The Los Angeles Kings suffered a painful 3-1 defeat against the Dallas Stars on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings, who have been struggling to find consistency, saw their efforts undermined by a late-game goal and an inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

Wyatt Johnston initiated the scoring for the Stars early in the first period, marking his 25th goal of the season with a wrist shot. The Kings struggled to respond until the third period when Quinton Byfield scored on the power play, tying the game at 1-1. The goal was set up by Corey Perry, who achieved his 500th career assist, becoming the first player in NHL history to reach the milestone at age 40.

Despite the Kings' efforts and strong defensive play for much of the game, Jason Robertson scored with less than four minutes remaining in the third period, assisted by a deflection off Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson, to give the Stars a 2-1 lead. Matt Duchene then sealed the victory for Dallas with an empty-net goal in the final seconds.

Goaltender Jake Oettinger proved to be a পার্থক্য-maker for the Stars, blocking 24 shots and consistently denying the Kings' attempts to score. Darcy Kuemper made 15 saves for the Kings. The Stars' captain, Jamie Benn, returned to the lineup after missing three games due to a cut on his nose.

The Kings have struggled to score goals this season, being held to one goal in 12 of 45 games. Drew Doughty expressed his frustration after the game, acknowledging the team's strong play but lamenting the unfortunate bounce at the end. Coach Glen Gulutzan of the Stars acknowledged the gritty nature of the win, emphasizing the importance of finding a way to win close games.

With this loss, the Kings have now lost three of their last four games and are searching for answers to their offensive struggles. The Stars, on the other hand, have won two of their last three games after enduring a season-worst six-game winless streak. The Stars will visit Anaheim on Tuesday, while the Kings will host Vegas on Wednesday.