Flyers Stick It to Kings : Hockey: Philadelphia scores three goals in the first period and gets a couple of breaks to post a 5-2 victory.

PHILADELPHIA — There isn’t anything more useless to a hockey club than a goalie without a stick.

Unless it’s a team without intensity.

Or a power play without power.

Qualifying in all three categories Thursday night at the Spectrum, the Kings lost to the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-2, before a sellout crowd of 17,380.

The first thing to go was the intensity. The Kings came in riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak, the last victory coming Tuesday when they opened this four-game trip with an upset of the Penguins in Pittsburgh.

But the Flyers had the early momentum, along with a key break, scoring three first-period goals to give them a lead they never relinquished.

“I think it’s a sign of not giving the other team enough respect,” King Coach Tom Webster said. “We have to show up. We can’t sit back and let the other team come to us, waiting for things to happen.”

The Kings didn’t have long to wait.

Mike Ricci scored his 10th goal 5:24 into the game.

Then came the break.

Flyer wing Andrei Lomakin took a shot from the left circle that appeared to be heading wide. It probably would have--if it hadn’t hit King wing Jari Kurri in the behind. The puck caromed into the net, Lomakin getting credit for his 11th goal, the easiest he will ever score.

“I felt it bounce off me,” Kurri said, shaking his head. “You hate to see that happen. No way that puck was going in. That hurts.”

There was more pain ahead.

After Kevin Dineen gave the Flyers a 3-0 lead with his first of two goals, the Kings failed to take advantage when the Flyers got stuck with two men in the penalty box for 1:29.

Four King shots. No goals.

But the Kings got back in the game in the second period on goals by Wayne Gretzky (his 18th) and Rob Blake (third).

It stayed 3-2 well into the third period, until a crucial call was made against King defenseman Peter Ahola for hooking Ricci.

Chasing Ricci behind the King net, Ahola put his stick on the shoulder of the Flyer center, who crashed wildly to the ice.

“I had my stick there,” Ahola said, “but I didn’t pull or anything. It kind of felt like he went down on his own. I was very surprised (at the call).”

When the puck went behind the net on the subsequent power play, Daniel Berthiaume went back to get it.

Not only was he forced to leave the puck, but his stick as well.

“It got stuck on the crack on the boards,” Berthiaume said. “It just slipped off my hand. I couldn’t wait there to get it.”

So back he went into the crease, stickless and helpless.

Dineen, who said he didn’t realize Berthiaume didn’t have his stick, took a pass from Rod Brind’Amour near the left post and smashed the puck past the King goalie for his 13th goal at 14:41 of the final period.

The Kings couldn’t recover, giving up a final goal to Pelle Eklund, his sixth, in the final minute after Berthiaume had been pulled.

So once again, the Kings, seemingly on their way in this frustrating season after winning five of their last seven, lose a game they figured to win. Philadelphia, last in the Patrick Division, was 0-3-2 over its previous five and had lost to the Kings, 7-3, last Saturday at the Forum.

Watching from the bench, there was little Webster could do to help his goalie avert defeat, except maybe throw him a stick.

On second thought, in Webster’s case, that’s probably not a good idea.

King Notes

The Quebec Nordiques, unable to sign No. 1 draft pick Eric Lindros, figure to trade him at the end of the season. But King owner Bruce McNall says he wouldn’t be interested in a blockbuster deal that could cost the Kings three or four starters. “Theoretically, would we be interested in Lindros? The answer is yes,” McNall said Thursday. “But would I disrupt the whole team to get him? No. We have to listen if they made an offer. We’d be crazy not to. But it wouldn’t help to have two great centers (Lindros and Wayne Gretzky) if we had nobody to skate with them.” . . . The Kings were successful on one of five power plays, but outshot the Flyers, 30-24. . . . Daniel Berthiaume has lost four of his last five decisions.

* STREAK STOPPED

New Jersey snaps Brett Hull’s 10-game goal-scoring streak--three short of the NHL record--and the Devils post a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. C12