The Dallas Stars will be looking to avoid a 3-1 hole on Tuesday night when they face the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Pete DeBoer's squad was hammered 6-1 in Game 3 on Sunday, and they had to play without the injured Roope Hintz.

The star centre missed out after exiting Game 2 with a lower-body issue following a dirty slash from Darnell Nurse. So the question remains, is Roope Hintz playing tonight?

Roope Hintz injury status for Game 4 Stars vs Oilers

Hintz took warm-ups before Game 3 but ultimately didn't play. DeBoer said he is once again a game-time decision for Tuesday's encounter, via Pierre LeBrun.

Hintz expressed optimism for his availability moving forward in the series, but it's all about how his body feels when on the ice. The veteran is a massive piece for this squad, already contributing five goals and six assists in these playoffs. Hintz is the Stars' top centre, so you can see why he's sorely missed. Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston spent time on the first line in Sunday's defeat.

DeBoer made it clear Hintz wasn't nearly healthy enough to suit up over the weekend:

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“He wasn’t close,” DeBoer said after the game Sunday. “If he was close, he probably would’ve played.”

While the Stars have a lot of depth, Hintz is one of their best guys, and he's always been a consistent producer in the playoffs as well.

His injury was also a controversial one because Nurse blatantly slashed him, yet only received a minor penalty. NHL Player Safety also didn't punish the Oilers defenceman. Hintz was in a ton of pain and had to be helped off the ice by his teammates.

Hopefully, the 28-year-old feels better pregame and will be healthy enough to give it a go. The Stars need him badly.