Robitaille Makes Chances Count : NHL playoffs: After several lost opportunities in the first three games, King wing scores twice.

According to Luc Robitaille, nobody had more scoring opportunities than he did during the first three games of the Smythe Division semifinal playoff series between the Kings and the Edmonton Oilers.

But all the King wing had to show for them was one goal.

It hardly concerned him.

“When you’re getting the chances,” Robitaille said, “you know that (eventually) the puck is going to go in.”

It did Friday night at the Northlands Coliseum, where Robitaille scored twice, including the winner to cap a three-goal third-period flurry by the visitors, to help the Kings to a 4-3 comeback victory.

“I had a lot of chances the last few games,” Robitaille said. “Billy (Ranford) made a great save on me the last game.”

On that save, the Oilers’ Ranford kicked aside a point-blank shot by Robitaille with 1:47 to play during Edmonton’s 4-3 victory in Game 3 Wednesday night.

“Tonight, a couple of pucks came loose for me,” Robitaille said. “I’ve been going to the net every shift, and tonight (the puck) came loose for me.”

Robitaille scored on a rebound at 19:00 of the first period, lifting a shot over the fallen Ranford after the Oilers’ goaltender had failed to cover a shot by Tomas Sandstrom. That goal pulled the Kings even, 1-1. It was Robitaille’s 24th goal in playoff competition, breaking a club record he had shared with Dave Taylor.

He added another on a chip shot with 6:07 to play.

A clearing pass by Ranford was intercepted by Tony Granato, who quickly fired a shot that was stopped by Ranford.

Ranford, however, was unable to hang onto the puck, which squirted out to Kyosti Karjalainen of the Kings. Karjalainen, stationed to the right of the net, slid the puck to Robitaille on the left.

Robitaille slammed it into the unprotected net, capping a rally during which the Kings scored three goals in 2:41 to erase a 2-1 deficit.

“I think Ranford saw me,” Robitaille said. “He kind of stopped the puck, but he was scared, so he kind of threw it away. Kyosti Karjalainen made a great play. He chipped it to me and all I had to do was put it in.”

Sometimes, that’s easier said than done, Robitaille added.

“This might have been the night when I had the least chances,” he said. “I only had three or four chances, but two of them were really easy, where I just had to tap them in. That’s the way it goes. When you work hard, I believe, good things are going to happen.

“I got two breaks. I’ve been going to the net every game, and tonight the puck was right there for me.”

But not for long.

Soon, it was in the net.

Before Friday, no team had been more successful on the power play during the playoffs than the Oilers, who had converted 44.4% of their manpower advantages, scoring eight goals in 18 opportunities.

But after scoring at least two power-play goals in each of the first three games, the Oilers converted only one of five chances in Game 4.

“We killed them really well,” Robitaille said.

During the regular season, the Oilers scored on 18.6% of their power-play opportunities to rank 14th in the NHL.

Kelly Buchberger’s play has come under fire from the Kings, but Oiler General Manager Glen Sather has admired it. Buchberger has shadowed Wayne Gretzky throughout the series, limiting him to five points, including an assist on the Kings’ third goal in Game 4.

“Nobody has been taking any cheap shots,” Sather told the Edmonton Sun. “Nobody is hitting anybody from behind. It’s been very fair.”

Sather told the Sun that the Kings “have to find a way to get around it. When we had all the so-called superstars, we forced people to play our style.

“Tom Webster can complain about whatever he wants. But he has his, what does he call them, Fabulous Five? We have to be very careful about how we play those guys. We have to have very strong checking hockey. Our guys aren’t holding them or cheap-shotting them. We’re skating with them.”

Said Buchberger’s teammate, Craig MacTavish: “It would be an awful short series (in the Kings’ favor) if we don’t shut down Gretz.”