FlightAware (which is an excellent site if you're an aviation buff like me) confirms that the Stars team plane landed at Lambert at 5:53 after a 70 minute flight from Dallas Love Field.

It's probably not a stretch to suggest they got on the bus at the airport, traveled to their team hotel where they stayed overnight, got on the bus to go over for the morning skate, got back on the bus, went back to the hotel for a meal and a nap, then got back on the bus to go to the Scottrade Center for the game.

Whether they got off the bus, at that point, is up for discussion.

Though I wouldn't blame you if you thought they stayed on the bus.

Me?

I'm fairly certain they got off the bus. But the way they started this one, I think they should have just stayed back in Dallas because their heads just weren't in this one from the beginning.

OK, that's a bit harsh. They were actually fairly good on their first shift of the game.

Second shift?

Not so much. Chris Conner couldn't make his mind whether he wanted to skate back or try to lay a hit on Alex Steen to try and keep the puck in the zone. By the time he made a decision, Steen had motored past Conner, had David Backes skating in tow with him, dumped the puck off to him just inside the Stars blue line for Backes to pick up while Steen took the hit from Stephane Robidas.

Trevor Daley, for some reason, didn't force Backes to his back hand and gave him entirely too much room on the far side with which to work with. And work with, Backes did, by blistering a wrister over Turco's left shoulder and under the crossbar to give St. Louis just it's second first period goal in 12 games.

Guess who that other goal at that point had been against. That's right, the Dallas Stars.

Two more goals perforated Turco and the Stars' lousy defense and in came Tobias Stephan to stop the bleeding. Oh yeah, Brian Sutherby also setup Mark Parrish to get laid out by Jay McKee on a crushing open ice hit by trying a pass that never should have been tried.

Probably why he decided to go drop the gloves with Jay McKee.

Oh sure, the second period was a tad better. But each time the Stars threatened to get back into this one after goals from James Neal and Mike Ribeiro, back came to the Blues to restore their three goal lead.

I was driving home during the third period last night, but that was apparently so non-descript that from a Stars' fans perspective, viewing wasn't necessary.

A few performances like last night, and viewing for the rest of the season won't be necessary, either.