The Dallas Stars are continuing to sort through injuries, with star Tyler Seguin reportedly okay after leaving Game 5 early with a lower-body injury, while fellow top forward Roope Hintz is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, head coach Pete DeBoer shared with Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas News (Twitter link). DeBoer wouldn’t reveal whether Hintz would travel with the team for Game 6 in Colorado, leaving his status up in the air.
Hintz was hurt while blocking a shot in the first period of Game 4, sustaining an injury that ultimately forced him out of the Game 5 lineup. His absence made way for Radek Faksa to step back in, though the Stars felt the weight of missing Hintz, falling 5-3 to Colorado in a game where they lacked their usual top-end cohesiveness. Hintz has continued to perform well this postseason, posting six points through 11 games and ranked fourth among the team’s forwards in xGA/60 (expected goals-against per-60) per Evolving Hockey. His shot suppression ranks only behind Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson, and Evgenii Dadonov.
Seguin will be one of the many carrying a bigger load should Hintz continue to miss time. The veteran Stars forward has seven points through 12 playoff games so far, forming an impressive trio with Dadonov and Matt Duchene. Dallas has won every game Seguin has scored in this postseason, with Game 5’s loss also marking an end to Seguin’s three-game scoring streak. He’ll look to return to the scoresheet, and return his team to the win column, as the Stars aim to cap off the series on Friday.
Meanwhile, Faksa should remain in the lineup in Hintz’s absence, after returning from a three-game absence due to an undisclosed injury. He recorded one shot and two hits in Game 6, appearing in 12:24 worth of ice time. Faksa will likely hang onto the role of third-line centerman, with Seguin and Johnston commanding the team’s top-six – though Dallas also has reigning AHL MVP Mavrik Bourque recalled to the NHL lineup. Borque has only played in one career NHL game, failing to score, but he led the minors in scoring this year, with a dazzling 77 points in 71 games. He could be a tantalizing X-factor as Dallas tries to find an edge over a stout Avalanche lineup.