Another Weak Finish for Kings

King owner Bruce McNall extended both arms and exhaled deeply as he entered a tunnel in Madison Square Garden after watching the New York Rangers break down his team, 7-2, Wednesday night.

McNall had every right to be depressed.

After leading 2-0 in the second period, the Kings surrendered seven consecutive goals, the last three while playing short-handed. This came exactly one night after they wasted a 2-1 lead and gave up four unanswered goals in a 5-2 loss at New Jersey.

“Although it’s early in the season, we have to be a better hockey club than we’ve shown,” King left wing Tony Granato said. “Even though we have four wins this year we still haven’t played very good hockey. We have to play better. That’s all there is to it.

“It’s frustrating. Last year we played so well defensively, but this year we’ve been sloppy. We have enough excuses with players out of the lineup and we could use them. But that’s not the way you win in this league.”

Devastated by a rash of injuries to defensemen Brian Benning (sore groin), Charlie Huddy (groin pull), Rob Blake (sprained shoulder) and Jeff Chychrun (wrist surgery), and playing without Wayne Gretzky, the Kings have been outscored, 12-4, in the first two games of their longest trip of the season, a seven-game, two-week, East Coast trek that continues Saturday when they face the New York Islanders.

“We still have lots of games left,” King Coach Tom Webster said. “Right now we have to take a look at what we’ve just accomplished, which is not too pleasing, and see where we can work to make some improvements.”

The Kings (4-3-2), who won two games last week after Gretzky left the team when his father, Walter, suffered a brain aneurysm, have lost their last two games while Gretzky remains with his father in Hamilton, Canada.

“It’s always tough if you lose your best player, but it’s a thing we can’t do much about,” right wing Tomas Sandstrom said. “All the players just have to pick it up.”

Although the Kings played superb defense last season when they won the Smythe Division title, their defense has been ineffective this season.

“If you look back at last year, there weren’t many games where we gave up six or seven goals,” Sandstrom said. “We’re playing really well for 30 minutes, but in hockey you have to play for 60 minutes.”

After a scoreless first period, the Kings took a 1-0 lead when center Sylvain Couturier scored his first goal of the season at 1:34 of the second period off a pass from left wing Luc Robitaille. Defenseman Marty McSorley made it 2-0 when he scored on a slap shot from outside the blue line at 6:31.

But the Kings quickly collapsed.

“In this league, 2-0 is not a big lead,” Sandstrom said. “We just have to learn from it. When we get up 2-0, maybe we should go a little bit harder and try to get the third one.”

With the teams skating four-on-four, Mike Gartner and Brian Leetch scored in a 44-second span of the second period to tie it for the Rangers (6-5).

New York, which outshot the Kings, 42-30, scored five goals in the third period, with center Darren Turcotte scoring two power-play goals.

“I guess this was our best third period of the season,” Ranger Coach Roger Neilson said. “Lately, we’ve been having our problems in the third period. This should give us some confidence.”

King Notes

Defenseman Larry Robinson returned after sitting out Tuesday night’s loss to New Jersey with a shoulder injury. Goalie Kelly Hrudey, who had been expected to start against the Rangers, sat out the game with flu. . . . Center John McIntyre missed the game after he re-sprained his left thumb against New Jersey. Right wing Dave Taylor rested. . . . There has been no change in the condition of Walter Gretzky, who underwent brain surgery last Saturday. There is a chance that Wayne Gretzky might rejoin the Kings Saturday.