The 38-year-old forward was placed in concussion protocol Wednesday. He was injured with 7:58 remaining in the second period of Game 1 on Monday when he was checked by Wild defenseman Matt Dumba; at the same time, Minnesota forward Ryan Hartman was closing in and Pavelski was hit in the face by Hartman's stick, which got caught between Dumba and Pavelski.
Pavelski's head hit the ice when he fell, and he was helped off by teammate Mason Marchment and a trainer.
Dumba was assessed a minor penalty for roughing.
Minnesota won Game 1 3-2 in the second overtime.
"I've got hope (he will play again in the series)," Stars coach Peter DeBoer said Thursday. "I've got lots of hope. He's getting better every day. He was at (Game 2) last night. Just not coming on this trip."
RELATED: [Complete Stars vs. Wild series coverage]
Without Pavelski for Game 2, Tyler Seguin was shifted to the top line with left wing Jason Robertson and center Roope Hintz, and Ty Dellandrea was moved to right wing on the third line with Marchment at left wing and Max Domi at center.
The Stars defeated the Wild 7-3 to tie the best-of-7 series 1-1.
Pavelski was third on the Stars during the regular season with 77 points (28 goals, 49 assists) in 82 games, behind Robertson (109 points) and forward Jamie Benn (78 points). Pavelski's 13 power-play goals tied Robertson and Benn for the Stars lead.
It wasn't the first time Pavelski left a playoff game because of a serious injury. He sustained a concussion when, as captain of the San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round in 2019, he was cross-checked by Vegas Golden Knights forward
Cody Eakin
following a face-off and then run into by Golden Knights forward Paul Stastny, knocking an off-balance Pavelski to the ice. He hit his head and had to be helped to the dressing room.
Pavelski returned in Game 7 of the second round against the Colorado Avalanche, getting a goal and an assist to help the Sharks advance to the Western Conference Final, where they lost to the eventual Cup champion St. Louis Blues in six games.
DeBoer was coach of that Sharks team.
"I remember the last time he went through that," DeBoer said Wednesday prior to Game 2. "Obviously I was front and center for that in San Jose. I think he was in a much worse place that time than he was this time, though obviously still pretty bad."
