With six goals allowed on 27 shots, Jake Oettinger was in the crease for 41:00 at home when Dallas surrendered eight goals. Casey DeSmith surrendered two more goals in the remaining 18:40.
According to Robert Tiffin’s post-game message from Benn, the seasoned winger used the term “unacceptable” to characterize the evening.
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Winnipeg made it simple. Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi each had three points, and Mark Scheifele had two goals and an assist, including the power-play goal that was the game-winning goal. Stuart Skinner made 30 of 33 saves in the victory, while Dawson Mercer contributed two goals.
Three goals were scored by the Stars, and the offense was not an issue. Roope Hintz contributed a goal and an assist, David Perron sent six shots toward the goal, and Arttu Hyry also scored.
The issue was everything that was behind them. Each recorded two assists and finished -2 despite playing the most minutes of the night (Thomas Harley, 26:27, and Nils Lundkvist, 24:19).
Benn himself had two penalty minutes, a -1, and 13:48 of game play without scoring. He has seven points in 17 games this season and is one short of 1,000 career points at 37.
Will the Stars respond to Benn’s message to the Sabres?
They have a chance to do it quickly. A veteran’s call-out only matters if the next game is different when Buffalo travels to Dallas on Saturday.
The solutions are precise. A team that scores three goals shouldn’t lose by five goals, as eight goals allowed implies a breakdown in both the defensive structure and goaltending.
Benn’s words are appropriate, and it’s preferable for them to come from inside the room rather than outside of it. Before anyone believes this was just a one-night problem, the Stars must play a clean 60 minutes versus the Sabres.
Benn’s following point will also be the 1,000th of his career if the trend continues, and it might happen as early as Saturday.
