DENVER, May 29 (UPI) -- Center Dan Hinote of the Colorado Avalanche has a broken bone in his left foot and likely will miss the rest of the NHL playoffs.
Hinote sustained the injury Monday night when he blocked a shot in the third period of Game Five of the Western Conference finals against the Detroit Red Wings. He played the rest of the
game, but X-rays later revealed the break.
Colorado leads the best-of-seven series, 3-2 and will host Game Six on Wednesday night. The winner will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Finals.
A fourth-line center who kills penalties, Hinote played a key role in Monday's 2-1 overtime win at Detroit, replacing injured Alex Tanguay on a line with center Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk.
If Tanguay, who is nursing an ankle injury is unable to play on Wednesday, rookie Radim Vrbata probably will play with Sakic and Hejduk.
Hinote filled in effectively last season when center Peter Forsberg was injured, scoring a goal in Game Three of the Stanley Cup Finals against the New Jersey Devils. Colorado won the series, four games to three.
