STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS : Kings’ Lights Are Punched Out in Calgary : Flames Get 3 Quick Goals and Fight to an 8-3 Victory

Wayne Gretzky, stripped of his famous No. 99 jersey and down to his sweaty blue T-shirt and suspenders, was being held hostage by the Calgary Flames’ Jim Peplinski, who was trying mightily to keep Gretzky’s head locked between himself and the big guy who was charging to Gretzky’s rescue.

Gretzky’s buddy, Marty McSorley, wanted to step in, but he couldn’t for the longest time pry Gretzky loose from Peplinski’s grasp.

Once Gretzky was set free, McSorley and Peplinski squared off for some serious fisticuffs, while Calgary’s Jamie Macoun took over the task of tying up Gretzky.

Bernie Nicholls, who long before had punched the Flames’ goalie and even scored a couple of goals in the Kings’ weak effort, was watching all this from the bench. “If I were Peplinski, I’d be embarrassed,” Nicholls said. “The guy is 6-4 and he’s hiding behind Wayne? That’s embarrassing.”

Everyone on the ice had, in turn, something to be embarrassed about.

The Kings weren’t exactly boasting about the way they let things get out of hand early and lost Game 2 of their best-of-seven Smythe Division final playoff series, 8-3, to the Calgary Flames Thursday night at the Saddledome, falling behind two games to none.

Although they’ll never admit it, the officials might be a little embarrassed, too, when they look at the tapes and try to explain some of their decisions. Such as why they decided to allow the Flames’ fourth goal, scored while their goalie, Mike Vernon, was lying in the crease at the other end with his trainer kneeling over him.

Or later, why McSorley got a game misconduct in addition to five minutes for fighting in the melee that involved everyone on the ice.

Captain Dave Taylor of the Kings stayed out on the ice when the game was finally and mercifully over to ask about that. Taylor was told that McSorley got the game misconduct for being the aggressor.

Actually, it was Jay Miller who started the final all-out brawl with a crosscheck. But somebody had to start it. It was one of those games that was out of hand early and had tempers very short.

In the final tally, the penalties and penalty minutes were not as one-sided as the goals and shots on goal.

The Flames dominated the real game, taking 52 shots (a playoff record for Calgary) to get their eight goals. The Kings took just 23 shots.

But the Kings had the edge with 21 penalties and 73 penalty minutes to 18 penalties and 56 penalty minutes for the Flames.

Most of those came in that final fight.

The sellout crowd of 20,062 seemed to think that the winner of the fight was Flame wing Lanny McDonald. He earned ovations and chants for his scoring punches on the Kings’ Jim Wiemer.

Meanwhile, Miller and Joel Otto were fighting to a draw.

And yet, the aggressor was McSorley?

It all ended with Calgary police officers standing between the fans and the Kings’ bench to keep the brawl from erupting anew.

The disparity in penalties left the Kings with a seven-minute penalty to kill (with Miller in the box for crosschecking and fighting) over the last 7 minutes 15 seconds of the game.

Not that it mattered much.

The Flames went ahead, 4-0, at 11:35 of the first period while the Flames’ trainer, Jim (Bearcat) Murray, was on the ice, tending to Vernon, who had been tagged with a right by Nicholls that sent him into the left post. Al MacInnis, oblivious to the first-aid taking place at the other end, took a pass from Hakan Loob right in front of the Kings’ goal and beat goalie Kelly Hrudey.

Gretzky, usually one of the most unflappable players on the ice, flew into a frenzy of disbelief, following the officials all around the rink, demanding to know how they could let the goal stand.

Meanwhile, Nicholls was back, sitting on the Kings’ bench.

Nicholls never made his way to the penalty box for the roundhouse right. Apparently, the officials were planning only a two-minute roughing penalty, and that was negated by the score.

But that didn’t explain to Gretzky why the goal should count while there were extra people on the ice, whether those people had skates on or not.

And for the rest of the game the question hung over the ice? Who would be designated to pay back Nicholls for the outrage, and when would it happen? When the later melee occurred, Nicholls was on the bench.

At the time Nicholls swung on Vernon there had already been a couple of nose-to-nose jostlings, but after the punch, tempers were much shorter.

Besides, the Kings were fighting the frustration and humiliation of giving up three goals in the first six minutes. And on just five shots.

A new starting lineup that put Chris Kontos and Mike Allison out with Gretzky gave up the first goal to Colin Patterson just 58 seconds into the game. A shot off the left post went wide, with both Patterson and Kontos racing for it. Patterson won.

Flame center Doug Gilmour, star of Game 1 when he scored the winner in overtime, got the first of his consecutive goals, flying at Hrudey in a three-on-two situation and taking a pass from MacDonald, right in front of the goal, at 4:48.

Gilmour made it 3-0 just 1 minute 12 seconds later when King defenseman Dean Kennedy swung and missed on a puck in the Kings’ zone, Joey Mullen scooped it up before Wiemer could get to it, and Mullen gave it off to Gilmour for the score.

Then came the much-debated fourth goal, and after that, things got wild.

Nicholls scored the first of his two goals at 13:59, but it was more of the same in the second period, with the Flames going ahead, 5-1, with a long slapshot through traffic by Rob Ramage on a power play.

The Flames went up, 6-1, on the most embarrassing goal of the night when Loob beat Hrudey and scored short-handed on a breakaway.

Nicholls scored at 19:59 of the second period on a pass from Gretzky, and the Kings made it 6-3 when Taylor got a goal at 7:49 of the third period.

But the margin went right back to four goals when Mullen took a pass from Patterson and beat Glenn Healy, who had replaced Hrudey at the start of the final period and gave up the last two goals.

Gary Roberts scored the final goal two minutes later for Calgary, and it was all over except the fighting.

King Notes

The Kings have lost nine straight games at Calgary. When that was mentioned, King goalie Kelly Hrudey said: “I’m glad you brought that up. It’s just like the streak the (Edmonton) Oilers had. It just means that time is on our side.” . . . Chris Kontos, who had scored in five straight playoff games, had his streak ended. . . . The Kings will have home ice for the next two games, Saturday night at 7:30 and Monday night at 7:30. Both games are sold out. . . . Defenseman Doug Crossman played for the Kings in just his second game of the playoff season. Dale DeGray, who had an assist in Game 1 against the Flames, was scratched.

GRETZKY GOES OFF

Calgary’s fourth goal sets off Kings, especially Gretzky. Jerry Crowe’s Story, Story, Page 8.