Kings Go 4th Into Playoffs Despite Comeback Tie Against Jets

Time ran out on the Winnipeg Jets Tuesday night at the Forum.

It didn’t matter, though, because the season ran out on the Kings.

Tuesday’s 4-4 tie before a sellout crowd of 16,005 sealed the fate of both teams. The Jets (36-31-11) will finish third in the Smythe Division, the Kings (34-36-7) fourth.

Still, the Jets figured they had a victory when Dave Ellett hit a rising shot from the right of the crease that flew past King goalie Kelly Hrudey. But as the Jets celebrated, the officials ruled time had already expired in the overtime.

“I knew there wasn’t much time,” Ellett said. “The puck went in the net, but I heard the horn going as I was shooting. I needed a couple more seconds.”

Still, despite failing to catch the Edmonton Oilers for second, Ellett was happy.

“We’ve even surprised ourselves a little bit,” he said, “with where we’ve ended up.”

The Kings had to be pleased, too, despite the tie. Down 4-0 entering the final period and Wayne Gretzky just a spectator because of a lower back strain, the Kings certainly didn’t figure to be hanging on an official’s decision at the final buzzer.

Both teams started slow. The Jets managed just three futile shots in the first period.

But a two-man advantage early in the second period opened the door for the Jets, who came skating through in force.

Ellett scored first, firing the puck in from 45 feet over Hrudey’s left shoulder at 1:49.

Only seven seconds remained on the two-man advantage when Ellett scored. It was his 17th goal, and his eighth on the power play, meaning nearly half of his season total have come in those situations.

The Jets scored again just 37 seconds later. Officially the power play was over. In reality, the Kings were still a man short.

Mike Allison, his penalty having expired only one second earlier, had just put his skates on the ice when Peter Taglianetti, shooting from roughly the same spot Ellett had, got the same results.

Taglianetti had the added advantage of having two teammates screening Hrudey, making it easier to get his third goal of the season.

Former King Paul Fenton got the Jets’ third goal of the game at 5:56.

Fenton, receiving a pass from Todd Flichel at the right of the crease, faked a forehand and then put in the backhand for his club-leading 32nd goal.

The Jets extended their lead to 4-0 at 17:35 after a Luc Robitaille pass in the Winnipeg zone on the power play was intercepted by Doug Smail. Smail skated down to the edge of the Kings’ crease on the right side, then passed it to Dave McLlwain on the left. Hrudey tried to shift gears and get over, but lost his footing as McLlwain squibbed his 25th goal in off the end of his stick, the puck squeezing through just inside the left post.

The Jets nearly quintupled their first-period shots on goal, getting 14 in the second.

The period break, however, seemed to recharge the Kings.

They came out and got back into the game with two quick goals.

Todd Elik got the first at 3:05 after his shot from the left circle bounced off the pads of goalie Stephane Beauregard. Elik kept moving, right into the slot. That left him in great position when Dave Taylor got the rebound. Taylor fed the puck back to Elik, who didn’t miss this time, putting his shot between Beauregard’s legs from a couple of feet out.

The Kings came back 42 seconds later with Chris Kontos, called up from the New Haven Nighthawks last week, scoring his first goal on a rebound after Marty McSorley had fired from the right circle.

The Kings closed the gap to 4-3 at 11:06 on Elik’s second goal of the night and 10th of the season. Petr Prajsler took a slap shot from nearly 40 feet out that Elik, standing to the right of the crease, deflected in.

Tomas Sandstrom then tied the score at 16:58, scoring his 31st goal off a rebound from the center of the crease.

King Notes

Wayne Gretzky, out a week because of his injured back, will have it re-examined today, but is not expected to play Thursday. . . . Rob Blake, who gave up his final year of eligibility at Bowling Green and signed with the Kings Monday, is operating on an amateur tryout basis. But he is close to signing a contract that calls for $150,000 a season along with a $100,000 signing bonus. All that remains to be hammered out, reportedly, is the length of the contract--three or four years. Blake finished second on the Bowling Green squad with 23 goals and 36 assists in 42 games. “He’s very mobile for a big man,” King General Manager Rogie Vachon said of the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Blake, “and he has a tremendous shot. We think he’s going to be a good one.”