Kings Win, Surpass Last Year’s Victory Total at All-Star Break

Last season, the Kings were all but eliminated from the National Hockey League playoffs by the All-Star break.

However, barring a major collapse, the Kings are almost assured of making the playoffs this season as they head for Las Vegas today to begin a three-day vacation during the 1985 All-Star break.

How much better are the Kings than they were last season?

Sunday night, they surpassed their victory total of last season with a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins before 7,613 fans at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena.

The Kings have a record of 24-22-10 (58 points) after 56 games this season. They finished with a 23-44-13 record for 59 points last season and missed the playoffs by 14 points.

First-year King Coach Pat Quinn said: “In my opinion, and I probably shouldn’t give it because I wasn’t here last year, they probably played below what they are capable of last year. They’re performing at a better level this season. I think we have reached a plateau, but hopefully we can start going up the escalator again after the All-Star break.

“We need time away from the game and hopefully these three days in Las Vegas will refuel us. I want them to have some fun. It’s hard to come to work every night, and I sense that some of the players are tired.”

Center Marcel Dionne, who scored one goal and assisted on another against the Penguins, said the Kings, who have 24 games to play, must start getting ready for the playoffs.

“We’re not playing the type of hockey that we need to be successful in the playoffs,” Dionne said. “I know we have one more win than last year but it’s not enough. Hopefully, we will gear up for the stretch and try to catch either Winnipeg or Calgary for third place.”

Dionne suffered a pulled left groin muscle Sunday. However, he said he will make the trip to Calgary for Tuesday night’s All-Star game because it’s too late to get a replacement. Dionne, who has 33 goals this season, was the only King selected to play in the game.

The Kings played one good period here, but it was enough to beat the slumping Penguins (18-29-5), who have lost six consecutive games and are winless in their last nine (0-8-1).

Trailing 3-2 after the second period, the Kings scored two goals in a 1:27 span early in the third period to end their three-game trip with a 1-1-1 record.

Kings center Bernie Nicholls scored his second goal of the game when he rebounded a shot by defenseman Mark Hardy to tie the score at 3-3 at 4:13 of the final period.

“Bernie has been hot with his stick,” Quinn said. “We’re lucky to have a guy who can break open a tight game.”

Left wing John Paul Kelly got the game-winner at 5:46.

“We played two good periods, but unfortunately a game is 60 minutes,” Penguins Coach Bob Berry said. “We went to sleep in the third period.”

Rookie left wing Warren Young scored two goals to lead the Penguins.

“We had them down after two periods, but we had a couple of letdowns in our own zone in the third period and it cost us the game,” Young said.

“I had two goals, but I also hit the post twice. It might have been a different game if I had made those. But that’s the way things have been going for us.”

The Kings did a good job of stopping rookie center Mario Lemieux, the first player selected in the 1984 NHL draft. Lemieux, who had one goal and two assists for the Penguins in a 5-3 loss to the Kings in the first meeting between the teams last November, had two assists in the rematch.

Lemieux was knocked to the ice late in the second period when King right wing Phil Sykes hooked him, but no penalty was called. King right wing Dave Taylor knocked Lemieux down in the third period, but he wasn’t penalized, either.

Kings goalie Darren Eliot played a good game, making 23 saves. Eliot made several spectacular stops in the second period to keep the Kings in the game.

Nicholls scored his 36th goal of the season on a power play just 3:37 into the game. It was the Kings’ first shot of the game.

But the Penguins tied it at 1-1 when Young scored his 33rd goal of the season at 5:05. Lemieux set up the play when he stole the puck from Sykes and passed it to Young in the slot.

The Kings went ahead with 14 seconds left when Dionne scored his 33rd goal of the season.

But the Penguins outscored the Kings 2-0 in the second period to take a one-goal lead into the third period.

Young got his second goal at 7:56 of the second period to tie the game at 2-2. Lemieux won a faceoff and passed the puck to right wing Kevin McCarthy, who gave Young a nice pass. Young put a good move on Kings’ defenseman Garry Galley and beat Eliot for his 31st goal of the season.

Pittsburgh scored on a two-on-two break with 9:09 left in the second period to go ahead. Center Mark Taylor scored off a pass from left wing Bob Errey.

But the third period belonged to the Kings.

Kings Notes The Kings play the Boston Bruins Thursday night at the Forum. General Manager Rogie Vachon will have his jersey retired before the game. . . . The players’ wives are accompanying them to Las Vegas. . . . The Kings picked up two points on the third-place Winnipeg Jets, who lost to Vancouver Sunday. The Kings trail the Jets by four points.