Kings’ Home-Sickness Continues With 5-4 Loss : Win by Capitals Leaves L.A. at 2-11-2 in Forum and Worst Overall in NHL

All the Kings want for Christmas is to win a game at the Forum.

The Kings, who haven’t won a home game since Nov. 16, opened a two-game home stand with a 5-4 loss to the Washington Capitals Saturday night before 10,029 fans.

Los Angeles is 2-11-2 at home this season and winless in the last five games here. Overall, the Kings have lost three games in a row and are 7-19-4, the worst record in the National Hockey League.

“What does a guy say, that we’re (bleep)?” asked King left wing Dave (Tiger) Williams, who had one goal and an assist. “For whatever reason, we can’t seem to win at home.”

Said King Coach Pat Quinn: “Our home record is something that is unacceptable, but there have been many things this year that have been unacceptable.

“As to why it happens, I guess they have been asking it (why can’t the Kings win at home?) since the inception of this organization.

“But if we have more efforts like tonight, I think we’ll have some wins. Tonight was the best team effort we’ve had in a while. I liked what I saw. There were some individual breakdowns; we’ve still got some work to do.”

Bob Gould, who has been moved from right wing to left wing to center, scored two goals as Washington won its fifth straight game. The Capitals (18-7-3) have won 9 of their last 10 games and have the third best record in the league this season behind Edmonton and Philadelphia.

With the score tied at 2-2, the Capitals scored two unassisted goals just 14 seconds apart in the second period after giveaways by Kings Lyle Phair and Anders Hakansson.

Capital defenseman Kevin Hatcher scored after he took the puck away from Phair, and Gould scored his second goal of the game after Hakansson’s mistake.

“He (Hakansson) tried to make a pass up the middle,” Gould said. “I shot it where I wanted to put it, but it wasn’t quite as hard. I just tried to shoot fast.

“Those goals made quite a bit of difference. When you’re playing at home and get behind by two, you start to press.”

Dave Christian scored a power-play goal for the Capitals 42 seconds into the second period, and right wing Craig Laughlin also scored for Washington, deflecting a shot by Scott Stevens. Washington goalie Al Jensen made 23 saves as he ran his unbeaten streak to nine games (8-0-1) and his overall record to 12-3-2.

“The team played great,” Jensen said. “This was a good way to start a road trip.”

Right wing Len Hachborn, who was playing in his first home game after being acquired last week from the Philadelphia Flyers, scored two goals to lead the Kings.

Hachborn, who normally plays center, replaced right wing Dave Taylor on a line with center Marcel Dionne and Morris Lukowich. Taylor sat out the game with a strained neck, but Quinn said he doesn’t expect the injury to keep Taylor out for a prolonged period.

On the Kings’ first shot of the game, at 3:02, Hachborn scored his first goal in five games with the team.

“It would have been a lot nicer if we’d won the game, but it’s nice to start scoring,” Hachborn said. “I didn’t even know Dave was hurt. I found out just before the game that I would be playing with Dionne.”

Hachborn said he was happy when the Kings bought out his contract from the Flyers.

“I was glad to get another shot at the NHL,” he said. “I figured after training camp that my days in the Flyers’ organization were done. I had trouble with the coach.”

Hachborn’s second goal tied it at 2-2, but the Capitals outscored the Kings, 3-1, to take a 5-3 lead into the final period.

King center Bernie Nicholls scored his 14th goal of the season off a pass from Williams with 5:05 left in the third period to close the gap to one goal. Nicholls also got an assist on Williams’ goal, which came in the second period.

Right wing Bryan Erickson and Lukowich had two assists apiece.

The Kings pulled goalie Darren Eliot for an extra skater with 59 seconds left, and Dionne had a goal disallowed with 11 seconds remaining. Dionne put in the puck just after the net was knocked loose as Williams pushed Capital defenseman Rod Langway into the goal.

“I was going in after the puck,” Langway said, “and I stopped in front of the net, and Williams cross-checked me from behind. I reached out and grabbed for the net. I was just stumbling, trying to protect myself from going into the boards. After that, I was just looking for him (Williams).”

King Notes The Kings were presented with the Stroh’s Trophy before the game for having the best power-play and penalty-killing units in the league last season. However, the Kings’ power play has been a source of embarrassment this season. The Kings rank 19th in the league in power plays and 17th in penalty killing. . . . The Kings play the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night at the Forum.