Flames Put Heat on Kings, Win Opener in a Romp, 9-2

CALGARY, Canada —  Apparently having nothing better to do Wednesday, Ken Baumgartner and Jay Wells of the Kings convinced what must have been a bemused Calgary barber to shave “LA” onto the side of their heads.

Several hours later, the two defensemen and the rest of the Kings probably felt as if they’d had a burning C, logo of the Calgary Flames, tattooed onto their chests.

Against a lineup that included four rookies, including Baumgartner, the Flames pounded the Kings, 9-2, before a crowd of 19,440 in Game 1 of their Smythe Division semifinal playoff series at the Olympic Saddledome.

Hakan Loob and Joel Otto each scored two goals for the Flames, who outshot the Kings, 50-17, and limited Los Angeles to only nine shots, including just three in the third period, after Calgary had built a 5-0 lead early in the second period.

“There’s no explanation for it,” said the Kings’ beleaguered goaltender, Rollie Melanson.

Actually, there were several.

All of the bad habits that made the Kings the worst defensive team in the National Hockey League during the regular season resurfaced.

They gave up the puck in their own zone, they didn’t clear the slot in front of Melanson, they gave up too many breakaways.

“It was not nice,” said Jimmy Carson, who scored one goal for the Kings and assisted on the other. “It was very bad. To allow 50 shots in the first game of the playoffs--that’s ridiculous. I think the forwards should apologize to the defensemen and the goalie because we didn’t do the things we had to do to help them, offensively or defensively.”

Coach Robbie Ftorek also said that neither the defense--which included rookies Ken Hammond, Eric Germain and Baumgartner--nor Melanson were entirely at fault.

Among other things, the Kings rarely won face-offs.

“And when you don’t have the puck, you’re chasing it,” Ftorek said. “And when you’re chasing a good team, you’re going to have difficulties.”

In something of a surprise move, considering he told reporters Tuesday that recent events had only strengthened a decision he made a week ago, Ftorek opted for Melanson over rookie Glenn Healy as his starting goaltender.

Healy made a season-high 46 saves last Friday night in a 6-3 win over the Flames, while Melanson, in his last start against Calgary, appeared rattled in a wild 9-7 King victory.

With his comments Tuesday, Ftorek seemed to indicate that Healy would be his starter.

Instead, he went with the more experienced Melanson, who has seen this kind of game all too often from the Kings.

When reporters pressed him as to the reason why, an annoyed Ftorek finally said: “I don’t think it’s a big deal. I was laying in bed one night and I said, ‘Who’s going to start?’ And it was Rollie.”

It really didn’t matter who was in goal.

The explosive Flames outshot the Kings, 22-8, in the first period, building a 4-0 lead with their first 16 shots. On their only first-period power play, which lasted just 52 seconds before Loob’s goal off a rebound made it 4-0 lead at 14:42, the Flames had five shots.

Melanson backed up what the statistics had suggested, that the Flames, who led the league in scoring this season, have replaced the Edmonton Oilers as the NHL’s preeminent offensive team.

“Calgary is more creative than Edmonton,” he said.

Lanny McDonald scored first for the Flames, taking a pass at center ice from Gary Roberts and skating in alone from the Kings’ blue line to beat Melanson at 6:00.

Al MacInnis made it 2-0 at 8:07 when his shot from the left point caromed off Germain and past a startled Melanson.

Only 89 seconds later, Otto carried the puck down the left side on a 2-on-1 breakaway with Jim Peplinski, who took Baumgartner with him as he skated wide to the right. That allowed Otto to skate in alone on Melanson, who was faked off his feet by Otto, enabling Otto to score into an empty net.

Otto scored again at 2:34 of the second period, beating Melanson to the short side with a 30-foot shot from the left circle to make it 5-0.

After Carson scored for the Kings at 7:21, the Flames regained a five-goal lead at 10:37 when a clearing pass by Baumgartner was intercepted by Joe Mullen, who fed teammate Colin Peterson. Peterson’s shot was stopped by Melanson, but Mullen scored on the rebound.

The Flames smothered the Kings the rest of the way.

Said Carson: “The only thing good about this: We did get smoked, but it’s only one game. That’s the only positive thing.”

Game 2 is tonight.

King Notes

Luc Robitaille, who led the Kings with 111 points in the regular season and scored seven goals in his last three games, did not have a shot on goal. . . . Mike Bullard, injured in a collision with the Kings’ Bernie Nicholls last Friday night, did not play because of a charley horse in his left leg. Bullard, the Flames’ No. 2 scorer, is also doubtful for tonight’s game. . . . Sitting out with injuries for the Kings were Jim Fox, Larry Playfair and Dean Kennedy. . . . According to a King spokesman, only a limited number of tickets remain for Games 3 and 4, which will be played Saturday and Sunday nights at the Forum. . . . Joe Nieuwendyk of the Flames, who led National Hockey League rookies with 51 goals and 92 points, scored a third-period goal, his first in 9 games. . . . Lanny McDonald, on the significance of the Flames’ two losses to the Kings last week: “It was probably the best thing that could have happened to us. It made us realize how hard we would have to work to win.” . . . Goaltender Rick Wamsley, acquired by the Flames along with defenseman Rob Ramage last month in a trade that sent Brett Hull to the St. Louis Blues, is not expected to play in the series because of a groin injury. Wamsley was injured March 15 in his second appearance with the Flames and has not played since.