DALLAS _ It wasn't pretty. But it was effective. And that's all that matters in the season's final month.
The Stars beat the Rangers, 1-0, on Tuesday night, extending their win streak to three games while gaining two valuable points in the Western Conference standings ahead of a critical game Thursday night against the Avalanche.
Ben Bishop was again solid for the Stars, making 28 saves in his fourth shutout of the season. John Klingberg scored for the second straight game and Dallas gained a point on Minnesota for the top wild-card spot.
The Stars played to who they have become, a tight defensive team with limited offensive options, but that's all they need to be with goaltending like they received from Bishop on Tuesday night. Add in Anton Khudobin, and it's a formula that should lead the Stars back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16.
While each loss is magnified this time of year, it should be remembered that the Stars have survived the topsy-turvy Western Conference to hold a playoff position (or be tied for one) for 72 of the last 73 days. Since the end of October, the Stars have never been more than four points out of a playoff spot, and have only been more than two points out for four days.
The Stars should be a playoff team, and Tuesday night's two points helps get them there quicker.
Bishop made big saves when asked, like on Vladislav Namestnikov in the first period, or late during goal-mouth scrambles to preserve the win. Jamie Benn was magnificent, looking refreshed after a few games missed due to injury, and Klingberg has again resembled the offensive force he typically is.
While wins like Tuesday's are encouraging during a playoff race, the Stars may have suffered another loss with Radek Faksa's exit in the third period after Mika Zibanejad's boarding penalty. Faksa did not play the final 9:53 of the game.
