from Stephen Whyno of the CP at Yahoo,

Tyler Seguin thought the Dallas Stars could've been a contender. They still might be, but it'll take some work.

More than a quarter of the way through the regular season, the Stars are 11th in the competitive Western Conference and five points back of a playoff spot. Along with the successes of the Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens, the Stars' struggles have been among the biggest surprises in the NHL so far.

"We've lost games we probably should've won," general manager Jim Nill said recently. "But it's that old analogy: When you dig a hole, it takes more dirt to fill it in. We're finding more dirt right now."

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