Notes on a Scorecard - Dec. 10, 1991

The Kings figure to end their five-game losing streak tonight against Team USA at the Forum. But it is no gimme. Team USA beat the San Jose Sharks the last time they played. The Kings didn’t. . . .

This is shaping up as the most disappointing season since Los Angeles joined the NHL in 1967. . . .

As one of the few who gave Rogie Vachon any credit for the Kings’ rise to their first division championship last season, I must also assign the general manager some of the blame for the slide. . . .

There should have been a way to obtain the rights to Jari Kurri from the Philadelphia Flyers without giving up Steve Duchesne, who had been the Kings’ power-play point man and highest-scoring defenseman. . . .

The deal reminds me of the time the Kings sent their heart and soul, Terry Harper and Dan Maloney, to the Detroit Red Wings as compensation for the signing of Marcel Dionne. Coach Bob Pulford was so upset, he told Jack Kent Cooke that he was quitting before his players persuaded him to stay. The Kings slipped from a 105-point season in 1974-75 to 85 in 1975-76, then went on to worse things. . . .

At least, Dionne was productive in L.A. Kurri hasn’t been. . . .

Other reasons the Kings are 11-12-6: injuries that have crippled the defense, Wayne Gretzky’s nagging bad back, the embarrassment of having the coach suspended for throwing a stick at a referee and an appalling lack of intensity. . . .

All four NHL division leaders are different from a year ago. Vancouver, Detroit, Montreal and Washington have replaced the Kings, St. Louis, Boston, and the New York Rangers. . . .

What made Eric Lindros so impressive during Team Canada’s 5-3 victory over Team USA Saturday was his toughness. He is perfectly willing to give or take a shot. . . .

Whitey Herzog’s plus-minus statistic with the Angels needs to improve. Von Hayes is not equal to Wally Joyner, Kyle Abbott and Ruben Amaro. . . .

Of course, it’s obvious that the Autrys don’t like Joyner. They only offered him a measly four-year, $15.75-million contract . . .

Bill Buckner’s knowledge and attitude should make him a good minor league hitting instructor for the Toronto Blue Jays. . . .

J.T. Snow, a switch-hitting first baseman and the son of former Ram wide receiver Jack Snow, has made the Yankees’ 40-man roster. . . .

Among those bullish on Eric Davis is another Davis who used to play left field for the Dodgers. “Eric is fearless,” Tommy Davis said. “He attacks the game.” . . .

If you don’t think there is much difference between the NBA’s three-point basket and the NCAA’s, take a look at the lines painted on the Sports Arena floor. . . .

HBO has no one to blame but itself for the George Foreman-Jimmy Ellis mismatch. . . .

Foreman’s next opponent is expected to be the winner of the Feb. 7 Ray Mercer-Larry Holmes fight, probably Mercer. . . .

For the first time, FIFA has chosen a soccer player of the year. He is Lothar Matthaeus, captain of the German national team and star of Internazionale of Milan, Italy. . . .

Achievement of the month by an American athlete: A.J. Kitt’s victory in the first World Cup downhill race of the season. . . .

The top three finishers in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last month at Churchill Downs--Miss Alleged, Itsallgreektome, and Quest For Fame--will be rematched in the $500,000 Hollywood Turf Cup Sunday at Hollywood Park. . . .

Miss Alleged probably won’t be favored but will receive a lot more support than on Breeders’ Cup day, when she went off at 42-1 as part of the mutuel field. The 4-year-old filly is now in Charlie Whittingham’s barn and has been working well at Inglewood. . . .

The Raiders should have known they were in trouble Sunday when they won the coin toss before overtime. The Buffalo Bills have won seven of eight overtime games after losing the toss. . . .

The three biggest NFL crowds this season have been at the Coliseum, which, of course, has the largest seating capacity. . . .

Dick Nolan fans will be delighted to know that the former San Francisco 49er and New Orleans Saint coach has been hired by the expansion San Antonio Force of the Arena Football League. . . .

The good news for the San Diego Chargers: They won’t finish with a 6-10 record for the fourth consecutive season. The bad news: They will finish with a worse record. . . .

Highlight of the USC football banquet was long-snapper Marc Raab’s successful proposal of marriage to Tamara Sullivan from the stage. . . .

Oklahoma State, which produced Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas, rushed for 1,244 yards in 11 games this season. . . .

A national championship football tournament would be a financial bonanza, but the NCAA Division I-AA tournament lost $19,395 last season. And that was an improvement from 1989, when it lost $255,438. . . .

Lame-duck matchup of the year: Jerry Burns of the Minnesota Vikings vs. John Robinson of the Rams on Sunday at Minneapolis.