Gretzky’s Scoring Drought Continues : Kings: After suffering a back injury in the Canada Cup, he has no goals while taking only seven shots in the Kings’ first three games.

Something’s wrong in Wayne’s World.

Wayne Gretzky, who suffered his second back injury in the past two seasons, has gotten off to a slow start, failing to score a goal in the Kings’ first three games.

Gretzky, whose back was hyper-extended when he was checked from behind by Gary Suter in the first game of the Canada Cup final last month, had one assist and no goals in the Kings’ 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night in their home opener at the Forum.

Gretzky grimaced when asked about his back.

“It’s there, but I’ll just go with it,” Gretzky said. “I’ll try to play through it as much as I can. I don’t want to miss any games and we’ll keep treating it so I can keep playing. I’d like to get off to a good start and I don’t want to miss any time.”

The NHL’s most prolific scorer, Gretzky has three assists and no goals in three games.

“If I put the puck in the net, nobody asks about my back,” Gretzky said.

But Gretzky hasn’t put the puck in the net yet.

Gretzky has only seven shots on goal in the three games. He didn’t have a shot in the Kings’ season-opening, 6-3 victory at Winnipeg and had only three shots in a 2-2 tie at Edmonton Sunday.

After failing to get off a shot in the first period of Tuesday’s game, Gretzky had one shot in the second period as the Kings outshot the Oilers, 22-9. He had three shots in the third period.

King Coach Tom Webster says Gretzky’s superior conditioning will speed the healing of his injury.

“I think you’re always concerned, but Wayne did an outstanding job of conditioning himself this summer,” Webster said. “He’ll continue to take therapy and we’ll take every precaution necessary.”

Although Gretzky appeared to be skating better than he did in the Kings’ first two games, he appeared to avoid contact.

The line of Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Tomas Sandstrom, which some fans hope will lead the Kings to their first Stanley Cup final, wasn’t a factor in the first two periods against the Oilers.

Webster isn’t worried about the lack of production from the Kings’ top line.

“That line is going to get its share of opportunities to score,” Webster said. “But when you can get contributions from everyone, it’s a nice to way to take some of the load off them.”

With the Kings leading, 4-2, Sandstrom scored a power-play goal on the rebound of a shot by Gretzky.

Gretzky, who sat out the final five games of the 1989-90 season because of a back injury, remained in Toronto to receive treatment for the injury before joining the Kings for an exhibition against the New York Rangers at Las Vegas last month.

But Gretzky wrenched his back in the first period against the Rangers and has struggled since.

Actress Janet Jones, Gretzky’s wife, said her husband wouldn’t be playing if he thought he might suffer further injury.

“I trust his judgment as far as when he gets on the ice,” Jones said. “He’s definitely an intelligent player and he wouldn’t take that chance for his life. If it was something to be really concerned about, he wouldn’t be on the ice.”