wyatt johnston

Slumping Kings lose to Dallas Stars

Jason Robertson scored late in the third period, Wyatt Johnston scored his 25th goal of the season, and the Dallas Stars defeated the Kings 3-1 on Monday night.

Robertson looked to be trying a centering pass, but the wobbling puck deflected in off Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson with 3:46 remaining. Matt Duchene added an empty-net goal with 17.4 to go, and the Stars have won two of three after a season-worst six-game winless streak.

Jake Oettinger made 24 saves, and Esa Lindell and Sam Steel had two assists.

Quinton Byfield scored on the power play and Darcy Kuemper made 15 saves for the Kings, who have dropped three of four.

Johnston scored on a wrist shot from the slot 3:44 into the first period, reaching the 25-goal mark for the third straight season.

The Kings finally netted a response when Byfield tied it up at 8:42 of the third period, scoring from close range after Corey Perry set him up with a backhand pass through the paint. It was Perry’s 500th career assist, making him the first player in league history to reach the milestone at age 40.

Los Angeles has been held to one goal 12 times in 45 games.

The Stars got captain Jamie Benn back after missing three games because of a cut on his nose, which he sustained Jan. 4. Benn, a 17-year veteran, played with a visor for the first time in 1,216 career games, leaving Nashville center Ryan O’Reilly, Minnesota defenseman Zach Bogosian, and Sharks winger Ryan Reaves as the last three active players who have never worn a visor in an NHL game.

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Darcy Kuemper suffers injury in Kings’ loss to Dallas Stars

Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist each and Casey DeSmith tied a Dallas record with his 11th consecutive game earning points as the Stars rallied past the Kings 4-1 on Monday night.

Oskar Back scored his first NHL winning goal for the Stars, who are second in the overall standings and avoided their first three-game losing streak since mid-October.

DeSmith made 27 saves and is 8-0-3 after losing his first start of the season, matching Ed Belfour’s 8-0-3 run during the 1998-99 season.

Andrei Kuzmenko scored an unassisted five-on-three goal for the Kings, who have lost their last three games and five of seven.

Kings goalie Anton Forsberg stopped 17 shots, entering play with four minutes left in the first period after starter Darcy Kuemper was hit high by Rantanen and sustained an upper-body injury.

L.A. was also without Quinton Byfield and Phillip Danault because of illness.

Duchene’s redirection at the net tied the score 1-1 late in the second period and was his first point in five games since missing 24 games following a concussion in mid-October.

Duchene’s goal came about four minutes after Kuzmenko opened the scoring.

Rantanen skated with the puck from Dallas’ defensive zone and gave Dallas a 3-1 lead with 3:49 to play. Johnston added an empty-netter in the final minute.

Kuemper left after the hit from Rantanen, who skated into the crease with the puck while manned by Brian Dumoulin. Johnston scored seconds after the collision, but the play was ruled goalie interference. Kuemper was soon led off the ice, having made five saves.

Four of Kuzmenko’s five goals this season are power-play goals on a team whose power play ranks last in the NHL at 14.7%.

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