Kings’ Flight Lands in Fifth

Pilot, warm up the plane. File a flight plan for Detroit, if you please.

Forget that Colorado business. That’s for sixth-place teams.

The heavy-hitting Kings got goals from light-scoring Jaroslav Modry, Ian Laperriere and Jere Karalahti, and standup goaltending from Jamie Storr in a 3-2 win over Dallas on Friday night at Staples Center.

They also got help from San Jose, whose 3-1 victory at Phoenix enabled the Kings to clinch fifth place in the Western Conference, a spot they have held since March 13, though their grasp had been tenuous of late, slipping to one point over the Coyotes before Friday night.

Though plans await the stamp of approval from television, the King-Red Wing series probably will begin Thursday night in Detroit, with another game to follow Saturday afternoon.

Games 3 and 4 would be at Staples Center on April 17 and 19.

There remains the matter of a Sunday game against the Mighty Ducks, whose season lost its meaning Friday night when Edmonton finished the playoff bracket by clinching the final spot with a win at Vancouver.

But all of that is fodder for the mathematically inclined.

The Kings were more concerned about their situation with Dallas, which had owned them for more than five seasons, holding them without a win for 22 games, until Feb. 11 of this year.

The Kings now have a two-game winning streak over the Stars.

They fashioned this victory by suddenly remembering the “power” in power play. On this night the Kings used two power-play goals in fashioning a 3-0 lead midway through the second period.

On the first, Glen Murray set up just behind the goal line and to the left of the Dallas net. He took a pass from Jozef Stumpel and, waiting for an seam to open, found it and threaded the puck to Jaroslav Modry, who had enough space to skate in a couple of strides and launch a shot from the faceoff circle for a 1-0 lead.

It was Modry’s second power-play goal in as many games.

Suddenly energized, the Kings struck again on a second-period power play with a goal by Jere Karalahti, who rebounded a missed shot by Stumpel. The goal came at 3:49 and gave the Kings a 3-0 lead. It also marked the first time since Feb. 23 that the Kings have had more than one power-play goal in a game.

Perhaps it was a Dallas team going through the motions. Some Stars’ players have talked about being able to turn on a switch when the playoffs begin next week, and they are going to have to do just that to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

They won’t be able to do it with plays like that at 17:13 of the opening period when Jamie Pushor whirled and sent a pass that was an effort to clear the puck.

Instead, it remained in the Dallas zone, going to Luc Robitaille’s stick, and he merely waited for Ian Laperriere to clear the defense and receive a pass. Goalie Manny Fernandez was at Laperriere’s mercy on a goal that gave the Kings a 2-0 lead.

Dallas answered the Kings’ third goal with one by Kirk Muller, who took a pass from Sylvain Cote and merely popped the puck past Storr, who had gone out to challenge the play.

It remained only for the Kings to play a bit of rope-a-dope, preserving their lead, and they accomplished that in the third period with the kind of defense that has held their last five opponents to a total of six goals.

If Dan Bylsma wasn’t diving in front of a puck, Philippe Boucher was, and Storr continued to reach into a pack of Stars to come out with the puck.

The lead was cut in half when Muller scored his second goal, with Fernandez pulled for an extra attacker, with 1:14 to play. And Dallas continued to attack, and the Kings continued to rally around Storr, much to the delight of the announced 18,118, the Kings’ 19th sellout of the season.

The fans came to watch exactly what they saw: the Kings win their 38th game and decide their playoff destination.

And they were able to view something they have become unaccustomed to seeing: the Kings taking advantage of a man advantage, and at exactly the right time.

The question now is whether the power play will make the trip to Detroit.

After all, the Kings will next week following up a regular season that earned them a fifth-place finish after being projected for ninth or 10th.

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DUCKS ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS

Edmonton’s win over Vancouver knocked Anaheim from the postseason despite its victory at Nashville. Page 6