NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- This is not how the Stars drew things up.
Picked by many to defend their Central Division championship and by some to contend for the Stanley Cup, Dallas has started this season mired in injuries and battling to stay above .500.
So as they pass the quarter pole, is that a good or bad thing?
Well, when you consider they have missed six key forwards for much of the season and will probably not see the return of Mattias Janmark (knee) and Ales Hemsky (hip) until April, things could have been worse than 8-7-5.