Newest Kings Take Over

The Kings could not have written a better script for their home opener Sunday night at the Forum.

In front of a sellout crowd of 16,005--which happened only four times last season--the Kings gained their first victory with a 7-4 triumph over the Ottawa Senators, thanks to nine points from off-season additions Luc Robitaille, Jozef Stumpel and Garry Galley.

In his first regular-season home game since rejoining the Kings in a trade with the New York Rangers, Robitaille gave the Forum fans what they wanted when he scored the eventual winning goal midway through the third period.

“This is a big, big home stretch for us and we needed to win the first one,” said Robitaille, who also added an assist as the Kings improved to 1-2-3 after opening the season with a five-game trip.

“It felt pretty good [to return]. . . . The crowd was really into it. There were a lot of goals and it’s always a lot of fun when you get that.”

Stumpel, acquired in a summer trade with Boston, extended his scoring streak to six games with a goal and three assists. It was his goal 21 seconds after Robitaille’s that put the game away.

“That’s what we’ve been trying to get him to do since training camp and that is to shoot the puck,” King Coach Larry Robinson said. “As you can see he has a great shot.”

With 10 points in six games, Stumpel leads the NHL and has given the Kings exactly what they were seeking when they traded for him: a center with size and scoring ability.

“It’s nice to get that first [victory],” Stumpel said. “Somehow, we have to keep playing well.”

Galley, signed as a free agent from Buffalo, continued his steady play with three assists, giving him eight points for the season. He and Robitaille led the Kings with a plus-4 on the night.

The Kings also received a big game from center Yanic Perreault, who scored his second and third goals of the season.

It was Perreault’s first-period score on a deflected shot by Galley that gave the Kings their first 1-0 lead of the season. The Kings had fallen behind in each of their first five games.

The Senators, who gave up only two goals in their previous two games, tied the score with a power-play goal by left wing Randy Cunneyworth at the 11:27 mark of the first period.

The Kings quickly found themselves trailing, 2-1, 3:32 into the second period on a goal by Ottawa left wing Shawn McEachern. The Kings responded with two quick scores by Craig Johnson, his second of the season, and Perreault to take back the lead, 3-2.

However, Ottawa bounced back with McEachern’s second goal at the 8:44 mark of the second period to tie the score, 3-3. But before the period ended, King rookie Donald MacLean scored his third goal of the season on a perfect give-and-go play with Johnson to give the Kings a 4-3 lead heading into the third.

The Kings were outplayed for the first half of the third period, and the Senators finally tied the score, 4-4, on a goal by defenseman Janne Laukkanen 8:16 into the period. But, unlike on their recent trip, the Kings did not finish like a team trying not to lose.

Behind an inspired shift from Robitaille, who got things going with a crushing check in the Senator zone, the Kings retook the lead when defenseman Aki Berg fed Robitaille for a goal at the 12:53 mark.

On the ensuing shift, Berg assisted again on Stumpel’s goal to give the Kings a 6-4 lead.

“Tonight we played to win,” Robitaille said. “It was our game and we played like that. We didn’t sit back and that’s how games are won.”

The Kings’ Glen Murray scored an empty-net goal with 20 seconds to play.

For goalie Stephane Fiset, who made 21 saves, and the King defense, it was not a good game considering Ottawa was averaging only two goals a contest.

Too many times they were outmanned and only a strong offensive effort led to their first win.

“You don’t want to give up four goals, that is definitely too many,” defenseman Doug Zmolek said. “But, I think our mistakes are correctable.”

The Kings can only hope that they continue to play well when they have a strong turnout at the Forum. Last season, they were 0-3-1 in sellouts.

“It was nice to be able to give the fans a win.” Robinson said.

*

* MOVE KARIYA NORTH

Randy Harvey writes that he would like to see the Kings sign Paul Kariya to an offer sheet. C2

* A REALLY HOT WING

It’s early to nominate Craig Johnson for an award, but King winger was worth the wait. C9