Dustin Brown scored a rare Los Angeles power-play goal, goalie Jack Campbell beat the team that drafted him and the Kings moved out of the NHL basement by holding off the Dallas Stars 2-1 on Thursday night.
Brown's goal came in the first period when he deflected in a shot by Drew Doughty. Carl Hagelin added a goal in the second for the Kings.
Campbell made 29 saves, 18 in the third period. He lost his shutout with 1:04 to play, when Esa Lindell tipped in Alexander Radulov's shot from the blue line with Stars goalie Ben Bishop pulled for an extra skater. Campbell stopped a similar shot by Tyler Seguin in the final minute.
Los Angeles remained last in the Pacific Division but leapfrogged Chicago and Ottawa in the overall standings. The Kings are 2-0-1 in the past three games, their best stretch since a four-game winning streak in December.
The Stars have lost four straight, equaling their longest skid this season. In each of the four games, they have fallen behind 2-0. They are tied with Colorado for third place in the Central Division and remain in position for a wild-card playoff berth.
Dallas has only three goals during its slide. Lindell ended a scoreless streak that lasted 130:21.
Bishop stopped 17 shots.
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The Kings' only power play resulted in the game's first goal at 18:04 of the first period, three seconds after Dallas' John Klingberg went to the penalty box. Anze Kopitar won the draw, and the puck went to Doughty at the left point. Down low, Brown deflected Doughty's drive past Bishop into the upper right corner for his 12th goal.
Hagelin's goal was much simpler. Bishop had trouble handling a knuckleballing shot by Tyler Toffoli from low in the left faceoff circle. The puck dropped by Bishop's left skate and Hagelin was there to wrist it into the net.
The Stars had only 11 shots on goal in the first two periods but they outshot Los Angeles 19-3 in a desperate third. Campbell denied a breakaway by Mattias Janmark with 8 1/2 minutes left and received help from two shots that hit the post.
NOTES
Doughty originally was credited with the first goal. The official scoring was changed during the second period. . Campbell, the Stars' first-round draft pick (11th overall) in 2010, was playing for the first time in Dallas. In his only game for the Stars, he started and lost 6-3 at Anaheim five seasons ago. . The Kings' power play ranks last in the NHL on the road at 12 percent (6 for 51). . Los Angeles is the league's lowest-scoring team with 109 goals. Dallas has the third-fewest with 122. . Stars C Jason Dickinson (back injury) came off injured reserve after missing 11 games.
UP NEXT
Kings: Complete a three-game trip at Colorado on Saturday.
Stars: Play the fourth of six straight home games Saturday against Winnipeg.
