LaBarbera saves the Kings

On the verge of finishing just as they’ve started so many recent games, the Kings received a lift from one of their least likeliest sources Saturday afternoon.

Jason LaBarbera made a diving glove save on a two-on-one break with about 8 1/2 minutes to play in regulation and the score tied against the Dallas Stars, then stopped three of four shots in the shootout to preserve a 4-3 victory for the Kings at Staples Center.

“That’s probably one of the better saves I’ve seen in my days,” defenseman Tom Preissing said of LaBarbera’s diving stop in regulation. “If he doesn’t save that, it’s pretty much a back breaker.”

LaBarbera had been pulled in the first period of two of his previous six starts, but showed signs of coming around Thursday night when he stopped a career-high 48 shots in a 5-2 victory over Toronto.

He had another rough start against Dallas, giving up two goals in the first 3 minutes 37 seconds, marking the 14th time in the last 16 games that Kings opponents have scored first. LaBarbera settled in, however, giving the Kings a chance to tie the score later in the period.

“I guess the biggest thing is staying positive,” LaBarbera said. “When you get down two goals, you get negative and you can’t play that way.”

Each team produced only six shots on goal in the second period, but the Kings made one of theirs count. Brenden Morrow was called for interference on Rob Blake as both fell into LaBarbera. Twenty seconds into the power play, Blake shot the puck toward goalkeeper Marty Turco, who deflected it toward the opposite face-off circle. Anze Kopitar was in position to slap the puck through Turco’s legs for his 18th goal and a 3-2 lead for the Kings.

Playing with a lead has also been a recent sore point. The Kings gave up two goals and 44 shots over the final two periods against Toronto, and gave up three consecutive goals after taking a 4-3 lead in the third period against the Calgary on Jan. 5.

It didn’t help that the Kings were called for three penalties in a 2:44 span early in the third period, putting the Stars on the power play for nearly five minutes, including 78 seconds with a two-man advantage. Dallas, which scored its first goal on a two-man advantage, also produced on its third, as Matt Niskanen scored on a slap shot to tie the score, 3-3, at the 11:04 mark.

“We got into trouble because of the five on threes,” Coach Marc Crawford said. “It’s not very often you’ll have a call like we got against us to start the game, and then have two five on threes that go against you in the third period.”

After making his brilliant save on Jeff Halpern late in regulation, LaBarbera went untested during the five-minute overtime. Playing in his first shootout since Dec. 3, LaBarbera made a kick save on the first attempt by Niklas Hagman, then used his glove to tip Mike Modano’s shot over the goal.

Kopitar scored on the Kings’ first attempt of the shootout, but Alexander Frolov and Dustin Brown came up empty. LaBarbera missed on his first chance to end the game with a save, but after Patrick O’Sullivan scored the Kings’ second goal on their fourth attempt, LaBarbera used his stick hand to tip Mike Ribeiro’s shot over the goal.

After winning two games in a row at home for only the second time this season, the Kings begin a three-game trip Tuesday in Edmonton.

dan.arritt@latimes.com