Sluggish Kings Slug Penguins : Hockey: Granato’s goal 52 seconds into overtime provides 2-1 victory, nine-game home winning streak.

It was just one of those nights.

The Kings may be in the midst of their hottest win streak ever on home ice, but not based on what they showed Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins before a sellout crowd of 16,005 at the Forum.

The Kings looked sluggish and out of whack, like a smooth-running car suddenly in need of spark plugs.

For 60 minutes, it looked as if there was no way they would win.

But, in the 61st minute, they found a way after regulation play ended in a 1-1 standoff.

Only 52 seconds into overtime, Tony Granato drove a 20-foot shot over the stick of goalie Frank Pietrangelo, giving the Kings a 2-1 victory over the Penguins, and extending their home winning streak to a record nine games.

Having tied the Edmonton Oilers in the game before the streak began, the Kings are unbeaten on home ice in 10 consecutive games, tying another club mark.

“I thought we were a little bit tired,” King goalie Kelly Hrudey said. “The commitment was there and our heads were into it, but we did not have our usual jump.

“But you know what I like is that we are finding ways to win games like this.”

The Kings won this one when Steve Duchesne backhanded the puck in the Pittsburgh slot to Tomas Sandstrom. Although he was pulled down from behind by the Penguins’ Gordie Roberts, Sandstrom managed to shovel the puck to Granato.

“I was surprised that it seemed like everything was open in the middle,” Granato said. “You win games like this when you are going well and we are certainly going well now.”

No argument there. The Kings’ fifth win a row improved their record to 14-4-1, giving them a three-point lead in the Smythe Division over runner-up Calgary.

The Penguins, who dropped to 10-8-2, didn’t bring their offense with them.

Center Mario Lemieux has missed every game with a back injury and center John Cullen, the league’s leading scorer, is out with a pulled stomach muscle.

But their defense was enough to at least stop Wayne Gretzky’s scoring streak at 16 games.

It was the Kings who finally scored first. And it was set up by Luc Robitaille, who wouldn’t have even been there if the Kings hadn’t delayed his four-game suspension for a stick foul.

When Rob Brown lost the puck off the end boards in the Kings’ zone, Robitaille controlled it, brought it up the right side and passed it to Dave Taylor on the left.

Taylor shipped the puck back to Todd Elik, who was charging the net from the right side. Elik lifted the puck over the glove of Pietrangelo for his eighth goal, giving the Kings a 1-0 lead at 7:15 of the second period.

The Penguins tied it at the 12:55 mark of the period after Gordie Roberts’ shot from the left boards was deflected by Steve Kasper.

The loose puck slithered over to forward Randy Gilhen in front of the Kings’ net.

Hrudey blocked his first shot, but not his second.

Gilhen bounced the puck off Watters and under Hrudey’s left pad for his sixth goal.

King Notes

Losing Luc Robitaille for four games on the road wasn’t exactly what the doctor ordered. The problem was, the Kings couldn’t be sure just what the doctor would order. Once the league informed the team that Robitaille had been suspended for a stick foul last Saturday against Craig Simpson of the Edmonton Oilers, the Kings had 24 hours to decided whether Robitaille would start the suspension immediately or use a one-week grace period. Normally, the Kings would have preferred to have Robitaille out for the two games remaining on the home stand rather than losing him for four straight on the road. But, when the 10 a.m. decision deadline came Friday morning, the Kings still didn’t know the status of Tomas Sandstrom, who was hit in the eye with a puck Wednesday. “We couldn’t take a chance on losing them both,” King General Manager Rogie Vachon explained. So they delayed Robitaille’s suspension a week, only to learn a few hours later that Sandstrom had been cleared to play. . . . Defenseman Bob Halkidis, with the Kings’ farm team in New Haven for rehabilitation, will remain there at least two more weeks. Halkidis is seeing his first game action since undergoing off-season shoulder surgery. He won’t be back with the Kings until the beginning of December at the earliest. . . . Pittsburgh center Mario Lemieux, out all season with a back injury, remains on schedule to return in January. . . . Also out for the Penguins are center Bryan Trottier (back), left wing Troy Loney (knee), defenseman Gilbert Delorme (leg) and defenseman Jim Johnson (neck).