Dismal End to Trip May Undo Fast Start for Struggling Kings

Two nights in the greater New York area, two losses, 15 goals against.

The 8-3 mugging the Kings endured Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden at the hands of the New York Rangers was as bad as any tourist ever suffered in the pre-Disneyfied Times Square--and it was worse than their 7-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday because they learned nothing from that first humiliation. Given a chance to atone for their sins, the Kings repeated them all and threw in a few new ones for variety.

Spinning as wildly and with as much effect as table-hockey figurines, the Kings gave up six goals on 17 shots in the first period. The Rangers beat them in the corners. The Rangers beat them down low. The Rangers forechecked them into a panic and executed crisp, smart passing plays befitting Hall of Famers, not grinders such as Todd Harvey, Tim Taylor and Mike Knuble.

“The first period felt like--what’s the name of that team that used to play the Harlem Globetrotters?” King defenseman Sean O’Donnell said.

The Washington Generals deserved pity. The Kings deserve no mercy. Their wounds in these last two games were self-inflicted, and the damage may undo their strong start and undermine a foundation that seemed strong enough to support a playoff season.

Despite a 4-6-2 slump that can be attributed to the gaping hole created by center Jozef Stumpel’s hernia surgery, the Kings are still in reasonably good shape. But suddenly, instead of challenging the teams in front of them, they’re barely staying ahead of their pursuers. The Dallas Stars, after a rocky start, are merely three points behind them for the sixth playoff seeding; the Ducks, despite underachieving, are four points back.

“I can’t even begin to explain it,” left wing Craig Johnson said of the last two games of the Kings’ 1-3 trip. “I don’t understand. We didn’t put in enough effort both nights and we didn’t get good starts, and it cost us two embarrassments.”

The key is not to let this slump cost them any more than a couple of restless nights and a long plane ride home under the glaring eyes of Coach Andy Murray.

“We can’t afford to have the December doldrums,” defenseman Garry Galley said. “The veterans have to make sure the young guys don’t get down. We’ve got to be hard on ourselves, no question. But we’ve also got to be ready to come to practice and get this thing turned around, bingo.”

The question then becomes whether they can stop this slide with the players they have, or if they need something that has been missing.

Do they need size up front? Toughness? More strength down the middle?

They may need size, and they talked seriously to the Carolina Hurricanes about acquiring 6-foot-4, 210-pound free agent Keith Primeau. However, their background checks turned up reports that he’s selfish and might upset the balance in their locker room, and they decided not to take the risk.

They’re suffering without Stumpel’s playmaking, and with each game it’s more apparent why Len Barrie is a career minor-leaguer. He’s too slow to play at this level and he’s not creating enough chances for his wingers, but that doesn’t explain the last two losses.

They need toughness, but not Matt Johnson-type goonery. They need mental toughness, as well as the physicality and grit the Rangers displayed Wednesday in extending their unbeaten streak to 4-0-1.

The Kings weren’t beaten by finesse players Tuesday or Wednesday. The Kings were beaten by players who worked hard, won battles along the boards and moved the puck out of their zone quickly. The Kings had the better of the play in the first few minutes Wednesday, but Ranger goalie Mike Richter stopped two good shots by Rob Blake and one each by Luc Robitaille and Glen Murray, keeping his teammates in the game long enough for them to pressure the Kings into melting into the mushy Garden ice.

“We had a couple of good chances early and didn’t score,” Galley said. “and they came down and scored. That started the ball rolling. You could see the floodgates open after that. We couldn’t stop it.”

Despite Wednesday’s awful performance, Galley sees no need for the Kings to make changes. His opinion should count for something, based on his status as a veteran of 16 seasons and the fact he has seen the Kings do worse: He was in his first stint with the Kings when they matched their club record by giving up 11 goals to the Vancouver Canucks, on Nov. 25, 1986.

“We’ve played so well with what we had,” Galley said. “It’s a matter of execution and focus. . . . As players, we have to be honest. I’m never embarrassed, because no matter how bad it might look I know how hard we work, but no one feels good. We’re frustrated.”