Kings Poke Big Holes in Bruins : Hockey: Boston comes in leading NHL in defense, leaves Forum with a 7-1 loss.

Think of the Boston Bruins and the first thing that usually comes to mind is defense.

Tight-checking, hard-hitting defense.

This is the team that gave up the fewest goals in the NHL last season.

This is the team that held off the Edmonton Oilers for nearly six periods last spring in the opener of the Stanley Cup finals before losing.

But that image was shattered by a 7-1 King victory before a sellout crowd of 16,005 at the Forum Saturday night.

The Bruins came into the game as the league’s only unbeaten club at 4-0-1 and the best defensive squad, having given up nine goals.

But with one thunderous performance, the Kings had nearly equaled the efforts of five previous Boston opponents. Saturday’s victory pushed the Kings into first place in the Smythe Division at 3-1-1.

“It’s nice when you look back and get a point on Edmonton and then play Boston, the two teams that were in the Stanley Cup finals,” said Coach Tom Webster, whose Kings came back with two goals in the last 91 seconds Thursday night to tie the Oilers. “I think it’s quite an accomplishment for the hockey club.”

Leading the way were Wayne Gretzky and backup goalie Daniel Berthiaume. Gretzky had two goals and two assists. That followed a five-point night, including the game-tying goal, against Edmonton, giving Gretzky nine points in two games and 13 in five games this season.

He needs eight points to reach 2,000.

While Gretzky was the star on offense, the hero at the other end of the ice for the Kings was Berthiaume.

Filling in for starter Kelly Hrudey, Berthiaume stopped 40 shots.

“He’s proven he can play in this league by his performance with Winnipeg,” Webster said of the goalie the Kings obtained from the Winnipeg Jets in a trade for Craig Duncanson on the eve of training camp. “It was a matter of him getting the opportunity.”

Gretzky began in spectacular fashion in the first period.

Skating into the right corner with his back to the Boston net, Gretzky managed to slip a no-look pass to Tony Granato in the slot.

From there, Granato slammed his third goal of the season past the stick of goalie Reggie Lemelin after 1:41.

The Kings struck again at the 15:12 mark, this time on the power play.

Defenseman Steve Duchesne scored for the first time this season. He was minus-four entering play Saturday and had spent the better part of Thursday’s game against the Oilers in the clubhouse after being ejected for high sticking.

But he was back on the ice Saturday and making the most of it. With six seconds remaining on the power play, Duchesne squeezed between two defenders into the slot, took a soft shot that was blocked by Lemelin, and then put in the rebound.

Gretzky got an assist on the play, then scored the Kings’ third goal at 19:12. Taking the puck at the left corner of the Boston net after a missed shot by Granato, Gretzky found Boston’s Dave Poulin on his back.

Undaunted, he skated around Lemelin, carrying Poulin with him, to the right side, where Gretzky flipped in his fourth goal of the season.

The Bruins’ only goal came at 17:42 of the second period after the Kings’ Brian Benning had knocked the puck off the stick of Craig Janney.

John Carter gained control and shoved the puck in from the left side, past Berthiaume, who had fallen to his knees.

The Kings kept their offensive momentum going in the second period, scoring after nine seconds.

With Todd Elik and Dave Taylor benched for the night, the second line consisted of Luc Robitaille on one wing and Francois Breault on the other with Steve Kasper in the middle.

That line got the Kings’ fourth goal, Robitaille carrying the puck down the left side before passing it to Breault, charging in from the right.

Breault scored on a rising wrist shot past a diving Lemelin.

For the 23-year-old Breault, a rookie who spent the last two seasons with the New Haven Nighthawks, it was NHL goal No. 1.

The Kings extended their lead to 5-1 by scoring 7:20 into the final period.

Rod Buskas took a shot that wound up in a crowd in front of the net. There, Jay Miller nudged the puck to Bob Kudelski on the left side. Kudelski promptly put it past Lemelin for his second goal of the season.

That was it for Lemelin.

And, as it turned out, for the Bruins.