Sergei Zubov's left hand hurt, and Dallas Stars coach Dave Tippett conceded the defenseman wasn't 100 percent. But that didn't keep the 37-year-old from logging a game-high 26:48 of ice time in Saturday's 3-0 loss to Detroit. That's nearly a minute above his season average.

"You play through difficulties every season," Zubov said as he iced his hand after the game. "You try to do what you can do. Stuff like this happens and you keep going."

Zubov's teammates know what a difference it makes when the veteran is in the lineup. He helps contain the opponent's top line, clamps down on the penalty kill and is the quarterback of the Stars' power play.

"He's a big presence back there in every situation," Stars captain Brenden Morrow said. "He calms things down, slows things down. Sometimes it looks like we've pulled the pin on a grenade out there, but it never looks that way when he's handling it. It was some confidence for us to have him back."

Tippett said Zubov will continue to play as the injury on his hand heals. He missed the last two games – at Detroit and Minnesota – and the Stars lost both games by a combined 10-4 score.

"He's so smart back there," defensive partner Matt Niskanen said. "He lets the puck do the work for him."

Power play struggles: For the fifth consecutive game, the Stars didn't score on the power play. They are 0-for-18 in that stretch.

That's certainly a slump for a power play that ranked in the league's top five before the scoreless streak. Dallas was 0-for-2 on Saturday and recorded just one shot on goal.

Morrow, who has accumulated 20 of his 39 points on the power play, and Mike Modano said the Stars need to make adjustments.

"You need to bring different looks at it," Modano said. "You try to get back to the basics and outwork guys. Shots from the point are very limited now. Teams seem to be taking that away. You're forced to play down low, and they want you to make it down low, and then their four guys are collapsing to the net."

Modano said teams are "getting a bead" on what the Stars do on the power play, including entry into the offensive zone.

Mike Ribeiro said the team needs to generate more chances. Going into Saturday's game, only three teams had fewer power-play chances than the Stars.

Wins after losing streaks: The Stars have lost four in a row, but they have shown they can put together a good stretch after a losing streak.

The last time Dallas lost three straight was Oct. 29-Nov. 2, and the club went 8-1-2 in the 11 games after that.

The four straight losses mark Dallas' longest streak without recording a point since December 2003, when the Stars lost five straight.

Briefly: Saturday marked the first time since March 1998 that the Stars were shut out at home for a second straight game. They also lost at home to Nashville, 1-0, on New Year's Eve. ... Red Wings goalie Dominik Hasek earned his 78th career shutout.