HIGHLIGHTS
- Roope Hintz left Game 2 vs Oilers with an injury
- The Stars center was slashed by Darnell Nurse
- Read below for the full scoop
The Dallas Stars were blanked 3-0 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers, and to make matters worse, they lost Roope Hintz to an injury.
The Finnish star had to be helped off the ice in the third period after he was blatantly slashed by Darnell Nurse. The Oilers defenceman only got a two-minute minor for the play after officials reviewed it for a five-minute major.
Here’s a look at the injury:
A very dirty play from Nurse, who was clearly trying to hurt Hintz. The Stars center couldn’t put weight on his leg as he departed the ice.
Dallas head coach Pete DeBoer didn’t have an immediate update on Hintz postgame, but he was clearly upset with the call on Nurse, voicing that if it was Connor McDavid, it’s a five-minute major every day of the week:
“I’ll answer your question with a question,” DeBoer said when asked about the referee’s decision. “Does anyone in this room think if Connor McDavid gets carried off the ice like that it’s not a five-minute major? That’s my answer to your question.”
He’s not wrong. While the Stars are a deep team, losing Hintz would definitely hurt. The 28-year-old is a key player for Dallas, scoring five goals and tallying six assists so far in these playoffs. He’s a consistent producer for the Stars in the postseason, collecting 68 points in 93 career playoff games.
Hintz typically plays on the first line for this squad. He had three shots on goal in 12:08 of ice time before departing.
Stay tuned for any updates on Hintz’s status moving forward. Game 3 takes place on Sunday in Edmonton.
