Anton Khudobin saved his best for the final seconds to help preserve a 2-1 victory for the Dallas Stars.
Jamie Benn and Blake Comeau scored 37 seconds apart early in the second period as Dallas erased a one-goal deficit and extended its winning streak to five games.
Anze Kopitar netted his 16th of the season, but the Kings fell for the third straight game. Jonathan Quick had 30 saves.
Holy buckets. Sound on for this blast by Blake Comeau.#DALvsLAK | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/X2UR05pBKJ
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 9, 2020
Lindell stays hot
The Stars defenseman has been collecting assists left and right during a four-game point streak. Lindell picked up another two helpers Wednesday, extending his total to seven during the stretch and 16 on the season.
John Klingberg has not played since the 2020 Winter Classic and Lindell has stepped up to provide offense from the backend in his absence.
In this day and age, every NHL team needs mobile defensemen that can push the pace. Lindell has provided that and more during the five-game winning streak.
Johns close to returning
Stephen Johns has reported to the AHL for a three-game conditioning stint. The 27-year-old D-man has been sidelined since 2018 with post-traumatic headaches.
“You’re talking about a young man who is 6-foot-4, he can skate, he can shoot a puck, he’s a physical presence,” Stars GM Jim Nill told the team’s website. “He’s what every team is looking for. He’s a good person. He brings a lot to the table. When we signed him, he was coming off a very good year for us and we thought he was going to be a big part of our top four. … Now, we have an opportunity to bring him back.”
If Johns does return to the NHL, the Stars will get an extra boost on the backend before evaluating their strategy for the Trade Deadline.
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Scott Charles is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @ScottMCharles.