WINNIPEG, Manitoba _ The Stars' chances of making the playoffs are falling like a rock, and it seems there is no slowing the descent.
Even when the Stars find ways to do good things, too many bad things get in the way. The Stars outshot the Winnipeg Jets, 30-24, Sunday and had plenty of chances to score, but lost a 4-2 game and lost Ben Bishop in the process. The veteran goalie, who missed five games with a recent knee injury, suffered a lower body injury and left the game in the first period.
Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said Bishop will be re-evaluated in two weeks, meaning he might not be available for the remaining nine games of the regular season. Hitchcock said the team will call up AHL veteran Mike McKenna, but that Kari Lehtonen would play all games for the forseeable future.
Lehtonen relieved on Sunday and stopped 17 of 20 shots.
"I think he played a really good game, he stepped up for us, made some really huge saves," said defenseman John Klingberg. "We know we have two good goalies, they're probably our best players every night now."
Lehtonen now sits 12-10-3 on the season with a 2.46 GAA and .913 save percentage. He has been steady for the Stars, who continue to struggle to score goals. Dallas has just 16 goals in the past eight games and is 1-4-3 in that span.
"I'm not sure," Hitchcock said when asked about the offensive problems. "I think whether it's squeezing our sticks or just going through phases where you're missing chances, I'm not sure. In these games, we've needed a goal at the right time, and it hasn't happened. That's how close it's been."
Of course, the Stars also have found a way to give up the wrong play at the wrong time. Dallas allowed a goal in the final 10 seconds of a period for the eighth time this season. This one came at the end of a first period where the Stars were the better team. However, Jamie Benn took a tripping penalty and Patrick Laine then scored with 0.9 seconds left. It was one of two goals in the game for Laine, who now has 14 goals in nine career games against the Stars.
"I thought, for the most part, we played an all right game," Benn said. "Stupid penalty at first by myself and Laine did Laine things. I thought our goalie stepped in and played a great game actually. We couldn't get one late for him."
It was another frustrating night for the Stars. They were good against one of the best teams in the league, the Jets move to 43-19-10 (96 points), but it wasn't enough. Now, they play at Washington on Tuesday and then come home to meet the Bruins on Friday.
And while they are falling apart, the teams around them are picking up points. The Avalanche is 4-1-3 in its past eight. The Blues are 5-3-1. The Wild are 5-3-0. Moneypuck.com has the Stars' playoff chances at 34.06 percent.
"That should give us that much more drive and motivation to bring our best effort for the next game," Benn said.
But with Bishop hurt, and Martin Hanzal (back) hurt and Marc Methot day-to-day with a hand injury, the Stars are up against the wall. They say that they see progress in recent losses, and that is encouraging.
"The way we played was the way you have to play to beat them," Hitchcock said. "Right now we've just got to keep our heads up, and as long as we get this type of effort, we can be proud of the way we've been playing."
That said, at some point the effort has to turn to wins, or the team will miss the playoffs for the eighth time in the past 10 years.
"We know we've got to win games, we know there is going to be movement," said forward Mattias Janmark of the tight standings. "We're right there, and we've just got to stay alive here when we're going through this tough stretch. Then, I think once we can turn the page here, we can make a push."
