Slow Starts Wearing Thin for the Kings

DALLAS — Whenever the Kings begin a game not taking advantage of their size, they’re usually in for a long night. Especially when their opponent is the Dallas Stars, one of the best teams in the NHL.

The Stars took advantage of the Kings’ slow-starting antics with two goals in the first six minutes and then wore them down in the third period to win, 4-1, on Wednesday night before 16,103 at Reunion Arena.

The Kings’ modest two-game win streak came to an end as they failed to match the effort they had in a 2-1 overtime victory at Colorado on Sunday. Goaltender Stephane Fiset, who suffered his first loss in six road games, was pulled at 11:17 of the third period and replaced by Frederic Chabot. Fiset’s record dropped to 10-8-3.

Dallas, which extended its unbeaten streak against the Kings to six games, was led by the league’s top scorer, Mike Modano, who had two goals and an assist, and goaltender Ed Belfour, who made 24 saves to improve to 13-4-4.

The only good news for the Kings was that they denied Belfour his seventh shutout of the season and ended his scoreless streak at 183 minutes 14 seconds on Vladimir Tsyplakov’s second-period goal.

“We just didn’t generate enough offense tonight,” King Coach Larry Robinson said. “We’re still not committed enough to go to the net and play a simple game when we play a good defensive team. . . . [Dallas] just dumps the puck in and they go after it and they go after it hard. If anything, we can learn from the way that they play. They’ve got everybody committed to play a certain style of play, which is very similar to how we want to play.”

For the 16th time in 24 games, the Kings failed to score first. Jamie Langenbrunner gave Dallas a 1-0 lead at the 3:48 mark. In games in which they have scored first, the Kings are the only team in the league without a tie or loss at 8-0-0, but they are 3-9-4 when they don’t.

“It’s hard to play from behind, especially against Dallas,” said Yanic Perreault, who had an assist on Tsyplakov’s goal. “That’s been our problem since the very beginning of the year . . . a slow first period.

“The key is that we have some big players but we have to play physical, especially on the road. We have one of the biggest teams in the league and we have to be physical every game.”

Modano put Dallas ahead by two goals at 5:57 with a power-play score after a hooking penalty on Jozef Stumpel. It was the Stars’ fifth man-advantage goal against the Kings this season. In a 5-1 victory at the Forum two weeks ago, Dallas scored four power-play goals and added a short-handed score by Modano.

Tsyplakov, who has four goals and 13 points in his last nine games, scored 3:14 into the second period to cut Dallas’ lead to 2-1. But the Stars’ stingy defense was able to help Belfour shut down the Kings, who are among the top scoring teams.

Dallas clinched the victory in the third period when Jere Lehtinen scored on an assist from Modano at 5:45, followed by Modano’s 13th goal of the season at 8:37.

In 27 games against the Kings, Modano has 17 goals and 36 points, including three goals and five points this season.

“We didn’t play aggressively and we weren’t as physical as we wanted to be,” said Robinson, whose team spent Monday hunting and playing various games on the Denver ranch of team co-owner Philip Anschutz.

“[Dallas is] a strong team that is not really that big, but they are very committed to the type of game that they have to play, they all believe in the system and they all play the system. Not two lines playing the system and two others doing their own thing. They are all playing the way they are coached to play and that makes a big difference.”

Dallas Coach Ken Hitchcock appreciated Robinson’s comments but said the Stars no longer overlook the Kings and that he expects them to be a real force by the end of the season.

“They are really a strong team and they are going to make life very difficult for teams in their division,” said Hitchcock, whose team is tied with Detroit for the most points in the NHL with 36. “I don’t think that they are very far away. This was a very even hockey game, except for some individual plays. Three by Modano. This is as hard as we’ve been pressured [at home] all season, and that includes [the Stars’ three home losses].”