The Dallas Stars will have to make some adjustments to their lineup as Roope Hintz is out for Game 5. News of the Finnish winger’s absence from the lineup came early Wednesday afternoon. The ailment is said to be an upper-body injury. Stars head coach Peter DeBoer made the announcement on Hintz’s status earlier in the day.
The Stars will be without Roope Hintz for Game 5. pic.twitter.com/2ZUHiItwAC
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Roope Hintz Out for Dallas in Game 5
Hintz left the 5-1 Game 4 win by Dallas in the first period after blocking a shot. However, he also was cross-checked by Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon before that, It’s uncertain which incident caused his injury.
The 27-year-old totaled 30 goals and 35 assists for 65 points in 80 games this season. He has a Corsi for of 60.3 and a relative Corsi of 10.8 in the regular season. Hintz has played only for the Stars in his six-year NHL career. He has two goals and four assists for six points in 11 games this post-season.
The Tampere, Finland native has 147 goals and 163 assists for 310 points in 392 career games. Dallas originally drafted Hintz in the second round, 49th overall of the 2015 NHL Draft.
He’s also represented his native Finland at the international level and got his home country a gold medal. This was at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championships where he had three goals and an assist.
What it Means
Veteran Radek Faksa will draw into the lineup, but that may not be a bad thing. Faksa has seen limited time in the playoffs. However, he did score the series-clinching goal in Game 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights. He hasn’t played since Game 1, but can pitch in when needed.
DeBoer also announced that defenceman Chris Tanev will play on Wednesday night. The veteran left in the third period of Game 4 after being checked into the boards. However, he is ready to go according to his head coach.
Main photo by: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
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