Kings Are on Power Trip

At high noon Thursday, the evidence was presented in a tense, darkened room, the culprits singled out by a laser pointer.

King Coach Andy Murray was showing video of what had happened the night before across state, where the Kings had lost to the Florida Panthers in the game’s final two minutes.

He was telling them how it happened.

He was naming the perpetrators.

At 5 o’clock, assistant coach Ray Bennett was showing a tape titled “It’s a Wonderful Life When You Win,” starring various Kings in scenes from the first two games of this trip.

By evening’s end, the Kings had gotten an unusual hat trick from Luc Robitaille, a goal from Rob Blake and one from Garry Galley in a 5-2 victory over Tampa Bay that rendered the previous night’s misadventures to the archives and gave them a 3-1 record on this trip with a game at Washington yet to play.

“In terms of wins on this road trip, this was certainly the most gratifying,” Murray said. “We’ve played four games in six nights and traveled across the country. This was gratifying.”

Blake was more blunt.

“I think the big thing is that last year we probably would have lost this game,” he said.

These aren’t last year’s Kings.

Murray has talked of accountability, and he held those who had fumbled away Wednesday’s game accountable to their teammates. Take that, Blake. Take that, Bryan Smolinski. .

“It’s something that’s going to help us later,” Smolinski said.

Like Thursday night.

“We challenged our team today to respond to the adversity that we had last night,” Murray said.

The challenge included everything but a glove across the face.

The Kings reacted with a goal by Galley--the first this season by anybody other than the first line of Robitaille-Jozef Stumpel-Ziggy Palffy and their fellow traveler Blake--to tie the score, 1-1, at 11:03 of the first period, then left the rest of the night to the power play.

Among the checks the Kings apparently have written since last season has been one to the electric company.

There’s power in the power play again.

After a miserable 13.1% efficiency rating for last season’s powerless play, the Kings have six man-advantage goals in 15 opportunities over their four games, including four Thursday.

Robitaille’s hat trick came on three power-play goals, one in each period, the last scored in ignominious fashion when he aimed a pass at Palffy near the goal, only to watch the puck hit the stick of Tampa Bay goalie Daren Puppa and deflect into the Lightning net, deflating the remnants of the announced 10,614 at the Ice Palace.

“Did I get all three on the power play?” asked Robitaille, who assisted on Galley’s goal and has six goals and three assists in the four games.

“I didn’t think about that. I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before.”

Cracked Murray: “I don’t know what stick Luc Robitaille’s using, but I hope he holds onto it.”

Blake’s power-play goal, 24 seconds into the second period, was the game-winner. He took a pass from Palffy and banged away from the right faceoff circle, beating Puppa to the stick side and making Stephane Fiset the winning goalie.

Fiset had taken his first respite of the season, watching Jamie Storr in the opening period, but while playing a bouncing puck at about the 10-minute mark, Storr felt a twinge in his groin. He has a history of groin problems and was benched in a precautionary move during the first intermission after surrendering two goals in 11 shots.

Fiset had 17 saves in shutting out Tampa Bay the rest of the way.

Robitaille scored on a pass from Stumpel to make it 4-2, then finished the scoring with the help of rookie defenseman Fran Kaberle’s pass at one end and Puppa’s stick at the other with 3:09 to play.

A day that began in tension ended in a relaxed mood.

“I’m not trying to bruise egos, but every player on the Kings said that they wanted to be held accountable,” Murray said. “I can’t really worry about feelings. Our hockey players at this level, the only thing they’re paid for is to win.”