THIS TIME, THEY'RE NOT STAR STRUCK.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

For the Kings, the Dallas Stars used to be the yardstick that told them it was a very long skate from here to the NHL's A-list party.

The Stars once were to the Kings what the Yankees once were to the Dodgers, what the Celtics once were to the Lakers, what the Vikings once were to the Rams, what Bill Clinton once was to Republicans. The Stars could not be beaten. No matter how the Kings tried.

This was how a yardstick across the bridge of the nose felt.

Dallas went five years, from 1995 to 2000 - 22 games in a row - without losing to Los Angeles. In that time, Dallas won a Stanley Cup, two conference titles and four of its five consecutive division titles. All Los Angeles had to show for it was a new coach, a new general manager and a new patch of ice.

Monday night at Staples Center, the Kings used the Stars as a yardstick again and showed how much have changed for both franchises and the Pacific Division.

When the Kings began the regular season's final week by defeating the Stars 3-0 in front of a sellout crowd of 18,118, it assured them of finishing ahead of Dallas in the standings, put them on the verge of clinching a playoff spot and sent up a bright signal that they are ready for the playoffs.

L.A.-Dallas is an even match-up these days, unlike the old days. Any Western Conference game not involving the Detroit Red Wings (on the top end) or the Columbus Blue Jackets (on the bottom) is an even matchup these days.

With hexes, jinxes or mental blocks no longer involved, this was simply a game the Kings could lose but could not afford to allow themselves to lose.

Dallas came to town five points behind the Kings in the standings. Dallas came to town 10th in the conference, clinging to the frame of the eight-team playoff picture, while the Kings were fifth, with nothing assured.

``Even if they're (down), look at their lineup,'' Kings right wing Ian Laperriere said before the nationally televised game. ``They won a Cup a couple of years ago because of that lineup. They're going to bring their 'A' game tonight. If we're going to beat them, we're going to have to bring our 'A' game, too.

``Every night we say, 'It's the biggest game of the year.' Tonight it is.''

Kings coach Andy Murray wasn't discouraging such hype.

``I think we've got the toughest game of the homestand tonight, because we've got the team with the most on the line,'' said Murray, whose Kings had just tied Vancouver and beaten Detroit and Edmonton at Staples. ``It's going to demand our best effort of this homestand. They're going to come out scratching and clawing. It's going to be a battle of wills.''

A backdrop like that for an L.A.-Dallas game would have been unthinkable a couple of years ago, when the Kings were working on an 0-18-4 run against the Stars, a period that more or less coincided with Larry Robinson's coaching tenure.

``I didn't know anything about it until people told me,'' said Murray, who took over before the 1999-2000 season. ``I went into it kind of naive. I just said, 'We should beat everybody!' I didn't look at past records against teams.''

In Murray's first two seasons, the Kings split 10 games against the Stars. This season, they went 2-3 against them.

``I don't think it was anything I did (that changed the L.A.-Dallas dynamic). I think it was just that we got better players. We (became) a better team. We had an opportunity to work hard and beat them, whereas before the Kings maybe could work hard and still not beat them.''

If Murray can't take all the credit for the turnaround, neither can general manager Dave Taylor or any of the Kings. Dallas deserves more than its share.

These days, the words ``Dallas'' and ``Dynasty'' go together only in TV syndication.

Brett Hull was let go to Detroit in the offseason. Head coach Ken Hitchcock was fired and replaced by Rick Wilson on Jan. 25, when the Stars were 23-17-6-4. General manager Bob Gainey chose the same day to step down into a consultant role, a move that had been planned for the summer.

A lot it helped. Since all that, the Stars are 8-11-5-1. Their loss Monday means they can't finish ahead of the Kings and left Dallas with three must-win games to avoid elimination from the playoffs.

Maybe it's not the Kings using the Stars as a yardstick anymore, it's vice versa.

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Photo:

The Stars' John Erskine, left, and the Kings' Ian Laperriere mix it up, much to the delight of a young fan.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer