1992-93 Los Angeles Kings notes and game reports. ------------------------------------------------- Kings 6 @ Calgary Flames 3 - 04/18/93  The third place Kings opened the 1993 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Calgary, against the second place Flames and came out with an impressive 6-3 victory in front of a non-sellout crowd of 18,605 at the Saddledome in Calgary.  Symthe Division playoff hockey this was.  Both teams seemed a bit tense in the opening period though the Kings scored off the opening face-off.  The Kings got into the flow of the game much earlier than the Flames as they played out- standing team defense.  It took the Flames 9:45 of the first period to record their first shot on goal.  The Kings, ranked 16th of the 16 playoff teams on penalty killing, shut down the Flames.  The Flames went 0-8 on the power play  and could record only 8 shot on goal in those 8 opportunities.  The Kings had their problems on the power play, yet they did manager to score 2 goals in 10 tries.  The Kings forwards back-checked while the defense stood the Flames up at the blue line, allowing the Kings to take took the home ice advantage away from the  Flames.  Rob Blake missed the game due to the lower back contusion but is ex- pected to be in the lineup on Wednesday. Wayne Gretzky suffered a charlie horse in his right leg.  He took a few shifts in the second period before retiring to  the dressing room for the rest of the game.  Interviewed on the radio this  morning, he stated that he was fine and would be in the lineup on Wednesday.  1st period:  1-0. The Kings got things started right off the opening face-off.  Gretzky won the draw with the puck going to Sydor.  He crossed center ice and slapped the puck into the Flames zone and behind the net.  The puck carried around to the far side where Robitaille wacked at it and the rebound bounced to Sandstrom. He put the puck behind the Flames net where Gretzky picked it up.  Gretzky set up in 'his office', moved to the near side and passed into the near circle where Sydor had moved in.  Sydor, who got the puck between the face-off dot and the  hash mark, shot off the pass, beating Vernon low and between the legs.  Millen and Fleury went off at 4:57.  Skrudland went off at 12:25 but the Kings failed to convert.  Carson went off at 14:53 and the Flames failed to convert. Dahlquist went off at 18:34 and Dahl went off at 19:30, giving the Kings a 30 second 5on3 which they failed to convert.  The Kings recorded 2 goal posts in the period.  2nd period:  The Kings opened with a 5on3 carried over from the 1st period which they failed to convert on.  With 6 seconds left in the 5on4, Vernon put a bouncing puck into the stands and received a delay of game.  1-1. Calgary evened the score on the ensuing Kings power play.  Kurri, with the puck in the neutral zone, tried to put the puck into the Flames zone but it hit  the stick of Fleury and bounced to Suter at the Flames blue line.  Suter skated  down the near wing and into the Kings zone.  He faked a shot at the circle and skated around Kurri. As he cut thorugh the crease, he got Hrudey to go with him  and he put the puck behind Hrudey, on his stick side for a short hander.  2-1. The Kings reclaimed the lead 25 seconds later on the same power play. Shuchuk, in the far circle passed to Sydor at the top of the slot and headed for the net.  Sydors shot hit Shuchuk in the back and dropped into the low slot  where 2 Kings (Shuchuk and Granato) were being checked by 3 Flames.  Carson came from the far corner, picked up the loose puck and snapped a wrist shot between the legs of Vernon from 5 feet above the crease.  3-1. The Kings widened their lead just 24 seconds later.  Rychel was checked off the puck at the Flames blue line.  Taylor picked up the puck and sent a pass cross the slot to Huddy.  Huddy shot off the pass, from the near face-off dot, beating a diving Vernon on the glove side.  4-1. 2:59 later, the Kings had a 3 goal lead.  McSorley took a shot form the near point that hit a Flame and deflected towards the boards.  Marty got his own rebound, skated to the bottom of the circle and sent a pass into the low slot that hit Dahlquist on the leg and deflected past the stick of Vernon.  Skrudland went off at 10:53 but the Kings could not convert.  Sydor went off at 12:35 and Watters went off at 14:40, giving the Flames a 5 second 5-3 but they failed to convert.  McSorley went off at 17:19 and the Flames had 3 consecutive power plays but the Flames killed it themselves when Suter went off for high sticking at 17:31.  Sandstrom went off at 18:03 to close out the period.  The Kings hit 3 goal post in the period.  3rd period: The Kings used the phrase "Initiate, not retaliate" and it was very evident here in the 3rd period as the Kings continued to pound the body and the Flames  continued to take bad penalties to take themselves out of the game.  5-1. The Kings extended their lead to 4 goals at the 1:06 mark.  The Kings shot the puck into the near corner of the Flames zone.  Vernon went behind the net to cut off the puck but he could not control it.  Donnelly, who was behind him, wacked at the puck, sending it into the low slot.  As Vernon slid back in to the crease, Granato got a shot that hit a Flame and bounced to the left of the net where Millen fired the rebound behind Vernon.  Sydor went off at 1:24; Nieuwendyk went off at 3:22 as the teams skated 4 on 4.  5-2. Otto, skating down the far side, stepped around McSorley, cut to the net and passed to Dahlquist in the low slot.  Dahlquist cut through the top of the  crease and put the puck in under a diving Hrudey.  Carson and Rychel came in on a 2-1.  When Carson passed across to Rychel, Fleury tripped Rychel with no call.  The puck got shoveled into the far corner where  Fleury knocked Rychel down and checked him from behind into the boards, drawing  a 5-minute major and a game misconduct at the 6:08 mark.  Unfortunately, the  Kings squandered the 5 minute power play when Granato (at 6:44) and Watters (at  8:19) took penalties.    5-3. The Flames closed to within 2 at the 8:47 mark.  MacInnis, at the near  point, passed to Yawney at the far point.  He took a few strides towards the net, wound up and drove a shot off the near post and in over the glove of Hrudey.  The play started on another faceoff that the Kings lost.  Timeout - LA.  6-3. MacInnis took a penalty at 9:56 and the Kings converted on the power play to seal the victory.  Sandstrom, skating down the far wing in the Flames zone  cut towards the back of the net.  Just as he crossed the goal line, he passed  the puck into the low slot, on the far side, to Carson who shot off the pass,  beating Vernon on the ice, stick side.  At the 16:17 mark, Skrudland went off for slashing and Stern went crazy as he went after Shuchuk.  Stern wound up with a double minor for roughing, a single minor for cross checking and a 10 minute misconduct, and he took the Flames right out of the game.  On the plus side:  The Kings, for the most part, played very disciplined hockey as they let Calgary retaliate.  The Kings played good team defense and excellent penalty killing.  On the minus side:  The Kings lost almost every face-off.  This must improve or the Flames will surely get that power play back on track.  Notes: ------ The Kings recalled Guy Leveque, Brandy Semchuk and Jim Thomson from Phoenix.  Wayne Gretzkys 1st period assist was his 307th career playoff point.  The Kings entered the game 24th in the league in shots per game against, giving the opposing team an average of 34.4 shots per game.  Flames goaltender Mike Vernon entered the game with a 3-9-1 record in afternoon  games.  The Flames entered the game with a 34% success rate on the power play over their last 9 games.  The teams were 3-3-1 against each other in the regular season.  Playoffs: Campbell Conference: Smythe Division: LA  6  @ CAL 3 		LA leads 1-0 WIN    @ VAN  Norris Division: STL 4  @ CHI 3		STL leads 1-0 TOR    @ DET  Wales Conference: Adams Division: BUF 5  @ BOS 4 (OT)	BUF leads 1-0 MON 2  @ QUE 3 (OT)	QUE leads 1-0  Patrick Division: NJ  3  @ PIT 6		PIT leads 1-0 NYI 1  @ WAS 3		WAS leads 1-0  Records: -------- vs	Smythe	 Norris	 Patrck	Adams	Overall ================================================ Home:    0- 0-0  0-0-0   0-0-0  0-0-0    0- 0-0  Road:    1- 0-0  0-0-0   0-0-0  0-0-0    1- 0-0 ============================================================== Total:   1- 0-0  0-0-0   0-0-0	0-0-0	 1- 0-0    Box Score: ========================= Calgary      0 1 2 - 3 Los Angeles  1 3 2 - 6 =========================  1st period:  LA  Sydor 1 (Gretzky, Sandstrom), 0:16     LA  Millen - high sticking, 4:57     CAL Fleury - high sticking, 4:57     CAL Skrudland - interference, 12:25     LA  Carson - tripping 14:53     CAL Dahlquist - holding stick, 18:34     CAL Dahl - roughing 19:30  2nd period:      CAL Verson - delay of game (served by Ashton), 1:34 CAL Suter 1 (Fleury), 2:48 (sh) LA  Carson 1 (Shuchuk, Sydor), 3:13 (pp) LA  Huddy 1 (Taylor, Rychel), 3:37 LA  McSorley 1 (unassisted), 6:36     CAL Skrudland - elbowing, 10:53     LA  Sydor - tripping, 12:35     LA  Watters- hooking, 14:40     LA  McSorley - holding, 17:19     CAL Suter - high sticking, 17:31     LA  Sandstrom - hooking, 18:03  3rd period: LA  Millen 1 (Granato, Donnelly), 1:06     LA Sydor - hooking, 1:24     CAL Nieuwendyk - tripping, 3:22 CAL Dahlquist 1 (Otto), 4:23     CAL Fleury - major (boarding), game misconduct, 6:08     LA  Granato - tripping, 6:44     LA  Watters - interference, 8:19 CAL Yawney 1 (MacInnis, Reichel), 8:47     CAL MacInnis - roughing, 9:56 LA  Carson 2 (Sandstrom, Robitaille), 10:32 (pp)     LA  Hardy - holding, 11:38     CAL Skrudland - slashing, 16:17     CAL Stern - double roughing, cross-checking, 10 min. misconduct, 16:17  Overtime: none  Shots: ------ Los Angeles   8  9 14 - 31 Calgary       5  8 11 - 24  Power play conversions: ----------------------- For:      2 of 10; for the year:  2 of  10,  20.00% Against:  0 of  8; for the year:  8 of   8, 100.00%  Goalies: -------- Los Angeles - Hrudey (1-0-0) Calgary - Vernon (0-1-0)  Attendance: 18,605  Scratches: ---------- Rob Blake - back contusion Guy Leveque - numbers Lonnie Loach - numbers Marc Potvin - numbers Brandy Semchuk - numbers Robb Stauber - numbers Brent Thompson - numbers Jim Thomson - numbers  Lines - Forwards: ---------------- *Robitaille - Gretzky - Sandstrom  Donnelly - Millen - Kurri Rychel - Conacher - Taylor Granato - Carson - Shuchuk  Lines - Defense: ---------------- *Huddy - Sydor Watters - Zhitnik Hardy - McSorley  * denotes starting lineup  Next game: ---------- Wednesday, April 21 @ Calgary Flames; 6:30pm Pacific Time on Prime Ticket =============================================================================== Stan Willis (willis@empire.dnet.hac.com) net contact: L.A. Kings