Trailing, 3-1, Hrudey Put Out Flames

As the Stanley Cup playoffs opened Wednesday night, it seemed like old times for the Kings.

No Wayne Gretzky . . . no chance.

But with Gretzky at home in Encino nursing his ailing back, goaltender Kelly Hrudey provided an emotional by stopping 22 shots and helping the Kings to an improbable 5-3 victory over the heavily favored Calgary Flames in Game 1 of their Smythe Division semifinal playoff series.

“We miss Wayne dearly, but if you ask me, that’s no reason to pout and put your head between your legs,” Hrudey said. “You’ve got to stand up like men and professionals and play up to your capabilities.”

Nobody did that better than Hrudey, whose victory was only his second in 16 career decisions against the Flames.

In front of 19,172 at the Olympic Saddledome, he held the Flames scoreless after the defending Stanley Cup champions opened a 3-1 lead at 2:26 of the third period on a goal by Theoren Fleury.

Not that he was without help in dousing the Flames.

“It was encouraging that we kept the shots down for him,” Coach Tom Webster said of Hrudey, who faced 13 shots, including a penalty shot, in the opening 20 minutes. “But a lot of the saves he made required great concentration.”

And it was Hrudey who faced a first-period onslaught.

“To tell you the truth, I expected them to come out strong in defending their Cup,” Hrudey said of the Flames, who seemed to take command after scoring twice in under two minutes at the end of the first period. “I thought we’d have to weather the storm for however long.

“I was hoping it would only be one period, but you never know. We didn’t come out ahead, but we kept it close.”

And then the Kings pounced in the third period, overcoming a two-goal deficit by scoring four goals in the last 15 1/2 minutes to end a six-game playoff losing streak against the Flames.

Meantime, they clamped down on the Smythe Division champions.

“I thought we were somewhat more aggressive,” Hrudey said. “I don’t know if that was our total team defense, or forechecking combined with defense. We played a pretty solid game.”

Was it the kind of game they had hoped to play?

“No,” Hrudey said quickly. “I’d rather win, 9-0.”

But he’ll take 5-3, of course, especially with his most famous teammate at home and considering the hardship he has endured this season, which has featured a four-month battle with mononucleosis.

Until a few weeks ago, he couldn’t play three periods.

Late Wednesday night, though, he said he felt fine.

One shot that got past Hrudey was a first-period penalty shot by Al MacInnis, only the 20th in NHL playoff history.

MacInnis was awarded the shot after Mike Krushelnyski of the Kings threw his stick at the puck during a Flame power play. Krushelnyski, fooled when MacInnis faked a shot from the right point, threw himself onto the ice, then hurled his stick after realizing that MacInnis hadn’t shot.

According to Rule 80 (a) of the 1989-90 NHL Schedule and Rule Book, “When any player of the defending side . . . deliberately throws . . . a stick . . . at the puck in his defending zone, the referee shall allow the play to be completed and if a goal is not scored, a penalty shot shall be awarded to the non-offending side.”

Krushelnyski said he hadn’t purposely thrown his stick at the puck, but also said that referee Kelly Fraser made the correct call.

MacInnis scored, lifting a shot over Hrudey into the net.

It was the second time the Kings have been the victims of a playoff penalty shot. In the Kings’ first season, goaltender Terry Sawchuk gave up a goal to Wayne Connelly of the Minnesota North Stars on April 9, 1968.

It was only the fourth penalty shot in NHL playoff history, the first that was successful and the first awarded in the playoffs in 24 years.

Calgary had never been involved in a playoff penalty shot.