Twist of Faith

It probably says something about Felix Potvin’s comfort level that while the Kings steeled themselves this week for a final playoff push, their No. 1 goaltender spent a day off Monday on a boat in the picturesque Burrard Inlet off West Vancouver, fishing for salmon.

He was relaxed. He was ready. His job was secure.

After an unhappy departure from Toronto, where his star slowly faded after trips to the Western Conference finals in his first two seasons with the Maple Leafs, and too-quick rejections by the New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks, Potvin has resurrected his career with the Kings.

Though he joined the team only 13 months ago, Potvin, 30, will make his 100th start for the Kings tonight against the Calgary Flames, his 87th in 98 regular-season games since the Canucks all but gave him away Feb. 15, 2001.

For “future considerations,” which turned out to be a third-round draft pick, the Kings acquired the key player in their head-turning stretch-drive and playoff runs last spring, the most indispensable component in their surprising emergence this season as one of the NHL’s stingiest and most successful teams.

“It’s turned out to be pretty good for me,” Potvin said.

Son of a firefighter and a native of the Montreal suburb of Anjou, Canada, the quiet and steady Potvin rode to the rescue of a team desperate for consistent goaltending and provided it almost from the day he arrived.

“He’s meant everything to us,” Coach Andy Murray said, “because if you don’t have good goaltending in this league, you don’t have a chance.”

Never was that more evident than early this season.

A string of wobbly performances threatened to shatter Potvin’s confidence, thoughts of history repeating undoubtedly entering his mind. His goals-against average ballooned to the highest figure among the league’s starters.

It would have been understandable for the Kings to have their doubts. They couldn’t forget what Potvin had done for them last spring, when he sparked a turnaround that carried them from 12 points out of the playoff race in February to the Western Conference semifinals in May.

Neither could they ignore what was right in front of them.

Potvin’s spectacular spring--a 1.96 goals-against average over the last 23 games of the regular season, consecutive 1-0 victories over the Colorado Avalanche in the playoffs--had all but faded from memory as the Kings lost 10 of their first 12 one-goal decisions and sank to the bottom of the Western Conference.

In similar circumstances--a strong start by Potvin, followed by a dip--the Islanders and Canucks had given up on the goaltender.

The Kings, though, had embraced Potvin last season and he had saved them, far exceeding their expectations.

“We had rolled the dice a little bit on Felix,” said General Manager Dave Taylor, who traded for Potvin at a time when the goaltender was awaiting possible assignment to the minors, “and he had done more for us than we ever would have imagined.”

So even as Potvin reached the low point in his season Nov. 20, giving up three goals in eight minutes against the Flames before he was pulled in favor of Jamie Storr for the third time in eight starts, the Kings’ faith never wavered.

That faith was soon rewarded.

Since the end of November, Potvin has fueled the Kings’ turnaround, compiling a 2.00 goals-against average and .919 save percentage, figures that rank among the league’s best, over his last 44 starts. Their current three-game winless streak notwithstanding, the Kings have put together the league’s best record since Dec. 8, when they bottomed out at six games below .500.

The Kings love his work ethic, his team-first approach and his businesslike demeanor, and Potvin and his family enjoy living in Manhattan Beach.

After signing Potvin to a one-year, $3-million contract last summer, with a club option for next season at $3.3 million, Taylor said this week that he’d be open to talking to the goaltender about a longer-term deal this summer.

It’s a far cry from his final days in Vancouver, where the booing got so vicious that his wife, Sabrina, often left her seat in the General Motors Place in tears.

“Felix was a good fit for the Kings at the time, and we were a good fit for him--the style of hockey that we play,” defenseman Mattias Norstrom, the Kings’ captain, said. “I believe it’s a lot about timing, where you go and at what time in your career. And what kind of team you’re coming to.

“When he came to us, it was a good fit for both parts.”

For a few tense weeks in November, however, it threatened to split apart. Or so it might have seemed to anyone outside the team.

But even as Storr provided stellar relief, the Kings continually propped up Potvin, who quietly worked at improving little flaws in his game, having been assured by Murray that his time would come again.

“It’s all about confidence,” Sabrina Potvin said. “The coach really trusted him and I think he felt that. It’s important for a goalie to have the faith of his coach.”

Potvin said he never doubted himself, even as he moved from team to team over the last few years. After displacing Grant Fuhr in Toronto, he’d seen the former Edmonton Oiler great get bounced around the league for a few years before returning to glory with the St. Louis Blues. He’d seen Sean Burke land on his feet with the Phoenix Coyotes after unsuccessful stops elsewhere.

“A lot of people go through tough stretches,” Potvin said. “It’s a long season. I’ve never been the type to give up or stop working. I just took my time and worked hard in practice and eventually things turned around.”

Potvin had no great epiphany; he simply played his way out of his slump. He tends to shy away from video analysis and discussions of technique.

“I think playing goal is such a reaction position that it’s hard to analyze it, especially the way I play,” he said. “I have my own style. I like to stay deeper in the net and react to everything.

“It’s really easy to over-analyze it and then you start thinking about it too much and you don’t react anymore. I’d rather go on instinct and do what comes natural.”

At this point, the Kings aren’t about to question him.

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An Answer in L.A.

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