Dionne’s Line Leads Way as Kings Win 4th in Row

On that day more than 11 years ago when the Kings acquired Marcel Dionne, and Jack Kent Cooke declared he had just signed “the best player in the game,” it was viewed as just another time when the owner overdid the superlatives.

If Cooke exaggerated, it was only a pardonable little bit. Dionne, over the years, has come to be considered one of the great players in the sport.

At 35, the clever center is more than just a team leader, teacher and model for the youngsters on the club. He is also the team’s leading scorer.

Dionne and his young linemates, Bryan Erickson and Luc Robitaille, set a torrid pace as the Kings overwhelmed the road-weary Chicago Blackhawks, 7-2, Saturday night at the Forum. While Erickson had two goals and two assists, Dionne was on the ice for four goals and had an assist in the Kings’ fourth consecutive victory.

It was the Kings’ first win over former Coach Bob Pulford’s team in more than two years. For the Blackhawks, it was a sad ending to a 2-4 trip that included a victory over Edmonton.

The Kings, in their most one-sided win of the season, outshot the visitors, 46-21. It has not always been that easy in Dionne’s long, meritorious career.

There have been many seasons when he has had to play surrounded by players with little talent.

Pulford was the coach when Cooke signed Dionne as a free agent. Pulford was not in favor of the deal. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t like Dionne, it was the players the Kings had to give to Detroit for compensation.

Pulford, a defensive-minded player, was the same kind of coach. The Kings gave up their two best defensive players. Dan Maloney, who now coaches at Winnipeg, was the toughest forward in the league, and Terry Harper was an outstanding defenseman.

There were some lean years for the Kings and seasons of despair for Dionne. There were times when he wanted to leave, but he stayed to have some excellent seasons. Six times he scored 50 or more goals for a team that didn’t score many.

Most seasons he was their leading scorer. This season is no exception. He has 36 points in 28 games.

“I feel good,” he said. “As long as I get ice time, I will keep playing. I don’t want to stay around if I’m not getting to play.

“I’m really enjoying playing with my two young wings. Butsy (Erickson) had a tremendous game tonight, and Luc (Robitaille) is going to be a great one.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing with new young talent. I think it’s an advantage for them, too.”

With 675 career goals, 700 is not out of reach for Dionne. In cities where hockey is king, he would be acclaimed for his multitude of achievements. Instead, he’s just remembered as the best hockey player this city ever had.

The Kings controlled Saturday night’s game from the outset, but it wasn’t until Bernie Nicholls scored early in the second period to make it 2-1 that the Blackhawks started to fall out of contention.

It was a relatively easy night for goaltender Darren Eliot, who has been the netminder in all four games of the winning streak. For the first 36 minutes, he faced only eight shots.

The strategy against a team that is approaching the end of a long trip is to put heavy pressure on it right from the opening faceoff. The Kings did just that.

They kept the puck in the Chicago end almost the entire first period, scored an early goal, outshot the Blackhawks, 18-4, in the first 20 minutes and were fortunate to wind up tied, 1-1.

The Kings scored at 2:15 on the first shift for the Dionne line. Robitaille stole the puck, passed to Dionne, who shot from medium range. Veteran goaltender Murray Bannerman made the save, but Erickson knocked in the rebound.

The Blackhawks got a tying goal after one was canceled because Ed Olczyk, coming in on a two-on-one break, fanned on his shot and kicked the puck into the net.

Finally, at 15:38 of the period, just as referee Andy van Hellemond was calling a penalty against the Kings, Chicago defenseman Marc Bergevin let fly from just inside the blue line, and the puck sailed into the net.

The Kings then scored four straight goals in the second period, including one while short-handed, to pull in front, 5-1.

Erickson got the short-handed goal, stealing a pass and firing a 40-footer past Bannerman.

Erickson had two assists in the period, one on Jay Wells’ power-play goal when, while lying on the ice behind the net, he passed out front to give Wells a glorious opportunity. The defenseman made the most of it.

Denis Savard got his 13th goal for the Blackhawks to end a string of four straight King goals, and it came with just 3:05 left in the second period. It was only the eighth shot on goal for Chicago.

King Notes

The Kings will leave Monday for a quick trip to New York. Tuesday night, they’ll play the Islanders, and Wednesday night, theyIll meet the Rangers. They’ll return to play Calgary next Saturday. . . . Defenseman Craig Redmond, who is out with a torn knee cartilage, said it would be another two or three weeks before he can even skate. . . . The Blackhawks are also without a defenseman, Behn Wilson, who injured his back in the playoffs last spring and still is not ready to play. . . . For the Blackhawks, this was the end of a trip that began Nov. 26 in Minnesota.