Greater responsibility in the power play gave a new boost – after the scoring success, Miro Heiskanen is looking towards the biggest prize: “The basic series doesn’t matter if we don’t win the whole chorus”

It went exactly as Miro Heiskanen hoped when he got an even bigger role in the Dallas Stars. The amount of points soared and he enjoys the way the team plays. Now it’s time to bring the road-winning game system to the playoffs.

When Peter DeBoer took over as coach of the Dallas Stars, he wanted the team to be more puck-handling. In the same vein, they also let go of John Klingberg and that opened a new door for Miro Heiskanen. He had to step up as first back in all areas.

In terms of playing time, Heiskanen had been the team’s number one in defense for several seasons, but in numerical superiority it was Klingberg who ruled.

But now it was different. Heiskanen was moved up to the first power play five and got almost a minute more on the ice than in previous years.

– The responsibility in numerical superiority has been the biggest change for me. But I’ve had a lot of responsibility in the past so it wasn’t really a big deal to be the first back.

– Of course, it gives extra confidence as you get to play a lot and score goals and assists in the power play, Säger Heiskanen till Yle Urheilu.

Personal points record by far

Heiskanen had previously amassed a regular season high of 36 points – now it was 73. He passed Sergei Zubov to become the most points scored by a Dallas back in a season and he tied Reijo Ruotsalainen’s Finnish back record.

– It wasn’t the first thing I thought of when I came to the NHL. It is a great honor to be mentioned in the same context as some tough names. It’s cool, says Heiskanen.

In the same breath, Heiskanen also points out that this is exactly how the season was supposed to go.

– My goal has been to become more efficient. When the points come, self-confidence grows and you don’t have to think so much, he says.

And the style of play introduced by Peter DeBoer suits Heiskanen.

– I like it very much. We play more with the puck, we are more active and it worked well for me and the whole team. I haven’t changed my own game, but sometimes I’ve tried to give more support in the attacks, he says.

“The job is not complete”

The Dallas Stars finished second in their division and that means they face the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs. If you fix that series, perhaps the reigning champions Colorado Avalanche await in the second round.

– The basic series went well, but the job is not done. The basic series has no meaning if we don’t win the whole chorus. We are playing to go all the way in the playoffs. We have a good team, but there are tight match series ahead and it is important to give everything from the beginning, says Heiskanen.

Miro Heiskanen has experience from a final series before. In the fall of 2020, they went all the way in the corona bubble, ultimately losing 2–4 in games against Tampa Bay.

– I am sure that we are more ready now and we have many players who were there then. Previously, we perhaps relied more on a chain, but now the width is greater and that is a big deal for us, he says.