Almost Too Much to Hope

There isn’t a bigger thrill ride around than the Kings, in that theme park known as the NHL’s Western Conference.

They can be exhilarating and heartbreaking, all in the course of the same game.

The Kings come out and play a dominant first period, as they did against the Dallas Stars Monday night, and all you can do is hold your breath.

After all, this is the team that let a two-goal lead evaporate in the final 21/2 minutes against Vancouver last week. They had to go to overtime to get a victory over Edmonton last weekend after giving up a goal with 10 seconds remaining in regulation.

They beat Dallas, 3-0, Monday and now they can even think about winning the Pacific Division. And the only thing you can say to them is: Watch your step.

They fought all the way back to tie the San Jose Sharks for first place in the division on March 23, and just when King fans began to exhale, the Kings slid down the chute. Since then they’ve occupied fourth, fifth, sixth and even seventh place in the Western Conference.

The ground rules are in flux too. Back in November, when Coach Andy Murray told them they would have to get to 93 points to make the playoffs, he might as well have asked them to jump to the moon. Now even Murray admits, “It was a sense of desperation” and “a coach scrambling.”

Well, here they are in lunar orbit, and it looks as if they’ll have to choose another destination. Mars, perhaps.

They’re at 93 points and still don’t have that coveted “x” next to their name in the standings, that precious letter that signifies a team has clinched a playoff spot.

But they do have an opportunity to play for the division crown, thanks in part to San Jose’s loss to Minnesota Monday night. The Kings trail the Sharks by two points. Amid all the madness that has you covering your eyes, if you peek long enough, the Kings look like a playoff-bound squad.

Monday, the teams were in playoff mode. Very little extracurricular stuff, shots at a premium with every time down the ice carrying weight.

And for the most part, the Kings looked better prepared to play this style of hockey and do everything it takes to win these crucial games.

They directed the flow of the game for much of the night. They refrained from penalties until the third period.

Dallas took the first penalty, one that was both unnecessary and costly, with 9:05 left in the first period. After Ian Laperriere leveled Mike Modano with a clean hit, Dallas defenseman John Erskine took exception and came after Laperriere. Although they both had to serve five-minute penalties for fighting, Erskine got an extra two minutes for instigating--in addition to a 10-minute misconduct.

On the power play, the Kings scored when Dallas defenseman Derian Hatcher left Adam Deadmarsh alone in front of the net to chase Jason Allison.

Allison slid the puck to Deadmarsh, who scored.

Their second goal, in the third period, was straight out of Showtime. The Kings weaved down the ice with Bryan Smolinski finding Ziggy Palffy, who made a backhand pass to Eric Belanger, who gave it back to an open Palffy for the shot.

Murray put extra emphasis on this game. “We need to get this win here tonight,” he said beforehand, and he called it the “toughest game of the homestand.”

But in many ways it was set up for a great shot at two points. While the Kings rested Sunday night, the Stars had to play the Mighty Ducks, who beat them, 4-1.

And in many ways this game showed the progress the Kings have made.The Stars didn’t worry about the Kings for most of the 1990s--a decade that included four consecutive seasons when the Kings could not beat Dallas even once.

The Stars were chasing after the President’s Trophy. The Kings were trying to get within shooting range of respectability.

The Detroit Red Wings are so far out of reach that they weren’t listed among the playoff contenders on the board in the Kings’ dressing room at HealthSouth. But everyone else is fair game for the Kings. Now and in the playoffs.

The likes of Dallas and St. Louis are trailing them.

It seemed unlikely at the start of the season. Even now, in the waning days, there are no easy predictions. Only hunches.

Hold on, because the Kings just might get there.