CECHMANEK SHELLED IN RETURN FOR KINGS GOALIE GIVES UP 4 GOALS ON 15 SHOTS IN LOSS SAN JOSE 5, KINGS 3.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Roman Cechmanek is back. Just not the one the Kings needed.

Cechmanek returned Thursday after more than a month's absence with a groin strain. Rusty doesn't begin to describe Cechmanek, who seemed out of sorts in the net, as he gave up two goals on San Jose's first two shots.

He gave up another two goals in the second period. Before the game, Kings coach Andy Murray said he wanted to hold San Jose to two goals or less. He meant for the game, not each period.

Murray had seen enough poor goaltending after 40 minutes and backup goaltender Cristobal Huet, who had been solid in Cechmanek's absence, replaced Cechmanek.

Jonathan Cheechoo and Curtis Brown scored twice and the Sharks used four goals on just 15 shots against Cechmanek to post a 5-3 victory over the Kings on Thursday. The Sharks remained unbeaten in the four-game series in front of a sellout crowd of 18,118 at Staples Center.

The Kings, who couldn't convert on goaltender.

``I was slow and I was not good in the net,'' Cechmanek said.

``I was bad on skates and everything. I said I was ready before the game and I was not.''

Still, the Kings had their chances despite Cechmanek's debacle.

They were 0 for 3 on the power play in third period.

More disturbing for the Kings is they remained in ninth place in the Western Conference, one point behind an idle Nashville.

Lubomir Visnovsky, Esa Pirnes and Derek Armstrong scored for the Kings. Armstrong scored at 16:17 of the second period to pull the Kings within 4-3.

But Brown scored an empty-netter to seal the Sharks' victory with 1:06 left.

There really isn't a goaltender controversy. Murray said you can probably expect Huet to play.

``We need some saves,'' Murray said.

``We played with a lot of energy, got a big lead and we let a power-play goal. We definitely need some saves.''

Murray said he was going to pull Cechmanek after the fourth goal but he opted not to, in order to give Huet a chance to stretch.

The Kings got off to a good start - just like they did against St. Louis on Tuesday - on a short-handed goal by Pirnes. But things quickly unraveled, much like they did against St. Louis.

The Sharks responded with two goals in 3 minutes, 39 seconds to take a 2-1 lead. In their previous game, the Kings allowed two goals in 36 seconds to trail 2-1 and lost 5-2.

San Jose converted a power-play goal as Alexander Korolyuk one-timed the puck past Cechmanek 3:04 into the first period, 94 seconds after the Kings scored, to tie the game at 1-1.

On the Sharks' second goal, Cechmanek was about 12 feet out of his net when Brown scored from the left faceoff circle.

Cechmanek came out of his net and crouched on the ice to make the stop, but Brown moved the puck just left of Cechmanek to score at 6:43 for the one-goal lead.

``I have to be ready for every game,'' Cechmanek said. ``I can't play like this.''

He might not get the chance.

Murray said he and his staff thought Cechmanek was ready and Huet had been playing a lot. But he didn't only criticize Cechmanek.

``Let's not put all the finger on our goaltender, I think we have some forwards who need to step up for us and do a lot more,'' Murray said.

``Anson Carter has to be much, much better.

``He's a quality person. We need him to be a quality player. Jozef Stumpel, about two weeks ago I was heralding him as our best player. We need Jozef Stumpel to be much better than he was tonight. Alexander Frolov has to step up.''

Cechmanek said: ``The team played well and everybody is playing hard, but not me. I was poor.''

Jill Painter, [phone]

jill.painter(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

San Jose's Mike Rathje, left, raises his stick against the Kings' Esa Pirnes, right, in the first period. Rathje was called for high sticking on the play, one of 15 penalties in the game.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

Box:

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