EDMONTON, Alberta – Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman is unlikely to return to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs after suffering an injury in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Hyman was injured midway through the first period in a collision with Stars forward Mason Marchment. The winger was hit at the blue line and immediately left the ice, favoring his right arm/wrist. He did not return. Coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed the latest information on Hyman’s status on Wednesday.
“Zach’s season is likely over,” Knoblauch said. “He’s having surgery today. We don’t expect him back.”
Kris Knoblauch
Knoblauch declined to specify the exact injury Hyman suffered. However, losing Hyman will leave a significant hole in the Oilers’ lineup at a crucial point in their season. Edmonton holds a 3-1 series lead over Dallas in their best-of-seven series following Tuesday’s 4-1 victory. The Oilers have the opportunity to advance to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final with a Game 5 win in Dallas on Thursday.
This becomes a more difficult task without having Hyman available. He leads the NHL playoffs in hits with 111 in 15 games, adding five goals and 11 points on the scoresheet. Hyman not only plays on the Oilers’ first line with Connor McDavid, but he is also a fixture on their power play and an important player on the penalty kill. Edmonton will need to take a committee approach to fill the gaps.The Oilers have already utilized their depth during this series. Connor Brown was out in Game 4 after receiving a hard hit from Stars defenseman Alexander Petrovic in Game 3. Knoblauch said Brown will also not play in Game 5, although “he’s okay” and there is hope he can return sooner than expected. Viktor Arvidsson re-entered the lineup for Brown after being out since Game 3 of Edmonton’s second-round series against Vegas. Knoblauch felt that Arvidsson, who played 11:54 and recorded two hits, was able to perform despite the long break.“He gave it his all,” Knoblauch said of Hyman. “What he’s done in the last couple of years in the playoffs, he’s scored numerous big goals in the playoffs, and this year [it’s not just] scoring key goals, but the physical department, how many hits he took. His two-way game was tremendous. And you know we’re going to miss him now, we’re going to need other guys to step up.”
Kris Knoblauch
The main message is that everyone dressing for Edmonton should expect Dallas’s best game on Thursday. The Stars have been outscored 16-8 in the series and only have three even-strength goals. Despite Dallas pressing Edmonton with impressive force, they have been frustrated by an excellent Stuart Skinner in net (who has a .939 SV% and 1.76 GAA in the series) and an opportunistic Oilers team that has made Dallas pay at 5-on-5 and on special teams. The Stars have their backs against the wall now, but Knoblauch insists his club won’t take anything for granted as they look to secure a second consecutive conference title.“I hadn’t played for a couple of weeks and to get into an environment like that against a good team at this point in the season [was good],” Knoblauch said. “And then he just kept getting better. In the third period, he might have been one of our best forwards. He won a lot of races for the puck. He made some good plays. His game was as we expected. He played the way we want to play, and we’ll need more of that from Viktor, because with the lack of players, especially on the right side with Hyman [out], it’s an opportunity for him to step up and play a bigger role.”
Kris Knoblauch
“I think the confidence of our guys being mature in their experience, they don’t get carried away or get too down,” Knoblauch said. “It’s not that they ever think we have this under control. That’s definitely never the case with this team. They know how hard it is to win that last deciding game, and they also have a lot of respect for the Dallas Stars, knowing they’re a good team. I think we’re just calm.”
Kris Knoblauch
