(Sports Network) - Owners of the highest win total in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Kings will try to win their seventh straight home game to begin the season and fifth straight overall when they host the Dallas Stars tonight at the Staples Center.
The Kings are second in the NHL with 10 wins -- one behind the Capitals' 11- win total -- and are tied with the Blues for the most points in the Western Conference with 20. Their current winning streak includes victories in the first three contests of a four-game homestand and Los Angeles' 6-0 mark at the Staples Center is their best start at home since going 7-0 in 1980-81.
The club's fourth straight victory overall came on Saturday, a 4-1 victory against Nashville. Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown each had a goal and an assist.
Playing in his 1,000th game, Ryan Smyth also scored and became the 257th player in league history to reach the milestone as well as the 17th to do so in a Kings uniform. He will be honored by the club for his achievement prior to tonight's game.
"It's an honor. It's overwhelming. I obviously still remember the first game, but it's been 1,000 games," Smyth said. "You look back and there's some great times, there's some tough times, [and] there's sad times. You go through so many different emotions throughout every hockey game, and obviously I can't remember them all, but I'm just honored to play in the NHL."
Jonathan Bernier made 25 saves and Justin Williams had two assists to give him four goals and five helpers over a seven-game point streak for the Kings, who are on their longest winning streak since winning nine in a row from Jan. 21- Feb. 6.
Los Angeles will skate tonight without defenseman Willie Mitchell and forward Alexei Ponikarovsky. Mitchell will miss the next four-to-six weeks with a fractured wrist suffered versus the Predators, while Ponikarovsky suffered a broken finger in the game that will keep him out for a month.
"We'll make adjustments," Kings head coach Terry Murray told his team's website. "It's a competitive game, and when you play hard, stuff happens in a game, injuries happen."
The Stars will be aiming to get on track tonight after having a three-game winning streak snapped with Saturday's 5-0 setback at Colorado. Dallas had outscored its opposition, 15-5, over its win streak before getting shut out for the second time this season.
Andrew Raycroft was tagged for all five goals on 45 shots for the Stars.
"They played a strong game," said Dallas defenseman Nicklas Grossman. "We have to find a way to execute better. Tonight it was frustrating, especially knowing that we can score goals. That's the way it is in this league, there are no easy games."
Both Loui Eriksson and Brad Richards saw five-game point streaks come to an end, while Brenden Morrow, who leads the club with seven goals, failed to light the lamp for the sixth time in eight games.
The Kings have won six of their last seven over the Stars, including a 5-2 victory in Dallas on Oct. 28. Los Angeles has also won four of six and seven of its last 10 at home over the Stars.