 3 is Saturday night in Denver.

Colorado had also trailed 3-0 in the first period of Game 1 two nights earlier before coming back to win 4-3 in overtime, and extend its postseason winning streak to five games. That was the third time this season the Avs had come back from a multigoal deficit to win in Dallas.

Dallas Stars’ Miro Heiskanen (4) and Jason Robertson (21) celebrate with the bench, behind Colorado Avalanche’s Andrew Cogliano (11), after Heiskanen scored during the second period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

They came up short this time in a game when hurt by some self-induced penalties and going 0 for 3 on power plays. Of their six penalties, two were for delay of game wo for delay of game after knocking pucks into the stands, and two more for having too many men on the ice.

“The second period for me is when it fell part. Just not sharp,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Then we turn around in the third and go to work, and that’s what happens.”

Hintz, whose only previous point this postseason had been an empty-net goal in Game 4 of the opening series against Vegas, put Dallas up 2-0 less than two minutes into the second period. That came after the Avalanche had failed to score on a power play that carried over from the end of the first period, when Oettinger had a couple of impressive saves in the closing seconds.

Dallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment (27) shoots as Colorado Avalanche’s Samuel Girard, left, defends in the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

It also was soon after Miles Wood, who scored in overtime for Colorado in Game 1, had a shot blocked by Oettinger and the Stars took the puck the other way. Hintz was to the left of Alexander Georgiev when he got a cross-ice pass from Nils Lundkvist.

Georgiev stopped 26 shots.

Dallas, which in the first round against Vegas lost the first two games at home before winning the series in Game 7, led 3-0 with four minutes left in the second period Thursday when captain Jamie Benn and Hintz had assists as Heiskanen scored on a shot that went off the stick of former Stars center Andrew Cogliano.

Benn had been called for a major penalty a few minutes before that for a big hit that leveled defenseman Devon Toews behind the Colorado net. But officials reviewed the play and didn’t call any penalty after replay showed a shoulder-to-shoulder hit. Toews left the game briefly, but returned before the end of the second period.

Dallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment warms up for Game 2 of the team’s NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

“It’s a physical game, it’s a physical player. … I don’t want to say. I mean, does he catch a piece of his shoulder? Yeah. I guess you could argue that,. but he target is high and it’s at his head, and it makes contact with the head,” Bednar said. “I’ve seen many times guys get called for the head shot penalty with a lot less than that, but I guess they didn’t think so. And this time of the year you’ve got to play through some of that stuff.”

Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (42) compete for the puck during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Hintz was serving a holding penalty when Seguin got his first short-hander in his 123rd playoff game to make it 4-0.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) looks to make a pass on an attack as Colorado Avalanche’s Josh Manson (42) and Valeri Nichushkin (13) watch during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

League MVP finalist Nathan MacKinnon had the first delay of game penalty against Colorado, knocking the puck out of his own zone. Dallas captialized, going up 1-0 after a circle-to-circle pass from Hintz to Heiskanen with 5:14 left in the first period.

The Avalanche were about midway through their first power play in the closing seconds of the first period when Oettinger made two saves in quick succession, knocking away Artturi Lehkonen’s shot and then making a glove save when Nichushkin took a backhanded swat at that rebound.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) attempts to control the puck under pressure from Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) and center Tyler Seguin (91) during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Nichushkin has nine goals this postseason, with goals in all seven games for the Avalanche.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev skates to the bench late in the third period in Game 2 of the team’s NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) looks to take control of the puck under pressure from Dallas Stars center Sam Steel (18) during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (7) and defenseman Sean Walker, right, work to keep control of the puck in front of Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (42) and right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) attempt to clear the puck under pressure from Dallas Stars’ Miro Heiskanen (4) and Joe Pavelski (16) during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars center Craig Smith (15) passes the pucks as Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon (29) defends during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Colorado Avalanche’s Josh Manson (42), Brandon Duhaime (12) and Samuel Girard (49) celebrate a goal by Duhaime against the Dallas Stars during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)