Kudelski’s Goal Stuns Flames, 4-3 : Hockey: Kings rally from 3-1 deficit in third period to defeat Stanley Cup champions.

Nobody ever mentioned Bob Kudelski.

Not the people who criticized the trading of Bernie Nicholls to the New York Rangers for Tomas Sandstrom and Tony Granato.

Nor the people who praised the deal because of what it would mean to Wayne Gretzky to have Sandstrom on his right.

Nobody talked about Kudelski, the man on the left side in this new line.

Yet Kudelski has become the biggest beneficiary of the different alignment.

For the second time in as many games, Kudelski scored two goals Saturday night, including the game-winner as the Kings came from behind in the final period to shock the Calgary Flames, 4-3, before a sellout Forum crowd of 16,005.

Kudelski has skated past the bigger names into the spotlight on offense, and the same can be said for Mario Gosselin on defense.

After playing only four periods in January in relief of the No. 1 goalie, slumping Kelly Hrudey, Gosselin came on in relief Thursday night during an offensive explosion by the Chicago Blackhawks and was then given a rare start Saturday. He responded by stopping 25 of the 28 shots he faced.

“I think when you’re not playing a lot, the toughest thing is in your head,” he said. “I was mad at myself for those three goals.”

Kudelski called his game-winner “probably the biggest goal I’ve scored as a King.”

It has been a strange season for Kudelski. He missed 15 games after breaking a knuckle in a fight, then had to work his way back into the lineup.

At first, Mikko Makela was on Gretzky’s line.

“But when I saw that wasn’t clicking, I knew he (Kudelski) was available,” Coach Tom Webster said.

Webster’s move paid off Saturday in a game the Kings didn’t figure to win.

The Flames have been as hot as their name, showing the form that won them the Stanley Cup last season. The Smythe Division leaders were undefeated in their last eight games and had won four in a row.

The Kings were as cold as the surface they play on, having gone 2-9-2 since New Year’s Day.

And to make matters worse, they trailed 3-1 after two periods.

But after a John Tonelli goal early in the final period, Luc Robitaille tied the score at 14:49, and Kudelski’s slap shot from the slot, his 17th goal of the season, won it at 16:01.

The Kings got the first scoring opportunity of the game, but Calgary took advantage of it.

A holding call against the Flames’ Al MacInnis gave the Kings the power play early in the first period.

But Theoren Fleury got the puck away from Marty McSorley at the point, skated down the right side on the breakaway, slid across the middle and faked a pass back outside.

Instead, Fleury, who ended the Flames’ last game with a goal nine seconds before the end of overtime, backhanded the puck in just inches outside the goal line, past the glove of Gosselin at the 5:35 mark.

It was Fleury’s 20th goal, but his first short-handed score this season.

The Kings got even 51 seconds into the second period.

Gretzky took the puck off the boards on the right side in the Flames’ zone and passed it to Kudelski in the slot.

With Calgary goalie Rick Wamsley screened by his own man, Kudelski was able to whip the puck past him on his stick side.

Then MacInnis took over.

The Flame defenseman pushed his team into the lead with a pair of goals.

On the first, Sergei Makarov, operating on a power play, passed from behind the net to MacInnis in the slot.

From 45 feet out, MacInnis fired a slap shot at Gosselin. The goalie caught a piece of the puck, but not enough to divert it from its path into the net.

The goal, coming at 11:08, was MacInnis’ 10th on a power play.

At 17:25, he came back with his second goal of the night and 20th of the season, scoring on another slap shot, this one from the bottom of the right circle.

MacInnis has six points in his last three games and 17 in his last 11.

With the score 3-1 early in the third period, Joel Otto was called for roughing and was sent to the penalty box with a double minor.

In the first two minutes of the power play, the Kings managed only two unsuccessful shots on goal.

But, then they finally broke through after Robitaille had taken a shot that was blocked by Wamsley.

The goalie’s momentum left him spread out on the ice. Retrieving the puck by the left post, Tonelli shoved it in at the 4:05 mark.

The Flames got one last power play with 2:03 remaining in the game, but failed to get a shot on goal.

When it was over, Webster, still ailing, managed a smile.

“A big burden was lifted off our shoulders today,” he said.

By Kudelski and Gosselin, of all people, two guys who didn’t even figure to be there.

King Notes

Coach Tom Webster again watched his team on television from the clubhouse. Still bothered by flu symptoms and the effects of a mild concussion suffered during a fall in the shower, Webster has been advised to stay off his feet as much as possible. . . . This is the start of a home-and-home series with the two clubs meeting again Tuesday night in Calgary. . . . Flame left winger Stu Grimson is out indefinitely with a cracked cheekbone. Right winger Mark Hunter is out for the season after knee surgery. . . . The NHL has named its man of the year nominees. One player from each team is selected for the honor, the criteria being on-the-ice leadership and community involvement. Dave Taylor is the Kings’ nominee.