The Dallas Stars will be without No. 1 center Roope Hintz for Game 6 against the Colorado Avalanche, head coach Peter DeBoer said on Friday. Hintz left Game 4 with an upper-body injury and has not played since.
Late in the first period of Game 4, Hintz exited after a rough shift that saw him take a cross-check to the right arm, block a shot with his right foot, and get a cross-check to the back. Hintz will miss a second straight game as a result of the injury.
In his Friday press conference, DeBoer told reporters that the Stars are optimistic that Hintz could return for a possible Game 7 or the start of the Western Conference Final.
“Roope Hintz is out,” DeBoer said. “Still day-to-day. Hopeful for either next game, or hopefully, next series if we can make that happen.”
Even when he has been on the ice, Hintz has had a somewhat quiet postseason on the scoresheet. Through 11 games, Hintz has recorded just two goals and four assists. That’s a noticeable dip from his regular season production, when he tallied 30 goals and 35 assists in 80 games.
Without Hintz on Wednesday, the Stars dropped a possible series-clinching Game 5 by a score of 5-3. With Hintz on the shelf, Matt Duchene took Hintz’s place between Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski. Tyler Seguin also shifted over to center between Mason Marchment and Evgenii Dadonov.
Leading the series 3-2 heading into Game 6, the Stars can close out the Avalanche with a win and give Hintz the opportunity to return in the conference finals.
The Dallas Stars will be without their top center, Roope Hintz, for Game 6 against the Colorado Avalanche. Hintz has been dealing with a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the past few games.
Hintz has been a key player for the Stars this season, recording 19 goals and 14 assists in 60 games. His absence will be a significant blow to the team as they look to close out the series against the Avalanche and advance to the next round of the playoffs.
Despite Hintz’s absence, the Stars have shown that they have depth at the center position with players like Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin able to step up and fill the void. However, Hintz’s speed and skill will be missed on both ends of the ice.
It is unclear how long Hintz will be out of the lineup, but the team is hopeful that he will be able to return for a potential Game 7 if necessary. In the meantime, the Stars will need to rely on their depth and resilience to overcome his absence and secure a victory in Game 6.
