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Kings and Stars collide in LA

Jan 12, 2012 - 4:13 PM (Sports Network) - The Kings have showed that they are a tough team to beat when they score goals in bunches. The problem has been that those efforts have been few and far between.

Los Angeles aims to build off an excellent offensive showing last time out as it wraps a six-game homestand this evening against the Pacific Division-rival Dallas Stars.

The Kings went into Monday's meeting with the Capitals averaging a league- worst 2.02 goals per game, but got goals from five different players in a 5-2 victory. Anze Kopitar netted the 150th tally of his career, Kyle Clifford snapped a 36-game goal drought and Jack Johnson lit the lamp for the first time since Dec. 1, which he celebrated by "Tebowing."

Los Angeles had scored just twice over its previous three games, getting shut out 1-0 by Columbus on Saturday, and snapped a string of just over 170 minutes of ice time without a goal in regulation. The club improved to 11-0-0 when scoring at least three goals in a game.

"It was good to score and we got it from all of the lines. We had guys around the net tonight," said Darryl Sutter, who is 6-1-3 since taking over as the Kings' head coach.

Jonathan Bernier made 20 saves for the win in giving Jonathan Quick, the league leader with six shutouts, a night off.

"It's a great feeling to give our goalie some breathing room finally," Johnson said. "They've been playing out of this world all year. It's nice to kind of give them a break here finally."

Los Angeles is 3-1-1 on its road trip and sits two points back of San Jose for first place in the division with 49 points. Dallas is a pair of points further back in third place and was denied a third straight victory on Tuesday thanks to a 5-2 setback at Anaheim.

Steve Ott and Alex Goligoski scored goals 64 seconds apart early in the third period to tie the game, but the Ducks responded with the game's final three goals.

"We got two quick goals to start the third period," said Ott. "Then they took a timeout and took it over from there. We didn't have much after that."

Kari Lehtonen was tagged for four goals on 25 shots in the loss, Dallas' third in its past four road games.

While the Stars got blueliner Sheldon Souray back in the lineup after a six- game absence caused by a sprained ankle, center Mike Ribeiro did not play after suffering a lower-body injury during his two-goal game against Edmonton on Saturday.

The Kings won their first two meetings with the Stars this year to stretch their series winning streak to four straight games, but Dallas has ripped off back-to-back wins since.