FIRST ONE TO GET AWAY KINGS UNABLE TO HOLD LEAD, HOLD OFF STARS DALLAS 3, KINGS 2.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

First, the Dallas Stars broke the string. Then they broke the Kings' hearts.

Continuing a run of three consecutive shutouts against the one of the top teams in the Western Conference had been a high point of the Kings' battered season. But the Stars ended the scoreless streak early in the second period Saturday, then added two goals in the third to hand the Kings their fourth consecutive loss, 3-2 in front of a capacity crowd of 18,118 at Staples Center.

``We just have to find a way to shut teams down and get some offensive opportunities,'' Kings goaltender Jamie Storr said. ``We did a better job tonight, but we just have to learn how to finish a team off.''

The Kings drew their 13th sellout of the season to see whether their team could continue the mastery of the Stars that began last April.

And even though the Kings had dropped five of six games since Jason Allison reinjured his right knee 12 days ago, they had not lost a game in regulation (12-0-1-2) they led entering the third period.

But Bill Guerin ended the Dallas drought with a goal at the 7:40 mark of the second period. Derian Hatcher and Jiri Lehtinen then overcame a 2-1 deficit with goals in the third period to hand the Kings their fourth consecutive loss.

The Kings got a power-play goal from Mathieu Schneider midway into the first period and a go-ahead goal by Lubomir Visnovsky early in the third, but it was not enough.

Hatcher tied the game at 3:04 of the third when he beat Storr on an assist from Jason Arnott.

At 8:43 of the third, Lehtinen took a wrist shot from the faceoff circle and fired the puck over Storr's right shoulder.

The goal shook the Kings, who now trail the Stars by 15 points in the Pacific Division after just 39 games.

Even though the Kings held their own, this one hurt. Heading to Minnesota and Dallas for games Monday and Tuesday, they were hoping for a little momentum with so many of their players sidelined.

Already without Allison, Adam Deadmarsh, Bryan Smolinski, Eric Belanger, Erik Rasmussen, Ken Belanger and Aaron Miller, the Kings got back Steve Heinze on Saturday but lost Kip Brennan with a bruised foot in the second period. Alexander Frolov, who returned Thursday after missing two games with a deep gash in his right cheek, sat out against the Stars.

Despite getting shut out in its past three meetings with the Kings, Dallas figured to break out against a team missing seven forwards due to injury.

The Kings went with a top line of journeyman center Steve Kelly, Craig Johnson and Ziggy Palffy, who had two assists.

``The wounded-dog theory is definitely in effect,'' said Stars coach and former Kings assistant Dave Tippett. ``It almost makes it tougher to play because everyone on the outside is looking at the lineups and saying your team should win.''

Instead, the Kings were the aggressors from the start. Midway through he first period, they went on a 5-on-3 power play for the fourth time in the past two weeks.

They had failed against the Mighty Ducks, Colorado Avalanche and Philadelphia Flyers. But not this time.

With former King Philippe Boucher (holding) and Richard Matvichuk (high sticking) in the penalty box, the Kings had the two-man advantage for 47 seconds. With 11 seconds left, the Kings worked the puck around before Schneider fired from inside the blue line and beat Dallas goaltender Ron Tugnutt.

It remained that way until 7:40 of the second period, when Dallas finally broke its long drought.

The Stars' Mike Modano found a hole in the Kings' stingy defense and passed in front to Guerin, who poked the puck under the right leg of Storr.

It marked the first goal Dallas scored against the Kings since Brendan Morrow beat them with an overtime goal March 6 of last season. The Kings shut out the Stars a month later then twice this season, including Dec. 11 in Dallas.

``Eventually, we knew we would get one,'' Modano said. ``We knew weren't going to go the whole year without scoring a goal against them.''

Storr, in his second game in place of slumping Felix Potvin, was in goal that night against the Stars' white-hot Marty Turco. Storr was solid that game and Turco was pulled in the third period. This time it was a different story.

``They turned up the level of their game,'' Kings coach Andy Murray said. ``We didn't respond at the level we needed.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2) Above, the Kings' Ziggy Palffy takes the puck around the net under pressure from Phillippe Boucher. Kings goaltender Jamie Storr makes a save in the second period of Saturday night's game against the Dallas Stars.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer