If the Stars learned anything Monday, it's that the trek through the Pacific Division isn't going to be easy. Starting a run of three games against divisional foes, Dallas had a horrendous second period and lost a 4-1 game to the Los Angeles Kings at American Airlines Center. "This is a league where all 30 teams are going to be tough, where you can beat the best team and get beat by any other team on any given night, and we have to realize that," said center Mike Ribeiro. "We had a great start, and we were good at the end, but you can't just go to sleep for 10 or 15 minutes like we did. You can't do that and expect to win." The Stars were playing without four injured players – Brad Richards, Mike Modano, Steve Ott and Jere Lehtinen – and certainly showed a lack of depth. Looking a bit like last year's injury-plagued squad, the Stars pretty much relied on Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow to create most of the offense. "We've got guys who can do the job, and we believe in those guys," said defenseman Stephane Robidas. "You can't look at who's not in the lineup. You've got to control what you can control." Dallas falls to 3-2-3 on the season, good for nine of a possible 16 points. The Kings stopped a three-game losing streak and pushed their record to 5-4-0. Los Angeles was ending a six-game road trip and had been battling the flu, but coach Terry Murray made top-level player Alexander Frolov a healthy scratch and sent a message that this needed to be a hard-working game. "They obviously wanted to end on a good note, and they came in here and worked hard," said Morrow, who had an assist and is tied for the team lead in scoring with nine points (5 goals, 4 assists). "There were opportunities to win the game, and we need to take advantage of those." The game ended with the Kings having a 32-30 advantage in shots on goal, and the Stars having a 53-50 edge in shot opportunities, but the second period changed the entire feel of the game. Down, 1-0, Los Angeles out-shot Dallas, 18-4, and scored three goals in a span of 11 minutes. "They came in and got a good chance on a power play, and they capitalized on it," Ribeiro said. "We were shut out on the power play for the third game in a row. That can change a game right there. It gave them energy, and I think we were frustrated because of it." Dallas had two power play opportunities in the first period, but Kings goalie Jonathan Quick kept the Stars from getting a goal. Marty Turco and the Stars then held strong on a 5-on-3 early in the second period, but couldn't keep Ryan Smyth's deflection out of the net with the man advantage at the 5:17 mark. The Kings then had the Stars chasing the puck for the rest of the period, and Smyth's linemates Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams each potted a goal. That was all Los Angeles would need, as Quick finished with 15 saves in the third period. "These are important points, and it's not going to be easier with the next two games," Morrow said of contests at Anaheim on Wednesday and Los Angeles on Thursday. "We just have to play better."
