DALLAS — Adrian Kempe scored 37 seconds into overtime and the Kings beat Dallas, 3-2, on Thursday night, handing the slumping Stars their fourth consecutive loss.
Kempe one-timed a Quinton Byfield pass up and over the glove of Jake Oettinger for his second overtime winner in as many games. Kempe, who also had an assist on Thursday, scored in overtime in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues.
Darcy Kuemper made 29 saves, and former Stars Corey Perry and Cody Ceci also scored for the Kings, who have won back-to-back games to open a five-game road trip after snapping a four-game skid (0-2-2) in St. Louis. The Kings improved to 3-1-1 on the road.
Kempe’s goal from the slot was the Kings’ only rush of overtime. It was Byfield’s second assist of the game.
Wyatt Johnston and Arcadia product Jason Robertson scored power-play goals for the Stars, and Johnston also had an assist. Oettinger stopped 22 shots. Roope Hintz had a pair of assists.
Despite being outshot 8-5 in the opening frame, it was the Kings with a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.
With Mikko Rantanen in the box for cross-checking, Ilya Lyubushkin took a minor penalty for high-sticking on Perry.
The 40-year-old Perry, who played for Dallas in 2019-20, knocked home a rebound of a Kevin Fiala shot at the crease for the game’s first goal late in the first period, 22 seconds into a 35-second five-on-three power play. It was his first goal as a King.
Robertson evened the score on a power play, snapping a shot past a screened Kuemper at 4:58 of the second period.
Only 1:29 after Robertson tied the score, Ceci put the Kings back ahead with a slap shot redirected off the stick of Dallas forward Mavrik Bourque. Ceci was acquired by Dallas last February from San Jose and left for L.A. in free agency last summer.
Johnston tied it 2-2 at 2:32 of the third, putting home the rebound of Hintz’s shot for his third power-play goal and fifth overall this season.
The Kings had a deflection goal by Alex Laferriere midway through the second period disallowed after a video review determined his stick was too high.
The Stars have dropped four straight games before New Year’s for the first time since Oct. 25-Nov. 2, 2021.
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The Kings play the middle game of a five-game road trip on Saturday at 5 p.m. PT at Nashville.