Kings Have That Star Quality

The Dallas Stars might be the top team in the Western Conference, a leading contender for the Stanley Cup, but the Kings seem to have their number.

It’s zero.

As in the number of goals they’ve scored in two games against the Kings this season, the latest a 3-0 King victory Wednesday night in front of a lustily booing, early departing crowd of 18,532 at the American Airlines Center.

Including a 3-0 victory April 8 at Staples Center, which preceded a 2-0 victory Nov. 23 at Staples Center, that’s three shutouts in a row for the Kings over the Stars, who haven’t scored against the Kings since Brendan Morrow netted an overtime goal March 6 at Dallas.

Felix Potvin turned in the first two but Jamie Storr was the human wall in front of the net this time, turning aside 35 shots for his first shutout of the season, among them a third-period breakaway by Star scoring leader Mike Modano.

It was the second shutout in two nights for the Kings, after Potvin’s 3-0 victory Tuesday night over the Nashville Predators, and each member of the Kings’ top line of Jason Allison, Adam Deadmarsh and Ziggy Palffy scored a goal.

For the Stars, it added up to their first regulation loss in 19 home games since March 24, including a 10-0-2-1 start this season.

Their No. 1 goaltender, Marty Turco, was the NHL leader in goals-against average and save percentage, but he was pulled by Coach Dave Tippett in the second period after giving up three goals in the Kings’ first seven shots. Meanwhile, Storr stopped everything that was thrown at him.

“You can’t ask any more from a guy who plays once every two or three weeks,” defenseman Mathieu Schneider said. “He really stole the show tonight.”

Storr, making only his fifth start, said it was an honor to play against the Stars, who when not playing the Kings are the most prolific team in the West, having scored 98 goals in 28 games against the rest of the league.

“I want to be a No. 1 goalie in this league and to be a No. 1 goalie I think you have to play against the best teams and be successful,” he said. “A lot of backups don’t have the opportunity to play against the better teams.

“I’m just thankful I did.”

The Kings were outshot, 35-18, but they needed only one to score the only goal they needed, Deadmarsh netting his 12th of the season -- and third in three games -- on a shot from the right point at 6 minutes 43 seconds of the first period.

Early in the second, Allison scored from in front off a pretty cross-ice pass from Deadmarsh, his first goal since returning to the lineup last Thursday after sitting out 15 games because of a right knee injury.

Less than seven minutes later, Palffy scored from the high slot off a pass from Allison, who, like Palffy, figured in all three goals.

Because of injuries, the line of Allison, Deadmarsh and Palffy has been intact for only six of the Kings’ 28 games but has accounted for 26 points, 11 by Allison and 10 by Palffy. The breakdown: 11 goals and 15 assists.

“I don’t think there’s a better line in hockey,” Schneider said. “Those guys just dominate when they’re out there.”

And when the Kings get strong goaltending, they dominate too.

“I don’t know if you can ever get a handle on [the Stars],” King Coach Andy Murray said. “But if we get all our bodies back, we’re not a bad team ourselves.”