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Kings end road trip in Dallas

Feb 12, 2012 - 4:34 PM (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Kings will try to end a rough road trip on a positive note when they visit the rival Dallas Stars for today's Pacific Division battle at American Airlines Center.

The Kings are 1-3-1 so far on a six-game swing and they've managed just six total goals during the trip. The most recent result was a 2-1 overtime loss Saturday against the New York Islanders. Mark Streit scored just 96 seconds into the extra session to give the hosts the extra point and the OT setback dropped Los Angeles to 11-8-7 as the guest this season.

Los Angeles enters today three points behind the San Jose for first place in the Pacific and the Sharks have four games in hand over the Kings. LA is also the seventh seed in the West and is two points behind Chicago and just one ahead of Phoenix.

Andrei Loktionov lit the lamp in regulation for the Kings on Saturday, while Jonathan Quick made 23 saves. On the game-winner, Streit skated down the middle of the ice and eluded Milan Jurcina in the high slot before snapping his backhander past Quick.

"It's frustrating not getting the win, but at the same time getting one point can be so critical, especially down the stretch," Kings center Mike Richards said.

The Kings played Saturday without forward Jarret Stoll, who suffered a lower- body injury in LA's previous game against Florida. He has been placed on injured reserve and there is no timetable for his return.

After today's tilt, the Kings will return home for a pair of games against Phoenix and Calgary. LA will then close February by playing four out of five games on the road.

The Stars are seeded 11th in the West and are three in back of Phoenix for the last playoff spot in the conference. Dallas has lost two of three and three of its last five and was dealt a 3-2 shootout loss Friday night in Buffalo.

Dallas grabbed a 2-0 lead early in the third period against the Sabres, but Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek both scored for the home team to send the game to overtime. Nathan Gerbe would eventually end the contest when he scored for Buffalo in the fifth round of the shootout.

Michael Ryder and Tomas Vincour each had a goal for the Stars, while Kari Lehtonen made 30 stops in the loss.

"I think we played a pretty good game overall," said Ryder. "I think we maybe sat back a little too much in the third and gave them the momentum. It was a big point for us, but it would have been nice to get two."

Dallas defenseman Sheldon Souray missed Friday's game with a foot injury and is considered day-to-day.

Today's contest marks the sixth and final scheduled meeting between the Kings and Stars this season. LA won the first two encounters, but Dallas has since won three in a row and posted two of those victories after regulation. The Kings have won seven of nine and nine of their last 12 tests in Big D and Dallas is 15-10-2 as the host this season.