Stars centre Roope Hintz out for Game 5 against the Avalanche with upper-body injury

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Stars centre Roope Hintz is out for Game 5 of their Western Conference playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night because of an upper-body injury.

Stars coach Pete DeBoer said after the morning skate that Radek Faksa will be back in the lineup.

Faksa hasn’t played since Game 1 against the Avs on May 7, two nights after scoring the game-winning goal in Game 7 to clinch their first-round series over Vegas. He had missed four games before that because of an undisclosed injury.

A victory on Wednesday night would send the Stars to the Western Conference Final for the second year in a row.

Hintz has two goals and four assists in 11 games this post-season. He had a goal and three assists in Game 2 against the Avalanche.

In the Stars’ 5-1 win at Colorado in Game 4 on Monday night, Hintz played only 6 1/2 minutes. He left after blocking a shot in the first period, after earlier going down hard when cross-checked by Nathan MacKinnon.

“We essentially played without him the last game. … We shifted everybody around last game, so it’s not a major adjustment,” DeBoer said. “He left early and then (Craig) Smith left for part of the game. So we were down to 10 forwards for the middle portions of that game. So, you know, tonight will be a luxury to have 12 guys.”

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