You couldn't have drawn up the first half of the 2016-17 season much worse for the Stars.
They started with injuries and surgeries, stumbled out of the block in terms of record, and have been unable to dig themselves out of a significant standings hole despite playing much better in recent games.
In a season for which expectations were at their highest in the last decade, this team might be dealing with its most intense frustration.
And yet -- the Stars' opponents Friday, the Los Angeles Kings, are sitting in a playoff spot and still within direct eyesight.