ABOUT THE STARS
-- The Stars were missing six regular forwards during Sunday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Blackhawks in Chicago, including Jason Spezza (lower body), Patrick Sharp (concussion), Mattias Janmark (knee), Ales Hemsky (groin), Cody Eakin (knee) and Jiri Hudler (illness). Sharp, Hudler and Hemsky are all on injured reserve. D Patrick Nemeth pitched in by playing on the wing Sunday night.
-- The goaltending tandem of Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen has a combined US$10.4-million cap hit, tops in the NHL, but they have only the 25th best goals-against average (3.17) and the 23rd best save percentage (.