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Heika says: Kiviranta in DeSmith in Hintz good to go

It's early, but the second game of this B2B for Dallas will be pretty huge, I think. Grab the win, and you have a couple of days to regroup for the grind of the season. Drop another, and you've gone 0-4 against the Central to start the year with some real questions percolating.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 14h

Hintz was unavilable to media tonight postgame because he was seeing the team doctor. Will have to wait until tomorrow for an update on his status.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 14h

Gulutzan says Wyatt Johnston came down with an illness right before the game. He won’t travel to Colorado.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 15h

Monster night from Seguin, btw.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 16h

Sam Steel sniffed this one out, but Blackwood again. What a game from the goalie.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 16h

tripping, I suppose. 5v3 for COL

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 16h

MacKinnon has returned to the Colorado bench.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 16h

Do not mess with Roope Hintz. Good grief.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 16h

Hintz and MacKinnon drop the gloves. That looked pretty clearly like Hintz wanting a piece of MacKinnon after his hamstring was torn when the two wrestled back in March.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 16h

He's young. (read: dumb)

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 16h

I mean, those are two really good players making an elite play. Not sure how the puck got through Bäck, but it did, and Oettinger never saw it. 2-1.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 17h

IYKYK www.starsthoughts.com/p/a-fine-bal...

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 17h

Mackenzie Blackwood still allowing that pass through the crease, just like the 2025 playoffs. Seguin takes advantage. 1-1, PPG.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 17h

Faksa with a solid hit on Jaden Schwartz, and Fedor Svechkov comes in and drops the gloves. Refs are debating calling an instigator, it appears.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 17h

Big save on Toews. What a pass from MacKinnnon.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 17h

Mikko Rantanen is bigger than Nathan MacKinnon, turns out.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 17h

We are being told lines will be: Robertson-Hintz-Benn Hryckowian-Steel-Rantanen Bäck-Hyry-Seguin Capobianco-Faksa-Blackwell Lindell-Heiskanen Harley-Lundkvist Bichsel-Myers Oettinger

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 18h

Update: L'Heureux is out for the Avs with an upper-body issue as a late scratch. Avs don't have a spare body in the lineup, so they will have to play down a man tonight after losing L'Heureux for the game. This game is shaping up very differently than anticipated.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 18h

As @lassimak.bsky.social just pointed out to me, this is indeed the first game Johnston has missed in his NHL career.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 18h

Full disclosure: I only caught part of warmup rushes what with the Johnston news, but best guess here from what I did catch: -Bäck moves up to 3LW -Hryckowian to top line -Faksa/Blackwell on 4th line. Same defense w/ Capobianco 7th.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 18h

Wyatt Johnston is out tonight with an illness. Capobianco is taking warmups, so the guess is they're going 11/7

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 22h

The Stars have allowed the fewest goals in the NHL. I spoke with both Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith this week about what great goaltending feels like, and how they adjust to hockey's inevitable challenges over the course of a long season. www.starsthoughts.com/p/jake-oetti...

starsthoughts.com

Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith on What the Flow State of Great Goaltending Feels Like

It’s something else

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

No Cale Makar tonight. His wife is due.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Oettinger starts. Blackwell in. Kiviranta not in tonight, possible for tomorrow.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Morning skate lines for Dallas: Steel-Johnston-Rantanen Robertson-Hintz-Benn Hryckowian-Hyry-Seguin Bäck-Faksa-Blackwell Lindell-Heiskanen Harley-Lundkvist Bichsel-Myers Oettinger DeSmith

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Justin Hryckowian is the first player on the ice this morning. Seguin second.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

I think they have enough talent to score 8th-12th in the league at 5v5. They're actually generating a decent number of good looks, but the finishing just hasn't been there yet. Once Johnston and Robertson (or pick two others, if you want) heat up, things could improve in a hurry.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

The Stars will be without Matt Duchene for three months, so they'll have to find additional offense from elsewhere. A new-look third line could be one part of that solution. www.starsthoughts.com/p/with-matt-...

starsthoughts.com

With Matt Duchene Out for Three Months, the Dallas Stars’ Offense Will Have to Find Another Answer

Inveniet viam, aut faciet

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Oettinger named NHL’s 2nd star of the week.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Core injury, technically. Maybe not muscle.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Also the Stars announced it.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Matt Duchene out for three months, Stats announce. Had surgery today to repair a core muscle injury.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Top six looks the same in practice: Steel-Johnston-Rantanen Robertson-Hintz-Benn But some change in the bottom six: Bäck-Hryckowian-Seguin Kiviranta-Hyry-Blackwell Faksa rotating with Hyry

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Everyone else is accounted for at practice (aside from Duchene, obviously).

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Radek Faksa is also on the ice, which is a good sign.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Joel Kiviranta is skating this morning in advance of Stars practice. Has been out for a couple games with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Can't really tell here, but Rust's skate certainly appears to trip Harley into the end boards. Looks like he was able to prepare for it and avoid serious injury, but yeesh.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Game 5 AfterThoughts: Jake Oettinger was great again, and Tyler Seguin was Tyler Seguin. The Stars needed a third hero in this one, though. www.starsthoughts.com/p/game-5-aft...

starsthoughts.com

Game 5 AfterThoughts: Heroics, but Not Enough Heroes

Dallas got a point they deserved

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Shootout: Kindel - Goal Robertson - Miss Crosby - Goal Seguin - Goal Chinakhov - Post Johnston - Goal Rakell - Goal Rantanen - Save Pens win 2-1, but that's a meaningful point for Dallas.

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Robert Tiffin @tiffin.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Oettinger with save after save after save in OT. Stars need to get him this one.

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