Bruins’ Burridge Checks Slumping Kings With 3 Goals

As part of a checking line assigned to stop Wayne Gretzky, Boston’s Randy Burridge put on a memorable offensive show.

Burridge scored three goals for his first National Hockey League hat trick and assisted on another Thursday night as the Bruins beat the slumping Kings, 4-1, for Coach Terry O’Reilly’s 100th career victory.

Burridge got his first career hat trick as goalie Reggie Lemelin, playing in his 400th NHL game, had 18 saves, including a spectacular dive to stop Gretzky on a third-period breakaway.

The Bruins outshot Los Angeles, 32-19, in extending their home record against the Kings to 11-0-1 since Jan. 24, 1981. In their last 10 games overall, the Kings are 1-7-2. The loss dropped the Kings into third place in the Smythe Division, one point behind Edmonton.

“I guess I was lucky, particularly on the third goal that hit me and went into the empty net,” said Burridge, who is in his second full NHL season.

“Andy Brickley was covering Gretzky most of the time and that enabled Greg Johnston and I to go two-on-two a lot down low,” Burridge said. “It worked out very well. I’m really happy.

“I’ve never had a hat trick with the Bruins, so I never think of things like that. Then, after the second goal, I thought things were going my way. It turned out they certainly were.”

Johnston also scored while Gretzky, covered by Ken Linseman and Craig Janney at times on multiple shifts, managed just three shots on goal while going scoreless for only the fifth time in 54 games this season.

“Boston played better than us,” said Steve Kasper, traded by the Bruins to the Kings on Jan. 27. “Boston played a game I know they’re capable of playing. They forechecked really well, and they really limited our offensive chances.”

Lemelin, beaten for six goals in the NHL All-Star Game Tuesday night, was on the verge of handing Los Angeles its first shutout of the season. However, his bid for his 10th career shutout was spoiled by John Tonelli’s score midway through the third period.

Tonelli took a pass from Doug Crossman, skated down his left wing, eluded a Boston check and fired his 28th goal past Lemelin.

Greg Johnston took the puck from goalie Glenn Healy behind the net to set up Burridge at 4:03 of the first period. Johnston passed to Burridge, who scored his 14th goal into an empty net.

The Bruins made it 2-0 as Johnston tipped in a pass from Burridge for his fifth goal.

Tonelli pulled the Kings to within 2-1 at 10:49 of the third period, but Burridge struck back less than 3 minutes later, sending a 15-foot shot over Healy’s glove.

Then, after Healy had been pulled for a sixth skater, Burridge got his third goal when John Carter’s shot deflected off his skate into an unguarded net.