Analysis : Kings Reached Playoffs, but Otherwise It Was Same Old Story

When evaluating the Kings’ season, the temptation is to remark that on the one hand they’ve made dramatic improvement in some areas, and on the other hand they’ve been as dismal as ever.

It’s wishy-washy, but then, so was the team. The 1986-87 season was the same kind of roller-coaster ride that has marked King seasons in recent years. Consistently inconsistent, with no change on the horizon.

“It is a concern,” General Manager Rogie Vachon said. “With the kind of travel schedule we have, it’s going to be awfully tough to be consistent. I was disappointed. I think we should have been more consistent throughout the season. I don’t mind if we lose two or three in a row, but not eight or nine.”

All things considered, the season ended well. The Kings made the playoffs and, although they lost in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers, they were a remarkably stubborn opponent.

“This is as good as we can play,” King Coach Mike Murphy said after the Kings had beaten the Oilers in the first game.

Why can’t the Kings play like that all the time, or at least more often than they do?

They had hoped to be at least a .500 team. They reached that goal and held it for two days, finishing at .438.

There is little to account for the team’s widely varied play, excellent against an excellent Edmonton team, horrendous against a pretty bad Vancouver outfit.

“It’s been a weird season,” Vachon said. “First there was the (Coach Pat) Quinn situation and then the Marcel Dionne trade. It’s been pretty tough on us, tough for the management, players and fans.”

Here then, are the lights of the King season, high, low or otherwise:

--The Kings, with great fanfare, unveil their new ice resurfacing machine. The machine breaks down in mid-sweep between periods and the newly retired Zamboni is brought on in relief.

--The Kings celebrate the start of their 20th season by winning only three games in the first month.

--Former New York Islander Bob Bourne is acquired for $2,500 in the waiver draft. Bourne, who was on four Stanley Cup-winning teams, gets a hat trick in his first month with the team.

--Fans in Montreal heckle the King bench and throw debris at the team. The Kings can’t respond until the French-speaking Dionne and Luc Robitaille, who play on the same line, come off the ice. Dave (Tiger) Williams, who is not dressed for the game, is involved in a fight in the crowd.

--The Kings return home for the second game of a home-and-home series with Edmonton. The Oilers arrive at the airport first, though, and bribe the Kings’ bus driver with $20 to take them to their hotel. The Kings arrive and are bus-less.

--Several members of the team become sick after eating dinner on a charter flight home. “The chicken was deadly,” trainer Pete Demers said.

--A reporter from Sports Illustrated is dispatched to follow the Kings on the road and write about their difficult travel schedule. The reporter goes home before the trip is over.

--Quinn is expelled from the National Hockey League for signing a contract with Vancouver and accepting a $100,000 signing bonus. After Quinn secretly signs the contract, the Kings have upset wins over Boston and Philadelphia.

--Assistant coach Mike Murphy is named head coach. Facing reporters after his first game, Murphy asks, “Is this where Pat stands?” The Kings lose five in a row.

--Bernie Nicholls joins stars such as Merlin Olsen, Alex Karras and David Hartman and signs to play himself in a television sitcom.

--The Kings trade defenseman Garry Galley to Washington for goaltender Al Jensen. Jensen wins the first game he starts as a King. It is his only win in five games.

--In a shocking move, Dionne requests to be traded and is, to the New York Rangers. Dionne says later he wasn’t serious when he made the demand.

--After a nine-game losing streak on the road, the Kings go 4-2 on their longest, toughest road test of the season.

--The Kings lose their last three games of the season, two to Vancouver. Quinn watches the last game of the season in Vancouver from the owner’s box. Vancouver wins, 5-2.

--Williams is unchallenged as the Kings’ leader in penalty minutes. Williams is penalized 358 minutes, the equivalent of nearly six full games.

Other observations:

The Kings tied for second in offense and are second-to-last in goals-against and goals allowed.

The King special teams had mixed reviews. The power play improved dramatically, going from last to a tie for second. The penalty killing made no improvement and remained in last place.

The Kings were much improved at home. After winning only nine games at home in 1985-86, they won 20, for a .538 average. On the other hand, the Kings were worse on the road, at 11-24-5.

Three rookies, Robitaille, Jimmy Carson and Steve Duchesne, “Brought life and competitiveness to this team,” Murphy said. Robitaille and Carson finished 1-2 in rookie scoring, and Duchesne, a defenseman, was eighth.

Defense remained a weakness. The Kings were 20th in goals-against, allowing 341. “We have to bring that down if we want to be successful,” Vachon said.

Three goaltenders came out of camp, creating a confusing, frustrating rotation. Rollie Melanson emerged in the second half of the season as the goalie of choice.

Further complicating matters for next season, however, Vachon praised the work of Glenn Healy, who is with the Kings’ AHL affiliate. There could be as many as six goaltenders in camp next season. Darren Eliot is a likely prospect for a trade.

King forwards produced 318 goals. Robitaille led the team with 84 points. Nicholls was second with 81.

Vachon said his team has the nucleus of a better team, but added, “No one is sure of a job. We’ll see what happens in the summer.”

That includes Murphy, who is in the midst of negotiations with the Kings for a contract as head coach. Vachon said he hopes to settle that in the next few weeks.