Kings Set a Record for Futility in Loss to Detroit

The Kings, looking more like they’re playing for the first pick in the National Hockey League draft than trying to make the playoffs, extended their winless streak to eight consecutive games with a 3-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings Wednesday night before 10,432 fans at the Forum.

The Kings’ last win came on Feb. 22, when they beat the New Jersey Devils, 5-2, at the Meadowlands. However, they have posted a record of 0-7-1 since then.

It was also the ninth straight loss on home ice for the Kings, which established a team record for most consecutive home defeats. The old mark of was set in 1971.

The last time that the Kings won a game at the Forum was on Jan. 29, when they beat the Minnesota North Stars, and Kings’ fans are beginning to get impatient.

Late in the game fans began chanting “refund”, and started cheering for Detroit. And several fans were wearing paper bags over their heads as they left early.

Asked what it’s going to take to break out of the slump, King captain Dave Taylor said, “I wish I knew. We should have had a better game tonight.”

Indeed.

It was the fifth time this season that the Kings have been shut out. But this one was particularly embarrassing since Detroit has the worst record in the National Hockey League and also ranks last in offense, defense, goaltending and penalty killing.

Red Wing goalie Greg Stefan stopped 28 shots to earn his third career shutout.

“It was a good win, especially with all the new players we have,” Stefan said, referring to the three new players who were in the lineup against the Kings.

“I wasn’t worried about the shutout, just the win,” Stefan said. “But I was pretty confident about the shutout in the third period. I had good play in front of me. There were no screened shots.”

King center Bernie Nicholls had several good scoring chances from close range, but Stefan made some spectacular saves.

“Nicholls had his best game of the year offensively,” King Coach Pat Quinn said. “He just didn’t get the puck in the net. He had six chances on the doorstep.

“I fully expected that this would be the night we won a hockey game. We worked hard.”

Center Marcel Dionne, who was benched in the last half of the Kings’ 7-3 loss to Edmonton Sunday, was back in the lineup. Dionne is four points away from passing Phil Esposito to become the No. 2 scorer in NHL history.

However, Dionne refused to discuss his benching, saying, “It’s over with. There’s no point in talking about it.”

The Kings, who are tied with Vancouver for fifth place in the Smythe Division, wasted a chance to pick up ground on Vancouver and Winnipeg, which both lost.

The Kings, who have 12 games left in the regular season, have a record of 20-41-7. They have 47 points and trail Winnipeg by three points.

“It’s going to be a dogfight in the last 12 games,” the Kings’ Dave (Tiger) Williams said. “It’s going to go right down to the wire for the last two playoff spots. All it’s going to take is for a team to win two straight games.”

The Red Wings went with a new lineup against the Kings.

They had been active in the trading market over the last two days, acquiring right wing Doug Shedden from Pittsburgh and defensemen Mike O’Connell from Boston and Darren Veitch from Washington.

“We had a new look out there tonight,” said Detroit Coach Brad Park. “We played well offensively and defensively and our new acquisitions helped out a great deal.”

Shedden and O’Connell assisted on a power-play goal by rookie left wing Petr Klima in the second period. O’Connell had a chance to score, but he missed a breakaway.

Rookie center Adam Oates scored the Red Wings’ first goal with 1:30 left in the first period on a shot that went into the net off the right leg of King goalie Bob Janecyk.

And, rookie right wing Chris Cichocki scored an unassisted, short-handed goal at 11:10 of the third period.

The Kings failed to score on five power plays against the Red Wings. They have scored only three times in their last 30 power-play chances.

King Notes

The Kings play the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night at the Forum. . . . Center Glen Currie played his first game this season for the Kings. Currie, who was acquired last September in a trade with the Washington Capitals, had suffered a back injury during training camp. He played on a line with Sean McKenna and Morris Lukowich.