Sluggish Kings Four-Checked

It was only one game, but the Kings have to be concerned with the way they played the first 20 minutes of a 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

To say that they were dominated in the first period by the Sharks would be an understatement. San Jose scored four goals on its first 12 shots and then withstood a minor rally by the Kings over the final two periods before 12,820 at the Great Western Forum.

King goaltender Stephane Fiset gave up goals to Jeff Friesen, Tony Granato, Dave Lowry and John MacLean, but he can’t be blamed for the team’s slow start because he didn’t get much help.

Defensively, the Kings were a step slow against a San Jose team that had forward Joe Murphy and defenseman Bryan Marchment in the lineup for the first time since they were acquired on Tuesday’s trade deadline day.

“We looked tired, listless and we weren’t finishing off checks,” Robinson said about the Kings’ first period. “The guys were trying to play their own little game instead of playing the way we want them to play.

“I wanted a total team effort and I got exactly that--they all stunk.”

The Sharks attacked early and often as they scored on their first two power-play opportunities of the game. Friesen put them ahead at 6:10 when he beat Fiset with a nifty move from the right side of the crease.

Granato then put his former team down by two goals when he was left untouched outside the left post and scored a rebound goal at 9:04.

San Jose took a 3-0 lead at 14:33 when Ron Sutter found Lowry open for a goal from the left circle. The Sharks completed their scoring in the period when MacLean took in a drop pass from Shawn Burr to score from the right circle at 18:07.

The Kings, who had only five shots on goal in the period, failed to mount any consistent pressure on San Jose goalie Mike Vernon as they played most of the period in their own zone.

When the period ended, the Kings were booed leaving the ice.

“We left rebounds and [Fiset] was all by himself,” defenseman Philippe Boucher said. “We battled back but it was too late. We gave them too many chances early.”

The four goals were the most San Jose has scored in a period this season and matched the Kings’ worst defensive effort--they gave up four against Colorado in the second period on Dec. 23.

The Kings came alive in the second period, but their four-goal deficit proved to be too much to overcome. Craig Johnson scored his 16th goal of the season at 2:15 of the second period, but that was closest the Kings could get before the second intermission.

In the third period, the Kings controlled play, outshooting San Jose, 16-3, over the 20 minutes. But their only goal came on Jozef Stumpel’s 20th of the season at 2:14. Friesen added an empty-net goal for San Jose, which moved three points from the final playoff spot.

“They wanted it more in the first period and when we started to play--at least fight back a little bit--it wasn’t the same game,” Robinson said. “It was just a matter of concentration.

“If you have to scream and yell at them to play the way they are supposed to play at this point of the season, we have more to worry about than just one game. We have big trouble.”

It’s a good thing for the Kings that they distanced themselves with a 16-6-3 stretch of play after being stuck with a sub-par record of 17-19-8 in early January.

They are still in good position with the fifth-best record in the Western Conference, but they play their next six games on the road.

Although they are not playing their best hockey of the season, things are looking up for the Kings. Many of their injured players are closer to returning to the lineup, including Luc Robitaille--who began skating this week.

“Just too many things going on. It’s time to get out of town,” said Robinson, whose team has had several off-ice functions over the last two weeks. “Their minds are everywhere else but concentrating on the game. It’s time to hit the road.”