Stars Without Roope Hintz for Critical Playoff Games Against Wild

The Dallas Stars face a challenging road ahead in their Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Wild, as they will be without their top-line center, Roope Hintz. The 29-year-old forward remained in Dallas while his teammates traveled to Minnesota for Game 3, following a lower-body injury sustained on March 6 during a matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. His recovery has been complicated by an unspecified setback, leaving his status uncertain.

Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan confirmed that Hintz is unlikely to play in Game 3 on Wednesday. “He’s not traveling. Like I said, Game 3, won’t be there. Game 4 (on Saturday), I would say is very doubtful,” Gulutzan stated before the team’s departure. He expressed hope that by the time the series returns to Dallas, Hintz will be in a better position to rejoin the lineup.

The series is currently tied at 1-1 after the Stars secured a 4-2 victory on Monday night, following a dominant 6-1 loss to the Wild in the series opener. Gulutzan had previously indicated that Hintz had not yet resumed skating, further complicating his potential return.

Hintz, now in his eighth NHL season, has faced a challenging year. After representing Finland in the Olympics and winning a bronze medal, he missed the Stars’ first four games after the break due to an illness. His only game since then ended prematurely when he sustained the injury against the Avalanche. During that game, he was injured after colliding with Nathan MacKinnon along the boards, needing assistance to leave the ice without putting weight on his leg.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.