Stars coach gives worrying update after Nils Lundkvist suffers deep facial cut
Photo credit: © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Nils Lundkvist suffered a deep facial cut, and the Dallas Stars now face a brutal blue-line question.
Glen Gulutzan did not dress it up after the game.
Lundkvist took Michael McCarron's skate to the facial area midway through the second period and never returned.
That is not a routine injury update.
It is the kind of moment that freezes a bench, because skate cuts change the room fast.
"He's got a deep facial (cut) from that skate. He didn't return so we'll have to have him looked at when he gets home."
- Glen Gulutzan
- Glen Gulutzan
Gulutzan called it a deep facial cut and said Lundkvist would be checked when the team got back home.
Nils Lundkvist Leaves Dallas Stars Searching
Fans are right to feel uneasy, because this is not just about one defenseman missing a few shifts.
Lundkvist, 25, was drafted in 2018 by the New York Rangers in the first round, 28th overall.
Dallas did not build its season around him, but the Stars trusted him enough for 52 games.
He posted 3-8-11 in the regular season, with a plus-12 mark and 16:29 per night.
That role matters more in the playoffs.
Against Minnesota, Lundkvist had already put up two assists in three playoff games before this injury scare.
Dallas now loses a right-shot option who can move the puck cleanly without forcing Miro Heiskanen into every hard exit.
That affects the second pair, the penalty kill, and late-game matchups.
Gulutzan also said he was not sure whether Lundkvist left the building for the hospital.
The Stars finished 50-20-12, so this team has depth, structure, and playoff weight.
But depth gets tested hardest when injuries hit the blue line.
If Lundkvist misses time, Dallas needs a simple first pass, safer gaps, and cleaner support from the forwards.
The next update will decide whether this is a scare or a real series problem.
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