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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Roope Hintz, Hanging Tough

Posted on by Kathleen Tibbetts

The Dallas Stars have had their share of trouble this season, but the chronic gametime-decision status of Roope Hintz has been one of the bigger issues. Somehow, even as he and the team try to manage a troubling lower-body injury, the 24-year-old forward manages to produce every time he’s on the ice.

And his teammates and head coach Rick Bowness have noticed, as Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika notes in his latest roundup:

“He’s a tough kid,” said forward Andrew Cogliano. “He’s one of those Finnish kids. They work hard, they play hard, and he’s one of those guys. It’s commendable to him. It speaks to the character and who he is as a person and a player.”…

“It’s clear he is such a great impact player for us when he is in the lineup,” Bowness said. “He is such a great player and great skater and when he is not in our lineup, you notice it. And when he wasn’t in our lineup tonight for a little bit, we noticed it. I was certainly holding my breath when I saw him go down.”

But Bowness’ recent non-use of Denis Gurianov is drawing questions, especially when Guri’s stunning one-timer might have helped the Stars tie up Tuesday’s game during the 5-on-3:

Asked if using Gurianov in that situation could help spark him and get him out of his slump, Bowness said coaches make decisions based on who they believe will help the team succeed.

“He’s got to get himself going, too, a little bit here, right? He’s a pro. It’s a man’s league,” Bowness said.

There’s more at Mike’s place. [Dallas Stars]

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Talking Points