Kings Close Forum in Style, 8-1

The Kings’ 8-1 victory over the Mighty Ducks on Monday night ended 32 years of hockey at the Great Western Forum, and the combatants made sure the building didn’t go meekly into the night.

A series of third-period fights prompted the ejection of the Ducks’ Teemu Selanne for swinging a stick at a King while sitting on the bench, and the Kings’ Rob Blake for fighting. They were quickly joined in the locker room by several teammates, which saved wear and tear on the already stretched penalty boxes, if not the vocal cords of the announced crowd of 12,555.

There were also threats between the coaches--the Ducks’ Craig Hartsburg and Kings’ Andy Murray, and the ice was littered with sticks and gloves.

That all came at 7:15 of the third period, when three fights broke out simultaneously.

The game was out of reach early.

The Kings took a 1-0 first-period lead on Ziggy Palffy’s first goal, then added six goals in a second period in which they outshot the Mighty Ducks, 16-4.

Palffy’s goal and one of the two scored by Donald Audette came on power plays. The Kings have five power-play goals in as many exhibitions.

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The U.S. government apparently has asked for more documentation in the Jere Karalahti case. Karalahti, a Finnish defenseman with a history of drug abuse and rehabilitation, is in Helsinki awaiting a visa that would allow him to report to the Kings.