Kings Spoil Their Own Party

The opening night of the Kings’ 30th anniversary weekend was supposed to be special. It turned out to be a dud.

With many former players returning and the team wearing its old purple and gold jerseys, the Kings had hoped to get a much-needed victory over St. Louis before a capacity crowd to keep their dwindling playoff hopes alive.

Instead, they and their fans treated Thursday night’s game like any other. Only 9,597 fans--the third-smallest crowd of the season--showed up to see the Kings lose, 4-2, to the Blues at the Forum.

Despite the return of goalie Stephane Fiset, who had missed the last three games because of a groin/stomach injury, the Kings were overwhelmed in the first two periods. Their only goals, by Rob Blake and Dimitri Khristich, were scored in the third period.

St. Louis goaltender Grant Fuhr stopped 27 shots to win for the second time this season against his former team. Brett Hull, Sergio Momesso, Stephane Matteau and Chris Pronger scored goals for the Blues, who have won two in a row and have moved ahead of the Mighty Ducks and Phoenix Coyotes for the fifth position in the Western Conference playoff race.

For the Kings, Thursday’s defeat not only was a serious blow to their fading dream of making the playoffs but it dropped them nine points behind the Blues, whose first-round pick in this year’s draft they acquired in the Wayne Gretzky trade last year.

With next Tuesday’s NHL trade deadline approaching, the Kings will have to decide whether it is time to make a move to add more youth and depth. According to league sources, the Kings have talked about a package deal involving center Ray Ferraro going to either Florida or Calgary, who both need veteran forward help.

“Nobody’s come to me and said don’t worry about it, and nobody’s come to me and said you’ll be here,” Ferraro said. “I think we’ve shown improvement, and that was one of my complaints earlier in the year.”

If Thursday night’s performance is any indication, management still has a lot of work ahead.

For the fourth time in their last five games, the Kings trailed, 2-0, after the first period. St. Louis outshot the Kings, 16-8, and scored on goals by Hull and Momesso within 45 seconds midway through the period.

The Kings outshot St. Louis, 13-3, in the second period but the Blues still were able to extend their lead to 3-0 when Matteau scored a short-handed goal with 5:54 remaining in the period.

St. Louis then put the game away early in the third period when Pronger scored a rebound goal 23 seconds in to give the Blues a four-goal lead.

The Kings, who had lost only two of their last nine games, made the game close on a power-play goal by Blake and a late score by Khristich.

In making his first start since March 4th, Fiset stopped 25 shots but gave up the most goals since a 3-1 loss he suffered at Colorado on Jan. 29.

“We just didn’t do anything until too late,” King Coach Larry Robinson said. “That’s three games now we haven’t started very well . . . We sure didn’t play like a team desperate to make the playoffs.”

The Kings’ anniversary weekend continues today with a luncheon at Planet Hollywood at noon and a dinner at the Century Plaza Hotel at 6 p.m.