LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Jake Oettinger made 24 saves as the Dallas Stars defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. Wyatt Johnston gave Dallas a first-period lead. After Quinton Byfield brought Los Angeles within one in the third period, Jason Robertson and Matt Duchene scored late to secure the win for the Stars. Sam Steel and Esa Lindell each had two assists for Dallas. The Stars improved to 27-19. The Kings fell to 19-26. Dallas goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped 15 of 17 shots in the loss.

LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Jake Oettinger turned aside 24 shots and the Dallas Stars scored twice in the third period to pull away from the Los Angeles Kings for a 3-1 victory on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson and Matt Duchene scored for the Stars, who improved to 27-19. Dallas has won two of its last three games following an overtime loss at San Jose on Saturday. Quinton Byfield scored the lone goal for the Kings, who fell to 19-26. Los Angeles goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 15 saves on 17 shots in the loss. A crowd of 17,088 watched as the Stars controlled play for long stretches, relying on a structured defensive effort and timely scoring to secure the road win. The victory completed a regular-season series sweep for Dallas, which also defeated Los Angeles 4-1 at home on Dec. 15. Johnston opened the scoring for Dallas late in the first period. After sustained pressure in the Los Angeles zone, Sam Steel won a puck battle along the boards and fed defenseman Esa Lindell at the point. Lindell’s shot was tipped in front by Johnston, who redirected the puck past Kuemper at the 3:44 mark for his 25th goal of the season. Steel and Lindell were credited with assists. The game remained a tight-checking, one-goal affair through a scoreless second period. Oettinger was sharp, making several key saves, including a pad stop on Adrian Kempe during an early Los Angeles power play that resulted from coincidental minors to Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen for embellishment and Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty for interference. Los Angeles finally broke through on Oettinger early in the third period. With Dallas defenseman Nils Lundkvist in the penalty box for tripping, the Kings capitalized on the man advantage. After a scramble in front, the puck came to Byfield near the left circle, and he fired a wrist shot into the net at 4:42 for his eighth goal. Corey Perry and Brandt Clarke assisted on the play that tied the game 1-1. The tie was short-lived. Just over three minutes later, Dallas regained the lead. Off a clean defensive-zone faceoff win by Justin Hryckowian, the Stars transitioned quickly up ice. Lindell carried the puck into the offensive zone and slid a pass across to Robertson, who made a quick move to his backhand and lifted the puck over a sprawling Kuemper at 7:14. The goal was Robertson’s 27th of the season, with assists to Lindell, his second of the night, and Hryckowian. Dallas sealed the victory in the final minutes. With the Kings pressing for an equalizer and Kuemper pulled for an extra attacker, a turnover at the Los Angeles blue line led to a two-on-one for the Stars. Mikko Rantanen carried the puck down the right wing and sent a cross-ice pass to Duchene, who buried a wrist shot into the empty net with 2:18 remaining. Sam Steel recorded his second assist of the game on the insurance marker. Oettinger, a native of Lakeville, Minnesota, was the backbone of the Dallas effort, improving his record on the season. His best sequence came in the second period when he denied consecutive high-danger chances from Alex Turcotte and Warren Foegele to preserve the one-goal lead at the time. Sam Steel, from Edmonton, Alberta, was a catalyst for Dallas with two assists and a physical presence, registering one hit. Lindell, a defenseman from Vantaa, Finland, also had two assists and was a plus-2 on the night. For the Kings, Byfield, the towering forward from Newmarket, Ontario, provided the only offense with his power-play goal, finishing with four shots on net. The Stars’ penalty kill was a key factor, successfully extinguishing two of three Los Angeles power plays. Dallas did not have a power-play opportunity of its own. The final score defied the pregame projection from National Statistical’s game simulator, which had forecast a 3-2 win for Los Angeles. Dallas entered as a betting favorite with a spread of -1.5, and the combined four total goals stayed under the over/under line of 5.5. Dallas continues its California road trip against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night. Los Angeles returns to action at home against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

Preview: Stars Look to Extend Winning Streak Over Struggling Kings LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — The Dallas Stars, riding a surge in the Western Conference standings, visit the struggling Los Angeles Kings on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. Dallas (26-19-0) enters with a clear edge in the standings and recent history against Los Angeles (18-25-0). The Stars defeated the Kings 4-1 in their last meeting on Dec. 15, part of a season series split so far. Los Angeles won the prior matchup 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 23. The Stars are looking to rebound from a 5-4 overtime loss at San Jose on Saturday. Rookie forward Mavrik Bourque, a player to watch, recorded an assist in that game. Bourque has been a consistent offensive contributor, with three goals and two assists in his last eight contests. Los Angeles is reeling from a 5-1 defeat in Winnipeg on Friday and has lost four of its last five games. Forward Quinton Byfield, the Kings’ key player to monitor, scored their lone goal in that loss. Byfield has been a bright spot during the slump, posting three goals and three assists over his last seven appearances. Dallas has shown potency on the road recently, including an 8-3 rout in Anaheim last month. The Kings, however, have found wins scarce at home, compounding their challenges in the Pacific Division. The game kicks off a critical two-game California road swing for the Stars, who face Anaheim on Tuesday. The Kings begin a brief two-game homestand before hosting Vegas on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PST.