The Dallas Stars picked the week before a big road trip to go on a bit of a tear, winning-wise. Four consecutive victories, three of them at home, felt like a great holiday gift that arrived just a couple of days late – at once a delight and a relief.

Which means it's a great time for Wes and Mark to start rolling sports takes. In this episode, they discuss the resurgence of Jason Robertson, the frustrations of Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque, and what it means to have Lian Bichsel carrying the entire defense for the Texas Stars rather than playing on the third pair in Dallas.

Heads up: Matt Dumba gets his flowers in this one. That should be all the reason you need to go Stargazing with us. The whole thing is brought to you by BetOnline.

Any predictions for the trip East? Tell us about it at Defending Big D. We’ll probably bring it up in a future cast. (No, really!)

And hey, let us know you’re listening in the form of a like, review or share. Thanks for listening!

The Dallas Stars are still in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs race, but they're not ranked as highly as we all thought they would be. If that feels like a big fat lump of coal in your Christmas stocking, well, you're probably a longtime Dallas Stars fan.

Wes and Mark make the case that we're not seeing anything we didn't expect from a team on a learning curve – which also happens to be a team with three rookies playing as starters. The Hot-Takery Bakery is wide open, so spend a bit of your pregame time with them, won't you?

Chaos is just a doorway to opportunity. Or something. Let's think on it over a little Stargazing. It’s brought to you by BetOnline.

What's your biggest worry about the Stars' stat sheet so far? Tell us about at Defending Big D. We’ll probably bring it up in a future cast. (No, really!)

One more thing: Please let us know you're listening in the form of a like, review or share. Our New Year's resolution is to appreciate you even more. Thanks for listening!

History tells us how the Dallas Stars embarked on their fateful 1999 Stanley Cup run, and now we will, too: It was a time of magic and fantasy, brought to you by hard work and hard decisions.

Few have forgotten that the deal that brought the Stars Joe Nieuwendyk also cost them Jarome Iginla. And fewer would take that trade back – even knowing the face-of-the-franchise, first-ballot Hall of Famer Iggy would become – considering what it ultimately brought.

With all this being true, and assuming the Stars are one player away from taking it all again in 2025...what would Stars fans consider a fair trade for the piece they're missing?

Wes and Mark decided to address the fannish conversations about this issue, and the scenario they relate is not the one you want to hear. Reality is what it is – but there's always the possibility you can substitute a different one. And they discuss that, too.

Magic is fun when you know the secret. Join us for a little Stargazing. It's brought to you by BetOnline.

And if you don't like talking hockey, but like talking business...tell us about it at Defending Big D. We’ll discuss your ideas in a future cast. (No, really!)

One more thing: Please leave us a tip in the form of a like, review or share. It'll be our favorite holiday gift ever. Thanks for listening!