http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=losangeles-r-dallas
Stars-Kings Preview
Stars-Kings Preview
By JUSTIN EINHORN STATS Senior Editor
 (38-27-11) at [Los Angeles]e|place (44-27-6), 4:00 p.m. EDT
A solid March has sent the [Los Angeles]e|OOD Kings into April with a very good shot at making the playoffs.
A poor end to the month has devastated the [Dallas]e|OOD Stars ’ chances.
The Kings can move within one win of a postseason berth and push the Stars closer to elimination when the Pacific Division rivals square off Saturday at Staples Center.
Heading into the most recent matchup between these teams March 13, [Dallas]e|OOD was fourth in the Western Conference but only one point ahead of [Los Angeles]e|OOD and three other teams. The Kings won 3-2 on Michal Handzus’ (notes) goal with 21 seconds to play, just 22 seconds after the Stars’ Jamie Langenbrunner (notes) had tied the game.
 (38-27-11) entered that meeting on a 6-0-2 run but has since dropped seven of eight to fall out of the top eight in the West. The Stars have lost five straight for the second time in two months and are looking to avoid their longest losing streak since a seven-game skid in March 2009.
“We’ve been saying that we’ve got games, we’ve got points, but we’re running out of them,” captain Brenden Morrow (notes) told the team’s official website. “It’s starting to be do or die.”
While [Dallas]e|OOD is at risk of missing the playoffs for a third straight season, the Kings (44-27-6) are closing in on a second consecutive appearance after a six-year drought. They’ll only be two points away from qualifying if they win in regulation Saturday.
 (44-27-6) is tied with Nashville for fifth in the conference after going 9-3-2 in March.
The Kings, though, are looking to bounce back after failing to record a shot in the third period of a 3-1 loss at Vancouver on Thursday. They had a four-game winning streak snapped and let the Canucks clinch the Presidents’ Trophy.
“We’ve just got to move on,” winger Dustin Brown (notes) said. “It’s kind of the playoffs now, very similar to that, so you’ve got to forget it and move on.”
Brown was held off the scoresheet following three straight multipoint games.
 is relying more on Brown now that leading scorers Anze Kopitar (notes) (ankle) and Justin Williams (notes) (shoulder) are done for at least the rest of the regular season.
That duo leads the Kings in scoring in the season series versus [Dallas]e|OOD , with Kopitar totaling seven points and Williams six to help [Los Angeles]e|OOD go 3-1-1. The Kings are 12-3-2 against the Stars since the start of the 2008-09 season.
 is looking to jumpstart its offense, having scored just once in its last 160 minutes, 53 seconds.
“Every game means so much, and the next game is no different,” defenseman Stephane Robidas (notes) said. “We have to approach it almost like it’s a Game 7 every night.”
Brad Richards (notes) tops the Stars with 69 points but has none in a season-high three consecutive games and no goals in seven straight. Morrow, the team leader with 28 goals, has only four points in his last 10 games.
, held to six goals in its past four games, may struggle to get its offense going if Jonathan Quick (notes) is in the Kings’ net. He has won all three of his starts versus the Stars this season, allowing five goals, and is 9-2-0 with a 1.91 goals-against average against them since the start of 2008-09.

