Kings’ Result Has Familiar Look

It could have been one of those conventions where everyone wears a stick-on tag: Hi, I’m . . .

Four new faces dotted the King lineup on Saturday at the Forum, and a fifth player, left wing Vladimir Tsyplakov, made an earlier-than-expected return from major reconstructive shoulder surgery.

New faces, new numbers and the same old result--a 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers before an announced crowd of 12,758.

Once again, the Kings (21-35-15) were presented with an opportunity to pick up ground on eighth-place Winnipeg for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, the Jets earlier having lost, 3-0, to Philadelphia.

Yet they squandered that chance with a ragged performance against the Oilers and remain six points behind Winnipeg with 11 games remaining. Edmonton (25-36-7) pulled into a 10th-place tie with the Kings at 57 points. Both trail the Mighty Ducks by one point.

“I thought we played right into their hands because we tried to play their style,” King Coach Larry Robinson said. “We were over-aggressive on our forecheck and left ourselves wide open. I don’t think we played a patient enough game.”

King goaltender Byron Dafoe lost his third consecutive game and was pulled at 14:28 of the second period, having allowed five goals on 20 shots. Kelly Hrudey, playing for the first time since Feb. 28, replaced Dafoe and faced 12 shots, allowing no goals. It was the first time Dafoe has been pulled from a game since Jan. 25 at Hartford.

That night, the Kings lost, 8-2, to the Whalers, leaving Robinson to say it was like “a circus.”

Saturday was far from that, however. The Oilers simply worked harder than the Kings and seemed to get to the majority of loose pucks, breaking it open with three unanswered goals in the second period. They also received stronger goaltending, but Dafoe was not totally to blame.

One Oiler goal came on the power play and another was short-handed, and Dafoe was left helpless on the first Edmonton goal. King rookie defenseman Jan Vopat, making his NHL debut, had a nightmarish first period. He lost control of the puck in front of his own net as it rolled off his stick and kicked out to Zdeno Ciger, who worked a passing play with Doug Weight and scored at 4:02 of the first.

One positive note was the King debut of center Ray Ferraro, who was acquired on Thursday in the seven-player deal with the New York Rangers. That trade sent defenseman Marty McSorley and forwards Jari Kurri and Shane Churla to the Rangers in exchange for Ferraro and centers Ian Laperriere, Nathan LaFayette and defenseman Mattias Norstrom and a draft choice.

Ferraro scored with only 0.1 seconds remaining in the first period, on the power play, for his 26th goal of the season and first as a King. The light signaling the end of the period went on, but the play was reviewed and ruled a goal. The other King goal was scored by enforcer Barry Potmoski (his third of the season) at 4:34 of the third.

“It was nice to get the first one,” said Ferraro, who was named one of the team’s three assistant captains. “I thought our line had some good chances in the first period. It was a little strange to wear a new uniform. I didn’t think I’d be doing that again this season.”

Laperriere was injured in the third period, spraining his left shoulder when he was hit from behind by the Oilers’ Todd Marchant with 3:30 remaining. Marchant faces a possible league suspension because of the hit.