Unable to Put Canucks Away, Kings Lose, 5-3

It just wouldn’t have been the Kings’ nature to make it easy on themselves by eliminating the Vancouver Canucks from playoff contention Friday night.

Instead, the Kings, who have won only once in their last seven games, lost to the Canucks, 5-3, enabling Vancouver to end its 12-game winless streak and keep its slim playoff hopes alive for at least another few days.

For the third straight season, the Canucks won the season series against the Kings.

But for the second straight season, it probably won’t make any difference.

Even if the Canucks, who have not won more than two straight games this season, should win their five remaining games, the Kings could qualify for the playoffs by winning only two of six.

Bob Bourne seemed to express the sentiments of his teammates when he said of the Canucks: “I really don’t think they’re going to win their next five games, so I’m not worried.”

Still, the Kings had a chance to eliminate the Canucks before a crowd of 10,021 at the Pacific Coliseum.

They lost when a charging Rich Sutter took a centering pass from Petri Skriko and deflected it past goaltender Rollie Melanson to score for the Canucks with 4 minutes 59 seconds left.

Skriko, who had three assists, added an empty-net goal for the Canucks with five seconds remaining.

“It sure would have been easier to get it over with, but they had to throw everything at us,” Bourne said. “I’m sure if our backs were against the wall, it would have been a different story.

“It’s disheartening, but I thought we played well. It would have been fun to go home having wrapped it up, but we’re still six points ahead.”

The Canucks, limited to 13 shots on goal in a lackluster 2-0 loss to goaltender Glenn Healy and the Kings Feb. 28 at Vancouver, were more animated this time.

They scored on 2 of 12 first-period shots, taking a 2-0 lead in the first 7 minutes 47 seconds on goals by Barry Pederson and Jim Benning.

Pederson scored at 4:31, taking the puck after it had squirted out of a pileup in front of the net and firing a 15-foot shot past Melanson.

At 7:47, Benning took a pass just outside the crease from Skriko, who made a spin move in the left circle and sent the puck through the crease. Melanson deflected it, but the pass still made its way to Benning, who scored into the unprotected net before Melanson could re-position himself.

The Kings, who are 1-4-2 this month, pulled even by scoring twice in a 45-second span of the second period.

Jimmy Carson scored on a rebound at 5:27 for his 47th goal of the season. Carson, who has scored goals in five straight games and six of seven, was to the right of the net and almost at the goal line when he fired a shot off the left leg of goaltender Steve Weeks and into the net.

Chris Kontos, called up from the minors Thursday to replace suspended center Bernie Nicholls, scored at 6:12 after taking a pass from Luc Robitaille, who fed his teammate in the right circle from the right-wing boards.

Kontos, acquired by the Kings last month in a trade that sent Bryan Erickson to the Pittsburgh Penguins, made a full pivot as he took the pass and snapped a shot under Weeks’ left arm. Kontos is the fourth player acquired in a trade this season who has scored in his first game for the Kings, joining Mike Allison, Craig Laughlin and Ron Duguay.

The Canucks, though, quickly reclaimed the lead after Melanson was penalized for tripping Tony Tanti. With Laughlin serving the penalty for Melanson, David Bruce scored a power-play goal for the Canucks at 8:25, re-directing a shot from the right point by Doug Lidster.

The Canucks, who were 0-10-2 since their last win Feb. 21, took the 3-2 lead into the seventh minute of the third period, whereupon Bourne pulled the Kings even again at 6:31.

King Notes

If the Kings and the Canucks wind up with the same number of points and victories, Vancouver would advance to the playoffs because it outscored the Kings, 26-23, in their season series. . . . The Kings will open a four-game home stand tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. . . . Bernie Nicholls, serving a five-game suspension for swinging his stick at Ulf Samuelsson of the Hartford Whalers in a game March 9 at Hartford, Conn., will rejoin the Kings for their last two games of the regular season--April 1 at Calgary and April 3 at Edmonton. . . . Chris Kontos, who made his debut for the Kings, had 8 goals and 16 assists in 16 games for the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate at New Haven, Conn. . . . Jay Wells has missed four straight games and 14 of 16 with a groin injury. . . . Jim Fox has missed three straight games with a bruised knee. . . . Ken Hammond has missed the last two with a sprained knee and ankle.