Miro Heiskanen scores 2 power-play goals and Stars beat Avs 5-3 in Game 2 to even series

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars built another multi-goal lead against high-scoring Colorado. This time, they held on to win and avoid another 0-2 hole in the NHL playoffs.

“Found a way to win the game, and that's the most important thing,” Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen said.

Heiskanen scored two power-play goals, Roope Hintz had a goal and three assists and the Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 in Game 2 on Thursday night to even the second-round Western Conference series.

Tyler Seguin got his first goal this postseason on a short-hander at the end of a 3-on-1 breakaway for the Stars that put them up 4-0 late in the second period. Esa Lindell added an empty-netter with 20 seconds left, with Hintz getting his final assist.

Jake Oettinger had 28 saves against a Colorado team that led the NHL in scoring during the regular season and had averaged an NHL-high 5.33 goals in its first six games this postseason.

Joel Kiviranta, Brandon Duhaime and Valeri Nichushkin scored in the third period for the Avalanche, but they failed to score on a power play in the final three minutes that was partly a 6-on-4 after goalie Alexander Georgiev skated to the bench.

“Obviously, I think we can handle those situations better. But I think that the silver lining is that we built 3-0 and 4-0 leads, so we've played some very good hockey for long stretches against them,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “I thought tonight was better than Game 1. We did most of the things that we wanted to do tonight. Building that lead, the right guys scored, got on the board for us.”

Game 3 is Saturday night in Denver.

Colorado had also trailed 3-0 in the first period of Game 1 two nights earlier before coming back to win 4-3 in overtime, and extend its postseason winning streak to five games. That was the third time this season the Avs had come back from a multigoal deficit to win in Dallas.

They came up short this time in a game when hurt by some self-induced penalties and going 0 for 3 on power plays. Of their six penalties, two were for delay of game wo for delay of game after knocking pucks into the stands, and two more for having too many men on the ice.

“The second period for me is when it fell part. Just not sharp,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Then we turn around in the third and go to work, and that’s what happens.”

Hintz, whose only previous point this postseason had been an empty-net goal in Game 4 of the opening series against Vegas, put Dallas up 2-0 less than two minutes into the second period. That came after the Avalanche had failed to score on a power play that carried over from the end of the first period, when Oettinger had a couple of impressive saves in the closing seconds.

It also was soon after Miles Wood, who scored in overtime for Colorado in Game 1, had a shot blocked by Oettinger and the Stars took the puck the other way. Hintz was to the left of Alexander Georgiev when he got a cross-ice pass from Nils Lundkvist.

Georgiev stopped 26 shots.

Dallas, which in the first round against Vegas lost the first two games at home before winning the series in Game 7, led 3-0 with four minutes left in the second period Thursday when captain Jamie Benn and Hintz had assists as Heiskanen scored on a shot that went off the stick of former Stars center Andrew Cogliano.

Benn had been called for a major penalty a few minutes before that for a big hit that leveled defenseman Devon Toews behind the Colorado net. But officials reviewed the play and didn't call any penalty after replay showed a shoulder-to-shoulder hit. Toews left the game briefly, but returned before the end of the second period.

“It’s a physical game, it’s a physical player. ... I don’t want to say. I mean, does he catch a piece of his shoulder? Yeah. I guess you could argue that,. but he target is high and it’s at his head, and it makes contact with the head,” Bednar said. “I've seen many times guys get called for the head shot penalty with a lot less than that, but I guess they didn’t think so. And this time of the year you've got to play through some of that stuff.”

Hintz was serving a holding penalty when Seguin got his first short-hander in his 123rd playoff game to make it 4-0.

League MVP finalist Nathan MacKinnon had the first delay of game penalty against Colorado, knocking the puck out of his own zone. Dallas captialized, going up 1-0 after a circle-to-circle pass from Hintz to Heiskanen with 5:14 left in the first period.

The Avalanche were about midway through their first power play in the closing seconds of the first period when Oettinger made two saves in quick succession, knocking away Artturi Lehkonen’s shot and then making a glove save when Nichushkin took a backhanded swat at that rebound.

Nichushkin has nine goals this postseason, with goals in all seven games for the Avalanche.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) looks to take control of the puck under pressure from Dallas Stars center Sam Steel (18) during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (7) and defenseman Sean Walker, right, work to keep control of the puck in front of Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (42) and right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) attempt to clear the puck under pressure from Dallas Stars' Miro Heiskanen (4) and Joe Pavelski (16) during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars center Craig Smith (15) passes the pucks as Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon (29) defends during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Colorado Avalanche's Josh Manson (42), Brandon Duhaime (12) and Samuel Girard (49) celebrate a goal by Duhaime against the Dallas Stars during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev skates to the bench late in the third period in Game 2 of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) attempts to control the puck under pressure from Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) and center Tyler Seguin (91) during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) looks to make a pass on an attack as Colorado Avalanche's Josh Manson (42) and Valeri Nichushkin (13) watch during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (42) compete for the puck during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment warms up for Game 2 of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment (27) shoots as Colorado Avalanche's Samuel Girard, left, defends in the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars' Miro Heiskanen (4) and Jason Robertson (21) celebrate with the bench, behind Colorado Avalanche's Andrew Cogliano (11), after Heiskanen scored during the second period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars' Joe Pavelski (16), Roope Hintz (24) and Jamie Benn (14) celebrate a goal by Miro Heiskanen against Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Stars' Roope Hintz (24), Chris Tanev (3) and Esa Lindell (23) celebrate Lindell's empty-net goal against the Colorado Avalanche late in the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Dallas, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

NEW YORK (AP) — The most powerful Democrat in Congress on banking and financial issues called for President Joe Biden to replace the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Monday, saying the agency is broken and there must be “fundamental changes at the FDIC.”

This follows a damning report about the agency’s toxic workplace culture was released earlier this month and the inability of FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg to convince Congress in testimony last week that he is able to turn the agency around despite the report saying Greunberg himself was often the source of the problems.

“After chairing last week’s hearing, reviewing the independent report, and receiving further outreach from FDIC employees to the Banking and Housing Committee, I am left with one conclusion: there must be fundamental changes at the FDIC,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.

Up until Monday, no Democrats had called for Gruenberg's replacement, although several came very close to doing so in their own statements. Brown's statement will likely lead to other Democrats to now call for Gruenberg's removal.

In his statement, Brown did not call for Gruenberg to be fired. He is in the middle of his six-year term as chairman of the FDIC and if Gruenberg were to step down, Vice Chair Travis Hill, a Republican, would lead the agency. Brown instead called on President Biden to nominate a new chair for the FDIC “without delay,” which the Senate would then confirm.

Republicans have been calling for Gruenberg to step down for some time. At Thursday’s hearing, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. and the top Republican on the committee, detailed several stories of female FDIC workers who outlined extreme harassment and stalking by their coworkers, complaints that were dismissed by supervisors, according to the report.

“Marty — you’ve heard me say this to you directly — you should resign,” Scott said. “Your employees do not have confidence in you. And this is not a single incident. This spans over a decade-plus of your leadership at the FDIC.”

Scott, who called for Gruenberg to step down in December when the initial allegations were made public, is now calling for the Banking Committee to hold a separate hearing on the FDIC's workplace issues.

Gruenberg has been been involved in various levels of leadership at the FDIC for nearly 20 years, and this is his second full term as FDIC chair. His long tenure at the agency at the highest levels of power has made him largely responsible for the agency's toxic work environment, according to the independent report outlining the problems at the agency.

The report released Tuesday by law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton cites incidents of stalking, harassment, homophobia and other violations of employment regulations, based on more than 500 complaints from employees.

Complaints included a woman who said she was stalked by a coworker and continually harassed even after complaining about his behavior; a field office supervisor referring to gay men as “little girls;” and a female field examiner who described receiving a picture of an FDIC senior examiner’s private parts.

The FDIC is one of several banking system regulators. The Great Depression-era agency is best known for running the nation’s deposit insurance program, which insures Americans’ deposits up to $250,000 in case their bank fails.

Sheila Bair, who was chair of the FDIC through the 2008 financial crisis and was one of the most prominent voices from government at that time, posted on Twitter on Monday that it would be best for the agency if Gruenberg would step down.

“This controversy is hurting him and his agency. For his own sake and everyone at the FDIC, he should announce his intention to resign effective with the appointment,” she said.

AP Treasury Department Reporter Fatima Hussein contributed to this report from Washington.

FILE - Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, speaks during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on improving rail safety in response to the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment, on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 22, 2023. The most powerful Democrat in Congress on banking and financial issues called for President Joe Biden to replace the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on Monday, May 20, 2024, saying the agency is broken and there must be “fundamental changes at the FDIC.” (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

FILE - Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Board of Directors Chairman Martin Gruenberg, testifies during the House Committee on Financial Services hearing on oversight of prudential regulators, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The most powerful Democrat in Congress on banking and financial issues called for President Joe Biden to replace the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on Monday, May 20, 2024, saying the agency is broken and there must be “fundamental changes at the FDIC.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)