Stars' Benn, Seguin split up in practice
The Dallas Stars' dynamic duo is no more. For one day, at least.
The day after being benched in a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin were split up at practice by head coach Lindy Ruff.
Stars lines in practice: Benn-Spezza-Nichushkin; Janmark-Seguin-Sharp; Roussel-Eakin-Sceviour; Moen/Faksa-Fiddler-Eaves
— Mark Stepneski (@StarsInsideEdge) January 6, 2016
Ruff pulled no punches Tuesday night.
"(Benn and Seguin) had a tough night, there's no getting around it. They had a lot of opportunities against, and by the end of the night I just didn't play them anymore," he said.
Benn sits second in the NHL in points with 52 (24 goals, 28 assists), while Seguin's right behind him in third, with 50 points (23 goals, 27 assists). However, both are pointless and minus-5 in three January games, all losses.
The Stars are next in action Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets, and whether or not Benn and Seguin play together will be something to watch. Ruff could simply be trying to send a message, considering the duo are the highest-scoring in the league, with seven more points than Chicago Blackhawks forwards Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin.
"It’s not a long solution; it’s a short solution,” Ruff said after practice Wednesday. "I think sometimes when there is some frustration, and you separate them it can create some energy. That might be a period; it might be a game. I don’t know what it is. To a man, I think they know they struggled, and it was a tough trip for them."