BLACKHAWKS SHRINK RINK AGAINST KINGS : CHICAGO 2, KINGS 1.

Byline: Tim Trepany Daily News Staff Writer

The rink at the United Center is regulation size, but you could have fooled Kings center Yanic Perreault.

Everywhere he turned Sunday afternoon, he and the rest of the Kings were met by Chicago Blackhawks checkers.

``The ice is smaller here,'' he said. ``They press all the time and you don't get many chances.''

While the Blackhawks' speedy defenders had Perreault thinking the ice was shrinking, the Kings made two costly mistakes in the third period and lost to Chicago 2-1 before an announced 16,794.

``It's still regulation,'' Kings coach Larry Robinson said of the rink. ``They're such a pressure team, you have to make a good play to beat them. They don't wait for you to set up. They're constant pressure.''

In stopping the Kings' winning streak at three games, the Blackhawks were able to do to the Kings what few teams have this young season: outplay them down the stretch.

Not only did the Blackhawks limit the Kings (4-4) to two shots on their first five power plays, but after a scoreless two periods, they outshot them 13-9 in the third and scored twice with the help of Kings' miscues.

``The first two periods we played very, very well,'' Robinson said. ``Then our intensity went down a little bit and we made two mistakes and the puck ended up in our net.''

The first mistake came when Kings defensemen Mattias Norstrom and Jaroslav Modry allowed center Alexei Zhamnov to split their defense. Zhamnov, in his first game since ending a holdout Friday by signing a five-year, $15 million contract, came down left wing and flipped the puck to Tony Amonte, who came down the slot and slipped it through the legs of goalie Stephane Fiset at 2 minutes, 27 seconds.

The second costly error was made by defenseman Steven Finn, who was playing in his first game of the season after being sidelined with a deep bruise and microscopic fractures in his lower-right leg. Finn had the puck in the left corner of his team's defensive zone and made a blind pass to the wing.

The problem was Blackhawks defenseman Enrico Ciccone was the only player there. Even Ciccone, who had scored only five goals in 207 NHL games, knew how to take advantage. He promptly fired a shot from the left point, beating Fiset on the glove side at 7:10.

``It was a bad play by me,'' Finn said. ``I gotta take it out or keep it. I didn't even look. I took it for granted my winger was there. I guess there was a line change.''

Fiset played another outstanding game, stopping 35 shots, including several odd-man rushes. But the Kings couldn't penetrate Chicago's relentless defense, and when they did, goalie Ed Belfour was there to deny them.

The only time the Kings slipped one past Belfour was when they held a two-man advantage late in the game. Petr Klima, on the left point, one-timed Rob Blake's pass. Ray Ferraro was in front of the net and deflected it in at 18:01.

``Tonight we just sat down for five minutes and they scored two quick goals,'' Kings forward Eddie Olczyk said. ``It cut our legs and they got the momentum.''

Matt Johnson, the Kings' 20-year-old enforcer, tried to stir things up by taking on his idol, legendary fighter Bob Probert, during the second period. Johnson was clearly the more aggressive fighter, but Probert appeared to land more quality punches.

``It was kind of weird,'' Johnson said. ``He threw an elbow at me. I wasn't looking to fight. I have a problem with my hand. But I wasn't going to back down.''

The knuckles on Johnson's right hand are badly swollen after punching Philadelphia's Daniel Lacroix in the helmet Tuesday, forcing him to ice it down after every practice and game. He believes it can clear up in two weeks, depending on his ``activity.''

Kings notes: Nineteen-year-old defenseman Aki Berg was the healthy scratch for the fifth time out of eight games this season. Robinson, however, said he will play today against the Detroit Red Wings so the Kings can use his strong skating. . . . Forward Craig Johnson, finally healthy after straining his abdomen during training camp, was also scratched. He will make his season debut today, Robinson said. . . . The Kings don't believe Barry Potomski's herniated disc is as serious as Jan Vopat's, who will probably undergo back surgery. . . . Kings forward Kevin Stevens, who missed one game because of a concussion, returned to the lineup. . . . Finn, in his first game of the season, said his legs felt heavy.

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Photo

Photo: Blackhawks goalie Ed Belfour clears the puck away fr om the Kings' Brent Grieve in the first period. The Kings' win streak ended.

Associated Press