His Role Is to Win : It’s No Coincidence the Kings Feel Better When Kasper Does; Headaches, Fatigue Are Gone as Team Tries to Even Series

His absence resulted in a power failure for the Kings. His return proved electrifying.

When an injury knocked him out of action, it nearly brought the Kings down with him. When he skated down the Forum ice Friday night, he brought 16,005 fans to their feet.

He is . . . Tomas Sandstrom?

Right idea. Wrong answer.

Sandstrom and his celebrated return despite a small fracture in his right leg grabbed the spotlight in Game 5 of the Smythe Division finals Friday and rightfully so.

Steve Kasper doesn’t make headlines. People don’t form fan clubs for him or besiege him for autographs. He simply doesn’t attract attention.

Except from the players. On both sides.

Although they staved off elimination with a 5-2 victory Friday, the Kings trail the Edmonton Oilers, 3-2, in the best-of-seven series with Game 6 tonight (5 p.m. PDT) in Edmonton.

It’s no coincidence that the two games the Kings won were those when Kasper was healthy. They won Game 1, which ended prematurely for Kasper when he was knocked down with such force by Adam Graves that he received a concussion.

Kasper missed the next two games and played with headaches and fatigue in Game 4.

But he was nearly back to full strength for Game 5 and it showed. With the Kings trailing, 1-0, and the Oilers on a power play, Kasper took a pass from Mike Donnelly at mid-ice, streaked through the Edmonton zone with Esa Tikkanen hot on his trail and slammed the puck past Oiler goalie Grant Fuhr.

And suddenly, what looked as if it could have been the end of the season for the Kings was instead the beginning of a big night for them. It was the spark that led to four goals in a row.

It was Kasper’s fourth postseason goal, but he does not live by goals alone. Others, such as Sandstrom, Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille, carry the brunt of that load.

Kasper fills many roles.

When there’s a high-scoring line to be stopped, the Kings call in Kasper’s checking line.

When there’s a power play to be defused, the Kings call on Kasper for the penalty-killing unit.

And when there’s a crucial face-off to be won, the Kings send Kasper out to do the job.

“I take pride in what I do,” Kasper said. “But there are a lot of guys contributing. Some people look at a hockey team and they just look at the scoring sheet.”

Not King Coach Tom Webster.

“There are a lot of ingredients in the role he provides,” Webster said of Kasper. “And here’s a guy who was still playing with headaches and a concussion. I thought he played one hell of a game.”

It’s been a nightmarish week for Kasper. He was hurt in Game 1 on what he characterized as a “dirty hit” by Graves.

“He elbowed me in the head,” Kasper said, “and then kicked my legs out from behind me.”

Every time Kasper figured he was ready to return, he would run a little bit and find himself consumed by fatigue and a splitting headache.

“I’m not usually a good sleeper,” he said. “But I’d sleep 11 hours (with the concussion) and, when I woke up, I’d feel as if I hadn’t slept at all. I just couldn’t get back.”

But Friday, he felt he had finally returned.

“I feel good,” he said Saturday. “Maybe I fatigue a little quicker, but that’s it.”

The medical report on Sandstrom was just as encouraging. Eighteen hours after returning to the ice despite a small fracture above the right knee, he reported no adverse effects.

“I don’t feel any more sore than I was,” he said.

Sandstrom said he feels so good that he will not require any further testing by team doctor Steve Lombardo before continuing to play.

Sandstrom said his only problems on Friday were getting used to the brace he must wear on the leg and getting rid of the normal rust that can gather when sitting out a week.

“Hopefully,” he said, “I’ll be better (Sunday).”

Sandstrom and Gretzky have both been injured in this series, but the third member of the first line has played in every game.

Tony Granato doesn’t have much to show for it. Rather than picking up the slack, Granato has no goals and only two assists.

“I’m not struggling,” Granato insisted. “I’m playing as hard as I can, as hard as I ever did. The puck is just not going in, but it’s not because of a lack of effort. I play hard every night. That’s all you can ask for. That’s all the coaches ask for. I’m not going out there to score a goal. I’m going out there to contribute to a victory. I’m not going to worry about the previous games. I’m going to worry about the next game.”

Granato is not the only one struggling. So are two pretty big stars named Gretzky and Mark Messier.

Gretzky was hit by a puck in Game 3, opening a cut that required 25 stitches, and painkilling medication before every game. He has four assists, but no goals in the five games.

Messier, who has been bothered by injuries to his hand and both legs this season, won’t say he is hurting, but his totals in the series (one goal, one assist) might indicate otherwise.