KINGS FLOP IN FIRST PERIOD, CAN'T COME BACK VS. SHARKS : SAN JOSE 5 KINGS 2.Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer The Kings have played spotty, lifeless hockey the past month or so but have somehow managed to get away with it, winning more games than they've lost. With the playoffs only weeks away, coach Larry Robinson For U.S. basketball player, see Larry Robinson (basketball). Larry Clark Robinson (born June 2 1951, in Winchester, Ontario, Canada) was a star player and a coach in the National Hockey League. He is currently an assistant coach of the New Jersey Devils. has admitted he's concerned. On Thursday, his team gave him the best reason yet to worry. In their worst period of the season, the Kings allowed the San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). four unanswered goals in the first 20 minutes and went on to lose 5-2 before an announced crowd of 12,820 at the Forum. With the loss, L.A., trying to catch fourth-place St. Louis, fell five points behind the Blues (3-2 winners over Tampa Bay Tampa Bay, inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, 25 mi (40 km) long and 7 to 12 mi (11.3–19 km) wide, W Fla., separated from the Gulf by numerous small islands; it receives the Hillsborough River. St. on Thursday) with only 12 games to go. Going into Thursday's game, the Kings (33-26-11) had won two straight games and were 6-3 in their past nine. However, they were doing barely enough to get by. Of those six victories, five were by a single goal. Robinson said before Thursday's game that his players weren't doing the things associated with an honest effort on a consistent basis: battling for the puck, making key checks, covering for one another. While his team has played well enough in spurts to win, Robinson offered a stern warning: ``I know we're not going to go far in the playoffs if we continue to play like this.'' His team underscored his point in a profound way in that miserable first period against a sub-.500 team that had lost four straight games. In a forgettable for·get·ta·ble adj. Fit or apt to be forgotten: a movie with very forgettable characters. Adj. 1. forgettable - easily forgotten unforgettable - impossible to forget span of 18:07, four Sharks - Jeff Friesen Jeff Friesen (born Jeff Daryl Friesen on August 5, 1976 in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a professional hockey player, who is currently an unrestricted free agent. Playing career , Tony Granato Tony Granato (born July 25, 1964 in Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S.) is an American former National Hockey League leftwinger and former head coach of the Colorado Avalanche. Following a college career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Granato was drafted by the New York Rangers , Dave Lowry
David John Lowry (born 14 February 1965) is a retired professional ice hockey player from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. and John MacLean There are several people named John MacLean, including:
Fiset was drafted in the 2nd round 24th overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques. and, while the Kings seemed to wake up while in the deep hole, it was too late. Friesen simply beat Fiset, taking the puck in from the right side, slashing across the crease and pushing it in at 6:10. In each of the other three, the Sharks players who scored were left alone in front of the net. Granato knocked in a rebound at 7:39; Lowry took a pass from Ron Sutter Ron Sutter (born 2 December, 1963 in Viking, Alberta, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey centre. He is the brother of Brian, Brent, Darryl, Duane and Rich Sutter all of whom went to the NHL. He is the twin brother of Rich and was the last Sutter brother to retire. from behind the net and slapped it in at 14:33, and MacLean, on a pass from Shawn Burr Shawn Burr (born on July 1, 1966 in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada) is a retired Canadian ice hockey centreman. Burr played in the NHL for parts of 16 seasons from 1984-2000. Burr was drafted 7th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. , wristed in the fourth goal from between the circles. The Sharks ended the period with a 13-5 shot advantage. As is typical, the Kings, suddenly realizing it was a game night, played dead for only so long. On one of their strongest power plays of the season, they bombarded Sharks goaltender Mike Vernon with shots until Jozef Stumpel passed across the crease to Craig Johnson, who scored from in front of the net at 2:15 of the second period. Stumpel made it 4-2 2:14 into the third period, taking a pass from Vladimir Tsyplakov and wristing it past Vernon to give the Kings hope. However, the Kings - who outshot San Jose 27-8 in the second and third periods - could get no closer. Now, they must open what is sure to be a taxing six-game road trip coming off one of their most discouraging performances of the season. Friesen made an empty-net goal to complete the scoring. Recovering: Luc Robitaille, recuperating from March 2 hernia surgery, skated for the third time on Thursday morning and feels good about his progress. ``It's still a little bit (sore). You gotta be careful. It feels good, though,'' he said. Robitaille, 32, is expected back for the playoffs, which begin April 22. He's hoping to come back sooner. ``I'd like to come around April 14,'' which would give him three regular-season games in which to build momentum going into the playoffs, he said. ``We'll see what the doctors say.'' . . . Matt Johnson (biceps), Ray Ferraro (knee) and Nathan LaFayette (post-concussion syndrome Post-Concussion Syndrome Definition Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) is a common but controversial disorder that presents with variety of symptoms including—but not limited to—headache, dizziness, fatigue, and personality changes. ) are expected to join the Kings on the trip and probably will play. . . . Sandy Moger left Thursday's game with a sprained ligament in his knee. . . . The last time San Jose scored four goals in a period was also against the Kings, a 7-2 victory on Jan. 22 of last season in San Jose. . . . San Jose goaltender Kelly Hrudey, a former King, was nominated for the Masterton Trophy (for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey) by the Bay Area chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (Color) Although San Jose's Bill Houlder is held down by the Kings' Steve McKenna in the first period, L.A. couldn't hold down the Sharks. Tom Mendoza/Daily News |
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