The Wild took a major hit Tuesday even before taking the ice for Game 4 when it was revealed winger Zach Parise will be sidelined week-to-week after suffering a fractured sternum in Game 3 against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.
The injury appeared to happen when Parise played a puck with his hand near his own blue line with about four minutes left in the third period. He was sandwiched by Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele and Ben Chiarot on the play, and had only one short shift afterward.
Parise had been one of the Wild's best offensive players in the series, as he'd scored a goal in each of the three games to pace the team in that category.
This is the second time this season Parise has been out with injury. He also missed the first 39 games of the season after undergoing back surgery to fix a herniated disc that caused leg pain and weakness. Upon his return, he had 15 goals and 24 points in 42 games.
Tyler Ennis will draw into the lineup to replace Parise. It'll be Ennis' playoff debut with the Wild, as he's been a healthy scratch the past three games, and his first postseason action since 2011 when he was with the Sabres.
Parise is the top-scoring player in Wild playoff history with 14 goals and 31 points.
