Healthy scratching your second-best scoring forward in game 66 during the middle of a crowded NHL playoff push may seem counterproductive and incredibly risky; and yet, that’s exactly what the Dallas Stars did on Tuesday night by sitting Alexander Radulov.
After Radulov showed up late to the Stars’ morning skate on Tuesday, head coach Jim Montgomery announced that he would be scratched for Tuesday night’s game against the New York Rangers.
On a team starving for offensive production, that seems like a severe gamble. Radulov has been one of the Stars’ most effective forwards this season, scoring 17 goals and tallying 51 points along with a +12 rating in 54 games.