Behind the Eight Ball, Kings Make Final Push

The goaltender is playing out of his gourd. The defense is suffocating opponents. The scorers are scoring. The muckers are mucking. The grinders are grinding.

So why must the Kings win tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes, Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers and Saturday against the Mighty Ducks simply to continue their quest for a Stanley Cup playoff berth?

Blame it on the overheated competition in the NHL’s Western Conference. Blame it on a mediocre February record of 5-6-1. Blame it on management for letting the Rob Blake situation drag on far too long, becoming a locker-room distraction.

Whatever the reason, the Kings find themselves ninth overall in the conference today, two points behind the eighth-place Coyotes with 11 games remaining.

A scalding 8-2-2 mark in the Kings’ last 12 games has set up a winner-gets-eighth-and-loser-gets-ninth grudge match at 7:30 tonight at Staples Center.

Of course, a King victory merely sets up another must-win game Wednesday against the Oilers. And the last two times the Kings have faced the Ducks, they have been thumped by identical 4-0 scores, so Saturday doesn’t figure to be an easy skate either.

“We’re trying to keep it rolling,” tough guy Stu Grimson said Sunday. “We’re keeping it basic, playing a little more conservatively. Nothing flashy. We’re playing with a sense of urgency we should have had months ago.”

Ah, so now we’re getting somewhere. Now we know why the Kings are in their current state.

“All through the dog days [of February], we were saying to ourselves, ‘We’re a better club than this,’ ” Grimson said. “We weren’t happy with our game. We’ve begun to play the kind of hockey we should have been playing all along.”

Substance over style is not a Southern California trait, but the Kings have chucked their long-standing run-and-gun method of operation in favor of a more grinding style of play. A franchise that once had a defense corps dubbed “The Escort Service” because it rolled out the red carpet for opposing forwards is actually defending the front of its net with gusto.

The addition of hard-nosed defenseman Aaron Miller in last month’s deal that sent Blake to the Colorado Avalanche has helped, to be sure. In eight of their last 12 games, the Kings have held the opposition to 25 shots or fewer.

But the Kings’ newfound attention to stopping opponents also has extended to their forwards. A grinding line of Kelly Buchberger, Ian Laperriere and Scott Thomas muzzled the Sharks’ top line of Teemu Selanne, Niklas Sundstrom and Owen Nolan in a 1-0 overtime victory Saturday, for instance.

But no one has contributed more to the team’s hot streak than goalie Felix Potvin. Sent packing by the Vancouver Canucks for future considerations Feb. 15, Potvin has been nothing short of sensational as a King.

In 35 games with the Canucks, Potvin had a 14-17-3 record with a 3.08 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage. He lost his job when Vancouver acquired Dan Cloutier from the Tampa Bay Lightning last month.

In 12 games with the Kings, Potvin is 8-2-2 with a 1.89 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.

“I never felt like I was terrible in Vancouver from Game 1 to Game 35,” he said. “I knew I could come back and play well this season. It’s been nice to come here. I think the team is doing a good job in front of me. It’s fun. Right now, we are [figuratively] in the playoffs. Every game counts.”

The Kings seem to be feeding off Potvin’s standout play in net, gaining confidence with each save he makes--routine and spectacular alike. Coach Andy Murray makes it clear that he would rather it be routine.

“When a goaltender is playing well, it should inspire his teammates,” Murray said. “His play makes the team better. . . . In San Jose [a 4-1 victory in which Potvin faced 40 shots last Wednesday], I thought he was spectacular. I would prefer that he was solid.”

Saturday, Potvin faced only 18 shots and handled all 18 with ease in an overtime victory against the Sharks that moved the Kings within two points of the Coyotes.

“I have to believe, for a goaltender, more than anything else it’s mental,” Grimson said when asked for his explanation for Potvin’s resurgence. “He came here with no expectations. It was a fresh start. He’s a very cool, calculating guy. I’m sure this has been like a breath of fresh air for him.”

The Kings probably can get by in the short term without winger Ziggy Palffy scoring goals. In fact, they are 5-1-2 during his eight-game goal drought, which is one game shy of his career high. But they can’t possibly expect to battle for a playoff spot without superb goaltending.

“I’m sure he’s feeling better about himself right now,” Murray said of Potvin. “Was there a lot less pressure coming in here three weeks ago because people probably thought we were out of it? Maybe that is part of the equation.”

At long last, the Kings’ equation seems simple enough: earn two points tonight against Phoenix and they’re in the eighth and final playoff spot with 10 games to play.

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The Cat is Back

Felix Potvin has been the key to the Kings’ recent resurgence. Since being acquired from Vancouver on Feb. 15, Potvin has produced an 8-2-2 record with two shutouts and a 1.89 goals-against average. A look at the Kings’ goalies this season:

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Goaltender Goals against Record Save Pct. Jamie Storr 2.74 19-18-6 .899 Steve Passmore 3.09 3-8-1 .881 Stephane Fiset 3.58 3-0-1 .853 Travis Scott 7.50 0-0-0 .700 Combined totals 2.92 25-26-8 .891 Felix Potvin 1.89 8-2-2 .922

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