Heiskanen sets franchise postseason points record in Game 4 win

Miro Heiskanen set a franchise record Sunday.
That's right, the 21-year-old defenseman tallied his 16th point in the playoffs. That's more than any defenseman has scored in a single playoff season in the history of the Minnesota/Dallas franchise. Craig Hartsburg had 15 points for Minnesota in 1981. He did that in 18 games. Sergei Zubov had 14 points in 12 games for Dallas in 2003. He was 33 at the time.

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Heiskanen has 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 13 games. He just turned 21 in July.
"I think with just another year under his belt, getting a taste of the playoffs last year, he knew what to expect this year," Stars captain Jamie Benn said. "An elite player like Miro, he's going to raise up his level. He's definitely done that in this playoff. You can see him take over games. It's a treat to watch every day."

Interim coach Rick Bowness said that while the points are nice, the little details of the game are really what make Heiskanen special. Not only does he lead the team in playoff scoring, he leads them in average time on ice at 25:48.
"There's more to come. There's better to come. He's just going to keep getting better," Bowness said. "So it's nice that he got this record, that's fine, but Miro's value to our team is just not only on the points that he's generating but the quality minutes that he gives us and his ability to get us out of trouble. Sometimes, that's really overlooked about his game.
"I know there's a lot of attention on his points and everything else, but there should be just as much attention on his ability to get us out of trouble, his ability to skate the puck out of the zone, his ability to make the right play at the right time to get us out of trouble … When things aren't going well, put Miro on the ice and he'll settle it down."

Eventful game for veteran Perry

Veteran winger Corey Perry took a penalty two minutes into the game, and put the dangerous Colorado power play on the attack. However, Dallas killed off that penalty, didn't allow a shot on goal in that stretch, and Perry went out and drew four penalties, including a shoulder to the head that knocked him to the ice.
It was a big night for a guy who loves to make a living in the rough areas.

"That line was much better for us tonight," Bowness said. "I know there were a lot of special teams and that chews up a lot of the ice time, and when we kill penalties, Corey gets lost in the shuffle. But give him credit, because he stays in the moment. He's a huge part of our hockey club, and he gave us a lot of good minutes tonight."
Bowness said earlier that having the veteran presence of the 35-year-old is important.
"It's his poise with the puck in the heat of the battle," Bowness said. "They're banging him and they're hacking at him and everything. He hangs in around the net, gets the puck, doesn't panic with it."

Quick hits

Game 5: Stars vs. Avalanche (Dallas leads 3-1)

Monday, 8:45 p.m. CT
Where:Rogers Place, Edmonton
TV: NBCSN
Radio:The Ticket 96.7-FM, 1310-AM
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.