Unlikely hero carries Stars
Hat trick capped in OT, ousts Avs
EDMONTON, Alberta — Joel Kiviranta had the most unlikely of all the goals in a wild playoff series between Dallas and
Colorado, sending the NHL Stars farther than they have been in 12 years
Three of them for the rookie in a thrilling Game 7, including the winner in overtime.
Kiviranta, in his lone game during the series, completed a hat track 7:24 into overtime to give Dallas a 5-4 victory Friday in Game 7 and send the Stars to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2008.
“Pretty unreal. This is what you dream about when you’re a young kid,” Kiviranta said. “I played the first Game 7 of my life. I didn’t know what to expect. … Maybe their D just lost me a little bit. They didn’t know who was picking me up. I tried to find a soft spot. It was a great pass.”
Kiviranta moved away from the crease just before his quick shot on a pass from defenseman Andrej Sekera from behind the
net. Kiviranta was playing in his third postseason game, with Andrew Cogliano unfit to play, after scoring once in 11 regular-season games.
“What Kivi did was pretty spectacular,” captain Jamie Benn said. “Those are the things you dream about when you’re a kid when you’re playing in the driveway and whatnot. That just became a reality for him.”
Stars interim coach Rick Bowness also was impressed by the primary assist for the seventh Game 7 hat trick in NHL history
and first since Wayne Gretzky for the Los Angeles Kings in the 1993 conference finals.
“To tell you that we practiced Andrej behind their offensive net making those saucer passes, no, that has not been at our practice plan and our playing drills,” Bowness said. “I’m glad he knew he was behind the offensive net and not our net, where he normally is with the puck. That’s overtime hockey. And that’s bubble hockey. You just don’t know what to expect, and you kind of roll with it.”