Kings Can’t Solve Case of the Blues

The Kings have remained in playoff contention by working their way past injuries, inconsistent goaltending and special teams that could hardly be called special.

But the Kings can’t work their way past the St. Louis Blues, which could cost them a playoff spot in the end.

The Kings lost for the fourth time in as many games against the Blues this season, this time by a 5-3 score before a hushed sellout crowd of 18,118 Tuesday at Staples Center.

The Kings are 1-6-0-1 against the Blues the last two seasons, losing a game as damaging to their playoff hopes as it was promising to those of the revived Blues.

With the loss, the Kings dropped to ninth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Blues and Nashville Predators. The top eight teams in the West make the playoffs.

There isn’t much solace for the Kings, other than they have 10 games left to play, one more than the Blues and Predators.

“We’ve had a number of heartbreaking losses this season,” King Coach Andy Murray said. “This is another one to add to the list.”

The Kings opened the scoring 2:45 into the first period, but found themselves trailing 1:11 later and were stuck playing a futile game of catch-up the rest of the way.

The Kings are now in the unusual position of rooting for their local rival, all but picking up a Mighty Duck megaphone for tonight’s Blues-Ducks game at the Arrowhead Pond. The Blues also play the Ducks next Thursday in St. Louis.

Meanwhile, the talented but vulnerable Blues came up with their biggest stand of the season. They have yet to fully harness the talents of a lineup with Keith Tkachuk, Pavol Demitra and Chris Pronger, but they suddenly look very interested in keeping alive a 24-season playoff streak, the longest active streak in pro sports.

Chris Osgood had 21 saves and helped the Blues overcome the loss of Pronger, a four-time All-Star who was suspended for the game because he kicked Calgary Flame winger Ville Nieminen in the foot Sunday.

The Kings also offered up a pre-game surprise when forward Martin Straka was listed as a healthy scratch for the first time in at least eight seasons. Straka, acquired Nov. 30 from the Pittsburgh Penguins, had one assist and a minus-three rating in six games since returning from knee surgery.

“Ask Andy,” Straka said, declining to elaborate.

Said Murray: “We wondered if he was a little bit tired because he’s been through a lot this season. We had a decision whether to play Scott Barney and he played very well. We expect Marty to be ready to play the next time he’s back in the lineup.”

Barney opened the scoring 2:45 into the first period with a wrist shot to Osgood’s stick side, but the Blues answered quickly with two goals in a 36-second span.

Pascal Rheaume knocked in a rebound at 3:20 for a 1-1 tie, and Eric Weinrich was credited with an assist on a fluke goal when his slap shot hit Dallas Drake in the left elbow and ricocheted past Cristobal Huet.

The Blues scored their third goal of the period on Mike Sillinger’s one-timer in the slot at 11:37.

The Kings closed to within 3-2 on Lubomir Visnovsky’s first goal since Dec. 18. Visnovsky, who sat out 17 games because of a pinched nerve in his neck and shoulder area, cut through the slot and one-timed Alexander Frolov’s pass past Osgood at 14:45 of the second period.

“They came at us pretty good the whole second half of the game,” said Osgood, who stopped 31 shots for his 300th career victory.

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Race in the West

Western Conference playoff race. Top eight teams advance.

*--* Pos. Team Pts. Wins GR 6. Calgary 84 37 9 7. St. Louis 80 34 9 8. Nashville 80 33 9 9. Kings 79 28 10 10. Edmonton 76 30 9

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