Dallas Stars vs Calgary Flames Box Score on Aug 20, 2020

Denis Gurianov collected four goals in a five-point game to pace Dallas to a 7-3 comeback victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday in Edmonton, and the Stars clinched their first-round Western Conference playoff series in six games.

Miro Heiskanen netted one goal and three assists for the Stars, who trailed 3-0 before they even recorded a shot on goal but roared to a victory that claimed the best-of-seven set.

The third-seeded Stars will face the second-seeded Colorado Avalanche in the second round.

Gurianov became the second rookie in NHL history to produce a four-goal playoff game, joining Tony Hrkac (1988 St. Louis Blues). He is the fifth player in Stars/North Stars history to notch a playoff hat trick.

Joe Pavelski added a goal and two assists, Radek Faksa also scored, and Anton Khudobin made 38 saves for Dallas.

Andrew Mangiapane, Johnny Gaudreau and Rasmus Andersson scored for Calgary.

With the Flames ahead 3-0, Heiskanen provided a much-needed jolt just before the midway point of the opening period by blasting a short-side slap shot on the power play to put his team on the board.

Gurianov, who scored 20 goals in the truncated season, registered the first goal in his career-defining game 59 seconds into the second period to make it a one-goal deficit.

Gurianov's second of the game, a deflection tally, tied the clash at the 3:25 mark of the middle frame, and Calgary's starting goalie Cam Talbot was pulled in favor of David Rittich, having made only five saves.

After Faksa put the Stars ahead with another power-play goal at 5:47 of the second, the eventual game-winner, Pavelski scored to make it a 5-3 clash, burying a rebound just 1:35 later.

Gurianov completed his hat trick with 4:30 remaining in the second period.

With Talbot back in the net, Gurianov rounded out his scoring spree in the middle of the third period.

It was a crushing defeat for the Flames, who wasted their best period of the series.

Mangiapane opened the scoring at the 3:42 mark, deflecting T.J. Brodie's point shot, and then Gaudreau banked in a sharp-angled shot at the 5:38 mark. When Andersson lit the lamp 56 seconds later, they Flames appeared ready to force a seventh game, but they saw those hopes dashed.

Talbot wound up with 11 saves on 15 shots faced. Rittich yielded three goals on nine shots.

--Field Level Media