Stars put Game 1 behind, hang on to tie series
DALLAS — The Dallas Stars built another multigoal lead against high-scoring Colorado. This time, they held on to win and avoid another 2-0 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 Alexandar Georgiev skated to the bench.
“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.
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 apart. 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.
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.
“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.”
Hintz was serving a holding penalty when Seguin got his first short-hander in his 123rd playoff game to make it 4-0.
League MVP finalist Nathan MacKinnon had the first delay of game penalty against Colorado, knocking the puck out of his own zone. Dallas capitalized, 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.
Nichushkin has nine goals this postseason, with goals in all seven games for the Avalanche.
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement with Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim on a three-year, $12.5 million contract, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday.
Kim, 25, was posted by the Kiwoom Heroes on Dec. 5, marking Friday as a deadline to sign with a major league team. He’s known an an elite defender at multiple positions as he played second base, shortstop, third base and in the outfield for the Heroes over his eight-year run with the team.
His current fit with the Dodgers could be as a super utility player, depending on what other moves the team makes this winter. Kim is a career .304 hitter with 37 home runs and 211 stolen bases in 953 games while playing in the KBO. His speed alone can affect games, especially with the newer MLB rules that put an emphasis on base stealing.
The deal includes team options for 2028 and 2029, while the Dodgers also have to pay a $2.5 million release fee to Kiwoom. Per rules, the release fee is 20% of the total package.
LOS ANGELES — Teoscar Hernández will be in right field for the Los Angeles Dodgers next season when the World Series champions try to defend their title.
The outfielder was at Dodger Stadium on Friday after agreeing to rejoin the team on a $66 million, three-year contract.
“I had my mind clear that I wanted to come back and I was going to do anything in my power to make it work and be back with the Dodgers,” Hernández said.
He played last season on a $23.5 million, one-year deal and proved his value by becoming an All-Star and winning the Home Run Derby along with a third career Silver Slugger, which earned him a $1 million bonus. He capped it all by helping the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Hernández said he had offers from other teams that would have gotten him an additional $5 million to $6 million.
“For me, money wasn’t an issue,” he said.
Hernández’s deal comes with a $23 million signing bonus. The Dodgers hold a club option of $15 million for 2028 with a $6.5 million buyout. The contract also features $23.5 million in deferred money.
He called the Dodgers “different” than other teams.
“They give me the confidence. I didn’t get that really in other places,” Hernández said. “They trust me in everything that I can give them. That was one of the biggest things for me, that pushed me to do the best job that I can do in a Dodgers uniform.”
Manager Dave Roberts welcomed the return of Hernández.
“It’s not just about getting the most talented players. You’ve got to be good on the field and you’ve got to play the game a certain way,” he said. “What that does is it makes people around you better, it holds teammates accountable. For us, Teo checked every single box.”
Hernández hit a career-high 33 home runs and drove in 99 runs last season. The 32-year-old hit .272 in 154 games.
“He always put the team first and you could see that there was a real love of the game that he brought to the field each and every day,” general manager Brandon Gomes said. “I do think because of the way he plays with such passion and joy, when those big moments came up, it was something that he really cherished and was able to put the team first and slow the heartbeat down and do whatever was needed in that situation.”
Hernández will be in right field with Mookie Betts moving back to shortstop. Newcomer Michael Conforto will be in left.
Hernández was embraced by Dodgers fans and their support didn’t go unnoticed.
“I appreciate since the first day that I got here Dodgers fans were cheering for me,” he said. “They were giving me the support that I need to have the season that I have last year. When you have that support as a player, you have to give 110 percent every day.”
Information from The Associated Press and Field Level Media was used in this report.
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