Kings Finish Regular Season With Win : Vancouver Defeated, 5-4, Though Stars Stay Home to Rest for Playoffs

As Wayne Gretzky was holding court after the Kings’ Saturday night victory over Vancouver, explaining why he wouldn’t be making the trip to Vancouver for the game the Kings won, 5-4, Sunday night without him, he took a brief break for an editorial comment.

The fact is, the Kings were able to rest Luc Robitaille, Mike Krushelnyski, Dean Kennedy and Steve Duchesne Saturday night and were then able to leave Gretzky, Bernie Nicholls, John Tonelli, Dave Taylor, Steve Kasper, Tim Watters and Tom Laidlaw home Sunday because they had clinched second place in the Smythe Division.

The back-to-back games against Vancouver that wrapped up the Kings’ schedule were so overshadowed by the upcoming seven-game series against Edmonton that it made sense to look past the Canucks and prepare for the playoffs.

The Kings will open against third-place Edmonton at the Forum Wednesday.

“In September, if anyone had said we’d be starting the playoffs at home, people would have laughed. We finished ahead of the Stanley Cup champions, that’s pretty good,” Gretzky said.

“So many people criticized Mr. (Bruce) McNall because they thought he was trading away the future. What future? They had games where they would get 7,500 people at $10 a ticket. At that rate, the franchise would fold.

“The future is now. He went out and did what he had to do. He’s the guy who went out on a limb. He did it for us again when he got us (goalie) Kelly Hrudey.”

Nicholls, too, took time out from accepting all the congratulations for his fourth hat trick and his 70th goal of the season Saturday night, to add: “The best way we can thank Mr. McNall for putting this team together for us is to win some more and bring another few rounds of playoffs to the Forum. He’s got a big contract to pay off for the Great One over there.”

Nicholls’ hat trick gave him goals No. 68, No. 69 and No. 70 and stretched his career total to 300. Seventy was Nicholls’ goal this season and it put him in elite company. Only Gretzky (four times), Phil Esposito, Jari Kurri and Mario Lemieux have scored that many goals in a season.

Gretzky had the 1,200th assist of his career on Nicholls’ 69th goal. And Nicholls said later: “Wayne probably set up 50 of those 70 goals. Playing with Wayne has been the biggest thrill that ever happened to me. . . . This is the first time I’ve ever played on a great team.”

Nicholls said that after he got No. 68 and No. 69, he was considering asking to make the trip to Vancouver Sunday in the quest of No. 70. Once he had it, he was happy for the day off.

The Kings made the trip Sunday with 16 skaters and two goalies. The plan was to use goalie Glenn Healy and give Hrudey a rest. But Healy came down with the flu so Hrudey was in goal for his seventh straight game. Healy dressed for the game but by the third period he had left the bench and the coaching staff indicated they would be calling up another goalie for the playoffs.

Chris Kontos had scored for the Kings in the first period but Steve Bozek tied it 1-1 early in the second period before the rested Robitaille chalked up his two second-period goals.

Robitaille also had an assist on the Kontos goal, bringing the puck up the left side and passing to Kontos on the right. Robitaille scored his first goal on the same move, when his pass deflected off the fallen Ronnie Stern and past goalie Kirk McLean.

The Kings had a 3-1 lead going into the third period, but quick goals by Stan Smyl and Jim Benning made it 3-3 2:17 into the period. Igor Liba put the Kings ahead, 4-3, but the Canucks answered that, too, on a backhander by Brian Bradley.

Krushelnyski--another well-rested King--got the game-winner when he took a centering pass from Jay Miller and scored as he was being knocked down at 13:36.

Kings Notes

Luc Robitaille had not had a two-goal game since Feb. 18 in a home game against Quebec. . . . Mike Allison missed the game Sunday because of a back injury. . . . The Kings were not shut out all season. They continue to add to their consecutive-game scoring streak of 252 games, the second-longest streak in NHL history. . . . The Kings finished 18th overall in the NHL standings last season and have jumped up to fourth.

KINGS vs. OILERS

Patrick Division semifinals in the Clarence Campbell Conference. Best-of-seven series. Games 5, 6 and 7 if necessary. All times Pacific Daylight:

Date Site Time Game 1 Wed. Forum 7:30 p.m. Game 2 Thursday Forum 7:30 p.m. Game 3 April 8 Edmonton 5 p.m. Game 4 April 9 Edmonton 5 p.m. Game 5 April 11 Forum 7:30 p.m. Game 6 April 13 Edmonton 5 p.m. Game 7 April 15 Forum 7:30 p.m.