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Stars-Kings Preview

Oct 22, 2009 - 6:28 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Dallas (4-2-3) at Los Angeles (5-4-0), 10:30 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Kings salvaged a .500 record on their recent road trip with a win over the Dallas Stars.

While they won't have much time to enjoy their return to the Staples Center, the Kings are hoping for another successful game against the Stars on Thursday night.

Los Angeles (5-4-0) opened its six-game trip with wins over St. Louis and the New York Islanders to extend an overall winning streak to four games. The Kings lost their next three, though, getting outscored 13-5. They did, however, gain a split of the trip with a 4-1 victory at Dallas on Monday.

"I thought we started out on a really good road trip, then we went into a little funk," said Ryan Smyth, who is tied for the team lead with 13 points. "To end it off like this gives us some confidence going back home."

The Kings are only home for one game before going back on the road to play three of five, but the brief reprieve is especially welcome after the team was hit by the flu last weekend.

A dozen players became sick during the nine-day trip, which may have contributed to the poor play. Los Angeles got off to another slow start Monday, but outshot the Stars 18-4 while scoring three times in the second period.

Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar also had goals during the period while Jon Quick finished with 29 saves after giving up seven goals in the previous two contests.

The road trip did end with one controversy after coach Terry Murray scratched a healthy Alexander Frolov, who has a goal and five points this season but had been held to one assist in four games prior to Monday's benching.

Murray told the Kings' official Web site Wednesday that Frolov, a two-time 30-goal scorer, will be back in the lineup Thursday alongside Michal Handzus and Dustin Brown.

"It was important for me to leave an opening in the door, and that was, 'Whenever you're ready to come back, knock on my door, come and sit down, and look me in the eye and talk to me and tell me you're ready to get going and play the game that I know you're capable of bringing,'" Murray said.

"And that's what happened here this morning. He came in, knocked on my door and wanted to talk for a few minutes, and we had a good discussion and he's back in. He's ready to go."

Frolov had two goals and four assists against the Stars last season.

Dallas (4-2-3) seeks a second consecutive win after bouncing back from its loss to the Kings with a 4-2 victory over Anaheim on Wednesday, improving to 3-0-2 on the road.

Dallas led 3-0 after two periods on goals by Loui Eriksson, Brenden Morrow and Trevor Daley. The Stars outshot the Ducks 27-12 in the first two periods and Daley's power-play goal snapped an 0-for-12 stretch with the man advantage in the previous three games.

"I thought the first two periods were pretty close to the best two periods we've played," coach Marc Crawford said. "If we can bottle those types of efforts, we will win lots of hockey games."

Marty Turco made 24 saves in the win after losing to the Kings. Playing on back-to-back nights to start a three-game road trip, though, Dallas may turn to Alex Auld, who is 2-0-0 with a 2.50 goals-against average in road starts against Calgary and Chicago.

The Stars played Wednesday without forwards Mike Modano (rib), Jere Lehtinen (abdominal soreness) and Brad Richards (groin). Only Richards has a chance to play Thursday.