Kings Put Power Back in Power Play

The talk all season has been of what the Kings’ potential was if the special teams were more special.

“Five more power-play goals. . . .,” mused Coach Larry Robinson not long ago, pointing to one-goal losses earlier in the season and the effect of a man-advantage goal on those games. Five points in the standings?

Seven?

Ten?

His assessment has proved true of late, with the Kings getting power-play goals in their last six wins and one tie, failing to score one in their last two losses.

All this had a cause-and-effect relationship until Saturday night, when Garry Galley’s goal near the end of a power play was the Kings’ only score in a 5-1 loss to Pittsburgh.

Still, that goal accomplished something that hadn’t been done since late October. The Kings escaped the bottom of the league’s ratings in the power play, with their 22nd goal in 185 chances. It’s a not-so-glittering 11.9% success ratio, well behind last season’s 14.2%, but slightly ahead of Nashville’s 11.6%.

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The Kings are 7-0-1 in games in which Donald Audette has a point.

Audette is one point short of 300 for his career.

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Though the Kings have yet to get word as to the date, they will be moving back to the Iceoplex in North Hills for practice soon because the NBA has settled its labor differences.

With the Lakers out all season, the Kings have had free rein with the ice at the Great Western Forum, practicing at Iceoplex only once since training camp closed in early October.

They much prefer practicing at the Forum, because they play there and because most of the players and coaches live in Manhattan Beach.

They were scheduled to practice Sunday at Iceoplex but canceled the workout.