Maple Leaf Coach Says That Kings Are Crying : Hockey: Burns calls play by Gilmour that broke Sandstrom’s arm ‘part of the game.’

Although Toronto center Doug Gilmour expects a suspension for slashing and breaking King right wing Tomas Sandstrom’s left forearm, Maple Leaf Coach Pat Burns said that the incident was merely “part of the game.”

“I looked at the tape and I didn’t see anything,” Burns said Monday. “We’re too quick to condemn Doug Gilmour. Why does everyone want to hang Doug Gilmour by a rope until he’s dead?

“That’s hockey. That’s part of the game. Guys get whacked all the time. Guys get broken arms. The Kings are always crying about something. . . . L.A. or Pittsburgh, you can’t touch them without getting a suspension.”

The Kings and Sandstrom say that Gilmour’s slash--which was called a high-sticking penalty--was in direct retaliation for an incident involving Sandstrom and Jamie Macoun about 30 seconds earlier.

Macoun, however, played the rest of the game. Sandstrom will be out for at least four weeks.

Faced with a mounting injury list, the Kings called up two players from their minor league team in Phoenix--center Guy Leveque and right wing Sean Whyte. Leveque has 18 points in 12 games and Whyte has 19 points in 13 games.

King right wing Jim Hiller became the latest injured player. He has a strained lower back, did not practice Monday and will not travel with the Kings to Edmonton for Wednesday’s game there. He may join the team in Detroit on Thursday or Friday.

Defenseman Darryl Sydor, who has a strained left shoulder, did practice and may play against Edmonton.

Left wing Lonnie Loach, who is at home in Ontario for the birth of his second child, will join the Kings in Detroit.