Kings Lose a Win in Last 5 Seconds, Settle for 4-4 Tie

Five seconds away from finishing a torturous trip with a sigh of relief, the Kings gagged instead.

A last-gasp goal by Washington’s Dave Christian, one of three goals the Capitals scored in the final 6:38, sent the Kings home with a 4-4 tie and without a win on their four-game sojourn.

What could have been a successful debut for newcomers Jay Miller, the fighter who unexpectedly assisted on a goal, and Steve Kasper, the defensive whiz and faceoff artist who did exactly what was expected of him without benefit of a single practice with his new teammates, disintegrated in appalling fashion with just a few ticks left on the Capital Centre clock.

That’s when Kings goalie Glenn Healy, needing only to fire the puck around the boards to kill off the remaining time, instead left it for unsuspecting defenseman Steve Duchesne.

Washington’s Bengt Gustafsson got to the puck first, flipped it to ex-King Larry Murphy behind the net, and before King defenseman Doug Crossman could react, Murphy fed the puck to Christian, who beat Healy from about 10 feet away.

“I’m very upset,” said Duchesne, who could just as well have been speaking for:

--Coach Robbie Ftorek, who blamed himself for not calling time out after Scott Stevens’ power-play goal made it 4-3 with 49 seconds left;

--Bernie Nicholls, whose chance to score 50 goals in 50 games is down to Thursday night’s game with Vancouver after he drew a 10-minute misconduct penalty and a game misconduct penalty at 11:39 of the third period;

--Wayne Gretzky, who found it inconceivable that referee Paul Stewart would toss Nicholls;

--And most of all, the disconsolate Healy, who was perfect when the teams were at even strength but was victimized 4 times when Washington had the extra man: 3 power-play goals and the final one, when goalie Clint Malarchuk was pulled for an extra skater.

“We’re a good team,” Duchesne said, “but it seems like we’re panicking. We’re not doing the same things we did in the first 2 periods tonight. There are a lot of things we’re going to have to talk about.”

With a win, that conversation undoubtedly would have revolved around Tom Laidlaw’s goal 41 seconds into the game, the 3 goals by Mike Krushelnyski, Luc Robitaille and John Tonelli in a span of 2:46 of the second period, when the Kings crafted a 4-1 lead, and the sound positional play that marked the Kings’ effort for 54 minutes.

“I thought it was one of the best defensive games we’ve played in a long time,” Laidlaw said.

Instead, the Kings were forced to dwell on the mix-up at game’s end, as well as the disparity in whistles that produced 34 penalty minutes for the Kings to 6 for the Capitals, 2 King power plays to 6 for Washington.

“They cut the boards off,” said Healy, who had retreated behind his net to retrieve the puck, looked both ways, saw Gustafsson advancing his way in front of him, then decided to leave the puck for Duchesne.

“I didn’t want to give it away. I should have shot it. I screwed up, and their man beat our man to the puck.”

Duchesne never expected to be involved in a race at the finish.

“Five seconds left--get rid of it,” he said. “Crossman thought Glenn was going to shoot the puck, I thought he was going to shoot the puck, too. Shoot the puck and go back to your net. Five seconds left in the game.”

The Kings’ troubles began building earlier, when Nicholls complained to referee Stewart about an interference call on King defenseman Dale DeGray with 8:21 left.

“I was tired of all the penalties he was calling on us,” Nicholls said. “I said to him, ‘What the . . . are you doing?”

That inquiry only caused Stewart to put his lips to the whistle once more, whereupon Nicholls uttered the unmentionable, triggering his departure.

“The guy is going for 50 goals in 50 games, and (Stewart) makes a call like that?” said Gretzky, debating the original misconduct call, not the game penalty, on Nicholls.

“People are paying 25 bucks a ticket to see the guy go for 50 goals and the next thing you know he’s out of the hockey game? I don’t think Bernie was embarrassing anyone by questioning the call.”

Stewart obviously felt differently, and soon the Kings were the ones with red faces. With DeGray still in the box, Mike Millar deflected a shot by Mike Gartner to make it 4-2, Healy arguing futilely that Millar’s stick was above his waist.

Then wing Phil Sykes, playing one of his infrequent shifts, was called for tripping Gartner with 1:56 left. Stevens’ slapshot went off Healy’s left leg and pad but still had enough on it to make the net before the goalie could glove it.

“They had a 3-on-1, and I went out and challenged Christian, who shot wide of the net,” Healy said. “The puck went out to the defenseman, and I was still getting back from the 3-on-1. I still wasn’t set when he (Stevens) shot. I was going one way, he went the other.”

That’s when Ftorek said he should have called a timeout. Once Nicholls was tossed, he said, he went primarily with two lines. By calling a timeout, he said, he could have given his players a breather.

Krushelnyski, Tonelli and Ron Duguay were on the ice when the Capitals--who had lost their last three games, all at home, in the last minute--forced an overtime.

Wasn’t Ftorek being a little hard on himself?

“No, not at all--it’s a fact,” he said, matter-of-factly.

It’s also a fact that the Kings, who started this trip just 6 points behind Calgary, have now doubled their deficit.

King Notes

Right wings Dave Taylor and Igor Liba are both expected to be out at least a week after being examined in Los Angeles Tuesday. Taylor has inflammation in his right knee, according to a team spokesman, and rest has been prescribed. Coach Robbie Ftorek said Taylor has been on anti-inflammatory medication for some time, and the team doesn’t want to take any further chances. Liba, meanwhile, has what a spokesman called a “mildly separated” shoulder after going into the boards Saturday at Hartford. It will be a week at the earliest before he practices.

Center Steve Kasper, acquired in a trade from Boston Monday, arrived during the team’s mid-day meal Tuesday, after the Kings’ skatearound. Nonetheless, Ftorek sent Kasper out for 4 critical faceoffs during a scoreless overtime period, and Kasper won 3 of them. “In the game, I didn’t think about it,” Kasper said, “but I guess the easiest way to introduce yourself is to be thrown right into it.” . . . Wayne Gretzky, who will celebrate his 28th birthday Thursday, had 2 assists, giving him 104 points.