After starting the season in the bottom of the barrel, the Dallas Stars are 13-1-1 in their last fifteen games. There are many reasons for this turnaround, but one of the most important is the continued incredible play of Miro Heiskanen. During the Stars’ most recent stretch, head coach Jim Montgomery has had nothing but glowing remarks for the sophomore defenseman:
“I don’t think Miro gets enough credit for how good he is,” Montgomery said. “He’s an elite, elite player in this league.”
…
“He’s the engine that makes it go,” Montgomery said matter-of-factly. “He just does.”
It’s not just Montgomery who’s praising Heiskanen — the rest of his teammates are as well, from Tyler Seguin to Jamie Oleksiak:
“It kind of drives me crazy a little bit, he’s always got a straight face,” said Oleksiak, who has been partnered with Heiskanen in recent games. “I’ll look over and try to read his face or his eyes, and it’s really hard to read. We’ll be in the middle of a game that’s pretty intense and he’s just like it’s a regular old practice.
”He’s always just Miro. He’s consistent, he’s reliable, you can always just rely on what he’s going to be like every day.”
You can read more from Mike Heika here.
Stars Stories
Speaking of Heiskanen, Sean Shapiro breaks down some of the contract details for the fantastic Finn:
Shap Shots: Jason Dickinson on an important wrist band and mental health. And how about those bonuses for Heiskanen? https://t.co/4TyW4rsLQR
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) November 25, 2019
It’s gameday as the Stars host the Vegas Golden Knights. Make sure you get to the arena early so that you can get….. one of these I guess:
Don’t miss out on tomorrow night’s giveaway!
The first 10,000 fans receive a Tyler Seguin tattoo sleeve as the Stars host the Golden Knights at 7:30 p.m. 💪#VGKvsDAL | #GoStars
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 25, 2019
Around the League
They aren’t Top 5 yet, but the Stars get a shout-out in Down Goes Brown’s latest Power Rankings:
As the Blues showed us last year, a big move behind the bench at the right time can save a season. One team’s already taken the plunge; which organization will be next? @DownGoesBrown shares his thoughts. https://t.co/EcqKGZnRU1
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) November 25, 2019
Of course, as great as the Stars’ point streak has been, the New York Islanders have somehow been even more impressive:
The Islanders are riding a season-best 17-game point streak and Patrick Kane has hit the scoresheet in 12 straight games. Not bad, but the all-time records aren’t in jeopardy yet.
More in This Week In NHL Numbers: https://t.co/Y6VGJWDqY1
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) November 25, 2019
Do you think Robert Bortuzzo get enough games for the below hit?
St. Louis’ Robert Bortuzzo has been suspended for four games for Cross-checking Nashville’s Viktor Arvidsson. https://t.co/zYPlLjudxl
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) November 24, 2019
Finally, some bombshells are dropping out of Toronto in light of the Mike Babcock firing, such as this one regarding Mitch Marner:
Great new article by @IanGraph,
If you weren’t convinced that Babcock needed to go, then here you go. pic.twitter.com/0ZaJXI6Fx5
— Nathan “Grav” (@NathanGraviteh) November 25, 2019
Here’s the full piece:
Here’s my full story on the Babcock-Marner situation that everyone’s been talking about.https://t.co/qATBp6jiRs
— Ian Tulloch📊 (@IanGraph) November 25, 2019