Kings’ Power Play Short-Circuits : Game 1: L.A. fails on all nine of its opportunities as Edmonton gains home-ice advantage with 3-1 victory.

The Stanley Cup playoffs have begun.

Would somebody please wake the Kings and let them know?

Despite the benefit of three days to prepare, despite the chance for revenge for a handful of former Oilers, despite the desire to make up for a lackluster regular season, the Kings stumbled into the postseason Saturday night, losing to Edmonton, 3-1, in the opening game of best-of-seven Smythe Division semifinal series.

Game 2 will be played at the Forum Monday night.

It wasn’t merely that the Kings lost that caused the sellout Forum crowd of 16,005 to boo loudly. It was how they lost: In nearly every way imaginable.

The Kings couldn’t generate any offense, any defense or even much emotion.

The worst moments, however, came on the power play. In the Oilers, the Kings were facing the second-worst penalty-killers in the league during the regular season. And they had nine opportunities to exploit them.

Instead, the Kings were blanked on all nine power plays, getting a total of only nine shots.

But a lot of credit has to go to Edmonton. Coming in without injured defenseman Kevin Lowe and Craig Muni, the Oilers lost wings Craig Simpson and Anatoli Semenov to shoulder injuries during the game.

But they still managed to regain the home-ice advantage.

Edmonton got on the scoreboard in the irst period when Larry Robinson was unable to control a loose puck in front of his own net.

Vincent Damphousse, however, had no such problems.

The Oilers’ leading scorer in the regular season with 38 goals lead the way into the postseason as well by ramming the puck through King goalie Kelly Hrudey’s pads on a power play 4:14 into the game.

Before the period was over, defenseman Brian Glynn made the score 2-0 by taking a pass from Damphousse in the slot and converting it into a goal.

After coming over from the Minnesota North Stars in a January trade, Glynn scored two goals in 25 games.

He equaled that in two periods Saturday night, scoring his second on a power play with a blistering line drive from just inside the blue line that sailed under Hrudey’s right leg.

Rob Blake finally got the Kings on the board at the 18:15 mark of the period. Blake scored from a few feet out on the right side when Edmonton goalie Bill Ranford failed to control the puck after blocking a Tony Granato shot.

King Notes

King defenseman Larry Robinson, concluding his 20th NHL season, is also in the playoffs for the 20th time. That ties Gordie Howe for most years in the playoffs and extends Robinson’s record for most consecutive years. Robinson quickly showed he was going to do more than merely make an appearance Saturday. The King defenseman checked Craig Simpson into the boards so hard during the first period that the Edmonton wing suffered a sprained shoulder and did not return for the final two periods.

The Oilers are without two key veterans at the blue line, Kevin Lowe and Craig Muni. Lowe has a groin strain that cost him the final game of the regular season. Since he couldn’t play anyway, Lowe used the time to have arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. Muni is sidelined because of a knee injury that cost him the final nine regular-season games. Lowe might be back by the end of the series, but Muni, the man who caused leg injuries to both Tomas Sandstrom and Bob Kudelski during last season’s playoffs, is not expected back in time for this series.

* MAN OF THE MOMENT

Defenseman Brian Glynn, who had scored only four goals in 62 games this season, scores twice to lead Edmonton to victory. C4

NHL Playoffs

KINGS vs. EDMONTON OILERS

Game 1: Edmonton 3, Kings 1

Monday: at Forum, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday: at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m.

Friday: at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday: at Forum, 7:30 p.m.*

April 28: at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m.*

April 30: at Forum, 7:30 p.m.*

* If necessary

All times Pacific