This Time, Kings Fit to Be Tied

At least the Kings scored first.

Scoring the most, however, is another story.

And not one to be written Thursday night at the Forum, where the Kings, unable to hold onto a 2-0 lead, finished in a 2-2 tie with the Buffalo Sabres before a sellout crowd of 16,005.

Although they were facing rookie goalie Tom Draper, in for injured Daren Puppa, the Kings were unable to break out of a winless streak that has stretched to 0-3-2.

The Kings, outshot 36-25 but saved by strong goaltending from Kelly Hrudey, are 8-6-5 overall, Buffalo 6-9-2.

The news that the Kings scored the game’s opening goal was worthy of a bulletin.

It marked the first time in 10 games they had scored first. They last did it Oct. 23, scoring the first two goals against the New York Rangers.

But that night, they gave up the next seven, losing in Madison Square Garden, 7-2.

Thursday night, Tomas Sandstrom scored the game’s first goal, and only his second in 16 games, 17:04 into the game.

The Kings struck again 35 seconds later when Luc Robitaille scored his team-leading 12th goal.

“I’m pretty happy just that we didn’t give up three goals in the first period,” Hrudey said. “I thought we would have received a standing ovation for that.”

The Sabres got closer 59 seconds into the final period on Donald Audette’s ninth goal.

Then, the Sabres got even after Peter Ahola was called for high-sticking Dave Andreychuk after he drew blood from the Sabre wing’s nose. Ahola drew a five-minute major penalty and the game misconduct.

Fittingly, it was Andreychuk, cotton stuffed up his nose to prevent further bleeding, who scored the game-tying goal on the power play, skating past a defender to shove the puck between Hrudey’s pads for his fourth goal of the season and third on a power play at 13:08.

That was in contrast to a similar situation in the second period when Buffalo’s Brad May received a five-minute major for high sticking. The Kings took five shots and missed them all.

No surprise. The Kings were blanked on three power plays Thursday, making them one for 12 in their last three games.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” King Coach Tom Webster said of Thursday’s game. “We’ll take any point we can get right now.”

King Notes

Hit in the right knee with the puck at point-blank range by Pat LaFontaine at the end of the second period, King defenseman Rob Blake suffered a deep bruise and did not return. . . . King wing Tony Granato required stitches after getting slashed above one eye in the first period but was able to return after donning a face shield. . . . Teammate Jari Kurri is feeling better but still doesn’t have “full arm movement,” after being hit by Vancouver’s Trevor Linden Tuesday night. Kurri is expected to be out another week. “He (Linden) hit me in the shoulder,” Kurri said. “It was a clean hit. There was a little pain and stiffness and I could feel there was something wrong right away.” . . . King defenseman Charlie Huddy, who has been in and out of the lineup, missing a total of 12 games because of a groin pull, hopes to be back Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks. . . . Buffalo center Dale Hawerchuk left the game in the second period with a groin pull and did not return. . . . Sabre goalie Daren Puppa was injured in practice Tuesday and is expected to be out about six weeks.