Dustin Brown

Something is not quite right with the Kings. Dustin Brown, their captain, their heartbeat, can feel it. He told his teammates so Sunday, after a 3-2 loss to Nashville had dropped their post-Olympic record to 3-3-1. Usually as soft-spoken in the locker room as he is hard-hitting on the ice, Brown didn't have to shout to get their attention. "When he has something to say, everyone listens," winger Wayne Simmonds said. "He had said that we have to get on the same page right now. It's something that we've got to listen to."

DETROIT - One streak of 314 consecutive games played ended and another one, seemingly headed for a meek and mild ending, suddenly caught another wind. Yes, you could make a connection between the two developments at Joe Louis Arena. On Wednesday, Kings captain Dustin Brown was assessed a two-game suspension by the NHL for an elbow to the head of Minnesota's Jason Pominville, ending Brown's streak of 314 games played. BOX SCORE: Red Wings 3, Kings 1 Hours later, his teammates went out and lost their sixth straight road game as the Red Wings beat the Kings, 3-1, giving fresh hope to Detroit's postseason chances and the possibility their playoff run could extend to 22 straight seasons.

The telepathy that helps Vancouver Canucks forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin work their magic with the puck is easy to understand: They're identical twins and blessed with an uncanny connection. The nonfraternal anticipation that enabled Kings forwards Dustin Brown of Ithaca, N.Y., and Anze Kopitar of Jesenice, Slovenia, to combine for the third goal in a 4-1 victory at Staples Center on Friday night can't be explained by a shared heritage ? but it was as splendid as any of the Sedin twins' best moves.

Kings tonight VS. DALLAS When: 7:30. Where: Staples Center. On the air: TV: FS West. Radio: 1150. Records: Kings 20-10-3, Stars 14-8-9 Record vs. Stars: 2-0. Update: The Kings are unbeaten during regulation in December with a 5-0-1 record that includes a three-game winning streak. Some reasons why: Jarret Stoll has points in six consecutive games, Dustin Brown has a goal and five assists in his last six, Jack Johnson has a goal and seven points in his last six games and Wayne Simmonds has four goals and nine points in his last nine games.

Every game is an adventure that rearranges the absurdly congested Western Conference standings. The Kings added to the chaos Thursday with a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, earning two valuable points in a five-round shootout decided when Dustin Brown rifled a hard shot past goaltender Antti Niemi and Kings goalie Jonathan Quick stymied Patrick Marleau. "No one thought it would be this tight," said Brown, who had scored twice in regulation, the second time with 1:42 to go in the third period.

Dustin Brown had been ejected, a consequence of the NHL's new rule against illegal checks to the head, and the Kings had to play without their captain from 8:12 of the second period onward Monday at the Xcel Energy Center. Because Rule 48 also mandates a five-minute major penalty for such hits ? even though replays appeared to show Brown struck the shoulder of Minnesota Wild forward Antti Miettinen and not the head ? the Kings also faced a five-minute power play by the Wild, which was the league's most potent team with a man advantage.

Dustin Brown apparently can thank Thomas Vanek and Dustin Penner for his six-year contract extension. Or, more accurately, the Edmonton Oilers. With an eye on Brown's becoming a restricted free agent at the end of the season, the Kings on Friday secured the power forward, reaching a deal worth $19.05 million. By signing Brown, who turns 23 next month and will make $3.175 million a season, the Kings avoided what happened to Anaheim in July. That's when the Oilers pitched a five-year, $21.

Dustin Brown can leave an impression. That was clear early in his Kings career. As a 20-year-old forward with fewer than 40 NHL games on his resume, he went to work. In one week, he clobbered three future Hall of Famers -- Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom, the Ducks' Chris Pronger and Colorado's Joe Sakic -- to start the 2005-06 season. Some remember. "I recall that. I had the puck, then I was on the ice," Lidstrom said. Some don't. "Nope, don't remember it," Pronger said. "Who can Brown hit for you?"

Kings tonight AT EDMONTON When: 6:30 PST. Where: Rexall Place. On the air: Radio: 1150. Records: Kings 13-9-2, Oilers 10-11-3. Record vs. Oilers (2008-09): 2-0-2. Update: Andrei Loktionov, promoted from Manchester (N.H.), will make his NHL debut at center with Alexander Frolov and Dustin Brown. Teddy Purcell, who hasn't scored a goal since the second game of the season, was moved up to the first line with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams.