KINGS LOSE TO BOSTON : BOSTON 6, KINGS 5.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Byron Defoe got more than his first victory Thursday night against the Kings, his former team. The Boston Bruins' new goalie heard his first tirade from new coach Pat Burns.

Steve Heinze scored Boston's first goal of the season, Shawn Bates got his first NHL goal and Rob DiMaio scored the first game-winner to lead the Bruins to their first victory, 6-5 over the Kings. But not before Burns, the fiery former Quebec cop let the team have it for wasting a 5-3 lead in the second period.

``He said some things, and not under his breath. It was pretty loud,'' said Dafoe, who stopped 26 shots for his first Bruins victory. ``He wasn't happy with us at all. . . . He said not one guy should be happy in here, and no one was. I think we responded pretty well in the third period.''

Kings defenseman Mattias Norstrom was kicking the puck around in front of his own net, trying to clear away the rebound of a shot by Don Sweeney when DiMaio came up from behind and poked the puck between his legs with 13:59 left.

The way the game had been going with 10 goals in the first two periods - it didn't figure to hold up. But the Boston defense held the Kings to five shots in the final period and Dafoe made a sprawling save in the final minute after being caught behind the net.

Burns, who was hired over the summer to replace the nondescript Steve Kasper, downplayed his role as a motivator, saying he wants his players to be scared to lose, not scared of their coach.

``I told the players before the game, `If you're not nervous, don't get dressed,' '' Burns said. ``We have to be scared to lose. After that second period, I think we were.''

Ex-Bruin Jozef Stumpel, who came to the Kings with Sandy Moger for Dafoe and Dimitri Khristich, had one assist and was also among the 11 players who scored in the game. Stephane Fiset made 24 saves for the Kings.

The Kings started the season Wednesday night with a 3-3 tie against Pittsburgh. But Thursday was the opener for Boston and the fans' first chance to see rookie Joe Thornton, even if he was in street clothes because of a broken wrist.

With the much-hyped top overall draft pick out and the Bruins coming off their first playoff absence in 30 years, only 12,946 tickets were sold at the 17,565-seat FleetCenter - the smallest NHL crowd since the building opened in 1995. Although no such records are kept, it is believed to be the smallest crowd for a Bruins' home opener since 1976, after Bobby Orr left.

``Boston fans are used to success,'' Kings coach Larry Robinson said. ``It seemed by the size of the crowd tonight they aren't showing much patience in the Bruins' transitional period.''

Heinze made good on the Bruins' first power-play opportunity with a goal from the slot 7:57 into the game. Twenty-eight seconds later, Kyle McLaren scored on slap shot from the point to make it 2-0.

The Kings made it 2-1 just 21 seconds later on Brad Smyth's goal. Glenn Murray tied it 2-2 with 6:34 left in the first when he deflected Norstrom's shot from the point.

Ted Donato threaded a pass to Khristich in the slot to make it 3-2 and the Kings tied it when Stumpel knocked in an errant wraparound by Craig Johnson.

Bates got his first NHL goal midway through the second to make it 4-3. With seven minutes left in the second, Donato intercepted a pass at center ice and fed Tim Taylor to make it 5-3.

Ray Ferraro was credited with a goal when Boston's Jason Allison knocked the puck into his own net.

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Photo

Photo: The Kings' Vladimir Tsyplakov is dumped by Boston's Don Sweeney in the first period.

Associated Press