Kings Remain Fit to Be Tied, by Canadiens

The Kings and the Montreal Canadiens in overtime.

So what’s new?

At least this time, Marty McSorley didn’t lose his stick.

And the Kings didn’t lose the game.

The two teams, opponents in last season’s Stanley Cup finals, skated to a 3-3 tie at the Forum before a sellout crowd of 16,005 Monday night.

Montreal beat the Kings in five games in last season’s finals, three of the Canadiens’ four victories coming in overtime.

Although Monday’s tie extended the Kings’ winless streak to nine games (0-6-3), it enabled the club to remain five points behind the San Jose Sharks in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. San Jose tied the Winnipeg Jets.

The Kings are 21-33-9, three of their last four games having ended in ties. The Canadiens are 33-22-9.

Facing Montreal goalie Patrick Roy for the second time this season, the Kings were still looking for their first goal.

But they didn’t have to wait long Monday night.

Wing Dixon Ward scored 14:10 into the game to get the Kings the early lead. It was Ward’s ninth goal and his third with the Kings since coming from the Vancouver Canucks in a trade on Jan. 8. Taking a cross-ice pass from Rob Blake, Ward skated in front of the net and slipped the puck past Roy’s glove.

Such moments have been rare of late against Roy, who is enjoying a season befitting the man considered by many the league’s best goalie. Roy has a league-leading seven shutouts this season and had given up only one goal in the two games before Monday, having stopped 68 of 69 shots.

His counterpart, Robb Stauber, is a virtual unknown around the league compared to Roy.

But Stauber’s esteem in the eyes of Coach Barry Melrose has grown considerably this season.

The mere fact that Stauber was starting against the defending Stanley Cup champions over No. 1 goalie Kelly Hrudey shows how much Stauber’s star has risen.

Stauber has started three of the last four games.

A few weeks ago, he took the puck up the ice, stickhandling as if he thought he were Wayne Gretzky.

Monday night, Stauber got into a struggle against the glass behind the net with Brian Bellows, Stauber acting as if he thought he were McSorley.

As did Roy, Stauber gave up a goal in the first period Monday night, John LeClair getting his 14th on a short shot from the slot.

The Kings regained the lead in the second period on Robert Lang’s fourth goal. Taking a pass from Luc Robitaille, Lang spun around Paul DiPietro and then smashed the puck between Roy’s pads from the right circle.

The Kings’ lead held up for only the first 1:11 of the final period, Gilbert Dionne scoring his 17th goal to make the score 2-2.

The Kings went in front for the third time after Bellows was given a double minor for high-sticking Lang, opening a cut across the King center’s chin.

McSorley, who was a central figure in last year’s finals when his illegal stick led to a Montreal victory, took a shot from 55 feet out, the puck bouncing off Robitaille’s leg to go past a helpless Roy. Although McSorley did all the work, Robitaille got credit for his team-leading 36th goal.

But again the Canadiens came back to tie, Mike Keane getting his 14th goal off a Dionne pass with 14 seconds remaining on a power play.

King Notes

Defenseman Doug Houda suffered a separated right shoulder in the first period when he was checked by forward John LeClair. Houda is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks. . . . The Kings will hold their annual Tup-a-King charity event at Hollywood Park on March 13. Variety, a children’s charity, the Kings’ Youth Hockey Foundation, Kings in the Community and Kings’ Wives for Kids Foundation will all receive donations from the event. VIP sponsorships are still available. For more information, call the Kings’ office.