We get that hockey is not a just sport and that things don't necessarily happen because they should, but if there was any justice, the Stars would reward Kari Lehtonen with some run support.
Lehtonen will make his fourth straight start in place of the injured Ben Bishop, and he has been terrific, allowing just four goals in games against Nashville, Anaheim and Pittsburgh. In those three games, the Stars have gone 1-2 and scored three times.
That obviously won't cut it, and Hitchcock has jigged and re-jigged his forward lines in the hopes of coaxing some offense from his group.
Certainly, Lehtonen has done his part in keeping games close, waiting for that offensive explosion, which, to this point, has not revealed itself, and he is expected to start every game until Bishop returns to the lineup.
"My plan is to play Kari until I see Ben. Period," Hitchcock said.
Speaking of Bishop, the Stars netminder who was injured more than a week ago when Dan Hamhuis fell on his left knee in a game against Ottawa, skated with full gear Monday and then took the ice again after his teammates finished their morning skate.
"He just skated while you guys were here," Hitchcock said. "And he stopped pucks today, which is a good sign. He did it on the knees and standing up. Our feeling is that he'll join the full practice in Ottawa (on Thursday), so that'll be the first step of getting back into the process. We're assuming that he (fully) practices with us in Ottawa."