Kings’ Story Unfolds Well

At the very least, Martin Straka realized Thursday he’s not in Pittsburgh anymore.

While stranded on a cash-strapped Pittsburgh Penguin team, he found himself with inexperienced and ineffective teammates who stumbled down the steps of the NHL’s basement en route to becoming the league’s worst offense.

Then the Kings came calling, a couple of prospects were packaged to Pittsburgh, and Straka found himself a new team.

Straka received an ovation before his second game with the Kings -- his first at Staples Center -- and then scored for the first time in 15 games, part of a 3-0 victory Thursday over the Dallas Stars in front of an approving crowd of 17,499.

Straka struck for the first time since Oct. 29, after coming into the game with an NHL-worst plus-minus rating of minus-16, more of a testimony to the plight of the Penguins than Straka’s ability as a two-way player.

That was Pittsburgh. This is Los Angeles.

“They were a young team that played hard, but this team has some skills,” Straka said. “It’s always tough to get the first one. I’m glad I got it tonight.”

There were other storylines, all of them favorable for the Kings.

Roman Cechmanek stopped 17 shots for his fourth shutout, which came two days after he was yanked in the second period of a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues.

Ziggy Palffy returned after missing five games and rifled off three shots, just enough to remind King fans of what they’ve been missing.

And the Kings continued to pick up production from their 24-25-26 line, which rolls off the tongue like part of a lottery combination or the “I” column in bingo. For the Kings, they’re the jersey numbers of their most effective line these days, in grit and grind in particular, important parts of any aspiring hockey team.

Alexander Frolov, Eric Belanger and Trent Klatt combined to score the game’s first goal -- Belanger providing the finishing touches -- and earned King Coach Andy Murray’s praise afterward.

“They tend to wear on the other team because they control the puck in the other zone,” Murray said. “I thought Belanger was as strong as I’ve seen him. There seems to be some chemistry for them.”

Straka’s goal showed the reasons the Kings got him -- play-making and speed. He stole an attempted clearing pass from goaltender Marty Turco, fed Jozef Stumpel in the slot and wrapped around the net in time to stick back the rebound of Stumpel’s shot 3:49 into the third period.

The goal for the 20-something line was more workmanlike.

It started with Klatt’s turnover-inducing forecheck near the Star blue line, was helped along by Frolov’s cross-ice pass and was completed on Belanger’s blast low to Turco’s glove side 8:13 into the second period.

It was the third goal in five games for Belanger, who has been doing it with three broken teeth and a severely cut lip he sustained after taking a stick to the face two weeks ago against the New Jersey Devils.

“Points have been coming,” Belanger said. “It’s been great for the team.”

The return of Palffy, who remains among the NHL scoring leaders, was also well-received, for obvious reasons.

“Everything was fine,” said Palffy, who wore a full visor with a protective bar along his bruised jaw. “I have to get used to playing with it a little bit, but the thing for us was we won a game.”