ISLES COOL OFF KINGS; L.A. IS BEATEN FOR FIRST TIME ON TRIP : N.Y. ISLANDERS 4, KINGS 2.

Byline: Associated Press 

An unbeaten road trip was unrealistic. The New York Islanders made sure of that.

New York, another team struggling for respectability, beat the Kings 4-2 on Saturday night in Uniondale, N.Y., to leave L.A. 2-1-1 with one game - against New Jersey on Tuesday - remaining on its trip.

The Kings, coming off a stunning 5-1 victory in Detroit on Friday night, swarmed around Islanders goalkeeper Eric Fichaud (31 saves) in the third period but were unable to cut into New York's two-goal advantage.

Luc Robitaille, who scored one of his team's two goals, thinks L.A. could've won.

``We worked very hard,'' he said. ``The puck didn't bounce for us tonight, but we had plenty of chances to score. We just kept missing the net.''

Meanwhile, the Islanders, who split the season series with the Kings, couldn't have been more pleased.

They beat the New York Rangers on Thursday night. Typically, the Islanders come out flat and give up early goals the game after they play their rivals. On Saturday, it wasn't the case.

The Islanders scored the first three goals.

``The possibility of (a letdown) was addressed this morning at the skate,'' New York coach Rick Bowness said. ``The goal here is not to beat the Rangers, it's to make the playoffs.

``There's no satisfaction in beating the Rangers five times and missing the playoffs. I'd rather lose to them five times and make the playoffs.''

The Islanders jumped on the Kings early, scoring at 1:39 as Robert Reichel skated around defenseman Doug Zmolek on the right side, cut in and beat goaltender Frederic Chabot with a wrist shot.

Fichaud, making his fourth start of the season in goal for the Islanders, made his best save of the game at 6:30. He did the splits and got his left pad on Glen Murray's one-timer from the right crease after a pass from Jozef Stumpel.

A little over a minute later, Claude Lapointe scored on a backhander while falling down, and the Islanders were up 2-0. Zigmund Palffy made it 3-0 on a power play at 11:12, sending Bryan Berard's centering pass into the right side of the net.

``We had to start harder,'' Palffy said of the period. ``We were starting softer. We have to put the puck in deep and work from there.''

The Kings scored at 14:51 on a power-play goal by Sandy Moger on a bang-bang play.

L.A., which has made a habit of falling behind and then rallying, cut the lead to 3-2 at 9:42 of the second period when Robitaille took Moger's pass at the right crease and swept the puck into the open side.

However, Palffy gave the Islanders a two-goal lead on another power-play opportunity with 43 seconds left in the period on a wrist shot off from the right crease. Palffy then did a jumping dance reminiscent of Tiger Williams.

``Dance? What dance?,'' Palffy said.

The Kings put constant pressure on Fichaud in the third period, but he proved to be inpenetrable.

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Photo

PHOTO Islanders left wing Ken Belanger is sent into the glass by Kings defenseman Rob Blake.

Associated Press