New L.A. Player Scores in Loss

If it had just been defenseman Paul Coffey, it would have been understandable. He hadn’t been to sleep in two days.

So what was the Kings’ excuse?

It was Coffey’s new teammates who dozed off Wednesday night at the Northlands Coliseum, enabling the Edmonton Oilers to score three second-period goals en route to a 4-3 victory before a sellout crowd of 17,503.

So much for Coffey’s grand entrance.

The stage was certainly set when the defenseman flew all day to join his new club after staying up all the previous night after being told he had been traded.

Not only was Coffey on the ice in Edmonton as a King 24 hours after being on the ice in Pittsburgh as a Penguin, but he was immediately contributing.

After Wayne Gretzky’s 25th goal and third in two games had been matched by Anatoli Semenov’s goal, Coffey controlled a loose puck in the Oilers’ zone and put it between goalie Bill Ranford’s pads to give his new club a 2-1 lead after one period.

Then came the slumbering second period.

“We got here as a team,” Coach Tom Webster said, “then we forgot that and became very soft in the second period. We cannot think that talent alone will do it.”

The Oilers put the game away on goals by Martin Gelinas (seventh), Greg Hawgood (first) and Semenov’s second of the night and 11th of the season.

Corey Millen made the game seem closer than it was by scoring his 12th goal with 2.7 seconds remaining.

Edmonton (26-28-7) moved into a tie for third place in the Smythe Division with the Winnipeg Jets, two points behind the Kings (24-23-13).

Asked if it was a relief the trade was finally done, Coffey, the weariness obvious in his voice, said: “It’ll be a relief to get some sleep.”

It wasn’t simply fatigue, however, that was bothering him. He also has a sore back.

“I got hit about three weeks ago,” he said, pointing to the area of his lower back. “It keeps getting worse all the time. I’m going to have to have a doctor look at it.”

Coffey was teamed at the blue line with Charlie Huddy, his old partner from the days when both were Oilers. Coffey also took the point on the power play, a position the Kings have been weak at this season.

Coffey didn’t make much difference on the power play, the Kings scoring once in six tries. But that’s hardly surprising since he arrived in Edmonton at 4 p.m., went straight to the arena and barely had time to try on his uniform, bearing his familiar No. 77, and stretch his legs on the ice, much less study the Kings’ game plan.

As he dressed after the game, Coffey was asked if the team was leaving that night for its next game in Calgary on Friday.

“I don’t know what they do around here,” Coffey said. “I just follow.”

The Kings hope that won’t be the case for long.