The Kings took an all-too-brief 2-1 over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night at Staples Center thanks to Jeff Carter’s 12th goal in as many games, an even-strength strike that banked into the net off a defender’s skate. The Stars countered with Cody Eakin’s power-play goal on a nifty backhander that caught Kings goalie Jonathan Quick by surprise. The Kings outshot the Stars 21-14 going into the third period, but the game was every bit as even as the score would indicate.