Notes on a Scorecard - April 4, 1991

Sixty reasons why the Kings will win their first Stanley Cup:

Wayne Gretzky. . . .

The most enthusiastic sports fans in Los Angeles will give them a significant home-ice advantage. . . .

Tom Webster won’t be penalized in the first two playoff games because he is suspended. . . .

Webster will make contributions the rest of the way in the manner of a coach-of-the-year candidate. . . .

John Tonelli needs a ring for his thumb. . . .

The survivor of the Calgary-Edmonton series will be worn out. . . .

Tomas Sandstrom and Tony Granato get back on defense as hard as they charge the net on offense. . . .

They are 8-1-1 at the Forum since a Ping-Pong table was installed in the locker room. . . . Chicago doesn’t have enough offense. . . .

Marty McSorley, a.k.a. McSurly, will make sure nobody in silver and black is pushed around. . . .

Rogie Vachon’s wheeling and dealing has given them depth for the first time. . . .

They could win a speed-skating contest. . . .

Kelly Hrudey is hot. . . .

Their special teams are exceptional. . . .

Daniel Berthiaume is a capable backup in goal who was as effective as Hrudey much of the season. . . .

They have been playing playoff hockey the past two months. . . .

Pittsburgh doesn’t have enough defense. . . .

Bruce McNall’s plane makes traveling easier. . . .

They were 4-3-1 against Calgary, including a loss in the meaningless final game of the regular season. . . .

They were 5-2-1 against Edmonton. . . .

They have the best goals-for and goals-against ratio in the league. . . .

Larry Robinson knows how to win. . . .

They have the best owner. . . .

The Boston Bruins are the Denver Broncos of the NHL. . . .

Dave Taylor is playing some of the finest hockey of his 14-year career. . . .

They get an A in chemistry. . . .

Hrudey catches the opposition in line changes and makes long passes that lead to goals. . . .

They can win 1-0 or 7-6. . . .

St. Louis relies too much on Brett Hull and Adam Oates. . . .

Steve Kasper is dynamite on faceoffs. . . .

They don’t give up the puck often in their own end. . . .

Adjusting to a rigorous travel schedule is old hat to a West Coast team. . . .

Goose bumps will be raised by the standing ovations before every home game. . . .

Montreal’s power play is anemic. . . .

They will have the home-ice advantage in the championship series. . . .

Gretzky is passing better than even Magic Johnson. . . .

They rarely allow a goal in the last minute of a period. . . .

First-round opponent Vancouver has the worst record of any playoff team. . . .

Steve Duchesne supplies firepower from the blue line. . . .

Rivals sent to the penalty box at the Forum will be driven nuts by the sound of a creaky door slamming. . . .

The New York Rangers have been terrible for weeks. . . .

If necessary, Webster can utilize four lines. . . .

They are strong down the middle. . . .

The Southern California sunshine will make visiting teams think it’s the middle of baseball season. . . .

Three pro football franchises will be rooting for them--the Toronto Argonauts, owned by McNall, Gretzky and John Candy; the Washington Redskins, owned by Jack Kent Cooke; and the Los Angeles Raiders, who like anything in silver and black. . . .

Everyone on the team is talking hockey. . . .

No one on the team is talking contract renegotiation. . . .

This time, they don’t have to beat both Calgary and Edmonton to qualify for the Campbell Conference finals. . . .

They are even tougher when they are outshot. . . .

They have the best baseball card collection. . . .

Ilkka Sinisalo gives them additional playoff experience. . . .

Chicago goaltender Ed Belfour may be tired after playing 74 regular-season games. . . .

No longer do they take the ice thinking they have to score five or six goals to win. . . . Smythe Division teams have won the Cup six of the past seven years. . . .

They don’t make many stupid penalties. . . .

If you somehow stop the Gretzky line, then you have to stop the Luc Robitaille line. . . .

They have no serious injuries. . . .

Rob Blake already is one of the best two-way defensemen in the league. . . .

They expect to win. . . .

Stan Fischler of the Hockey News didn’t pick them.