Minnesota Wild Center Joel Eriksson Ek Absent, Dallas Stars Tie S

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek was scratched for Game 4 of their first-round NHL playoff series against Dallas on Sunday because of an injury that cut short his Game 3 after just one shift.

Wild coach Dean Evason confirmed before the game that Eriksson Ek would not play. He declined to elaborate on a timeline for the return of the team's third-leading scorer.

Without him, Frederick Gaudreau and John Klingberg scored goals, but the Wild couldn't catch up to Dallas in the Stars' 3-2 victory. Jake Oettinger made 32 saves in the win.

Eriksson Ek, who had 23 goals and 38 assists in the regular season, missed six games -- including Games 1 and 2 against the Stars -- with a lower-body injury after the seventh-year player was hurt blocking a shot April 6.

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The Wild have not confirmed that Eriksson Ek aggravated the same injury, but Evason said he thought he "probably just drove a little harder" than he had been skating with the adrenaline rush of being back on the ice.

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