Story byJake TyeSat, January 17, 2026 at 2:28 AM UTC·2 min readThe Dallas Stars have hit a rough patch at the most inopportune time, stumbling through one of their toughest stretches of the season with nine losses in their last 11 games. While Dallas still sits in second place in both the Western Conference and Central Division, the margin for error is shrinking quickly as contenders around them continue to close the gap. A combination of special teams issues, uneven goaltending, and untimely scoring droughts has stalled the Stars’ momentum. Most concerning has been a penalty kill that has cratered during the skid, dropping to the worst in the league over that span.