Dallas Stars head coach Rick Bowness was not pleased with his team's effort on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues.
The Blues won 4-1 despite missing several key players, including Jordan Binnington, Jordan Kyrou, David Perron, Brayden Schenn, and Robert Thomas; third-string goalie Charlie Lindgren was between the pipes.
"We had some guys that we'll have to check the video tomorrow to see if they even played," Bowness said postgame, per The Dallas Morning News' Matthew DeFranks. "I couldn’t find them out on the ice. Unless you’re going to want to show up and get your nose dirty and get involved in a game like that, then you're a complete non-factor.
"We had a few of those guys that were complete no-shows. We have no chance if we have guys that don't want to show up and play in those games."
Bowness did not call anyone out specifically by name but did hint his disappointment centered on the team's key players.
"The guys you were counting on to make a difference were the issue," he said.
Tyler Seguin ($9.85M), Jamie Benn ($9.5M), and Alexander Radulov ($6.25M) - three of the team's five highest-paid players - are underperforming this season. Benn's 13 points are the most among the trio, good for sixth on the team.
Radulov was out sick on Tuesday, and Benn was all around the net, registering six shots on 13 attempts in 18:08 of ice - nearly a minute more than his season average.
Meanwhile, Seguin played just 15:10 in the contest - his fourth-lowest total of the year and over two minutes less than his season average. He recorded one shot on two attempts in the contest. The 29-year-old has tallied just 11 points in 26 games.
The Stars have now dropped four straight following a seven-game win streak.
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