‘Likes To Shoot The Puck’: Thomas Harley Takes Over Dallas Stars Power Play In Win Over San Jose Sharks With Miro Heiskanen Out

DALLAS — Thomas Harley had averaged about a minute a night on the power play this season. On Saturday night he played 6:23 there and finished with a goal and 2 assists, all with the man advantage. The Dallas Stars beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 at American Airlines Center.

The goal that won it came at 14:30 of the second period, a one-timer that made it 4-2. It was Harley’s first three-point game of the season. He also killed penalties for 3:34.

For the second straight game, Dallas played without Miro Heiskanen, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Heiskanen had been averaging 3:37 of power-play time a night this season. Harley usually took over once that first unit came off the ice. Last season, Heiskanen quarterbacked the most productive power play in the NHL.

“He adds a little bit of a dimension,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said of Harley. “He likes to shoot the puck. You can see that and he takes on a little bit more of a shooter than a distributor. Miro would be the opposite, so sometimes different pieces coming in can bring different skill sets to a power play.”

Thomas Harley Runs The Top Unit With Miro Heiskanen Out

Harley figured in all three Dallas power-play goals. Midway through the first period, on a 4-on-3, Wyatt Johnston tipped his shot from the point and Roope Hintz scored on the rebound to tie it 1-1. Harley also picked up an assist on Jason Robertson’s goal at 16:51, which came off a cross-crease pass from Mikko Rantanen.

On the winner, Johnston fed the puck back to the point and Harley one-timed it under the right pad of Alex Nedeljkovic. It was his second goal in 17 games, and Hintz, Robertson, and Harley each scored with the man advantage.

“We’re snapping it around pretty quick. I’m trying to distribute, but also be a shot threat from the point. Try and keep those guys honest,” Harley said. “Most of my job is passing left or passing right, and the other guys make it look good.”

Johnston had 2 assists, both on the power play, including the feed on Harley’s goal. He pointed to the way Harley walks the line.

“He does a really good job up there,” Johnston said. “He walks the line really well, he’s really good at shooting for tips. He was a big part of that. You saw tonight there were a lot of different ways that we can score.”

Rantanen assisted on Robertson’s goal and Harley’s. He also talked with Harley during the game.

“Me and Mikko [Rantanen] talked,” Harley said. “He’s talkative. …He wants to win, and he’s coming from the right place. He’s just competitive.”

The 2 assists extended Rantanen’s point streak to five games, a run of 3 goals and 4 assists.

“[Rantanen] told me I should be a little bit lower in the zone,” Harley explained. “Still in the middle, but their forwards play so low that I can come in and creep in and be a shot threat. …I just came over the top and tried to hit it hard.”

Dallas went 3-for-5 on the power play and moved to eighth in the NHL at 27.5%. Saturday was the most special-teams time the Stars have played in a game this season.

“We’re good at special teams,” Harley said.

Harley Has Filled This Role Before

When Heiskanen missed 32 games with a knee injury two seasons ago, Harley put together the best season of his career, with 16 goals and 34 assists in 78 games. He averaged 2:23 a night on the power play that season. He added 4 goals and 10 assists in 18 playoff games. That stretch helped him earn a spot on Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Winter Olympics, and a long-term contract extension.

Harley is 25 and entered Saturday with 283 NHL games and another 130 in the AHL. Before the game, he said the heavier workload suits him.

“I enjoy playing 26 a night plus first power play,” Harley said. “Hopefully, I can do all the things.”

In Thursday’s 2-1 shootout loss in Columbus, the first game without Heiskanen, Harley played a season-high 28:31. That was almost four minutes over his season average.

“He was good,” Gulutzan said. “I think he has been good.”

Heiskanen is officially listed as day-to-day. Gulutzan said Friday that the four days off after the San Jose game would let Dallas be patient with his recovery.

“Every game is an audition,” Gulutzan said. “You are always working for more.”

Esa Lindell and Tyler Myers were expected to pick up the most extra minutes behind Harley, with Nils Lundkvist and Lian Bichsel also in line for more time. Lindell was part of the blue line that covered for Heiskanen two seasons ago.

“I think we do a good job of filling in,” Lindell said. “I think we all understand and play well together, and we like it when we get to play more.”

Through 17 games, Harley has 2 goals and 9 assists and is averaging 24:57 of ice time. Dallas does not play again until Thursday, when it hosts the Winnipeg Jets at 7 p.m. CT.