Gretzky Scores Three Goals in 6-4 Win : Oilers Turn Back Kings to Take Series Edge Going Into Playoffs

The Kings’ game against the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night was supposed to be a preview of the National Hockey League playoffs, which open next week.

Well, if that’s the case then the series figures to be really close.

Wayne Gretzky scored three goals, including an empty-netter with eight seconds left as the Oilers beat the Kings, 6-4, before 14,835 fans at the Forum.

The Kings trailed 3-0 after the first period and 4-1 early in the third period, but they made a game out of it.

The Kings called timeout and pulled goalie Bob Janecyk for an extra skater with 1:18 left and the move paid off when Dave Taylor scored with 59 seconds left to close the score to 5-4.

But Gretzky got his sixth hat trick of the season when he tapped the puck into an empty net with eight seconds left.

It was the Oilers’ first win over the Kings in three games and enabled Edmonton to beat the Kings in the season series (4-3-1).

Gretzky, who had four points, extended his latest scoring streak to 26 consecutive games, the longest streak in the NHL this season. He also regained the NHL goal-scoring lead from injured teammate Jari Kurri with his 70th, 71st and 72nd goals of the season. Gretzky just missed getting another goal in the second period when Janecyk stopped him on a breakaway. Janecyk got a standing ovation.

Kurri, who became the first right wing in the NHL ever to score 70 goals, cracked his baby finger at the knuckle in a game against Boston last Thursday. Kurri is being fitted with a cast that will enable him to play, but he isn’t expected back until the playoffs.

The Oilers open defense of their Stanley Cup championship when they meet the Kings next Wednesday in the first round of the playoffs in Edmonton.

And if goalie Grant Fuhr can keep playing like he did against the Kings, they just might make it two straight.

Fuhr, who suffered a partially separated shoulder earlier this season, looks fully recovered. He looked especially sharp in the first period when he made 17 saves to blank the Kings.

Left wing Mike Krushelynski added a power-play goal and also had two assists.

The Kings (33-32-13), who have lost six of their last seven games, aren’t exactly going into the playoffs on a high note.

Mark Napier, who had one goal and two assists scored an unassisted goal at 3:16 of the third period to give the Oilers a 4-1 lead.

Kings defenseman Dave (Tiger) Williams scored his fourth goal in 10 games since he was traded from Detroit last month with 14:53 left in the third period.

But Gretzky set up a goal by left wing Jaroslav Pouzar with 10:56 left to give the Oilers a 5-2 lead.

Kings center Bob Miller scored his first goal in 22 games with 8:44 left off a pass from defenseman Mark Hardy. And then Taylor scored to bring the Kings to within a goal.

The Oilers (49-19-10), who have already clinched the Smythe Division title, have the second best record in the league, one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers (51-20-7).

The Oilers held a 15-minute team meeting after practice Tuesday morning. Whatever Coach Glen Sather said must have been effective, because they scored two goals in the first three minutes of the game and led, 3-0, at the end of the first period.

Gretzky had two goals in the first period. He took 6 of the Oilers’ 14 shots in the first period.

The Kings had several good scoring chances in the first period, but Fuhr gave a textbook performance on how to play goal, making 17 saves in the first 20 minutes.

Gretzky scored on the second shot of the game when Napier took the puck away from rookie defenseman Craig Redmond behind the net. Napier passed it to Gretzky, and he slid the puck under Janecyk’s right arm from five feet away for his 70th goal of the season.

The Oilers had their first power-play just 58 seconds into the game after Williams was called for holding.

Defenseman Ken Hammond, who was signed to a contract by the Kings Monday after leading RPI to the NCAA hockey championship last weekend in Detroit, made his NHL debut on the penalty-killing unit. And Hammond made a mistake which led to the Oilers’ second goal.

Hammond caught a slapshot by Napier with his glove, but he lost control of the puck and it hit Janecyk in the leg. Krushelynski knocked it into the net to give Edmonton a 2-0 lead with 17:13 left in the first period.

A couple of minutes later Gretzky fell down while he was trying to get around Hammond in the Kings’ zone and the crowd chanted “Gretzky bleeps” for the first time all night. Hammond also stopped a three-on-one break when he fell down and smothered the puck.

Gretzky got his second goal with 6:18 left in the first period when he beat Janecyk with a backhander.

The Kings had three power plays in the first period, but they couldn’t connect.

Right wing Jim Fox missed a good scoring chance when he shot wide.

Fuhr was at his best with 18 seconds left in the first period when, while lying on his back, he made a spectacular series of saves on shots by rookie defenseman Garry Galley and Williams from close range.

The Kings finally scored two minutes into the second period when Fox took a pass from Galley 10 feet inside the blue line and made his 30th goal of the season on a 35-foot slap shot. It was his first goal in seven games.

Janecyk got his standing ovation when he stopped Gretzky on a breakaway with 7:59 left in the second period, going high to make a nice glove save.

The Kings hit the post twice in the second period on shots by Williams and Terry Ruskowski.

The Kings had a three-on-one in the last minute of the second period, but Fuhr made a good save.

Notes

Kings center Doug Smith, who has missed the last two games after reinjuring his knee last week in a game against Calgary, is expected to start skating today. . . . The Kings close out the regular season this weekend with back-to-back games against the Vancouver Canucks, Friday in Vancouver and Saturday at the Forum.