Darren Eliot at si.com lists the Stars and Pens as two teams that currently sit out of the playoffs but that could jump in down the stretch.  Here's what he says about the Stars.

In the case of the Stars, their ability to scrap and claw into playoff contention will depend on how successful they are before the March 4 trade deadline. They currently trail Edmonton, Vancouver and Anaheim by four points, with one game in hand on the Oilers, three on the Canucks and four on the Ducks. The Stars must take advantage of that scheduling cushion.

The other side of that equation, of course, is that the Stars will have a more rigorous sprint to the end of the regular schedule. But beginning next week, their sprint to the deadline will include playing 11 of 14 games at home. For all of their ups and downs to this point, the Stars have been much stronger on home ice (11-6-4) than away (9-12-3). So the importance of the upcoming home sequence is obvious.

Less obvious -- and the danger in thinking that the Stars are a lock to ascend due to those home games -- is the manner in which those 11 wins in Dallas came about. Of the 11 victories, five were in shootouts. The Stars struck three times in the overtime period as well. That leaves just three home wins in regulation. Are the Stars' skinny margins a sign of fortitude or fortune? Time will tell and the time is now.