Kings Win but Gretzky Goes Down Again : Hockey: Victory is damaging to Islanders. Kings’ star probably will miss next game with slight back ailment.

For the second time in a week, the Kings narrowly skated past disaster.

For the second time in a week, Wayne Gretzky left the ice in pain, but was not seriously injured.

Gretzky strained his lower back in the first period of Thursday night’s 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders before a sellout Forum crowd of 16,005 and did not return.

“Instead of having him sit there, letting it tighten up,” King Coach Tom Webster said, “we decided it would be better to get him into therapy right away.”

Early in the first period, Gretzky was hit in the back and shoved into Kem Baumgartner by the Islanders’ Alan Kerr.

“He was circling around like he always does,” Kerr said, “and I pushed him from behind. It was me. Baumgartner stepped up and it looked like he hit him awkwardly.”

Webster said he doubted Gretzky would play in the Kings’ next game Saturday.

“He should be fine,” Webster said, “but we don’t want to take any unnecessary chances.”

Gretzky was making his first appearance after missing two games because of a mild groin strain.

While the Kings improved to 33-36-6, it doesn’t figure to mean much. Still nine points behind Winnipeg with just five games to play, the Kings seem locked into fourth place in the Smythe Division.

For the Islanders, however, it was a crushing loss. They fell to 29-37-10. Had they won, they could have caught the Pittsburgh Penguins, who also lost, in the tight Patrick Division race. Instead, the Islanders slipped one point below the Philadelphia Flyers into sixth place. Only the top four will make the playoffs.

The Islanders, 1-13-4 in their last 18 games, have scored only one goal in their last two.

“We’re all in this together,” said New York goalie Glen Healy. “There’s not one person to blame. There’s not one person who is going to carry this team out of this on his shoulders. We have to create opportunities in groups of six. I think we are trying, but just trying is for when you play in high school.”

Before he left, Gretzky got the Kings going by setting up their first goal.

Planted in his customary spot behind the net, he dished the puck out to Tomas Sandstrom, who was sandwiched between two Islanders in the slot.

Sandstrom was able to reach out and poke the puck past Healy’s pads for his 29th goal at 5:24.

Former King Hubie McDonough got the Islanders even with his 21st goal after coming down the right side and racing past Petr Prajsler. McDonough continued unchecked into the slot where, from about six feet out, he hit a soft rising shot over both defenseman Steve Duchesne and goalie Kelly Hrudey at 1:46 of the second period.

The Kings moved back out in front at the 13:58 mark. Luc Robitaille took the puck behind the net, emerged on the right side and passed to Dave Taylor, who was all alone in the slot. Taylor smashed his 15th goal off Healy’s right pad.

The Kings padded their lead in the final period thanks to Mikko Makela. Makela has spent more time watching games from the press box than the bench recently because of a long slump, but the rash of injuries has put him back on the ice, and he made the most of it in the final period.

Taking control of the puck on the left side, he spun completely around and fired at the short side.

It seemed as if Healy had left no room between himself and the left post, but Makela’s shot found a hole, squeezing through off Healy’s leg.

The goal, coming only 47 seconds into the period, was just Makela’s seventh in 40 games with the Kings since coming over from the Islanders in November for McDonough and Baumgartner.

King Notes

Goalie Ron Scott, who was banged into a post in the Minnesota game Tuesday night, sat out with lower back pain. He and Kelly Hrudey have been alternating in the net, and it was Hrudey’s turn to play Thursday anyway . . . Right wing Tony Granato, who bruised his knee Tuesday, also sat out although he could have played if needed . . . Also sitting Thursday were defenseman Tom Laidlaw (lower back pain) and right wing Keith Crowder (knee strain). Also out was left wing John Tonelli, whose reason for sitting has gone from needing a rest (Sunday) to bruised foot (Tuesday) to flu (Thursday). Tough week . . . The Kings called up left wing Chris Kontos from their New Haven Nighthawk farm club Thursday, bringing the roster to 26. Kontos had 10 goals and 20 assists in 42 games . . . Injured Islanders include goalie Mark Fitzpatrick, a former King, who has a groin strain. Also injured are defensemen Gary Nylund (knee) and Jeff Norton (bruised ankle), and left wing Randy Wood (strained shoulder) . . . Barring a collapse by both the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets, the Kings will open the playoffs in Calgary. That’s also where they conclude the regular season on April 1.