Dallas Stars beat Los Angeles Kings 4-1 as Casey DeSmith ties franchise record with 11 straight point games; Rantanen, Duchene and Johnston score and assist

Casey DeSmith matched a Dallas franchise record with his 11th straight game earning points as the Stars defeated the Kings 4-1 on Monday night.

Record‑tying performance

Casey DeSmith tied the franchise record with 11 consecutive games that included a point. He made 27 saves and is 8-0-3 after losing his first start of the season, matching Ed Belfour’s 8-0-3 run during the 1998-99 season.

Star players contribute

Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist. Rantanen scored with 3:49 left in the third period to give Dallas a 3-1 lead, and Johnston added an empty-netter in the final minute. Oskar Back’s goal was the first NHL-winning goal for the Stars.

Duchene’s redirection at the net tied the score 1-1 late in the second period, his first point in five games since missing 24 games after a concussion in mid-October. His goal came about four minutes after Andrei Kuzmenko opened the Kings’ scoring.

Kings’ struggles

Andrei Kuzmenko scored an unassisted 5-on-3 goal for the Kings, who have lost their last three games. Los Angeles’ Anton Forsberg stopped 17 shots after starter Darcy Kuemper was hit high by Rantanen. Four of Kuzmenko’s five goals this season are power-play goals; the Kings’ power play ranks last in the NHL at 14.7%.

Game timeline and key moments

Rantanen hit high on Kuemper, who left the ice after the collision. The play was ruled goalie interference, and Johnston’s empty-net goal was credited to the Stars. Rantanen skated into the crease with the puck while manned by Brian Dumoulin. The Stars avoided their first three-game losing streak since mid-October and remain second in the overall standings.

Key Takeaways

• Casey DeSmith tied a franchise record with 11 straight point-earning games.
• Rantanen, Duchene and Johnston each had a goal and an assist.
• The Stars won 4-1, avoiding a three-game losing streak and staying second in the standings.

The Dallas Stars’ strong performance and DeSmith’s record-tying streak keep the team firmly in contention as they head into the final stretch of the season.