8 More Than Enough When Kings Get Only 2

Of course the Kings lost another game at the Pacific Coliseum.

What else is new?

The Kings haven’t won a regular-season game here since April 12, 1992. They have lost eight consecutive games in Vancouver, and their latest shortcoming resulted in an embarrassing 8-2 loss to the Canucks on Monday night before 13,423.

It should have been clear that a change of venue after Saturday’s debacle--a 6-2 loss to the Canucks at the Forum--would mean disaster for the Kings. This was nearly a clone of Saturday’s game before the Kings gave up two more power-play goals in the final 6:41, a messy fight-filled finish.

Once again, it was a game dominated by Canuck defenseman Jeff Brown and the Vancouver power play. And right wing Pavel Bure, pointless on Saturday, finally stirred and got into the flow with one goal and two assists.

Brown was the offensive catalyst with five assists Monday. Saturday, Brown had four points on one goal and three assists. In 14 games, Brown has 16 points, and nine have come against the Kings in the last two games. Geoff Courtnall, who had two goals on Saturday, also scored twice, as did Martin Gelinas.

“It’s great because they’ve never gone in like this before,” Brown said. “I am the bearer of a lot of good luck. I even fanned on one (pass) in the second period and he (Gelinas) still put it in.”

Maybe Brown is forgetting that the Canucks don’t need much luck against the old and unimproved Kings. Vancouver continued to take advantage of the Kings’ tendency to take mindless penalties, scoring four power-play goals on nine opportunities. That equaled their power-play output of Saturday when they were four for eight.

Vancouver’s final two goals came after King defenseman Sean O’Donnell received a five-minute major for fighting Courtnall, and an automatic game misconduct for instigating the fight at 12:50 of the third period.

“Any time you lose, it’s embarrassing,” said Wayne Gretzky, who had one assist. “It’s always difficult. It’s a tough situation for all of us. The last two games we’ve gotten beat fair and square.

“There’s no question Saturday’s loss was a direct result of being undisciplined. Tonight’s game was kind of strange, it was going along and all of a sudden it was 5-2.”

Kelly Hrudey looked strong on the tough saves and somewhat shaky on the non-threatening scoring opportunities, giving up five goals on 27 shots through the first two periods.

He was replaced at the start of the third period by Grant Fuhr, who had been left out in the cold in Saturday’s debacle. Fuhr faced 17 shots and gave up three goals, but all three came on the power play.

Defense, or lack thereof, continues to be the Kings’ biggest problem. They tried to adjust by sending Chris Snell back to Phoenix and recalling a defenseman with more size, Eric Lavigne.

It didn’t matter as the Kings continue to slip in the standings. They are 4-8-3 and have won once in five games, going 1-3-1, and are tied for last in the Pacific Division with the Mighty Ducks with 11 points.

Said Vancouver Coach Rick Ley: “I’m happy we have that killer instinct. That’s what it takes to be a good team. When you get someone in a tough position with a lot of players out, you put it to them. You have to take advantage of any of those opportunities.”

*

King Notes

Left wing Eric Lacroix actually hurt himself in the third period, running into the boards when Canuck right wing Tim Hunter stepped out of the way of a check. Lacroix needed 13 stitches for the gash on his mouth. . . . Referee Mark Faucette, obviously spending too much time around the injury-prone Kings, suffered a pulled groin in the first period and linesman Brad Lazarowich took on the duties of referee for the final two periods. . . . King defenseman Rob Cowie scored his first NHL goal, at 13:35 of the first period. The other King goal was scored by Dan Quinn at the 43-second mark of the second period to make it 2-2.