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Kings Make Most of Line Switch, 4-0 : Hockey: Kurri joins Robitaille and Hiller to fuel offense. Hrudey stops 36 shots in shutout over Calgary.

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

King goaltender Kelly Hrudey doesn’t spend his summer at home in Alberta, counting his shutouts. He knows exactly how many he has had in his career but prefers to relish another statistic: Victories.

Hrudey made 36 saves and recorded his 14th career shutout in the Kings’ 4-0 victory over the Calgary Flames before a crowd of 15,133 Thursday night at the Forum.

“It never has meant anything,” Hrudey said. “And it never will. I’m not a shutout master. I like the wins, though. I love the wins. In hockey, there’s nothing better.”

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Said King Coach Barry Melrose: “He was great when we were flat and weren’t ready to play in the first period.”

And one adjustment by Melrose, one seemingly small change--veteran Jari Kurri in place of rookie center Robert Lang--has jump-started the Kings the last three games.

The revised line of left winger Luc Robitaille, Kurri and rookie right winger Jim Hiller almost single-handedly provided the offense against the Flames.

Until the line, and the Kings got going, Hrudey was spectacular when the Kings were outshot, 9-1, during the first five minutes. The last Kings’ shutout was by Hrudey in a 2-0 victory over Chicago last season on Feb. 1.

The Kings had not had a shutout against the Flames since 1976, when the Flames were still playing in Atlanta.

Since losing to Detroit in their home opener, the Kings (4-1) have won three games and are undefeated against Smythe Division opponents. Calgary (3-2) also lost to the Kings in the season opener. The Kings are off to their best start since the 1988-89 season when they opened with four victories.

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“I don’t think anybody thought we’d be 4-1,” Hrudey said. “But I think we deserve to be 4-1. We’ve worked hard every night. I think we still need to improve our work ethic throughout a whole game.”

Once the Kings got going offensively, they were able to force starting goaltender Mike Vernon from the game after two periods. Vernon, seemingly flustered on routine saves, faced 18 shots and gave up four goals before being replaced by Jeff Reese for the third period.

Hrudey, on the other hand, kept the Kings in it until their offense showed up. With Hrudey providing the last line of defense, the line of Robitaille-Kurri-Hiller was on the ice for every King goal. Robitaille scored twice and assisted on another goal. Kurri, aiming for his 500th career goal, assisted on Robitaille’s first goal of the game, 37 seconds into the second period.

Hiller scored the game’s first goal at 14:10 of the first period when he beat Vernon with a 50-footer, giving the Kings a 1-0 lead after one. Later, Hiller showed his versatility as a playmaker on the power play, setting up another King rookie, defenseman Alexei Zhitnik, at 2:38 of the second period.

From deep in the left corner, Hiller’s pass connected with Zhitnik at the right point. The pass got through when Flame center Joel Otto fell down in the left circle despite no contact. Zhitnik’s slap shot hit Vernon’s left arm, came down in the crease and went in the net.

Zhitnik’s first NHL goal made it 3-0, and solidified the Kings’ lead. Only 2:01 earlier, Vernon was victimized by yet another strange goal.

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Robitaille scored on a bank shot from behind the net. His flick shot went off Vernon’s stick and trickled between his legs.

His second goal of the game and fourth of the season was a little more conventional, but not much. Zhitnik launched a slap shot from the right point that glanced off the left post and dropped down in front of Robitaille. For Robitaille, it was an easy tap-in for his eighth point in the last three games. It was also his 600th career point.

“They work hard and they pay the price,” Melrose said. “The other line didn’t seem like they had the magic these guys have.”

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