Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Dustin Brown netted the go-ahead goal early
in the third period, as Los Angeles closed out a difficult five-game road
swing by rallying for a 3-1 victory over Dallas at American Airlines Center.
Trevor Lewis and Kyle Clifford also lit the lamp while Jonathan Quick made 33
saves for the Kings, who had lost each of their first four on the trip.
Shawn Horcoff netted the lone score for the Stars, with Kari Lehtonen halting
27 pucks in defeat. Dallas hasn’t won at home since Oct. 21 against Vancouver,
going 0-1-2 since then.
Brown put the Kings ahead with 4:23 elapsed in the third period on his wrister
from between the hashmarks that nipped the right post as it sailed by
Lehtonen. Mike Richards forced a turnover in the left circle and found
L.A.’s captain for the easy uncontested shot.
Clifford’s initial tally of the season pushed the Kings in front by a 3-1
count with 8:25 left in regulation. He rushed the front of the net and tapped
in the rebound of a Lewis chance.
Lehtonen was on the bench for an extra attacker through most of the final two
minutes but the Stars offense could draw no closer.
Horcoff put the hosts on the board just 2:37 after the opening faceoff, taking
a lead pass from Vernon Fiddler up the middle and scoring with a quick
wrister.
Lewis netted his first of the season with Tanner Pearson in the sin bin to tie
the game at 2:55 of the second. He poked a loose puck by Dallas defenseman
Jordie Benn in the left circle, moved around him and beat Lehtonen to the near
post on the backhand.
Game Notes
Los Angeles hadn’t dropped five in a row since Dec. 23, 2013-Jan. 2, 2014 …
Kings forward Justin Williams left the game after being struck under the face
shield and in the eye with a stick blade … Stars defenseman Trevor Daley
became the fifth blueliner in franchise history to participate in 700 games
… Dallas forward Valeri Nichushkin was a team-worst minus-3 in 12:38 of ice
time.
