As first steps go, it was quite a slip.

Hoping to bring all sorts of momentum to American Airlines Center in their first game back from the Olympic break, the Stars fell flat on their collective face in a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

The list of disappointments was long. The team failed once again in its attempt to win three games in a row this season. Marty Turco, who was nearly unbeatable in the six games before the break, allowed five goals on 22 shots. The top line of James Neal-Brad Richards-Loui Eriksson was weak defensively again, earning a minus-6.

And the Stars failed to pick up ground in what is going to be a tight race for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Dallas is 28-22-12, good for 68 points. It has 20 games remaining and probably will need somewhere around 27 points in those games to be in serious contention for the playoffs.

That's not an unreachable number, but one that's going to require consistent play, as well as strong goaltending.

The Stars got neither Tuesday.

While Turco was not terrible, he also was not the thief he was before the break, when he had a 1.15 goals-against average and .967 save percentage in six games. Jarret Stoll hammered the net at the 5:44 mark of the first period to pound in a goal off a shot Alexander Frolov sent through the crease.

Frolov then made a smart and patient play on a rebound for the second goal at 3:15 of the second period, and the game was pretty much done.

The Stars started taking too many chances, and the talented Kings added goals by Brad Richardson (his ninth), Ryan Smyth (his 20th) and Anze Kopitar (his 29th).

Mike Ribeiro squeezed in a tricky power-play goal, and the Stars put 14 shots on goal in the third period, but Kings goalie Jonathan Quick was solid with 31 saves.

Stars coach Marc Crawford said the defense should take a lot of the blame.

"We had a few too many passengers tonight, especially on the defense," Crawford said. "We're the kind of team where we can't have three, four, five guys not at their optimum, especially on defense. That's not an indictment of the defense, but a statement of fact."

It was a great return for the Kings, who move to 38-20-4 (80 points) and appear ready to break a seven-season run of missing the playoffs. It was not a great start for the Stars, who are hoping to avoid only their fourth season out of the playoffs since moving to Dallas in 1993.

"It's very disappointing to come back after a break and lose a game that way," defenseman Stephane Robidas said. "March is going to be a real test for us."

Briefly: Turco played his 500th career regular-season game. That is an official NHL milestone for goalies, and he will receive a crystal to mark the occasion. Turco becomes the 57th NHL goalie to reach 500 games ... Both goalies had an assist. That's the first time that has happened in an NHL game since March 23, 2006, when New Jersey's Martin Brodeur and Atlanta's Kari Lehtonen did it. Lehtonen is now on the Stars. … The Stars honored the Olympic medalists from both teams before the game ... D Mark Fistric (knee) and C Brian Sutherby (shoulder) still are on injured reserve. Fistric skated Tuesday morning and could be ready for Thursday's home game against St. Louis ... LW Fabian Brunnstrom was a healthy scratch.