Webster’s Return Is No Help; Kings Give Up 5 Third-Period Goals in Loss

Much of civilization is celebrating a brand new year today.

The Kings should be so lucky.

They could use a brand-new season because the one they are struggling through shows no signs of getting any better.

They closed out 1991 Tuesday night with little to celebrate, blowing a two-goal lead by surrendering five goals to the Vancouver Canucks in the final period, losing, 5-3, before a sellout Forum crowd of 16,005.

With a minute to play, the sound of Auld Lang Syne could be heard on the Forum sound system.

It was meant to be a farewell to 1991.

But it seemed more fitting for the Kings.

And goalie Daniel Berthiaume.

All the ingredients were present for a big night for the Kings.

Coach Tom Webster was back after serving a 12-game suspension for throwing a stick at referee Kerry Fraser.

Berthiaume was back after being benched for two games for poor play.

And indeed, for 46 minutes, it was party time.

Jari Kurri’s 13th goal and newcomer Corey Millen’s second goal and first as a King had staked Los Angeles to a 2-0 lead.

Berthiaume had never looked sharper. Not even the fact that Vancouver got 12 of the first 13 shots of the game seemed to faze him. He was on his knees, on his back, but always on his game, stopping everything that came his way.

Until the final period.

Four times the Canucks attacked Berthiaume from the right circle.

Four times they shot over his glove.

And four times they turned on the red light.

“I’m very disappointed in the way things turned out,” Berthiaume said. “Things went so well for 50 minutes. Normally I stop that shot 10 out of 10 times. It was unbelievable.”

Tuesday night, Vancouver was four for four as Berthiaume turned into the Kings’ version of Dr. Strangeglove.

Treveor Linden began the barrage at 6:11 of the final period with his 19th goal.

Forty seconds later, it was Cliff Ronning with his 14th.

Luc Robitaille temporarily put the Kings back in front with his 18th goal.

But then Pavel Bure tied the score again with his sixth goal, and teammate Tom Fergus put Vancouver in front to stay with his third.

Twice, the Kings thought they should have received a call when two of their players were hooked from behind. The first time, Dave Taylor was hooked, losing the puck to Robert Dirk who passed it to Ronning for his goal. The second time, Dave Babych got Brian Benning, the puck winding up on the stick of Garry Valk with Fergus scoring at the other end.

The Kings’ frustration poured out at the end when Robitaille pounced on Dirk and punched him.

Nothing was called as Robitaille stood up. So Linden came over to stand up for his teammate, smashing Robitaille face first into the boards. That elicited a roughing call on both Linden and Robitaille from referee Dan Marouelli.

Wayne Gretzky, normally the calm in any storm, was so infuriated, he protested loud enough to draw a 10-minute misconduct.

Sixteen seconds would have sufficed since that was all that remained in the game.

Ryan Walter used the time to close out the scoring with his third goal into an empty net after Berthiaume been been pulled.

The loss dropped the Kings to 14-16-7 and pushed them 15 points behind the Canucks, 22-11-6 and 5-0-3 in their last eight.

So the year ended with Gretzky in the shower, Berthiaume back in the doghouse and the Kings back in the loss column.

“All you can say,” Webster told reporters, “is, thank goodness the year is over.”

But will the new one be any better?

King Notes

A hearing will be held at the league office in Toronto Friday for wing Tony Granato as a result of the match penalty he received last Sunday in Calgary. Granato was called after high-sticking the Flames’ Frank Musil. Although referee Bill McCreary ruled there was a deliberate intent to injure, King General Manager Rogie Vachon, who will accompany Granato to the hearing, is not conceding anything. “It’s not an automatic suspension,” Vachon said. “(League Vice President Brian O’Neill) has to review the case. He might see the film differently.” Don’t bet on it. . . . The Kings have sent their own tape from that night to the league office, the one showing Calgary’s Gary Roberts applying a head butt to Dave Taylor, hoping further action will be taken. . . . Vancouver wing Jim Sandlak pulled a groin muscle in the second period and did not return.