So how could the Blues lose a point to the Dallas Stars, a team that has been down and out for weeks now?

Well, it’s easy. Weird things happen at the end of the season as the down-and-out teams get ready for next season.

The injury-riddled Stars put some new faces in featured roles. This is standard operating procedure for teams that fall from playoff contention.

And sometimes those kids, striving to make a favorable impression, do really good things in short bursts.

In this case, Matt Climie won his NHL debut in goal for the Stars — who were missing eight players, including netminder Marty Turco, with various injuries. Climie was playing in the ECHL, so you know he had to be jacked up.

Rookie center Tom Wandell was also notable, earning his first two NHL points while playing on a line with fantasy hockey hero Loui Ericksson.

BTW, the Stars are missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2001-02 season. It will be interesting to see how co-GM Brett Hull, since it doesn’t appear that Dallas has the sort of prospect depth the Blues have to rebuild upon.

Now it’s on to Phoenix for the Blues. The Coyotes, in the same position as the Stars, are getting a head start on next season. Al Montoya has taken over in goal for Ilya Bryzgalov.

THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT

Add Aaron Palushaj to the list of candidates to bolster the 2009-10 Blues. He left the University of Michigan to sign an AHL contract with the Rivermen and get a head start on the next training camp.

He scored 50 points in 39 games for the Wolverines, so he is ready to make the jump. He joins Finnish center Jori Lehtera as a late-season addition to the Peoria squad. The team also signed grinder James Livingston (picked 70th overall in 2008) to a tryout deal, but the Rivermen let him go without using him in a game.

Notre Dame defenseman Ian Cole could have joined the Rivermen on a tryout contract, too, but he elected to stay in school for another year. That is a win-win for the kid and the Blues, since the return of Erik Johnson, Eric Brewer and Alex Pietrangelo will create a crowd on the blue line in the next camp. Coles gets another year to develop on Notre Dame’s dime.

(Pietrangelo could join the Rivermen for the playoffs if his team is knocked out of the OHL playoffs. His Niagara Ice Dogs are playing Belleville. Pietrangelo scored 29 points in 36 regular season games and he has four points in nine playoff games.)

Palushaj will sign a NHL deal this summer. After assessing its organizational depth, the front office will have to decide whether to do the same with Livingston.

Over in Sweden, Lars Eller suffered a shoulder injury during the playoffs. It’ll be interesting to see if he will be good to go for Denmark at the upcoming World Championships. It sounds like a minor injury, since he indicated he would have returned for the next round of the playoffs had his Frolunda team advanced.

AROUND THE RINKS: The Dallas Morning News reports that Mike Modano is uncertain about his future. Modano, 38, has played 17 seasons for the Stars. “I’m too aggravated to make a rational decision on that right now,” Modano told the newspaper. “A good month on the beach, I’ll figure it out. Emotionally, physically and mentally at times you feel very spent. I’m kind of at that point right now” . . . The Toronto Globe and Mail notes that Anaheim’s amazing finish has been fueled, in part, by the addition of defensemen Ryan Whitney from Pittsburgh and James Wisniewski from Chicago. Also, the Ducks are reaping the benefit from not dealing either Scott Niedermayer or Chris Pronger. Now this streaking team is poised to knock off one of the top seeds in the Western Conference playoffs . . . Goaltender Tim Thomas has battled his way to a four-year, $20 million contract extension from the Bruins. Every athlete can learn from his personal story of perseverance . . . The deal, BTW, ensures that Manny Fernandez will exit as a free agent. He could become a target for the Blues, if his price is right. The Boston Globe notes that Boston may also move one of their top six forwards because of salary cap considerations . . . Manny Legace continues to excel for Peoria, which is good news for him. He is improves his odds of finding a back-up gig somewhere next season . . . The Rivermen, BTW, just won their 10th consecutive home game. They have all but locked up an AHL playoff berth, which will give the organization even more time to work with the newcomers.