WATCH: Stars' Chris Tanev plays on despite losing tooth after brutal collision

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified May 16, 2024 16:34 GMT

In Game 5 against the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev played through a painful injury despite a brutal collision on the ice. He lost a tooth early in the game, but that didn't stop him from returning to action and logging nearly 20 minutes of ice time. B/R Open Ice shared a video of the incident on X.

Chris Tanev took a hit from Avalance center Nathan MacKinnon in the first period, forcing him to leave the ice temporarily for repairs. Nevertheless, the veteran defenseman swiftly returned to the game.

Dallas head coach Pete DeBoer provided insight into the extent of Chris Tanev's injury.

“From what I understood, it got pushed in, They had to pull it in order for him to come back. He didn’t miss much, though. He doesn’t have many teeth left. He didn’t have many to begin with,” DeBoer said (via dallasnews.com)

This latest incident adds to Chris Tanev's dental injury history, recalling a similar situation that took place in 2018. He was playing for the Vancouver Canucks then. On that occasion, Tanev suffered significant dental damage after taking a shot to the face, resulting in the loss of several teeth.

Despite the setback, the Stars fell short in Game 5, unable to secure a victory against the Avalanche.

Chris Tanev and the Stars lost 5-3 to the Avalanche

In Game 5 against the Dallas Stars, the Colorado Avalanche seized their first lead in the series, with defenseman Cale Makar scoring two crucial goals. Despite trailing in the series, the Avs triumphed 5-3, ending a three-game losing streak.

Makar's unassisted goal and MacKinnon's late score sealed the victory. Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 23 saves for Colorado. Dallas, led by coach Pete DeBoer, saw contributions from Joe Pavelski, Miro Heiskanen and rookie Logan Stankoven.

“We knew we were going to get their best game in the series, and they did, Their big guys all are on the scoresheet tonight, which we’ve probably anticipated would happen,” DeBoer said after the game.

Additionally, Mikko Rantanen achieved his 100th career playoff point. Despite a historical comeback potential, Colorado has never advanced after trailing 3-1 in a series.

Fans can catch the action of Game 6 on Thursday on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The Stars will aim to bounce back and advance in the playoffs.