Short-Handed Goals Torment the Kings, 7-4

Vice President Dan Quayle, surrounded by his Secret Service detail, took in Friday night’s game between the Kings and the Washington Capitals at the Capital Centre.

That was enough to make Kelly Hrudey jealous.

It’s not that the Kings’ goalie wants to be vice president. But he sure would love that kind of protection.

Actually, after Friday night, he would love any kind of protection.

Instead, all Hrudey saw in his face were onrushing Capitals as Washington, getting a club-record three short-handed goals in addition to three power-play goals, beat the Kings, 7-4, before a sellout crowd of 18,130.

The way the Kings played defense, it would have taken a Secret Service unit to protect their first-period 2-0 lead, which came on goals by Luc Robitaille (20th) and Rob Blake (fourth).

After that, it became a battle of the special teams, a battle the Kings decidedly lost. The Capitals scored five consecutive goals, three on power plays and two short-handed, to give them a lead they never surrendered.

“The power play has been our nemesis all year,” said Coach Tom Webster, who saw his team drop to 17-18-7.

Washington came into the game with a 25.3% success rate on the power play, best in the NHL, while the Kings were 16.5%, only good enough for 18th in the 22-team league.

So it wasn’t too surprising when the Capitals tied the score on power-play goals by Randy Burridge (16th goal of the season) and Kevin Hatcher (10th).

But then came the short-handed goals, surprising the Kings each time despite their similarity.

They were scored by:

--Hatcher, his second goal of the night, late in the second period.

--Mike Ridley, his 17th goal, 18 seconds later to break a 1974 club record for the two fastest short-handers.

--Calle Johansson, his 10th, late in the third period to close the scoring.

Each time, the King defensemen came up to pinch the puck in the offensive zone. And each time, the Capitals out-thought them. Brian Benning, Blake and Tim Watters in succession failed to control the puck.

“It’s possession before position,” Webster said. “It doesn’t do us any good to have position if we don’t have possession.”

On the first two short-handers, the Capitals turned the defensive lapses into a two-on-one situations at the other end. The key figure both times was Hatcher, who had two assists for a four-point night. On the final short-handed goal, nobody picked up Johansson, who came charging in from the left side untouched to score.

But the Kings didn’t limit their mistakes to the defense. Benning deserves a special mention.

After drawing two minutes for holding Dino Ciccarelli, Benning managed to get another two minutes for punching Ciccarelli as he skated past him on the way to the penalty box.

As time ran out in the second period, Benning was called for cross checking, giving Washington a two-man advantage. Dimitri Khristich used the opportunity to score his 20th goal. Webster benched Benning during the final period.

After John Druce scored his seventh goal, Bob Kudelski’s 15th and Blake’s second of the night narrowed the gap.

But the Kings could never mount a serious attack, getting 12 shots during the final two periods after having 14 during the first.

Washington had a total of 41 shots in improving to 27-14-3, good for the Patrick Division lead.