More photos » Jeff McIntosh - AP

Browse more photos »

Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars  and NHL news, and whatever other random ramblings are bouncing around inside our heads.

Multiple sources are reporting that Mike Ribeiro, who had been skating by himself, practiced with the team today, thought he may not have been supposed to, lacking the proper medical clearance. Still, it's a welcome piece of news in the midst of an injury riddled stretch for Dallas.

Mike Heika spoke with Ribeiro in Frisco this morning:

Mike Ribeiro skated and said he would like to join the team for the three-game road trip (Chicago, Calgary, Phoenix) before the Olympic break. Marc Crawford said Ribeiro was not supposed to skate today and that he would need to receive medical clearance before joining the team in full practices.

Still, they have no idea how to handle this injury and when it will be safe for him to return. So as much as Ribeiro wants to come back, they have to be careful about this.

Hopefully the Stars can hold on for dear life in this 4 game home stand, and make Ribeiro's return meaningful.

After the jump, Crawford on the goaltending situation, and is Jere Lehtinen really coming back tonight?

Richard Durrett says Alex Auld will be in net tonight, and spoke with Marc Crawford about it:

Alex Auld will be in goal tonight. "He played really well against them in their building earlier this year," Stars coach Marc Crawford said. "Right now we're taking things as we should and looking at games a game at a time. I made the decision that he gives us the best opportunity to win in tonight's game. He has confidence against Calgary."

Andrew's Stars Page says Lehtinen is pretty iffy for tonight:

"It’s close but I don’t know," Lehtinen said after he came off the ice. "It would probably be tough for tonight. It’s getting better. The lower body feels great."

So expect the Stars to be without him. How do you rearrange the lines?

• The CBC says Jerome Iginla is the key to the Flames ending their skid. Iginla did score in their last trip to Dallas.
• TSN: This will be the first time the Stars see Miikka Kiprusoff this season. They have faced Curtis McElhinney twice this year.
• Andrew's has audio of Marc Crawford and Mike Ribeiro speaking this morning.
• I'm not sure when this was recorded (it was posted yesterday), but Barry Melrose's Mullet seems completely unaware that Mike Ribeiro is out for six weeks and he thinks Brenden Morrow needs to pick it up a little.