Scoring wave takes Kings under

The power play was getting booed in the second period, and even a routine save by Kings rookie goaltender Jonathan Bernier drew some derisive cheers, coming after he gave up two goals in three shots, including one from long range.

It was turning into one of those all-too-familiar, train-wreck nights at Staples Center for the Kings. Even the glamorous performer from Cirque du Soleil went clattering to the ice during the ceremonial pregame puck drop, and she needed an assist from Kings captain, defenseman Rob Blake.

Live by the high wire, crash by the high wire.

The same could be said about one rebuilding hockey team.

And the third-period roller-coaster was the prime example, with the Kings fighting back to erase a two-goal lead to tie it with goals by Michael Cammalleri and Anze Kopitar (who scored twice), only to falter as the Bruins held on and finished with a strong surge, winning, 8-6, on Friday night in front of an announced crowd of 17,064.

The other Kings goals came from defenseman Brad Stuart (first as a King), Brady Murray (first in the NHL) and Patrick O’Sullivan.

Meanwhile, there was offense, comebacks, or more accurately, near-comebacks.

Not only was there a first career hat-trick by the Bruins’ Phil Kessel, Marc Savard returned to the lineup and had five points, including the final go-ahead goal at 9:42 of the third, to make it 6-5, coming on the power play with the Kings’ Kyle Calder off for hooking.

Since winning the season-opener against the Ducks in London, the Kings have lost four consecutive games. The defense has turned increasingly porous, as it has given up 18 goals in the Kings’ last three games.

It all has added up to the worst start in 20 years for the Kings. Through the first five games, they have two points, equaling the amount they had after five games in the 1987-88 season.

“Not very good,” said Blake. “It’s pretty obvious. You don’t want to be 1-4 by any means. Unfortunately we put ourselves in that position. I don’t think the other teams did that much to beat us.”

He spoke about the struggling defense.

“Terrible,” Blake said. “I don’t know what their power play had, four tonight? They should have had probably more. They were passing it around just like nothing.

“Our penalty kill had been pretty solid, but tonight we were totally off by the way they played. We didn’t do enough to stop them on our PK.”

He added that the third period “was very chaotic. . . . Being down 4-1 and when you tie it up 5-5, we should have had the momentum there.”

The last time the Kings gave up eight goals was on Dec. 18, 1999, against Chicago. It certainly wasn’t expected to happen against a low-scoring team such as the Bruins, who had scored five times in three games, including only one goal at even strength.

The 19-year-old Bernier, who was in goal for the third-period collapse against the Blues in the home-opener, was obviously downcast.

“Every mistake just went in,” he said. “Sometimes, I was playing the shot and sometimes they were passing. Sometimes I was playing the pass.

“You have those games and you’ve just got to bounce back.”

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com