Injured top-line center Roope Hintz stays home when Stars travel for Games 3 and 4 against Wild

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DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars are still without injured top-line center Roope Hintz, who stayed home Tuesday when the team traveled to Minnesota for Game 3 of its Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Hintz hasn't played since sustaining a lower-body injury on March 6 in a game against Colorado and experiencing an unspecified setback in his recovery.

Stars coach Glen Gulutzan previously said Hintz was unlikely to play in Game 3 on Wednesday night, and it now appears the center's earliest possible return could be Game 5 when the series switches back to Dallas next week.

“He's not traveling. Like I said, Game 3, won't be there. Game 4 (on Saturday), I would say is very doubtful,” Gulutzan said before boarding the team flight. “Hopefully by the time we get back, we're in a good spot, and he's in a good spot.”

The series is tied 1-1 after Dallas won 4-2 on Monday night. Minnesota opened the series with a 6-1 win.

Gulutzan had said between Games 1 and 2 that Hintz hadn't even returned to skating on his own.

The 29-year-old Hintz, in his eighth NHL season, played for bronze medal-winning Finland and then missed the Stars' first four games after the Olympic break because of an illness. He got hurt in his only game since, 6 1/2 weeks ago against the Avalanche.

Hintz remained down and reached at the back of his left leg after being engaged with Nathan MacKinnon along the boards in the second period. Hintz put no weight on his leg while being helped off the ice.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl