Gretzky Better, Kings Aren’t in Loss : Hockey: L.A. nearly powerless on power plays--going one for five--in 6-3 loss to Vancouver. Prognosis is improved on star player being ready for playoffs.

The news from home was at least hopeful. Wayne Gretzky has improved.

That’s a lot better than the news from here, which is that the Kings, looking at times hopeless, will have to show a lot of improvement to seriously challenge the Calgary Flames in the opening round of the playoffs, beginning Wednesday night.

The Kings dropped their second consecutive game Saturday night, losing to the Vancouver Canucks, 6-3, before a sellout Pacific Coliseum crowd of 16,123.

Gretzky remains in Los Angeles for therapy on his back, injured March 22 against the New York Islanders. That therapy may be working, according to King Coach Tom Webster.

“The muscle spasms are going away,” Webster said. “He feels much better. All he feels now is stiffness.”

It is the first time Gretzky has felt any relief from the pain caused when the Islanders’ Alan Kerr cross-checked him from behind, sending him crashing into Ken Baumgartner. The result was a hyper-extension of the back.

Gretzky will continue therapy and undergo further tests Monday.

“The best-case scenario,” Webster said, “is that he could join us Monday night.”

While the prognosis on Gretzky was good, it was bleak for defenseman Tom Laidlaw, also back home getting treatment for a lower back injury.

“He looks doubtful for the first series,” Webster said. “He’s not getting any better.”

Asked if the King difficulties in the first two periods Saturday night, when they fell behind, 5-2, could be attributed to their preoccupation with Gretzky’s condition, Webster replied, “They sure as hell were thinking about something else.”

Coming off a 1-0 shutout administered by the Winnipeg Jets Thursday night, the Kings fell behind Saturday 48 seconds into the game when Stan Smyl, on a two-on-one rush, took a pass from Brian Bradley to the right of the crease and blasted the puck by goalie Kelly Hrudey.

In this, the Canucks’ final game of the season, Smyl had his first goal. Had his scoreless season become a monkey on his back?

“I think,” he said, “it was Godzilla on my back.”

On the next Canuck goal, Smyl was on the other end. He set up the score by digging the puck out from the end boards and getting it to Adrien Plavsic in the slot. From 35 feet out, Plavsic scored his third goal of the season at 18:05.

The assist was also a big one for Smyl. It was his 400th lifetime, making him the first Canuck to reach that milestone.

The Kings’ Luc Robitaille reached a milestone of his own in the final period when he scored from the right circle. It was his team-leading 50th goal, the second time in his four NHL seasons he has reached that level. He finished with 53 two years ago.

“It was not as much fun this time,” said Robitaille, referring to the fact the goal came in a loss, “but I’ll take it.”

The other King goals came from Chris Kontos, his second, and Tomas Sandstrom, his 32nd.

Rounding out the scoring for Vancouver were Garth Butcher (sixth), Paul Reinhart (17th), Steve Bozek (14th) and Dan Quinn (25th).

“We are either snakebitten,” Webster said, “or the other team has great goaltending. There were some great saves tonight, but that’s what we’re going to see in the playoffs. We just can’t get it in the net.”

Especially on the power play.

After striking out on eight power-play opportunities in the shutout by Winnipeg, the Kings kept their string of futility going with a one-for-five night against Vancouver.

The Canucks skated off the Coliseum ice Saturday right into a long vacation. Finishing the season with a 24-42-14 record, worst in the Smythe Division and second worst in the NHL behind the Quebec Nordiques, the Canucks will watch the playoffs on television.

The Kings (34-38-7) head for Calgary, where they will close out the regular season today with one eye on the playoffs ahead.

And the other on a therapy clinic in Los Angeles.

It’s awards time for the Kings. No surprise in the most valuable player category, as selected by the media. The winner was Wayne Gretzky, same as last season. Others honored were: Tim Watters (outstanding defenseman), Steve Kasper (best defensive player), Petr Prajsler (most improved player), Todd Elik (newcomer), Marty McSorley (most popular), John Tonelli (most inspirational) and Dave Taylor (unsung hero and best in community service) . . . Taylor also was named the Kings’ representative in the league-wide competition for the Bill Masterton Memorial Award, given by the Professional Hockey Writers Assn. to the player deemed the NHL’s good guy.