The Stars could not gift themselves an early Christmas present on Sunday night, and entered the three-day break with a 3-1 loss to the Islanders at the American Airlines Center.
Through the mass of injuries and the road struggles, the stellar goaltending and the sometimes sizzling top line, the Stars arrived at the holiday right where they finished last season: On the fringe of the Western Conference playoff picture. With Sunday night's loss, the Stars (18-16-3) are now in ninth place in a crowded conference.
Dallas has lost six of its last eight games, and two straight at home for the first time since mid-November.