The Dallas Stars are holding onto the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but team CEO Jim Lites is far from a happy camper right now.

A day after the Stars pulled off an impressive 2-0 road victory over the powerhouse Nashville Predators, Lites met with the media and lashed out at All-Star forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn for not producing up to their usual standards.

"They are (expletive) horse-(expletive), I don’t know how else to put it," Lites said, via Sean Shapiro of The Athletic. "The team was ok. But (Tyler) Seguin and (Jamie) Benn were terrible."

Don't think for an instant that it was the only part of Lites' rant. He also said team owner Tom Gaglardi is "pissed," and that they're "not good enough for me...for the owner...for the general manager."

"We are a stars-driven league, and our stars aren’t getting it done," Lites said. "It’s embarrassing, and no one writes it. Write it!"

The Stars are sitting at 19-16-3, but for once, Seguin and Benn can't take all the credit for this team hanging around in the playoff race. The former has a mere 11 goals and 32 points this season, while Benn has 15 goals and 30 points. Those aren't bad statistics by any means, but these guys are supposed to be point-per-game players.

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Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

As Shapiro noted, Benn's $13 million salary in 2018-19 is the third-biggest in the NHL this year, and Seguin's recently-signed $78.8 million extension begins next year. The Stars are investing a lot of money into their two superstars, but the results simply aren't there.

It should be noted that the Stars have transitioned to a more defensive game under rookie head coach Jim Montgomery, which is why they're hanging around in the playoff picture. Because of this, Seguin and Benn aren't going to score 75-90 points a season.

Nonetheless, Stars ownership isn't content with their place as the final playoff team in the West, and they're expecting better. We'll see if Benn and Seguin can turn it around in the new year.

What This Means

The Stars have been mired in mediocrity over the past decade, with just two playoff appearances and one postseason series victory since 2009. And if things don't start turning around in the next couple of seasons, ownership may have to consider some mjor changes.

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