LaDue's first NHL goal helps Kings top Stars
Paul LaDue scored his first NHL goal and Drew Doughty scored his 100th as the Los Angeles Kings throttled the Dallas Stars 3-0 Tuesday night at American Airlines Arena in Dallas.
Darcy Kuemper, getting a start in net as Los Angeles placed Jonathan Quick on injured reserve, stopped 28 shots to earn his second shutout in just 11 starts this season.
Quick missed the All-Star Game with what the team termed a lingering injury, but he would have drawn a one-game suspension from the NHL for opting out of the event had he remained on the active roster.
Alec Martinez also scored for the Kings, who won their second consecutive game after dropping six of seven just before the All-Star break. The Stars stayed in fourth place in the Central Division with 60 points, only one point ahead of the Minnesota Wild.
LaDue initiated the scoring at 3:05 of the first period, thanks to big efforts from linemates Alex Iafallo and Anze Kopitar. Iafallo kept the puck in the zone, and Kopitar skated around multiple defenders to set up LaDue in the right circle. LaDue wired a wrister past goalie Ben Bishop.
Doughty made it 2-0 on the power play at 5:09 of the second period. Fellow defenseman Jake Muzzin teed him up at the right point for a one-timer that Bishop appeared to stop. However, the puck escaped Bishop and appeared to nick defenseman Stephen Johns in the skate just before crossing the goal line.
Martinez added insurance only 65 seconds into the third period, shortly after a Dallas power play concluded. Bishop stopped Tanner Pearson on a breakaway, but Torrey Mitchell collected the rebound, and Martinez picked up the puck along the left boards. Martinez's wrister tipped off a defender's stick and beat Bishop to the short side.
Bishop made 39 saves in the losing effort as the Stars dropped their second consecutive game. Dallas failed to convert any of its four power-play chances.
--Field Level Media
