Kings Make a Point, but Comeback Nets Only a Tie With the Oilers, 4-4

In two games last month against the Edmonton Oilers, the Kings were almost laughable.

It was more of the same through the first period Tuesday night at the Forum, where they fell two goals behind in the first 17 minutes 26 seconds.

“Everything was going so well in the first period, I think we thought it might be a cakewalk,” said John Muckler, co-coach of the Oilers.

This time, however, the Kings got the last laugh on the defending Stanley Cup champions, rallying from a 3-1 deficit to gain a 4-4 tie before a crowd of 11,393.

The Kings had a potential game-winning goal by Paul Fenton taken away with 9:20 left when it was ruled that Fenton’s stick was above his shoulder when a shot by Jay Wells deflected off of the stick and into the net.

And a shot by Jimmy Carson with about three minutes left in regulation ricocheted hard off the right post.

Still, Carson said: “We can’t be upset with this because Edmonton is a great team. We forechecked, we were all over them.”

Said Coach Mike Murphy: “You can outplay Edmonton all night long and not win the game because they can really score.”

But in the last 47 1/2 minutes, after they opened a 3-1 lead, all the Oilers could manage was a goal by Mark Messier with 17:04 left in regulation that tied the score, 4-4.

“We made a few errors in that first period that were unforced,” Murphy said. “We gave the puck away. Without those errors, we win the game.”

Although they, too, had their chances to win, the Oilers seemed relieved to escape with a five-game unbeaten streak intact.

“L.A. played really well,” Muckler said. “If they continue to play like that, they’ll be a threat.”

Said Wayne Gretzky, who did not have a shot on goal: “They just seemed to be everywhere. They were checking really well. They kept us clogged up.”

Bob Carpenter gave the Kings a 4-3 lead with 19:22 left, scoring on a wrist shot from the top of the left circle.

The Oilers tied it after Glenn Anderson stole a pass at the Oilers’ blue line and passed it ahead to Jari Kurri. Kurri and Messier worked the 2-on-1 breakaway perfectly, Messier taking a pass from Kurri in the right circle and firing a shot past goaltender Rollie Melanson.

With less than 10 minutes left, Fenton scored the goal that was immediately disallowed.

“You always like to think it’s legal, but the referee decided it wasn’t and the referee always wins,” Fenton said. “It’s a judgment call, and that’s the way he called it.”

Carson’s shot beat Edmonton goaltender Grant Fuhr but was slightly off the mark.

“I got a great shot off and I had him beat,” said Carson, who took a pass from Dave Taylor along the right side. “It just hit the inside of the post. It’s unfortunate, but I’m sure I’ll get my share of goals this season that I don’t deserve.”

The Oilers seemed to go flat after jumping out to the early lead. They were outshot in the second period, 12-5, as the Kings tied the game.

Taylor cut the Kings’ deficit to 3-2 with 1:33 left in the first period after retrieving the rebound of his own shot behind the net.

He passed behind the net to Carson, took a return pass and quickly jammed the puck into the lower right corner of the net as Fuhr scrambled in vain to get back into position.

At 8:14 of the second period, Carson put in a rebound of a shot by Steve Duchesne to tie the score, 3-3.

Duchesne stepped in front of a clearing pass, knocking the puck to the ice and taking a shot that kicked out to Carson, who beat Fuhr for his first goal in five games and 10th overall.

Edmonton scored on a similar play just 1:41 into the game. Kevin McClelland used his chest to knock down a clearing pass by Mark Hardy, then shot the puck high into the net past Melanson.

The Kings tied it on a shot from the slot by Tim Tookey, who took a perfect pass from Fenton, who chased down the puck in the right corner.

With 5:26 left in the period, Edmonton’s Jim Wiemer took an errant centering pass by Gretzky off the boards along the left side and fired a shot from just inside the blue line that sailed into the upper right corner of the net.

Dave Hunter gave the Oilers a 3-1 lead with 2:34 left in the period, knocking into the net a rebound of a shot by Normand Lacombe.

Melanson, in disgust, broke his stick, slamming it to the ice.

King Notes

Agent Alan Eagleson, who represents suspended King defenseman Craig Redmond, spoke Monday night with Rogie Vachon, asking the Kings’ general manager to allow Redmond to play for the Canadian Olympic team. Vachon has been trying to trade Redmond, a former first-round draft choice, since Redmond refused last month to report to the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate at New Haven, Conn. “I thought they might have an interest in letting him play for the Olympic team in an effort to showcase him,” Eagleson said. Vachon said he is willing to let Redmond play for Team Canada but only if Redmond agrees to waive his salary. He said that if he lets Redmond play for the Olympic team, “I’ll be doing him a favor.” Both Eagleson and Vachon said they hope to have the matter resolved by the end of the week. . . . In light of the decision last week by the British Columbia Supreme Court to reduce by $300,000 the fine assessed by the National Hockey League against the Vancouver Canucks for the signing of former King Coach Pat Quinn, the Kings believe that the NHL will reduce the fine against the Kings for their involvement in the matter. However, attorney Jerry Fine said that before the Kings act they will wait to see if the NHL appeals last week’s decision, which reduced the fine against the Canucks to $10,000. The Kings were fined $130,000--$10,000 for every day they knew that Quinn, then under contract as their coach, had signed another contract to become president and general manager of the Canucks while still under contract to the Kings. . . . In seven starts at New Haven, goaltender Bob Janecyk is 6-1 with a 1.71 goals-against average. . . . The Kings, who play at Calgary Friday night, play five of their next six games on the road.