The Dallas Stars ended the regular season with more questions than momentum after a 5–1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night.
What was supposed to be a tune-up for the playoffs instead added another injury concern, this time to one of the team’s biggest offensive weapons.
Advertisement
Jason Robertson left the game in the second period after a hit by Nashville’s Michael McCarron, did not return and left the arena with a knee brace on, according to reports.
The team ruled it a lower-body injury. Postgame, Stars head coach Pete DeBoer admitted the plan to rest key players late in the year failed.
“The purpose of resting people down the stretch was to hopefully avoid injury, and unfortunately, we didn’t do that with the Robertson injury,” DeBoer said after the game. “So, tough night.”
Robertson, who played all 82 games this season and led Dallas with 35 goals, logged just over six minutes of ice time before exiting on Wednesday.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, defenseman Miro Heiskanen remains a major question mark just days before Game 1 of the Stars’ first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.
The blueliner has been out since Jan. 28 following knee surgery and has resumed skating, but has not yet been cleared to appear in a game with no more regular-season matchups left.
“Right now, they are hoping he’ll be available for that round-one series,” TSN’s Chris Johnston reported on Wednesday. “But I think it’s not much more than hope at this point in time.
”It does sound like from sources close to the situation, it’s very possible Heiskanen is not available at all during the first round to the Dallas Stars.”
Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) collides with goaltender Casey DeSmith (1) at American Airlines Center.Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
DeBoer offered a cautious outlook about his team and prospective return timelines for the injured Stars.
Advertisement
“In a perfect world, (Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin) are both back for the start of the playoffs,” DeBoer said at the start of last week. “But as I’ve said before, there’s a possibility that either or both won’t, too. That’s just real.”
The lone positive for Dallas on Wednesday came in the form of Seguin, who returned after missing 58 games following hip surgery and notched an assist in 14:48 of ice time.
Dallas enters the postseason on a seven-game losing streak and will face the Avs in the first round with Game 1 scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday on TNT/TruTV.
Related: NHL Announces First Trophy Winner Before Stanley Cup Playoffs
Related: Avalanche Make Gabriel Landeskog Move Before NHL Playoffs