Kings Streaking in Wrong Direction Again

SAN JOSE —  With a five-game unbeaten streak heading into last weekend’s All-Star break, the Kings had reason to be optimistic about making a run for the playoffs.

But that was before the season’s second half actually began.

For the second consecutive night, the Kings were dominated by a team hoping to make its own playoff run. On Wednesday night, the San Jose Sharks were the bullies as they defeated the Kings, 7-2, before a sellout of 17,442 at the San Jose Arena.

One night after losing to New Jersey, 4-1, at the Forum, the Kings again played like a team that planned to watch the playoffs on television for the fourth consecutive year.

How else can you explain an effort in which the Kings lost to a San Jose team that entered the game trailing the Kings by two points and was coming off a 6-1 loss at Vancouver on Monday?

“This was the worst,” King Coach Larry Robinson said. “This was an important game against a team we’re fighting against for the playoffs. This was a disgrace.”

Goaltender Byron Dafoe, who had won three of his last four starts, had a rough night as he gave up six goals in 37 shots in two periods before being replaced by Stephane Fiset, who gave up one goal while facing nine shots in the third period.

The Sharks, who tied a franchise record with 24 shots on goal in the first period, had a scoring party against the Kings, who were outshot, 46-24.

Right wing Owen Nolan, who gave San Jose fans a treat with three goals in the All-Star game, scored twice and had two assists. Left wing Jeff Friesen had two goals and an assist, and center Darren Turcotte added two scores for the Sharks, who improved to 2-0 against the Kings this season.

“Maybe it was a little bit of a smoke screen,” Robinson said about the Kings’ unbeaten streak before the break. “True colors usually come to the top.”

After giving up three goals to the Devils in the final 10 minutes of the first period Tuesday, the Kings began their charity night early against the Sharks. Defenseman Philippe Boucher had a pass picked off in the neutral zone by Nolan, who skated inside the right circle to score an unassisted goal 3:12 into the game.

At 13:23, Turcotte gave San Jose a two-goal lead after left wing Andrei Nazarov skated uncontested from the right side of the ice behind the Kings’ net to the left side before finding Turcotte open in the slot.

The Kings gave up a soft goal at the 50-second mark of the second period when Nolan scored from the slot on an assist from Friesen, who faked out Boucher and Dafoe on the play.

The first positive for the Kings came 5:45 into the second period when they ended a three-game power play scoreless streak. After failing to score on a first-period power play, the Kings broke an 0-for-13 drought when Ray Ferraro whacked in a loose puck from the slot to cut San Jose’s lead to 3-1.

The Kings’ momentum, however, was short-lived, as the Sharks quickly responded. Left wing Viktor Kozlov beat Dafoe between his legs from the left circle to give San Jose a 4-1 lead at 6:36.

The Sharks took a 5-1 lead at 11:21 when Friesen scored a power-play goal from the slot after Dafoe was not able to clear a slap shot by Nolan. Then, with 37 seconds remaining in the period, Turcotte scored his second goal from the top of the crease on an assist from right wing Ulf Dahlen.

In the third period, Friesen added his second goal of the game for the Sharks after Bernie Nicholls picked up a turnover by Aki Berg. Yanic Perreault scored a power-play goal for the Kings.

So with their next game Saturday against the Mighty Ducks at the Forum, how will the Kings prevent another period such as when they won only four of 21 games in late November and December?

“We may have to make a move laterally,” Robinson said. “We’ve got to get a player who can skate and is willing to stick his nose in there and not play on the perimeter. We have guys complaining about ice time and then they go out and play like this.”