Lang Gets Kings a Needed Point

At least once each season, King forward Robert Lang scores a goal worthy of any highlight film--a flashy, game-stopping play-of-the-day-type effort. And Lang certainly picked the right time for this season’s outstanding goal as his fifth of the season helped give the Kings a 4-4 tie against the Dallas Stars on Saturday night at the Forum.

There are only eight games remaining, and Lang’s effort prevented the Kings from losing their sixth consecutive game. The goal came short-handed at 11:44 of the third period and was the result of a turnover by Dallas defenseman Grant Ledyard in the Kings’ zone near the blue line. Lang, fighting off a tremendous checking effort by defenseman Derian Hatcher, rushed down the ice, shifted the puck and went to his forehand and beat Dallas goaltender Andy Moog on the glove side. King Coach Larry Robinson applauded the effort, clapping on the bench.

“He’s been a mystery to me all year,” Robinson said.

Said Lang, smiling: “I’ve been a mystery to myself, so I’m not surprised to hear him saying that.”

Even Lang is aware of his reputation for scoring at least one sensational goal per season and is just as knowledgeable about his shortcomings.

“Sometimes after a couple of good games, it’s a total disaster,” he said. “Well, not a total disaster, but not a good game.”

Lang earlier added an assist and now has 21 points in 61 games. Others scoring for the Kings included Nathan LaFayette, who scored his first goal of the season, Ian Laperriere (fifth of the season) and defenseman Philippe Boucher (sixth). Laperriere added an assist, and defenseman Jan Vopat recorded two assists.

It was the fourth consecutive tie between the Stars and Kings this season. For the Kings (21-37-16), it was their first victory in six games; they are seven points behind the Winnipeg Jets in the race for the final playoff spot. They are in 12th place in the Western Conference, one point behind Dallas and are trailing 10th-place Edmonton by three points.

The hard-hitting game was wide open and featured a bizarre goal, which took about five minutes to decide whether it was a goal.

It is not unusual to have a play reviewed when it is unclear whether a goal has been scored. But twice on the same goal?

That’s what happened in the second period. It had appeared that Dallas left wing Brent Gilchrist had scored his 18th goal of the season and 100th of his career at 10:30. His shot from the base of the right circle sailed past King goaltender Byron Dafoe and knocked the water bottle off the top of the net and bounced out again--but the red light signaling a goal never went on.

Referee Paul Devorski immediately called for a review by the video goal judge, John Pemberton. The announced crowd of 12,645 had to wait an agonizing five minutes while the judge looked at several different angles. It was ruled no goal and the Dallas bench complained.

One more angle was found, and the non-goal became a goal, giving the Stars a 4-2 lead. For Gilchrist, it was some form of justice because he had been credited with a goal in the first period, which would have been his 100th, but it was changed and awarded to Randy Wood.

King defenseman Doug Zmolek, who had been one of the few injury-free players after being traded to Los Angeles from the Stars on Feb. 17, went down early in the game when another player landed on his foot. An MRI will be done today, but the first report is that he has a strained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

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King Notes

Forward Gary Shuchuk, who was sent to Phoenix on Friday, was recalled after the game. . . . Left wing Kevin Stevens, who has been out since Feb. 28 because of a broken tibia in his left leg, will accompany the team on its three-game trip next week to Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. He may play in the final two games. Stevens has sat out nine games because of this latest injury. . . . Defenseman John Slaney (broken right hand) may also be back next week. Forward Craig Johnson (sprained left shoulder) won’t be ready to return on the next trip.