Stars' Hintz remains game-time call for Game 4

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Dallas Stars guardant Roope Hintz remains a game-time determination up of Game 4 of the Western Conference Final connected Tuesday.

The club's apical skater has been sidelined since Game 2 successful the bid erstwhile helium took a slash to the near limb from Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. Hintz took portion successful warmups earlier Game 3 connected Sunday but exited aboriginal and was ruled out. He was backmost connected the crystal for Dallas' optional signifier connected Monday and told reporters helium was "feeling good" and "trying to bash everything I can" to get backmost successful for Game 4.

It was aboriginal successful the 3rd play of Game 2 erstwhile Hintz -- parked successful beforehand of the Oilers' nett -- shoved Nurse from behind, and the Oilers' blueliner responded by swinging his instrumentality astatine Hintz's leg. Hintz was down connected the crystal for respective minutes aft that earlier being helped disconnected by Lian Bichsel and Mikael Granlund.

Nurse received a two-minute punishment for the slash connected Hintz but nary supplementary subject from the league. The blueliner addressed the incidental for the archetypal clip Tuesday, explaining it didn't travel with malicious intent.

"I was backing up to nett and I got changeable successful the back. And I deliberation it was conscionable a earthy absorption [to respond]," Nurse said. "It's astir apt a play that everyone successful this room, whether you're a net-front feline oregon D man, astir apt happens a dozen, 2 twelve times successful a year. It's unfortunate that I indispensable person got [Hintz] successful a atrocious spot. You don't privation to spell retired determination and wounded anyone. But it was conscionable 1 of those plays that happens truthful often."

Having Hintz unavailable wounded the Stars successful Game 3, a 6-1 drubbing by the Oilers that enactment Dallas successful a 2-1 spread successful the best-of-7 series. Hintz is the Stars' second-leading scorer successful the postseason, with 11 goals and 15 points done 15 games. He was hopeful erstwhile taking warmups Sunday that he'd consciousness bully capable to get backmost successful but a speedy treatment with the grooming unit made it wide helium wasn't ready.

Coach Pete DeBoer has since classified Hintz's presumption arsenic day-to-day.

"Of people you privation to spell each night, but sometimes you conscionable can't," said Hintz. "I don't cognize however adjacent I [was to playing]. But I person played galore years [and I] cognize erstwhile it's bully and erstwhile it's not. I should beryllium bully to cognize that [when] it comes to that decision."

Puck driblet for Game 4 is 8 p.m. ET connected Tuesday.