Hapless Kings Lose Fourth in Row, 7-3, as Calgary Scores Six in Third

Right wing Joey Mullen cried when he was traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Calgary Flames on Feb. 1.

However, Mullen is probably feeling a little better now.

Mullen scored back-to-back power-play goals as the Flames beat the Kings, 7-3, Sunday night in front of 9,130 fans at the Forum.

“It was a pretty emotional trade,” Mullen said. “I had been in St. Louis for five years and I gave my heart and soul to the team. I thought I was producing.

“But the guys in Calgary have been great. I’ve only been here two games but I’m sure everything will fall into place.”

Mullen has three goals and three assists in two games since he joined the Flames, all against the Kings. He had one goal and two assists in a 7-2 win over the Kings last Thursday night in Calgary.

“He (Mullen) is a slick goal scorer in the style of a (Mike) Bossy,” King Coach Pat Quinn said. “He’s dangerous when he’s got the puck.”

The Kings have lost 10 straight games to Calgary dating back to last season. The Flames have outscored the Kings 58-20 during the streak.

The score was tied at 1-1 after the second period, but Calgary scored six goals in the third period to tie a team record for most goals in a period.

Calgary broke the game open by scoring three power-play goals in 48 seconds during a five-minute major penalty on King defenseman Grant Ledyard.

Ledyard was penalized for high sticking Jim Peplinski of the Flames along the boards at 7:39 of the third period to touch off a scuffle.

Flame center Joel Otto landed on top of Ledyard and King defenseman Jay Wells came to Ledyard’s rescue.

However, Wells was kicked out of the game after he received a game misconduct penalty for being the third man in the fight.

It was Wells’ third game misconduct penalty this season, meaning that he will have to serve a one-game suspension when the Kings play their next game Wednesday night against the Quebec Nordiques at the Forum.

“I have nothing to say,” Wells said as he was leaving the locker room.

Quinn said the Kings will appeal Wells’ suspension to the National Hockey League office.

“They (the officials) made an error on Jay,” Quinn said. “Otto was the third man in the fight not Jay. We asked them to call upstairs but they refused. We will appeal the call first thing in the morning.”

The Kings definitely got the worst of it from referee Don Koharski.

Peplinski and Otto received just two minutes each for roughing while the Kings lost two defenseman--Ledyard for five minutes and Wells for the rest of the game. The Kings were so short on defense that wing Phil Sykes was pressed into service as a defenseman.

Because Ledyard had received a five-minute major, the penalty didn’t end after the Flames scored their first power-play goal.

Calgary capitalized on it by scoring three power-play goals.

Mullen scored the first two power-play goals at 11:27 and 11:59 of the final period and defenseman Gary Suter added the other one at 12:15.

Right wing Colin Patterson added scored at 14:12 of the period, and the Flames then scored four goals in only 2 minutes, 35 seconds, a team record for the fastest four goals.

The game was close for two periods.

Defenseman Al MacInnis gave the Flames a 2-1 lead when he scored on a 40-foot slap shot on a power play just 36 seconds into the third period.

The Flames have scored at least one power-play goal in 12 consecutive games, while the Kings have given up power-play goals in their last 16 games.

The Kings had a chance to tie the score when they had a two-man advantage after penalties to Flame center Dan Quinn and Suter. But the Kings failed to score on six shots.

Otto scored an unassisted goal after the Kings’ power play had ended on a give-away to give the Flames a 3-1 lead at 4:28 of the final period.

However, King left wing Morris Lukowich scored his seventh goal of the season at 5:50 of the third period to cut it to 3-2. Center Bernie Nichlls and right wing Bryan Erickson got assists on the play.

But then the Flames ran away with it by scoring four straight goals.

The Kings scored on a power play with 41 seconds left as Nicholls got his 26th goal.

Both benched emptied at the end of the game, but no punches were thrown.

The Kings (17-31-6) have lost four straight games to drop into a fourth place tie with Winnipeg in the Smythe Division.