Gretzky Collects Six Points in Kings’ 9-5 Victory

It had been a lost weekend for the Kings.

A once-promising trip had turned sour with consecutive losses in New Jersey and Philadelphia, dropping the Kings into third place in the Smythe Division, just two points ahead of the Winnipeg Jets.

So the Jets came to the Forum Tuesday night with a chance to catch the Kings in the standings, but instead, all they caught was the fury of an angry team.

The Kings scored early, explosively and often in defeating Winnipeg, 9-5, before a crowd of 14,158.

It was the Kings’ highest-scoring game so far this season.

Leading the way were Wayne Gretzky, with two goals and four assists, and Keith Crowder and Steve Duchesne, who also scored two goals apiece.

Gretzky, already the NHL scoring leader, pushed his point total to 73.

The Kings’ first goal came on a power play, 2:55 into the first period.

Gretzky, often on the giving end of great passes, was on the receiving end of this one. Defenseman Brian Benning faked a shot from the left side, then slid the puck past a couple of Jets to Gretzky, who was coming in from the right side.

It’s hard enough to stop Gretzky head on, but Winnipeg goalie Daniel Berthiaume never had a chance on this one as Benning’s fake left him leaning the wrong way.

Gretzky easily flipped the puck in for his 16th goal, and his fifth on the power play.

The second goal looked a lot like the first.

Defenseman Tom Laidlaw, back in the lineup after missing four games due to a slash over his right eye, set up the second score after stealing the puck.

He passed it to winger John Tonelli who, like Benning, came in from the left side, faked the slap shot and then pushed a pass through the slot.

The recipient this time was Crowder, who shoved the puck through Berthiaume’s glove side at 14:44 for his second goal of the season.

His first came just two games ago in New Jersey.

At the other end of the spectrum is King left winger Luc Robitaille, who entered play Tuesday night tied with Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues for the league lead in goals with 26.

Robitaille scored his 27th at 16:55 off a centering pass from Gretzky to give the Kings a 3-0 lead..

The Kings scored four more in the second period.

Duchesne scored his 10th goal at 2:54 of the period on a slap shot off a pass from Gretzky.

At 13:12, Duchesne got his second goal of the night and 11th of the season on a rising shot that Berthiaume deflected, but couldn’t control, the puck getting past him.

The Kings added two more in a span of 40 seconds on a night when the Jets’ net seemed to have a magnet in it.

Crowder scored his second on a pass from Tonelli at 16:18.

And just like that, he had doubled his season total for goals.

His first, last Friday night, came after a 21-game drought.

Then, the Kings scored again at 16:58 on a play that must have convinced the Jets, if they still needed any convincing, that they could do no right this night.

Winnipeg’s Brent Ashton appeared to be clearing the puck when Berthiaume stuck out his stick, stopping the puck right in front of the goal.

Two Kings were on the spot to respond, Mikko Makela to tap it over to Gretzky, who popped it in.

The Jets only goal in the first two periods came off the stick of center Thomas Steen, who scored his 10th goal at 10:32 of the second period.

The Kings, who have been criticized of late for lax defense, especially when they are comfortably ahead, reverted to their old, bad habits in the final period, giving up four Jet goals.

But on this night, even a scoring output such as that wasn’t enough to stop a King team determined to vent its frustrations.

King Notes

The Kings began play Tuesday night with 35 points, eight fewer than they had at the same stage a year ago when they were 21-11-1. . . . Right winger Jim Fox, who retired last month because of knee problems, was honored before the game as the Kings’ NHL man of the year for his charity work in the community. . . . Another King, goalie Kelly Hrudey, was given the same honor as Islander man of the year for his charity work in the New York area before being traded to Los Angeles. . . . Fox and teammates Dave Taylor, Bob Kudelski and Mike Allison will deliver toys today to kids at the St. Joseph’s Children’s center in Venice. . . . After a tough trip that included six cities in nine days, the Kings are home for two weeks. Following the Jets to the Forum will be Quebec (Thurs.), Vancouver (Sat.), Calgary (Dec. 27) and Philadelphia (Dec. 30).