The Dallas Stars suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, losing 7-2 in Game 3 of their Western Conference second-round series. The loss was compounded by the injury of key defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who was struck in the face by a shot from Tye Kartye in the buildup to the Kraken’s first goal. Heiskanen was taken out of the game and his condition remains unclear ahead of Game 4 on Tuesday.
Heiskanen’s absence will be a significant blow to the Stars’ lineup. The 23-year-old defenseman is averaging the most ice time of any player in the postseason, and also plays a crucial role on the power-play unit and penalty kill. If Heiskanen is unable to play in Game 4, the Stars will likely turn to rookie Nils Lundkvist to fill the void.
The loss of Heiskanen was felt immediately, as the Kraken went on to score four unanswered goals and take a commanding 5-1 lead heading into the final frame. Seattle relied on the scoring versatility of its lineup, with 11 different players finishing the game with at least one point. Alexander Wennberg, Carson Soucy, Matty Beniers, and Eeli Tolvainen all scored in the second period, while Yanni Gourde and Justin Schultz added two more in the third.
The Stars will need to regroup quickly if they hope to turn the series around. They entered Sunday’s game with a strong defensive record, but were unable to contain the Kraken’s offense. Stars captain Jamie Benn acknowledged that the team will need to step up in Heiskanen’s absence, and that they must be better in all areas of the game if they hope to get back on track.
Despite the loss, the Stars have shown resilience in the past. In the first round of the playoffs, they fell into a 2-1 hole following a heavy defeat to the Minnesota Wild, but bounced back to win three straight games and close out the series. They will need a similar performance if they hope to keep their Stanley Cup aspirations alive.
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