[0] PUCK BOUNCES KINGS' WAY : KINGS 3 EDMONTON 2.

Byline: Greg Christensen

The Kings' 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers before 11,287 at the Forum on Thursday night might, or might not, merely be a case of prolonging the agony that has become Los Angeles' 1998-99 season.

But the agony of losing to the Oilers just hours after being lectured by an angry Dave Taylor wasn't a very appealing option.

``He's not the type of guy to get angry, so we got the message,'' said Philippe Boucher, the Kings' unlikely offensive hero with a career high three points (a goal and two assists). ``Dave told us he believes in us, but it's time to do it.

``It's something we all knew, but it had to be said.''

A defeat would have left the Kings 10 points out of a playoff spot and certainly out of the good graces of their general manager.

But the bounces were going the Kings' way and they pulled within six points of the eighth-place Oilers before starting a six-game road trip in Calgary on Saturday.

Boucher used his hockey stick like a pool cue two minutes into the game and bounced a shot off the boards for his first goal of the season.

``Maybe there is a God,'' joked Kings coach Larry Robinson of the good bounces. ``It was nice to see.''

It truly was a game of follow the bouncing puck in the first period and Mikhail Shtalenkov wasn't good at it. The Edmonton goalie was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots in the first 18 minutes of play.

The Kings' 26th-ranked power play opened the scoring when Boucher's dump-in bounced off the left wing boards and went into the empty Edmonton net after Shtalenkov had left the crease to play the anticipated bounce.

The Kings took a 2-0 lead at 5:15 when Luc Robitaille, while falling down, got his stick on Boucher's shot from the right point. The goal was Robitaille's 30th of the season and 900th point as a King.

Alexander Selivanov, who scored three third-period goals at Anaheim on Wednesday, scored on a deflection at 12:38 of the first period. He then tied the game, 2-2, on a breakaway at 14:50.

But good fortune continued to go the Kings' way when Steve Duchesne's 60-footer hit the stick of an Oilers defenseman and got past Shtalenkov at 17:52.

Boucher, who has spent much of the season in the press box, was the first to admit both he and the Kings got the majority of the good bounces.

``We got some lucky breaks, but you've got to take advantage of them,'' said Boucher, referring to the Kings' ability to maintain their lead after Duchesne scored his fourth goal of the year.