Buckle up, buddy: This Stars roller-coaster ride is just getting started

ST. LOUIS --It's appropriate they will be playing at Cotton Bowl Stadium in the Winter Classic next season, because the Stars are pretty much like a day at the State Fair.
Wash down a corny dog with a fried pickle and jump on the tilt-a-whirl with these lads -- what could be better?
The Stars on Thursday got down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings. Yes, the same Kings who had lost 6-1 in Carolina the previous game, stretching their winless streak to nine games.

As fans bombarded late-night Twitter in full panic mode, you would have thought there was no way Dallas was making the playoffs this season. After all, Mats Zuccarello and Andrew Cogliano are hurt, and who knew what Jamie Benn would look like when he finally returned to the lineup.
It was like getting stuck on the Wipeout for 30 minutes.

But just when you think you can't take any more of the thrills, the Stars find a way to make things fun again.
Dallas rallied to win that game Thursday in overtime and then walked into Enterprise Center on Saturday and outplayed the red-hot Blues, 4-1. It was the third win in four games against the Blues and stopped a seven-game home winning streak for St. Louis.
Dallas took six of eight points on a four-game road trip and wakes up on Sunday just three points out of third place in the Central Division.
Oh yeah, and Benn returned to the lineup and scored three goals, looking for all the world like the "beast-mode" player this team could really use during a hectic March.
"You're just going to have to stay in the same emotions all of the time," said defenseman John Klingberg, who had a goal and two assists. "It's going to be a roller coaster going up and down. One loss is going to be tough, but then you going to get a couple of wins and it's going to feel even better. So we're just going to have to stay intact emotionally."

That's not easy to do.
Klingberg found out in the morning that one of his friends had died. He pointed emotionally to the sky after he scored his goal, which broke an 11-game goal-scoring drought. Benn had been battling to get back from a nagging injury, and wanted to play in Thursday's game against the Kings. So when he finally got back on the ice, he clearly was a difference-maker.
"It's huge for us," said forward Jason Spezza of Benn's return. "We're at the end of a trip and to get your captain back and best player … he showed up tonight and made some big time plays.
"He was opportunistic, and that's how you have to be on the road."
The theme of consistent emotions and redemption have been playing out almost every game. Blake Comeau took two penalties in the first period (almost three) and had to watch his fellow penalty killers come to his rescue. Then, when he got back on the ice, he made a slick pass to set up Klingberg's goal.

Taylor Fedun was scratched after the Stars added Ben Lovejoy at the trade deadline. But when given the chance to get back in the lineup, he has been a consistent plus. Fedun had an assist for the second consecutive game, and continues to make it hard for the coaches to take him out of the lineup.
Throughout the lineup, different players are finding different ways to make positive contributions. Tyler Seguin went 16-for-21 (76 percent) on faceoffs. Ben Bishop made 29 saves. Esa Lindell played 27:09.
That sets the table for a player like Benn to step up. He credited assistant coaches Todd Nelson and Stu Barnes for pushing his conditioning on the road, and said he felt 100 percent ready to return.
"It's not fun watching, that's for sure," Benn said. "It was nice to get back out there with them."
And he made it fun for those watching.

Benn redirected a Fedun shot for his first goal and scored an empty-netter for the hat trick. In between, he scored a pretty power-play goal when he looked like he was passing across the ice and instead slipped a shot from distance past Blues goalie Jordan Binnington.
"I thought that was a pretty good veteran move against a rookie goalie," Montgomery said. "I thought he was passing, too."
It's just part of the thrills that you get when you spend the day at this amusement park. Even though you thought you were going to throw up an hour ago, you're all ready now to seek out the Spinner and some deep fried guacamole. You might as well enjoy every emotion of the experience.
"It's literally win your game and move onto the next one," Spezza said. "When we lose a tough one in Vegas, we have to move on and refocus. I thought it was a great road trip. We did a good job of focusing on the game we were playing and not looking too far ahead."
Because who knows where the next ride is going to take you.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.