Kings’ Matt Frattin pays for his mistakes

Matt Frattin is now intimately familiar with the repercussions of a couple of miscues while playing for Kings Coach Darryl Sutter.

Frattin, a right wing acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the off-season, was among the group of Kings who lapsed in allowing Nashville’s Matt Cullen to score a first-period goal Thursday.

And when a similar Predators pass got by Frattin and pressured Kings’ defenders about midway through the third period, he found his minutes in the Kings’ 2-1 shootout victory to be 2 minutes 22 seconds after the second intermission.

“That’s a play I have to make and I can’t let it get through,” Frattin said Friday, when the Kings conditioned off the ice in El Segundo in preparation for Saturday night’s game at Staples Center against the Dallas Stars.

“You have to be accountable and if there’s something that happens on the ice and you don’t know what to do, you’ve got to ask. Communication is the key. That’s something I’m learning as a young professional and something I have to keep learning about their system if I want to play.”

Frattin, 25, is goal-less with three assists through eight games for the Kings (5-3), and his goal differential of minus-five is the worst among Kings forwards. He said he has tried just one shot in the past three games.

Although Sutter said Friday he didn’t bench Frattin for any specific reason, Frattin said it was made clear to him afterward, with an assistant coach telling him, “I can’t play you if this is going to happen this late in the game and the score’s 1-1.”

Frattin said he doesn’t believe the game locks him into a team doghouse.

“I’ve got to shoot more and get more offensive opportunities,” Frattin said. “I’ve got to keep playing fast and physical and be more consistent. I feel like I can put the puck in the back of the net if I start shooting.

“You can’t be a liability in the defensive zone if you want to try and play in the offensive zone. You’re held accountable for mistakes, plays you’ve got to be making. If you’re not making them, he’s not going to play you.”

Back home

The Kings start a stretch of eight of their next nine games at Staples Center on Saturday, which center Jarret Stoll said is “a huge part of the season,” given that four of the games are against Pacific Division rivals.

“We came out of that [trip] pretty good,” Stoll said. “Big stretch for us to get some wins, get some points, playing the Western Conference.” Those are “big points in the standings,” he added.

Goalie Jonathan Quick said being in L.A. has “gotta be better” than the trip East.

“We’ve got areas to clean up,” Quick said. “If we can continue to do that, we’ll be better.”

TONIGHT

VS. DALLAS

When: 7:30.

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 1150.

Record vs. Stars (2013): 2-3.

Etc.: Dallas forward Tyler Seguin aims to extend his points streak to a career-best six consecutive games. Forward Cody Eakin, 22, has two goals for a team that is 12-4-7 in Los Angeles in its last 23 games.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com