Edmonton Oilers forward Connor Brown was forced out of Game 3 against the Dallas Stars after finding himself on the receiving end of a big hit.

It happened late during the second period when Brown went to shuffle a puck along the wall. As he turned to try and do so, Stars defenceman Alex Petrovic came in and laid a big hit on him, catching Brown in the head and sending him to the ice.

The hit would spark a goal moments later by Jason Robertson, Dallas’ first of the game.

As the third period began, Brown was ruled out for the remainder of the game. The winger had been questionable as the series began, missing a practice and ending up as a game-time decision ahead of Game 1 against the Stars.

Brown has been excellent for the Oilers in the playoffs, scoring five goals and eight points in 13 games played, helping provide some key depth scoring for the team. One of those goals came in Game 2 against the Stars, helping Edmonton secure a 3-0 shutout victory. He drew in for all 82 regular season games this year, scoring 13 goals and 30 points.

If Brown is forced to miss Game 4 on Tuesday night, the Oilers will have a few options for players who could slide into the lineup. Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner would likely be the first two options considered, but the Oilers would need to find a replacement on the penalty kill, where entering Sunday’s game, Brown led Oilers forwards in ice-time.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.