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.
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 on April 6.