Krushelnyski Scores Winner as Kings Take Exhibition, 4-2

Mike Krushelnyski poked the puck past Steve Weeks to give the Kings their go-ahead goal just 37 seconds after Jim Sandlak tied the game in a 4-2 exhibition victory over the Vancouver Canucks Thursday night before 11,013 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Bob Kudelski added a King goal into an empty net in the final minute.

For Krushelnyski, who has been getting a lot of time as the left wing on the line with Wayne Gretzky and Mikael Lindholm, it was the fourth goal of the exhibition season.

The game was tied, 1-1, after the first period on an early goal by Vancouver’s Rick Sutter and a shorthanded goal by King Hubie McDonough. The Kings went ahead when Bernie Nicholls put in the rebound of a shot by Barry Beck on a power play at 15:05 of the second period.

Sandlak tied it, 2-2, on a power play early in the third period, before Krushelnyski untied it.

Kelly Hrudey was in goal for the Kings for the fourth time in the exhibition season. He faced 23 shots.

Steve Weeks went the distance in goal for the Canucks, facing 35 shots.

King Notes

The Kings have an exhibition record of 3-4-2 going into their only exhibition game at the Forum, a game against the Edmonton Oilers Saturday night at 7:35. Tickets are available. The game will be broadcast on KLAC (570). . . . A limited number of tickets have been made available for all games of the Kings’ first regular season homestand against Toronto Thursday; against Edmonton Oct. 7; against Detroit Oct. 8 and against the New York Islanders Oct. 11. . . . A sellout crowd was expected Thursday night, but the crowd fell more than 2,000 short. . .Keith Crowder, a former Boston Bruin who signed with the Kings as a free agent over the summer, played his first game for the Kings after sitting out with a neck injury. . . . Phoenix will have a team in the International Hockey League this season, and the Kings will have some players assigned there. . . . The Kings lost to the Canucks in their last outing, at Milwaukee, Tuesday night.