It was awesome seeing Wyatt Johnston get that wide-open goal in overtime for the hat trick. He has worked so hard this season that it was awesome seeing him get rewarded. However, we have to talk about the elephant in the room. Losing Miro Heiskanen to an injury was the last thing fans wanted to see happen with all the success this season. With how good of a defenseman Heiskanen is, this is worse than losing Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment.
Injuries are a part of the game; it's just how it is. In my opinion, it looks like Mark Stone's blade catches Roope Hintz's stick and causes him to lose control. Seeing Heiskanen get carried off the ice felt like hearing a pin drop across the room. Stars fans know how crucial Heiskanen is to the success of this team. He does a great job of shutting down some of the best players in the league. Let's look at what happens next for the Stars as they navigate this new obstacle to competing for the Stanley Cup.
Miro Heiskanen Injury: What are the next steps?
Pete DeBoer didn't give much information about Heiskanen's status during the post-game conference. I'm sure the Stars were packing up and heading back to Dallas after the game last night. Miro will get imaging done on his knee today, and Jim Nill and DeBoer will know the extent of the injury. A doctor tweeted that there is some hope that Heiskanen will not be out for the remainder of the season. It's the best that fans can hope for when he couldn't put any weight exiting the ice.
Miro Heiskanen Injury: Long-term vs. Short-term
Nill has a couple of options based on the severity of the injury. If it's a short-term injury and he will be back in time for the playoffs, he can call up Alexander Petrovic from the Texas Stars. Petrovic has NHL experience and can do what Heiskanen does. If it's a long-term injury, put him on the LTIR and get a puck-moving defenseman at the trade deadline. Brian Dumoulin is a name that comes to mind, and he has Stanley Cup experience. I think those are the two routes Nill will have to decide on.
Miro Heiskanen Injury: Conclusion
Right now, there is nothing Stars fans can do other than wait for the diagnosis from the scans. It stinks the injury bug is hitting the Stars when they have a good chance to be back in the Western Conference Finals this season. However, the Stars have done a good job with Seguin and Marchment out of the lineup. Nill is also a back-to-back GM of the Year award winner. Whatever happens, I know Nill will make the right decision to get back to the playoffs without Heiskanen.