Flames Beat Kings, 2-1, as Winless Streak Ends : Hockey: Calgary’s first victory of the season comes before the smallest Forum crowd since 1988--11,241.

Maybe it was a good thing the Kings played before their smallest crowd at the Forum. Their smallest, that is, since the Wayne Gretzky era started in the 1988-89 season.

The supposed new-and-improved Kings became the first victim of the Flames as Calgary won its first game of the season, 2-1, on Tuesday in front of an announced crowd of 11,241.

A controversial ending almost helped the Kings escape that fate. Playing with a two-man advantage, the Kings appeared to tie the game when center Jari Kurri blasted a shot from the left circle with 36.6 seconds remaining. But referee Kerry Fraser immediately called for a video replay review.

Replays showed that King left wing Dimitri Khristich had directed the puck in with his skate from the edge of the crease and video goal judge John Pemberton ruled no goal. And the scrambling Flames and their goaltender, Rick Tabaracci, then held off the Kings in the final seconds.

Afterward, King Coach Larry Robinson once again lashed out at the officiating. He was particularly upset about an earlier incident when only a minor penalty was called when defenseman Denis Tsygurov got cut in the face.

“It must be Halloween because we’ve gotten phantom ghosts out there cutting our players and no one has seen it,” Robinson said. “Three of them [officials] were out there, but all three of them missed it.”

Yet the Kings had 11 power plays and converted only one.

“I’m not blaming the game on the officiating,” defenseman Marty McSorley said. “Tonight, we had more than enough opportunities. We have to take the blame. Larry is supporting us and backing us, but we have to step up.”

After all, these were the same Flames who had stumbled to an 0-7-3 start, and who had shared the dubious distinction with the San Jose Sharks as being the only teams in the NHL without a victory.

And they were the same team that allowed five goals in the first period against the Mighty Ducks in a horrific performance on Sunday.

“I think everybody was getting to the point where you can’t lose that many games and not get fed up,” Tabaracci said.

Yet the Kings (4-3-4) made the Flames work their way into a comfort zone, playing down to their level and ultimately went on to lose their first game at home. The chorus of boos grew louder in the third period when the Kings failed to convert on three consecutive power plays, starting from the 4:14 mark. The Kings are winless in their last four games, going 0-3-1.

Tuesday’s crowd was the smallest for a King game at the Forum since March 13, 1988, when they drew 10,253 against the St. Louis Blues. That was the season before Gretzky was traded to the Kings, and the previous smallest crowd here in the Gretzky era had been 11,250 on Nov. 15, 1988 against the Vancouver Canucks.

The game-winner came 2:43 into the third period, from rookie center Cory Stillman. Defenseman Phil Housley, faking a shot in the left-wing circle, instead slid the puck into the slot to Stillman. Stillman, who was between the circles, beat King goaltender Jamie Storr on the glove side with a quick shot for his fourth goal.

It wasted a productive effort from Storr, who could only be faulted on the first goal, which was something of a fluke, off a first-period knuckler from Flame defenseman Zarley Zalapski, about 65 feet out. The shot appeared to be sailing over the net, but Storr reached up and tried to grab the puck, which plopped in the net off his glove.

“It’s just one of those rules, if it’s going over the net, you’re supposed to let it go,” Storr said. “I’m glad it’s happened early in my career.”

Zalapski’s goal, his second of the season, came at 10:25. The Kings tied the game on the power play in the second period on Yanic Perreault’s seventh goal, at 10:36.

King Notes

Considering he has suffered several setbacks in his recovery from an injured left ankle, goaltender Kelly Hrudey is reluctant to guess on a return date. “I’m not going to take any more setbacks by trying to push it too hard,” Hrudey said. . . . Forward John Druce sat out the game because of a strained lower back.