The Kings took Wednesday off after victories Monday and Tuesday over the Phoenix Coyotes. They are back on the ice Thursday to face the Dallas Stars at Staples Center. It’ll be the first opponent the Kings have played other than the Coyotes and the San Jose Sharks in the Kings’ last six games, a break for them and their beat reporters.

The Kings (17-10-2) awoke Wednesday to find themselves still in fourth place in the Western Conference standings. By winning the first three games on their five-game homestand, they opened some distance between themselves and the trailing teams in the West. They were six points clear of the Sharks (12-10-6).