(SportsNetwork.com) – The suddenly struggling Los Angeles Kings will try to
avoid a fifth straight loss when they visit the Dallas Stars in Tuesday’s
clash at American Airlines Center.
After completing a perfect six-game homestand from Oct. 12-26, the reigning
Stanley Cup champions have dropped the first four games of a road trip that
ends tonight in Big D. The Kings suffered an overtime setback in the opening
game of the trip Philadelphia and then lost three straight in regulation.
L.A.’s latest setback came Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes, who entered
the game with a 1-6-2 record. Carolina posted a 3-2 win behind a 30-save
performance from Cam Ward, while Chris Terry and Elias Lindholm each finished
with a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes.
Mike Richards and Alec Martinez both lit the lamp in a losing effort and
Jonathan Quick stopped 29 shots.
“I think we did a lot of good things,” Kings head coach Darryl Sutter said.
“We have trouble scoring, so just about every mistake you make is magnified.”
The Kings lost five straight twice during the 2013-14 campaign, a season that
ended with L.A. picking up its second Cup in three years.
The Stars also enter Tuesday’s test on a four-game slide. Dallas is 0-2-2
during the skid and has surrendered 14 goals over the losing streak.
Dallas was dealt a 4-1 loss Saturday in Minnesota and only managed to put 20
shots on net in the setback. The Stars also allowed the Wild to score their
first two power-play goals of the season in the loss.
Vernon Fiddler scored for the Stars, while Kari Lehtonen gave up four goals on
30 shots.
Tyler Seguin has gone without a point in each of his last two games. He has 15
points on the season and was named the NHL’s Third Star for the month of
October.
Lehtonen likely will start on Tuesday and he is 10-7-1 with a 2.55 goals
against average in his career versus the Kings. Quick boasts a lifetime 15-6-2
mark and a 2.39 GAA against Dallas.
The Stars won two of three meetings against the Kings last season, but the
clubs have split the last six encounters. L.A. has lost two straight at
American Airlines Center.
