Stars Flip the Switch on Kings

When he reintroduces himself to the Kings this morning at a team meeting in Nashville, Coach Andy Murray will address a grumpy group.

While Murray flew into Tennessee on Wednesday night from Faribault, Minn., where he had been recuperating from injuries suffered last month in an auto accident, the Kings’ first winless streak since late December reached three games when they lost in overtime to the Dallas Stars, 3-2, at American Airlines Center.

In what was probably their last game under interim Coach Dave Tippett, the Kings gave up a precious point when Brenden Morrow rifled a shot from the left faceoff circle past goaltender Felix Potvin 3 minutes 53 seconds into overtime.

Later, Murray said from Nashville that, barring a relapse of the symptoms of post-concussion syndrome that kept him from rejoining the team sooner, he will be behind the bench tonight when the Kings play the Nashville Predators.

He’ll rejoin a team trying to break out of a victory drought that would be a lot easier to take if the Kings had escaped with a tie after twice overcoming one-goal deficits against the streaking Stars, whose winning streak reached four games.

Instead, after pulling even for the second time on a power-play goal by Ziggy Palffy with 2:49 to play in regulation, the Kings enabled the Stars to extend a more impressive streak: Since Nov. 11, 2000, the Stars have won a league-record 49 consecutive games when leading after two periods.

The latest victory, the Stars’ third in four one-goal decisions against the Kings this season, resulted in the Stars and Kings changing places in the tightly packed Western Conference playoff race, the Stars moving up to sixth place and the Kings dropping to seventh. Each team has 71 points, but the Stars have one more victory.

“It’s disappointing because we tied them up late in the third on the road like that,” Potvin said. “We should have played probably tighter in the overtime and made sure they didn’t have any [opportunities], but they came pretty good at us.”

Morrow scored his 11th goal with an assist from defenseman Darryl Sydor, who not only left him the puck but also provided a screen by skating through the slot in front of Potvin just as Morrow was unleashing his shot.

“It went behind the crowd,” Potvin said of the winning wrist shot. “I got a piece of it, but it just went under my arm.”

Earlier, the Stars had taken a 1-0 lead on a goal by Jere Lehtinen at 12:48 of the first period, only to have the Kings pull even on a power-play goal by Adam Deadmarsh with 7:28 to play in the second.

Then, after Richard Matvichuk scored a power-play goal for the Stars less than three minutes later, Palffy tied the score again after Scott Pellerin of the Stars was sent to the penalty box for hooking.

“Our power play has been one of the things that has kind of kept us around,” Tippett said of the King unit that has converted a league-high 27.1% of its power-play opportunities on the road. “It’s one of the elements of our game that’s been real good, so it was good to see us use it when we needed it.”

Not so good was what happened after Palffy’s tying goal.

“We came in here for a win, not for a tie or a loss in overtime,” said Tippett, who guided the Kings to a 2-1-1-1 record in Murray’s absence. “Every point is a desperate point. That’s why giving that extra one to them tonight is so disappointing.”

It was especially frustrating because a tie might have slowed the Stars’ momentum. The Stars have won five consecutive division titles, but their disappointing start this season cost Ken Hitchcock his job. The coach was replaced Jan. 25 by former King assistant Rick Wilson.

“Somewhere, they’ve lost a little bit of their identity this year,” Tippett said before the game. “But by no means can they be underestimated. I think they’re starting to get it back and they’ll be a team to be reckoned with.”

Indeed, the Stars’ winning streak is their longest in four months.

The Kings, though, have more than the Stars to worry about. They are only two points ahead of the Phoenix Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference playoff race, and only four ahead of the Vancouver Canucks.

“No time to pout now,” said Ian Laperriere, icing his knees before packing for a late-night flight to Nashville and today’s reunion with Murray.