As it is with most remodels, the Stars' could take a little longer than first projected.

After changing coaching staffs and adding several significant pieces in the summer, Dallas is off to a 9-9-1 start and on the outside of the playoffs as they approach game No. 20 Saturday against Edmonton at American Airlines Center. Coming off a 6-1 loss Thursday at Tampa Bay that ended an 0-2-1 road trip, players and coaches hunkered down Friday with video and ice work in an attempt to simplify their approach to the game.

"Less is more, that's what we addressed today," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. "I've had two months of less is more, and it's going to take two more months before we get it. But I see significant progress."

Hitchcock was actually optimistic after the shellacking at the hands of the Lightning. Dallas fell apart in the third period but had long stretches of good play against the best team in the NHL, the head coach said.

"I know you look at the scoreboard and it's 6-1, but there are a lot of things I really liked," Hitchcock said. "I liked the way we played in Tampa a lot better than the way we did in Carolina. We followed through in Tampa in a lot of areas the same way we played in Florida."

Because they are 3-7-1 on the road and 6-2-0 at home, many believe the Stars' problems are road-centered -- Hitchcock not getting the right matchups or players simply not adjusting to different arenas. But the coach said he believes the team has embraced the concepts of possession hockey better on the road ... until, that is, they make huge mistakes with the puck like they did in the third period against the Lightning.

Smart decisions are the key to success in the system Hitchcock is trying to run, and that means putting the puck in a safe place when you have it. If you try to do too much and try to cheat the system, that's when mistakes come back to bite you. And the Stars have been impatient at times on the road.

"We're still in the discovery phase of how we're going to play and in our ability to have confidence to execute it the whole game and be more predictable with our play," forward Jason Spezza said. "We're not predictable enough for each other, and that might be where our issues are coming from."

Spezza said that the team understands what Hitchcock is seeking -- safe, methodical offensive possession that leads to scoring chances while limiting those from the opposition -- but that the transition is challenging for players who were in a more free-wheeling system in Dallas last season and also for new players trying to adjust.

"We're not searching for an identity, we know what it is," Spezza said. "We're building a foundation of how we want to play, we just have to get better at playing that way."

Hitchcock and Spezza said there is plenty of time to fix things, but both also said 19 games should help accelerate the progress. Dallas plays three of the next four games at home, but the key is doing things right no matter where they are. Consistency is the cornerstone of this foundation.

"I really like some of the work ethic things that are in there, but the one element we've got to get better, I can't speed that up," Hitchcock said of decision-making with the puck. "You've got to go through the experience. We're trying like crazy to quicken it up, but we're having to experience it first-hand before we get better."

Briefly: Stars defenseman Marc Methot (lower body) skated before practice Friday but is not ready to return. He is expected to miss his fifth consecutive game Saturday. ... Kari Lehtonen will start in goal for Dallas. He is 2-0-1 with a 1.62 GAA and .962 save percentage in his last three starts. ... Saturday's radio broadcast will be moved to KLIF-AM 570.

Twitter: @MikeHeika