Murray Gets Tricky

Glen Murray had said that once the goals started for him and the second line, they would come in a flood.

But he didn’t mean in one game.

Murray scored once in the first period, then twice in the third in Saturday night’s 5-4 loss at Edmonton. The goals fashioned the second hat trick of his career. The first came April 13, 1998, at Calgary.

“It’s time for me to get on the board,” said Murray. “I think it’s going to start now.”

Murray had hit the goal post twice in the season’s first six games, and he had one assist in the season-opener at Nashville. But with linemates Bryan Smolinski and Donald Audette, he watched the first line of Luc Robitaille, Jozef Stumpel and Ziggy Palffy have hands in 13 of the Kings’ first 14 goals.

Then Audette and Smolinski had goals Friday night at Calgary, and Murray’s inability to score really stood out.

“I had a couple of chances [Friday] night,” Murray said. “I guess I got the breaks tonight.”

Actually, one more break than he needed.

The Kings pulled goalie Stephane Fiset with 1:09 to play, and Murray joined the attack only to find his weapon was deficient.

“I had a chance there at the end,” he said. “[Robitaille] made a great pass, and I didn’t know my stick was already broken. I’m not saying [the puck] would have gone in, but I was wide open for the shot.”

Instead, the puck bounced away.

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The Kings had given up only two power-play goals in 22 man-deficiencies before Saturday night, when Edmonton had two goals in five power plays.

The Kings were two for three on power plays and are nine for 27 through seven games, well ahead of their miserable 13.1% efficiency last season.

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The scratches were, as usual, winger Dan Bylsma and defenseman Jaroslav Modry, who have yet to suit up this season.

“I reached my goal a couple of weeks ago when I made the team,” said Bylsma. “I had set that as a goal when I got to training camp.

“Now I have another goal: to get into a game. I’m not going to make trouble. The last thing anybody needs is an attitude in the locker room. I’m just going to keep working until I get in a game.”