‘You don’t see that much outside of junior hockey:’ Stars’ Pete DeBoer reacts to Oilers’ Evan Bouchard’s slash on Roope Hintz

It came in Hintz’s first appearance in the series after having to leave Game 2 prematurely when he was on the other end of a hard slash by Oilers blueliner Darnell Nurse.

It was obvious that DeBoer was frustrated at the targeted attempt by Bouchard on Tuesday night.

“You know what,” DeBoer said. “The referees, I think, have to take care of that. You don’t see that much outside of junior hockey. Hopefully, the league takes care of it.”

DeBoer had a more blunt reaction to the first incident involving Nurse and Hintz after Game 2.

“Does anyone in this room think that if Connor McDavid gets carried off the ice like that, that it’s not a five-minute major? Again, if that’s 97 carried off the ice in the same situation, I think we all know the answer to what that looks like for us.”

So far, there has been no supplemental discipline against either Nurse or Bouchard about either incident.

Hintz’s absence was noticeable in the third game of the semifinal, as Dallas simply couldn’t capitalize on their chances and were defeated by Edmonton, 6-1. Unfortunately for DeBoer and comapny, the Finn’s return to the lineup didn’t help much either, as the Stars dropped Game 4 by a final score of 4-1, leading to the Oilers taking a 3-1 series lead.

Now, Dallas returns home for Game 5 in dire need of a win to keep their season alive, or be knocked out of the playoffs just a few wins away from the Stanley Cup Final for the third year in a row. It’ll certainly be a tall task, as they have to win three games in a row, including a potential third game in Edmonton.

Puck drop for Game 5 in Texas is set for a little after 6 p.m. MT on Thursday night.