KING-SIZE ROAD VICTORY FOR L.A. ROUTS DALLAS TO AVENGE PAST LOSS KINGS 7, DALLAS 2.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

DALLAS - This time, there would be no Texas-sized, 10-gallon letdown.

Two weeks after they left the state in shame, having blown a four-goal lead, the Kings finished the job Thursday in a bizarre 7-2 victory over the Dallas Stars in front of 16,624 at American Airlines Center.

How else to describe a game in which Luc Robitaille was credited with a goal 90 seconds after he put the puck in the net, or rather, through the net, and a game in which George Parros recorded an old-fashioned ``Gordie Howe hat trick'' - with a goal, an assist and a fight - than with the word bizarre?

``The season is so long, but that was definitely a good win to get,'' goalie Jason LaBarbera said.

For the Kings, it went better than they could have scripted. On the back end of games on consecutive nights, they blitzed a team that looks to be their toughest competition in the Pacific Division and, with 12 points, have matched the franchise's best eight-game start since the 1990-91 squad had 13.

Thursday's victory, coupled with a 5-4 win over Colorado the night before, allowed the Kings to match the most goals they had scored in consecutive games since 8-2 and 6-3 victories in November 1997.

``It was scoring by committee, which was what we needed,'' center Craig Conroy said. ``We just didn't want the same thing that happened (in the season opener) to happen again.''

The Kings did just about everything well. Conroy continued his recent strong play with one goal and two assists, Pavol Demitra scored his fifth goal in eight games and, with another solid game, LaBarbera showed that he could possibly be the long-term answer in goal for the Kings.

The Kings actually trailed in the game, 1-0, after Mike Modano scored 2:12 into the first period, but Lubomir Visnovsky answered 16 seconds later and the rout was on. Visnovsky also had two assists.

``Getting back-to-back road wins against two good teams is gratifying,'' coach Andy Murray said. ``People will talk about our offense, but I thought the key for us was the way we played defense.''

Not to be overshadowed was the play of LaBarbera, who made 26 saves and improved his record to 4-0. LaBarbera made the biggest save of the game with the Kings nursing a two-goal lead when he stopped Jere Lehtinen on a 2-on-1 chance with 67 seconds remaining in the first period.

``I'm gradually feeling more comfortable and confident out there,'' LaBarbera said. ``It's pretty exciting, but I just want to keep building and getting better.''

First-period goals by Demitra and Alexander Frolov pushed the lead to 3-1 after one period, but Murray, no doubt mindful of the season-opening collapse, called a timeout 6:45 into the second period, which came complete with a hand-waving tirade after a stretch of play that displeased him.

The Kings answered with two goals in the next eight minutes to secure the game, but the oddest moment came late in the second period, when a video review showed that a shot by Robitaille had gone through the netting in the corner of the goal. Robitaille was given the goal, which gave the Kings a 6-1 lead.

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

George Parros, left, celebrates his third-period goal with Kings teammate Tom Kostopoulos in L.A.'s 7-2 victory against Dallas on Thursday night.

LM Otero/Associated Press