`NEW' KINGS FOLD IN BLINK OF AN EYE : FLORIDA 4 KINGS 2.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

Less than two minutes from their best start in more than a decade, the Kings suddenly looked as though they were skating on 10 years of bad ice.

They were leading, they were happy and they were heading to Tampa when their season's improbable start was shattered Wednesday night.

In a span of one minutes and 15 seconds, the Florida Panthers scored the fastest three goals in franchise history to give the Kings a painful 4-2 loss at National Car Rental Center.

Instead of opening the season with three road victories, and three victories of any kind for the first time the 1988-89 season, the Kings learned this year will be much tougher than its feel-good first week.

``Good teams win these games,'' captain Rob Blake said. ``We're getting better, but we're not there yet.''

Now they have to turn around and play the Lightning tonight in the fourth game of the Kings season-opening, seven-game road trip, hoping they don't bring the Panthers with them.

``For 58 minutes it might have been our best game,'' said goalie Stephane Fiset, who faced just 22 shots. ``Then we had a breakdown. It's hard to explain. I was there and I'm not sure what happened.''

Blake was on the ice for the first goal, stopping Panthers' superstar Pavel Bure from picking up speed near center ice. But Bure got the puck to Ray Whitney who raced up ice then slipped a pass through Kings defenseman Mattias Norstrom.

Viktor Kozlov was waiting and he beat Fiset to tie the game.

Rookie coach Andy Murray thought about calling a timeout, but when the crowd started throwing hats and fish on the ice, he thought he could rally his troops.

He told them to play for the tie, which under new rules gives a team a point even if they lose in overtime.

``I'll take a point on the road anytime,'' Murray said. ``I told them during the timeout that if anyone had told us in training camp that we had a chance to get two wins and a tie in the first three games I would have taken it.''

That theory crumbled 20 seconds later when Bret Hedican stopped the puck at the Kings blue line and fired into a crowd at Fiset. Mark Parrish redirected Hedican's shot past Fiset and suddenly the sure victory was gone.

``Two minutes left, you've got to win this game,'' Murray said. ``We frustrated them all period. They only got three chances. Our system was working. If there ever was a time to say hockey is a 60 minute game this is it.''

Until the end, the Kings were impressive, outplaying a more talented opponent away from home.

Early in the second period, Luc Robitaille tied the game with his third goal of the season, on a pass in front from Blake after some fancy stick work by center Jozef Stumpel.

The Kings took a 2-1 lead in the opening minutes of the third period when Ziggy Palffy batted down a shot in front of Panthers' goalie Trevor Kidd for his second goal of the season.

``They were playing in a style with more enthusiasm,'' Panthers coach Terry Murray said of the Kings. ``After it was 2-1 they were playing their system and really frustrating us.''

But when it was over some lingering questions started to surface. Although they got six shots on goal against Florida, the Kings second line of Glen Murray, Bryan Smolinski and Donald Audette, still have not scored this season. Audette entered the game with 13 career goals against the Panthers.

KINGS vs. TAMPA BAY

Time: 4:30 p.m., at the Ice Palace.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports West 2, KRLA-AM (1110).

Matchup: The Kings have not defeated the Lightning on the road since Oct. 26, 1997 and are 4-9-0 lifetime against one of the league's weaker teams, 0-2 last season. Most of the damage has come at the Forum where the Kings are 1-6. Tampa Bay won its season opener against the Islanders. Steve Guolla scored a goal and assisted on Fredrik Modin's game winner in his Lightning debut. Goalie Darren Puppa has a career 1.40 goals-against average and two shutouts against the Kings.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

PHOTO (1 -- color) Florida Panthers goalie Trevor Kidd deflects a shot as the Kings' Luc Robitaille waits for the rebound.

(2) Florida's Viktor Kozlov celebrates his game-tying goal in the third, right before the Panthers scored twice more for a 4-2 win.

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

BOX: Kings vs. Tampa Bay (see text)