Jamie Benn And Tyler Seguin Benched In Blowout Loss

Nothing really went right in Dallas’s 6-2 loss to the Rangers, but it was a particularly bad night for the Stars’, uh, stars. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin were benched with 12 minutes left, after being on the ice for three straight Rangers goals.

“[We played] played stupid hockey and it’s not good enough,” Benn said. “It’s pretty plain and simple. We’re here to do a job and we didn’t do it tonight.”

Everyone’s scuffling, but the attention naturally falls on Benn and Seguin, the NHL’s second- and third-leading scorers. The two have been held pointless in the last three games, all Stars losses.

The Stars are flagging a bit after their red-hot start to the season. They still lead the West, but some potential trouble spots are emerging: their road record isn’t great, the goaltending has looked beatable, and Benn and Seguin have showed they’re capable of being shut down.

“They had a tough night, there’s no getting around it,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “They had a lot of opportunities against, and by the end of the night, I just didn’t play them anymore. They’ve had a tough trip, and we need those guys. They’re going through a tough spell.”

It is decidedly not time to panic: the Stars are probably just tired. Last night’s game marked their third in four days, and sixth in 11 since the Christmas break. They’re got two more at home before getting five full merciful days off. This is just a pothole, one paling in comparison to the ruts the similarly hot-starting Rangers and Canadiens find themselves in. Dallas is just past the halfway point of the regular season; a little rest is probably just the thing right now.