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Struggling Stars visit Kings

Sat 29th, March 2008

(Sports Network) - A month ago, the Stars were in position to make a run at the Pacific Division title. Now, Dallas is just trying to avoid slipping out of the playoff picture as it takes on the Los Angeles Kings this afternoon at the Staples Center.

The Stars have lost five straight and are just 1-7-1 in March to slip to fifth in the West, tied with Calgary and Colorado with 90 points apiece. The trio are just four points ahead of Nashville and Vancouver for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Dallas did earn a point last time out after falling to San Jose, 3-2, in overtime on Thursday. However, the game showed that Dallas is frustrated at is current situation.

In overtime, netminder Marty Turco slashed San Jose's Joe Pavelski, opening a welt under his eye, to earn a four-minute double minor. Trevor Daley later took a hooking call, and the Sharks' Joe Thornton netted a power-play goal with 2:02 left in the frame to send the Stars to defeat.

Brenden Morrow and Jere Lehtinen each scored and Turco stopped 24 of the 27 shots he faced.

Dallas lost the opener of its final road trip of the season, a four-game trek, and has dropped its last three as the visiting club. The Stars are 20-14-4 away from Big D this year and also play in Anaheim and Phoenix before ending the season with two straight at home.

While the Kings have long been eliminated from playoff contention, Erik Ersberg is giving the club some hope for the future. The 26-year-old Swede made 38 saves on Thursday for his second career shutout in just his 10th NHL start, as Los Angeles blanked Phoenix, 4-0.

Ersberg, an undrafted rookie who played in the Swedish Elite League last year, is 5-3-3 with a 1.97 goals-against average and .942 save percentage in 11 total games this season. He also shut out Ottawa back on March 6 and defeated the Stars on last Saturday behind a 25-save effort.

Anze Kopitar had a goal and two assists to up his team-high point total to 74. He is also tops on the club with 44 assists and hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in just his second NHL season.

Kevin Dallman, Dustin Brown and Rob Blake all scored for the Kings, winners in three of four. Patrick O'Sullivan added a pair of assists to aid the win.

The Kings now have 69 points on the year with four games left after notching just 66 points a year ago.

Los Angeles is 16-19-3 at home this year and next hits the road for a test in San Jose on Tuesday, its last road game of the year. The Kings end the season with two straight at home.

LA has won all three of its home games against Dallas this year, and holds a 4-3-0 edge in the season series that concludes today. The Stars have still won 11 of 15 and 12 of the last 17 against the Kings, including an eight-game sweep last year.

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