Kings Don’t Look Great Without Gretzky : Hockey: Star player to be sent home with strained groin, but the injury is not considered serious. Flyers pull away in third period for 7-4 victory.

The Kings were hit with the four words they’ve always dreaded but never before heard Sunday: Injury to Wayne Gretzky .

For the first time since he joined the team nearly two years ago, Gretzky was unable to play, sidelined for Sunday’s 7-4 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers by a strain in the groin area.

Although the injury is believed to be neither serious nor long-term, Gretzky was due to leave the team and fly home today for further examination.

So he’ll miss at least one more game, the finale to a five-game trip Tuesday night in Minnesota.

“If this had been a playoff game, he would have played,” said King Coach Tom Webster. “He would have wanted to play. Let’s put it at that. I’m sending him home because I don’t want to take a chance.”

Gretzky first felt the strain skating on mushy ice in Buffalo Wednesday. He aggravated it further Saturday in Boston.

By the time he had arrived in Philadelphia Saturday night, he was limping. When Gretzky failed to respond to treatment Sunday morning, the decision was made to scratch the man many consider the greatest to ever play from the lineup.

It might be cheaper for the Kings to set up a shuttle service to Los Angeles. Defenseman Tom Laidlaw was sent home earlier Sunday with a hip flexor. And teammate Keith Crowder was due to join him today, due to a knee injury.

Even some of those staying aren’t in great shape. Center Mike Allison is down with food poisoning after eating bad shellfish in Boston. Defenseman Steve Duchesne took a puck in the Adam’s apple Sunday, losing his voice, but no playing time. And right wing Bob Kudelski was knocked out of Sunday’s game in the second period with a broken nose.

“Hell,” said Webster, “I’m going home, too.”

Just kidding, but Webster isn’t too amused about seeing one of the Kings’ brightest trips of the year take such a dark turn.

After winning their fourth in a row Saturday, third on this trip, to clinch a playoff spot, the Kings, those still able to skate, were unable to maintain the recent momentum against the Flyers Sunday and sank to 32-35-6.

“We had the opportunity, “to prove we have a well-rounded team,” Marty McSorley said. “Wayne certainly makes us good, but we believed the other 19 guys could have won this game.”

The Kings were in it until the third period, keeping the sellout Spectrum crowd of 17,423 in their seats despite the absence of Gretzky.

King goals by McSorley (13th), Mike Krushelnyski (15th) and Steve Kasper (17th) were balanced by the Flyers, who got two goals from Ron Sutter (20th and 21st) and one from Murray Baron (second), leaving the score tied 3-3 heading into the final 20 minutes.

It didn’t stay that way long.

Philadelphia scored three goals in a little over four minutes to put the game out of reach, Keith Acton (his ninth), Murray Craven (23rd) and Craig Berube (fourth) doing the honors.

John Tonelli banged in his 31st goal to bring the Kings a little closer, before Rick Tocchet closed out the evening’s scoring with his 35th.

The Kings will get over the loss. There will be other games.

There biggest concern was Sunday’s other loss, because there’s only one Gretzky.

King Notes

Wayne Gretzky has failed to appear in two games since joining the Kings, both last year, neither because of injury. He missed one because of his grandmother’s funeral and the last game of the regular season because it was meaningless and the Kings wanted him rested for the playoffs. . . . The medical report wasn’t totally bleak. Larry Robinson returned after missing six games and 12 pounds due to food poisoning. . . . With so many bodies missing, the Kings recalled left wing Craig Duncanson from their New Haven farm club. In 46 games with New Haven, Duncanson had 17 goals and 25 assists. . . . Sidelined Flyers include goalie Ron Hextall (pulled groin), defenseman Mark Howe (herniated disk), both out indefinitely. Defenseman Kerry Huffman is day to day with a bruised right knee. . . . Strip tickets for all four rounds of the playoffs go on sale today at the Forum. Individual tickets for the first two rounds will be available Tuesday. Priority numbers will be distributed at 9 a.m.. Limit is six tickets per person per game.