Kings Coach to Revive Basics: BORING Defense : Hockey: Scoring is no problem, Webster says. The real problem is keeping opponents in check.

The Los Angeles Kings usually have no trouble scoring. This season, Coach Tom Webster wouldn’t mind seeing them be a little boring.

That’s right, B-O-R-I-N-G.

“We need to get back to playing defensive hockey,” Webster said. “As long as we win, I don’t care if it’s boring. At times it may be very boring.”

Behind NHL scoring leader Wayne Gretzky, the Kings had the second-best offense in the league last season. But their freewheeling on offense generally led to disaster on defense, and they scored only one more goal than they gave up. As a result, the Kings fell to fourth place in the Smythe Division at 34-39-7 (75 points).

That was a big disappointment following their second-place finish of 42-31-7 (91 points) the previous season, Gretzky’s first with the club.

Webster wants the Kings to reduce by 50 their goals-against total of 337, which was fourth-worst in the league.

“It’s not just on defense, it’s an overall team goal that we have to cut the goals-against,” Webster said. “It has to come from everybody, from the goaltender to the defensemen to the forwards.

“Defensive hockey starts with players who make the proper decision of when to commit themselves and when not to, and who are always in the position to come back and work with the defensemen.

“At times that’s not where all of the glory is. That’s where a lot of time you don’t have success, because it’s not a statistic. But I think that’s where we have to make the major improvement. If we can do that, then we’ll be able to cut down on the 3-on-2s as much as possible, the 2-on-1s, and we’ll be able to keep ourselves more in hockey games.

“Boring hockey to me is icing the puck--relieve the pressure off yourself,” Webster said with emphasis. “Get a face-off--take the pressure off. Try not to make perfect plays or cross-ice plays. Slow things down. Protect a one-goal lead.”

The forwards will have to help out early because the defense is not in good shape. Tom Laidlaw may miss the season with an ailing back, Bob Halkidis missed training camp while recovering from shoulder surgery and Brian Benning will open the season with a three-game suspension for high-sticking former Edmonton Oilers winger Jari Kurri late last season.

Two youngsters the Kings will have to count on are Rob Blake, who was impressive after joining the team late last season, and Paul Holden, a rookie who spent most of last season in the Ontario Hockey League.

The Kings, of course, probably will never be boring on offense. Expectations are high because the No. 1 line of Gretzky and wingers Tomas Sandstrom and Tony Granato will be together for its first full year.

Speedsters Granato and Sandstrom were acquired from the New York Rangers in exchange for center Bernie Nicholls during the All-Star break. Gretzky-Granato-Sandstrom is an explosive combination, but injuries kept the linemates apart more than they were together.

A healthy season for all three could lead to Gretzky’s first 200-point season since he scored a league-record 215 points in 1985-86. Gretzky missed seven games with a back injury at the end of the regular season, yet still won the scoring title with 142 points. That was his lowest total since scoring 137 his first year in the NHL.

Sandstrom scored 71 points in 76 games and Granato scored 36 in 56 games.

The No. 2 line will be center Todd Elik and wingers Luc Robitaille and Dave Taylor. Webster is still jiggling the other lines as the Kings approach their season opener Thursday night at the Forum against the New York Islanders. The Kings are also looking for a full season from goalie Kelly Hrudey, who was bothered by a virus most of last season. He managed to play 52 games and had both of the Kings’ shutouts, but saw his goals-against average balloon to 4.07, the highest in his six full NHL seasons.

Webster said he will emphasize the importance of the regular season. At times, he will rest certain veterans because of the Kings’ exhausting travel schedule.

“Without a doubt, we have to use this whole season as a building year and not just hope and pray we are able to do the things we did in the playoffs, and that was only one round,” he said

Last season, the Kings shocked the defending Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs but were swept by the eventual champion Oilers.