Sure, Stu Barnes is going to turn 37 on Christmas, but he said he's not quite ready to apply for his AARP card.

Barnes, who got off to a slow start this season, has been playing better in recent games. The reason? Not rest so much. He thinks he's benefited from the grind of the season.

"You know what, I think it's the games that have helped," Barnes said. "You get to a place where you're feeling good and you're in a rhythm. It's just games and practices and play."

Barnes missed three weeks of the preseason with a shoulder injury and said that hurt his rhythm to start the season.

The man who was one of the Stars' best players in last season's playoffs just didn't look the same getting out of the gate.

"Missing three weeks of training camp really affected me," he said. "You come in and you expect to be at a certain place, and then everyone else is going forward and you're going backwards. I just think it has taken me some time to catch up."

And while Barnes has been taking a shift on the fourth line and has seen his minutes decrease to 10 or 11 in more recent games (he's averaging 14:47 for the season), he still is a huge part of the team, coach Dave Tippett said.

"He may only play 12 or 13 minutes sometimes, but his key moments come at key moments in the game," Tippett said. "He plays at very important times."

And while there was once a time when coaches were considering giving Barnes a game off, he now seems to be craving more ice.

"I feel really good," Barnes said. "I just think I'm starting to hit my stride. The travel is tough sometimes, especially if you have six in nine days like we had, but I'm not looking for a day off any time soon."

Zubov honored for milestone assist: Sergei Zubov was honored at the beginning of the game for his 600th career assist. The presentation was typically quiet and quick for Zubov, who tends to stay away from the hoopla and publicity.

"He continues to amaze people," Tippett said. "It's great to see him get a little recognition, not that he wants it. He's pretty shy about that stuff."

Zubov, who leads NHL defensemen in scoring, is eating up 25:44 in ice time and Tippett said he doesn't see that changing.

"He wants to be out there," Tippett said. "He uses his energy wisely. He's so smart. The minutes don't seem to bother him. If anything, he wants more, not less."

Briefly: The Stars are trailing far behind in fan voting to elect a starter in the Western Conference All-Star Game, to be held Jan. 26 in Atlanta. Mike Modano is 13th among forwards with 60,813 votes. Zubov is ninth among defensemen at 58,804. ... Krys Barch and Brad Winchester were healthy scratches against the Kings. Loui Eriksson and Joel Lundqvist were both in the lineup. ... The Stars have the best record in the NHL when trailing after the first period. They are 8-7-1 this season when behind at the first intermission. ... The Stars lead the NHL in most players with 10 goals or more at five (Mike Ribeiro, Niklas Hagman, Jussi Jokinen, Modano and Brenden Morrow). ... Zubov has 21 points in the Stars' 16 wins and seven points in their 15 other games.