Mighty Kings Rule Ducks

You’ll never see the face of the most important player for the Kings.

You’ll never view the shoulder-length hair, the dark goatee, the gap-toothed glare.

And you can’t pronounce his name.

“Steve Fizett.”

When the King goaltender emerges from his silver mask, that is what some people in this strange hockey town call him.

He does not correct them.

He is way too nice for a hockey player blessed with looks so mean.

“It is a French name, this is the United States. I understand,” said Stephane Fiset.

That’s Ste-fahn Fee-say to you.

Say it in front of a mirror. Get used it to. You’ll be needing it after the Olympics.

If the the Kings continue this wondrous run toward their first playoff appearance in five years, they will have to do it on Stephane Fiset’s sweaty shoulders.

He was Stevie Wonder again Saturday in the Kings’ 5-2 victory over that toy Disney keeps breaking.

The Ducks outshot the Kings, 33-20. They had six power-play opportunities, including a two-man advantage twice.

“It was scary,” Fiset said.

Yet he allowed nothing when outmanned, nothing while holding a one-goal lead in the final 14 minutes, and only two goals overall.

He was concentrating so hard, late in the third period he deflected a shot into the stands, but remained curled in a heap in front of the goal for several seconds until he realized the puck was not between his legs.

If Saturday was like every other night after a start, he will continue concentrating at home until 3 a.m., when he’ll finally collapse.

“I have tried beer, pills, TV, everything,” he said. “I just cannot calm down.”

His increasingly giddy teammates are starting to know the feeling.

“Again, he makes the save that keeps you in the game,” Rob Blake said. “Been doing it every game.”

In his last 15 starts, Fiset is 9-3-3 with a 2.13 goals-against average, which is playoff good.

It is little wonder that the Kings are 14-6-3 during that span, with nine wins in their last 11 games before the Olympic break.

It will be no surprise if the goalie and team remain dependent on each other throughout the spring.

“He will be huge,” Blake said.

The Kings, in case you haven’t noticed, aren’t easy to notice. They have one player ranked among the league’s top two dozen scorers, nobody ranked among top scoring defensemen.

They are the offensive equivalent of the New Orleans Saints. But they are the defensive equivalent of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Everything starts in front of their goal, where guys like Blake and Gary Galley and Mattias Norstrom muck around until they can flip the puck out to sprinting scorers like Jozef Stumpel and Vladimir Tsyplakov.

Everything starts with Fiset.

“It’s all momentum,” Blake said. “You need a guy who, when he has a chance to do something big, he can take hold of that chance.”

Fiset is ready to be huge. More than anybody else in the Kings dressing room, he understands huge.

He is a wrestling fan.

Pro wrestling.

As in the WWF.

“No, no, no,” he said. “I like the WCW.”

He treats World Championship Wrestling like you would treat any national pastime.

He watches it on TV at the same time every week, and shares it with his children.

Stephane and 5-year-old daughter Karolane watch every Monday night , Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan vs. Ric Flair.

“During the commercials, Karolane and I practice the moves,” he said, smiling. “Well, OK, we mostly just tickle each other.”

Yep, nice.

While some NHL players are headed for beaches and umbrella drinks this week, Stephane is heading for the snow, to his hometown in Montreal.

Karolane doesn’t get too much chance to see snow.

“The whole week, we will be playing in it,” he said.

Maybe too nice?

Some goalies like to take credit for victories, and subtly blame the defense in front of him for everything else. Fiset is the opposite.

“The team in front of me plays good, I play good,” he said. “I am only one person, I only make the first save, they do the rest.”

Some hot goalies are subtly complaining about being left off their respective Olympic teams. This Canadian has no gripe about being passed over for the likes of Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy and Curtis Joseph, even though he is playing better than at least Joseph.

“I did not deserve to go,” he said. “Maybe one day, but not now.”

Fiset, 28, hopes that this is the year that fate is finally nice back.

He was the top goaltender on the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in November of the 1995-96 season it won the title.

Then the Avalanche traded for Patrick Roy, and he appeared for one minute in the playoffs.

In his second year with the Kings, he still remembers watching Roy, still wants to feel what he felt.

“I watch him in Colorado, and it is my dream to do what he did, be the man in the playoffs,” Fiset said.

Just so you’ll know, that man will be wearing a mask adorned with the painting of a pharaoh, which means . . .

“I don’t know what it means,” Fiset said, shrugging. “I told the guy to paint whatever he wanted on it, and that is what he painted.”

You’re serious.

“I’m serious,” he said. “I have no idea.”

Not to worry, Mr. Nice Guy. Bring this town a couple of late-April wins, we’ll figure something out.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

STANDING PAT

King Coach Larry Robinson says his team isn’t looking to make any personnel changes in near future. C11

GAME REPORT: C11

NHL STANDINGS: C11

NHL SUMMARIES: C10

THE SERIES:

Year by Year

1993-94: Kings, 4-2

1994-95: Ducks, 2-1-1

1995-96: Kings, 3-2-1

1996-97: Ducks, 3-1-1

*

1997-98

Jan. 12: Kings 3, Ducks 2 (OT)

Jan. 24: Kings 3, Ducks 3

Feb. 7: Kings 5, Ducks 2

March 9: at Forum

April 18: at Forum