Another day, another game with serious implications in the Western Conference playoff race.

But not another win for the Los Angeles Kings.

The Dallas Stars, nipping at the Kings' heels in the conference standings but on the outside of the playoff picture coming in, handed the Kings their first regulation home loss since opening night, taking a 5-2 win Thursday at Staples Center.

In the process, Dallas (12-9-2) drew even with Los Angeles (12-8-2) with 26 points and leaped from ninth place into a four-way tie for fifth.

Jaromir Jagr, continuing to defy age and common wisdom, scored twice for the Stars, including a backbreaker midway through the third period to put Dallas up 4-2.

Back in the NHL for a second year -- but his first season with the Stars -- after spending the previous three in Kontinental Hockey League, the 41-year-old veteran has nine goals on the season.

Jagr spent last year with the Philadelphia Flyers, but after growing impatient over the summer, he signed with the Stars for one year at $4.55 million. It was a significant raise, and with it came a bigger role.

"I'm getting paid a lot more money than I did last year, so I have more responsibility on the power play and scoring goals," Jagr said. "So I have to change my thinking a little bit. I have to be more hungry for the goals than I was last year."

Meanwhile, halfway through the season, some of his younger teammates are moving beyond the awe of playing alongside an NHL legend and simply accepting him as a teammate.

"As time goes on, you get comfortable and you get to know him a little bit," said Stars center Cody Eakin, who scored in the second period. "But it's still pretty neat."

Antoine Roussel added an empty-netter for the Stars' final goal.

The loss was the Kings' first in regulation at home since falling to the Chicago Blackhawks to open the season on Jan. 19. Los Angeles had won six straight at Staples Center.

"If you're giving up four goals a game, you can't win," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "You need better goaltending and better defense, simple."

Not that the Kings didn't have their chances. They outshot the Stars 33-22 but managed just two goals against Kari Lehtonen, who finished with 31 saves.

Lehtonen is 7-1 in his past eight starts.

"We had a few days off, which was different because this year we usually play every other night or more," Lehtonen said. "So it was nice to get three days off, and after that come out strong."

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick surrendered four goals on 21 shots.

"Yeah, I didn't stop them, and usually when you don't stop pucks, they go in," Quick said.

An entertaining first period ended in a 1-1 tie on goals by Jagr and the Kings' Trevor Lewis.

Jagr got it started, beating Quick with a power-play goal.