Small Things Go Calgary’s Way in Tie

King Coach Larry Robinson could only laugh, which seemed odd because he had just watched an important point slip away.

At 9:48 of the third period, Calgary’s Theoren Fleury won a wrestling match with Mattias Norstrom--that’s one version of the story, anyway--and took the puck in on King goalie Jamie Storr, beating him for the goal that earned the Flames a 2-2 tie Saturday night before 16,758 at Canadian Airlines Saddledome.

At least two people buy that version: Fleury and, apparently, referee Stephen Walkom.

Which made Robinson laugh.

“It was the worst-officiated game I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Robinson, who has spent most of his life in hockey.

“It’s a shame. Fleury’s goal, he held Matty’s stick all the way up the ice. . . . We’re not supposed to yell at them? Holy macaroni.”

It was only one of several of Walkom’s failings, added Robinson, whose team blew a 2-0 lead against the team standing between it and Edmonton, which holds the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

“I could get a young kid out of the stands who could do better than that,” Robinson said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

According to Robinson, in overtime a fight involving several Kings and Flames behind the King goal should have been followed by a faceoff in neutral ice. Walkom dropped the puck in the King zone.

“It gave them a good scoring chance,” said Robinson, who nearly came on the ice in search of an explanation.

It was the first game of a six-game trip, and it got off to a rollicking start on Donald Audette’s goal in the first period.

The lead grew to 2-0 in the second period when Olli Jokinen, sending a pass toward Ray Ferraro, instead watched it deflect off a skate of Calgary defenseman Tommy Albelin and into the net.

Storr began the play--which came with the Kings holding a man advantage--to earn his first NHL point.

That was all the Kings could get past Flame goalie Fred Brathwaite, who made 31 saves, many of them on point-blank shots. He also had a bit of fortune when Rob Blake’s rebound shot bounced off the post in the second period.

And in the third, “I should have had the game-winner myself,” said the Kings’ Glen Murray, playing for the first time since tearing a knee ligament Jan. 2. “I had two shots from the slot and he saved them.”

On one of them, Brathwaite reached behind him, almost into the net, to snare the puck.

Phil Housley’s second-period goal, which deflected off the Kings’ Doug Bodger, cut the King lead to 2-1, setting up Fleury’s heroics.

His 29th goal came when Derek Morris lobbed a high pass to clear the puck from the Flames’ end of the ice. Fleury and Norstrom raced for it, and Fleury appeared to have a tight grip on Norstrom’s stick, pushing off to get clear, with Norstrom falling to the ice.

That’s the second version.

“It’s one of the first times I have ever expected to hear a whistle for a call,” Norstrom said. “I was going for the puck and he was, too, and he just turned me around.”

No whistle.

“Yeah, right,” Fleury said. “Matty Norstrom is [6 feet 5], 250 pounds, and I’m 5-6, 150 pounds. I won the battle. He lost the battle. I scored, plain as day.”

Fleury, who admits he plays with a chip on his shoulder because of his diminutive stature, also tends to indulge in hyperbole--Norstrom is 6 feet 1, 205 pounds--not that he’s alone in that trait.

“It shouldn’t have been a goal,” Storr said. “When he came in, I made a move and it was the wrong move. He has 800-some [826] points. That’s all you can do.”