Marc Lefebvre preferred to look at the positives as his battle-scarred troops recover from a gruelling festive period.
Stars are sixth in the Elite League table with 37 points following their defeat in a seven-goal thriller against rivals Fife Flyers on Sunday.
The Canadian said: “We’ve got 20 games left to play (in the league) and those guys in the dressing-room will battle to the end.
“They battled through a really tough recent programme and I’m proud of them.”
Lefebvre has given the squad an extra day off, and they return on Wednesday to prepare for the visit to Braehead Clan on Saturday.
Lefebvre added: “The guys have some well-deserved days off now and will be back on Wednesday.
“We’ll keep trucking along.
“Our goal is to win the Gardiner Conference, and there is no reason why we can’t be in the league race.”
Meanwhile, Fife have taken over leadership of the Gardiner Conference played by the five northern teams in the Elite League thanks to three straight wins.
They now have 27 points from 21 games and are two points ahead of Dundee, who have played 18 games.
Flyers’ penalty shot hero in their win over Stars, Nico Sacchetti, admitted: “It’s not my favourite job.”
The 26-year-old American joined the club just before Christmas but is already making a difference.
The former Dallas Stars draft pick has helped Flyers claim six points over the New Year holiday as they bid to clinch a play-off place.
Sacchetti, who starred for the University of Minnesota for four seasons before moving to Holland and then Dundee, said: “It was kinda fitting that I take a penalty shot.
“Yes there were some nerves as I went out on the ice, but the Dundee fans started booing, and it helped. It made me smile and took a bit of the pressure off.”
“It’s (taking penalty shots) not my favourite job, but when the coach calls your number then you go.
“Yes, a penalty shot is a lottery but I did what I was sent to do and we took the points.”
Braehead are third with 19 points from 14 games, with Manchester Storm on 11 points from 15 starts.
Edinburgh, following six straight defeats, prop up the rest with 10 points from 16 games.
Dundee Tigers are licking their wounds after an 8-1 defeat on Sunday at Kirkcaldy Kestrels, the Scottish National League leaders.
Long-standing Tigers player Ian Carstairs said: “We lost four goals in the first 11 minutes and we were not aggressive enough.
“Frankly, we got what we deserved. But it did not help that our No 1 goaltender, Kieran Hoggan, was ill on the ice and Robbie Balfour, who has not seen much ice time this season, had to step-in.
“We improved as the game went on but lost a poor goal at the start of the second period and that killed us.”