Calgary Is Last Stop for Kings : 6-4 Win Puts Flames in Smythe Finals; L.A. on Sidelines Again

As it has so often in the past, the Purple and Gold faded quietly into the off-season Tuesday night.

This time, it won’t be back.

Playing for the last time in their now outdated uniforms, the Kings were eliminated from the National Hockey League playoffs by the Calgary Flames, who wrapped up their Smythe Division semifinal series with a 6-4 victory before a sellout crowd of 19,626 at the Olympic Saddledome.

Calgary won the best-of-seven series, 4-1.

Next up for the Flames, starting next Tuesday night at the Saddledome, are the Smythe Division finals, a series against the hated defending Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers that is almost as eagerly anticipated in these parts as were the Winter Olympics.

The Kings, meanwhile, head into another of their seemingly endless summers of discontent, wondering if they will ever seriously challenge for the Stanley Cup championship, or even win another seven-game playoff series, which they haven’t done since 1969.

Maybe a change of colors will help.

When the Kings don their new black, white and silver uniforms next fall, they will put behind them a season they got another coach fired, won only 1 of 42 games in which they trailed entering the third period and made the playoffs only because of the inadequacies of the NHL’s qualifying system and the ineptitude of the Vancouver Canucks.

The end came on a night when the explosive Flames, who led the NHL in scoring and power-play efficiency during the regular season and averaged six goals a game in this series, broke open a 3-2 game by scoring twice in a 35-second span early in the third period.

“That certainly put us behind the 8-ball,” said King goaltender Glenn Healy, who had trouble gripping his stick after dislocating his right thumb in a first-period collision with the Flames’ Joe Nieuwendyk. “We were right in the game, and they just got some lucky bounces.”

Hakan Loob, who scored two goals for the Flames, beat Healy with a 45-foot shot from the right point to give the Flames a 4-2 lead at 1 minute 57 seconds of the third period.

“It went off the inside of my stick and through my legs,” Healy said of the shot by Loob, who took a clearing pass by Jimmy Carson off the right-wing boards and skated into the Kings’ zone before shooting.

At 2:32, Shane Churla of the Flames leveled King defenseman Ken Hammond in the left corner, allowing teammate Tim Hunter to catch up to the puck in the left circle. Hunter quickly let fly a wild shot that caromed off the right skate of King defenseman Jay Wells and into the net.

“It would have been about 3 feet wide if it hadn’t hit Jay’s skate,” Healy said of Hunter’s shot.

Said Wells: “It was just one of those things.”

The sudden turn of events gave the Flames a 5-2 lead.

“It’s pretty tough to come back at that point,” Bernie Nicholls said.

The Kings never could, though they scored twice in the last four minutes after the Flames had built their lead to 6-2.

“They’re a great team,” Nicholls said. “We’ve got as many scorers as anybody, and they shut us down pretty good.”

They also lit up the Kings with their firepower.

Loob, who scored three goals Sunday night in the Flames’ 7-3 victory in Game 4, opened the scoring at 4:01 of the first period, firing a shot from the middle of the slot past Healy only four seconds after Wells had been called for high-sticking Hunter.

Tangled up with Nieuwendyk after a face-off, Bob Bourne of the Kings kicked the puck toward teammate Dean Kennedy, but the puck glanced off Kennedy’s stick to Loob, who beat Healy from 15 feet.

Wells pulled the Kings even at 11:06, re-directing a pass from Jimmy Carson for his first goal since Oct. 15, a drought of 58 games.

“I know,” Wells said. “I read the newspaper.”

Wells, who scored only two goals during the regular season, stole the puck inside the Calgary blue line at the left point from John Tonelli, passed to Carson in the right circle and charged the net. He took a pretty return pass from Carson and re-directed it past goaltender Mike Vernon.

The Flames, who had five power-play opportunities in the first period, regained the lead at 18:22 when Al MacInnis scored during a two-man advantage for the Flames, rifling a 30-foot shot from the right circle over Healy’s left shoulder and into the upper right corner of the net.

With Dave Taylor of the Kings already in the penalty box for slashing Rob Ramage, Hammond gave the Flames a two-man advantage when he tripped Nieuwendyk on a breakaway.

MacInnis scored 11 seconds later, giving Calgary a 2-1 lead.

Nicholls pulled the Kings even at 2:45 of the second period, taking a pass in front from Wells, who stopped a clearing pass from Mike Bullard at the blue line before threading a pass to Nicholls.

Only 53 seconds later, though, the Flames regained the lead at 3-2 on a 60-foot shot from the left point by Paul Reinhart.

King Notes

Since winning the 1982 first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers that spawned the “Miracle on Ice,” the Kings have won only 3 of 18 playoff games. . . . The Kings have won only 4 of 18 playoff series in 21 seasons, and have never advanced beyond the second round in postseason play. . . . Jay Wells didn’t score another goal in the regular season after scoring two in the Kings’ first four games. . . . The Kings were 1-37-4 in games in which they trailed entering the third period. . . . Jim Fox, who missed 13 games with an injury to his right knee that will require arthroscopic surgery after the season, returned to the Kings’ lineup for the first time since March 10. . . . Defenseman John English and forwards Craig Duncanson and Dan Gratton did not make the trip.

Gary Suter, who had an assist Tuesday night, led the Flames with nine points in the series, including eight assists. Al MacInnis had eight points, including six assists, and Hakan Loob scored seven goals. . . . For the Kings, Jimmy Carson and Bernie Nicholls each had eight points. Carson led the Kings with five goals. . . . Joe Nieuwendyk of the Flames, who led National Hockey League rookies with 51 goals, has scored only 1 goal in 13 games.