Stars Win: Jagr Scores Twice Against Kings

The Dallas Stars win 5-2 over the 2012 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings Thursday. Veteran winger Jaromir Jagr scored twice for the Stars, who moved to 12-9-2 on the season with the win.

Cody Eakin added a goal and an assist in the Stars victory, while Kari Lehtonen made 31 saves on 33 shots. Lehtonen gave up a goal midway through the first period to Trevor Lewis, and another late in the second period to Jeff Carter.

Jonathon Quick wasn’t his usual self, giving up four goals on 21 shots for a disastrous .810 save percentage. Dustin Penner was named the third star of the game with one assist for the Kings.

Jaromir Jagr has been great for the Stars this season after a stint with the Philadelphia Flyers last year. Jagr didn’t play in the NHL for three seasons due to scouts insisting he can no longer hack it in the best hockey league in the world.

Jagr proved everyone wrong, playing well enough in the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia to earn a chance back in the NHL. Jagr scored 53 points in 73 games in his return with the Flyers last year.

Jaromir Jagr made a name for himself with the Pittsburgh Penguins to start his career, playing for the Penguins for 11 seasons before a three-year stint with the Washington Capitals. Jagr played four years with the New York Rangers before moving to the KHL.

The Dallas Stars have had an up and down start to the lockout-shortened season. The Pacific Division is the only in the NHL which every team is above .500, and the Stars were expected to be near the bottom all year long.

The Stars currently hold on to the seventh position in the Western Conference, much better than anyone could have expected going into the season. They next play the Phoenix Coyotes Saturday as they look jump a few spots in the division. The Coyotes have lost two straight games going into the contest with the Stars.

The Los Angeles Kings are now 12-8-2 after the loss to the Stars and are currently fifth in the Western Conference. The Kings and tied with the Stars and the San Jose Sharks in the Pacific. All three teams trail the Anaheim Ducks by nine points.

Jaromir Jagr has 18 points on the season and has shown no signs of slowing down. The 41-year-old has added a lot of experience to a young team with loads of talent making for a winning formula. The Stars win 5-2 over the Kings as the Western Conference playoff race begins heating up.