Kings Find Stride in Home Opener : Hockey: They outshoot Oilers, 52-30, in 6-3 victory. Blake’s injury is the only negative note.

First, the Kings raised the Smythe Division championship banner on opening night at the Forum.

Then, they again raised hopes of a lot more.

Determined to put their disappointing loss to the Edmonton Oilers in last season’s playoffs behind them, the Kings blew past Edmonton, 6-3, Tuesday before an opening-night, sellout crowd of 16,005.

But the celebration was blunted somewhat after the game when it was announced that defenseman Rob Blake had injured his right shoulder and will be out two to three weeks. Blake rammed the shoulder into the boards in the second period, separating it. The shoulder was popped back into place, but Blake did not return. He was scheduled to get X-rays before a final diagnosis.

It was a big night for the Kings’ offense, which outshot the Oilers, 52-30, but the referees had a lot to do with that. The Oilers were charged with 24 penalties for a total of 100 minutes. The Kings were penalized 19 times for 72 minutes.

“We played with intensity,” King goalie Kelly Hrudey said. “Last year, we knew we were improved, but it took a while for us to believe it. This year, we all believe.”

The Oilers scored the first Forum goal of the season, Kelly Buchberger turning on the red light 6:22 into the game.

Craig MacTavish, with Marty McSorley matching him stride for stride down the right side, passed across the ice to Buchberger, who put his first goal of the season into the net from 15 feet out over goalie Hrudey’s stick.

The Kings evened the score at 17:21 of the opening period. Mike Donnelly took a long pass from Blake, skated in from the left side, sent Edmonton goalie Bill Ranford sprawling and then put the puck over him for his first goal of the young season.

The Kings broke the game open with a trio of second-period goals. The first was the most dramatic. On an Oiler power play, Brian Benning fought off Martin Gelinas for the puck and sent it down the side boards to Tony Granato. With open ice ahead, Granato rushed the net and put the puck past Ranford’s pads 7:11 into the period for the shorthanded goal, his second goal of the season.

Dave Taylor added his first at 10:13 and John McIntyre followed with his first at 13:33 to increase the Kings’ lead to 4-1.

The Oilers’ defense, which had held the Kings in check through most of Sunday’s tie and the first period Tuesday, collapsed before a King onslaught that produced 22 shots on goal in the period to only nine for Edmonton.

It was more than even Ranford, who had played so well up to that point, could withstand.

Gelinas’ first goal, at 15:33 of the second period, cut the margin to 4-2.

Tomas Sandstrom added his second goal of the season 5:44 into the final period on a power play, Sandstrom scoring on a rebound off a Wayne Gretzky shot with the Kings in a two-man advantage.

But, the Kings’ penalty-killers continued to shut down the Oilers. On Sunday, Edmonton was blanked on six power plays. On Tuesday, they were shut out on their first five attempts, including a double minor slapped on McSorley for cross-checking Gelinas from behind.

Edmonton finally broke through in the final period with Joe Murphy’s second goal of the season after Granato was charged with a double-minor.

King Notes

The game started 30 minutes late because of ceremonies celebrating the start of the Kings’ 25th season and the NHL’s 75th. A taped message from President George Bush was shown on the new $2-million Forum scoreboard. The Smythe Division championship banner was unveiled on the south wall, followed by indoor fireworks. . . . The only boos during the team introductions were reserved for Kingston, the club mascot. . . . This was the second Smythe championship banner put up. The Oilers also had one in Northlands Coliseum because they won the postseason division finals. Maybe the Minnesota North Stars will put one up because they eliminated the Oilers.

The scoreboard has a full-color, instant-replay screen, but replays won’t be shown for several games while the bugs are worked out. . . . In previous home openers, the Kings were 11-9-4 with three straight victories. . . . Oiler wing Anatoli Semenov is out with a hairline fracture of the left foot, an injury he had in the preseason.