Kings Faced With Tough Choices

He tried a long midnight drive after work and then sleep, such as it was, but when Andy Murray reported to the Kings’ training center in El Segundo on Thursday morning, there was no reason for anybody to skate on the unblemished ice.

“I probably feel worse today than I did last night,� said Murray, who coached the Kings in their 3-0 loss Wednesday night that completed their season and a four-game playoff series sweep by Detroit.

“With any championship series, if you don’t win your last game, it’s disappointing. And because there can be only one champion, the odds are against your feeling good.�

Murray has joined a club whose other members are Barry Melrose and Larry Robinson. The Kings have lost 12 consecutive playoff games, and each of those coaches has an equal share of the streak, which dates to the Stanley Cup final series against Montreal in 1993 and includes the 1998 sweep by St. Louis.

“We have a lot better team than we did in ‘98,� argued King captain Rob Blake. “Everyone’s trying to compare it, saying, ‘Oh, well, you got swept again.’ But this team is much, much better, and that’s what makes it so frustrating that we didn’t get a win in this series.�

They didn’t get a win because they didn’t get a power-play goal in 23 opportunities, and Detroit got seven such goals in 23 tries.

Instead, the Kings got a lesson in playoff intelligence and the need for speed. Perhaps that can be lumped into the “experience� category but the term doesn’t go far enough.

For most of the final quarter of the regular season, the Kings talked about stepped-up competition from teams that were jockeying for playoff position. The games were called “playoff-like.�

But the Detroit series showed that there isn’t just a gap between “playoff-like� and playoff games. It’s a canyon.

“There’s no question, we want more speed and skill,� said Dave Taylor, the Kings’ senior vice president and general manager. “But so does everybody else.�

First things first, and that’s dealing with the expansion draft June 23 to stock new franchises in Columbus, Ohio, and St. Paul, Minn. The premium is on goalies, as it always is in expansion drafts, and the Kings will try to keep both Stephane Fiset and Jamie Storr.

That will mean:

* The need to trade for a qualified goalie to expose in the draft so that Storr and Fiset can be kept out of it.

* More position players will be exposed.

* There is a possibility that the Kings will trade with one or both of the expansion teams.

At least one goalie has to be exposed by each NHL team, and if both Fiset and Storr are protected, the Kings can shield only three defensemen and seven forwards. If only one goalie is protected, the numbers are five defensemen and nine forwards.

The alternative to trading for a goalie to expose--and the value of those players will be far beyond what their goals-against average normally would command--is dealing with Columbus and/or St. Paul to make certain Storr and Fiset stay in Southern California.

Fiset’s stock went up in the playoffs, even though he was the losing goalie in Games 1, 3 and 4.

“If there’s anybody who got the playoff thing off his back, it’s Stephane,� Murray said. “But he didn’t have to prove anything to me. If he had, he wouldn’t have been playing.�

Fiset was strong down the stretch, but his record in the playoffs before the Detroit series was 1-4, with a 4.52 goals-against average. Against the Red Wings, he gave up five goals in Game 2, but only five in the three other games combined.

His play gave the Kings a chance to win, but they did not avail themselves of it.

“If I had kept Steph out of there, where would we be for next year?� Murray said, referring to Fiset’s mental state. “For the most important position on the team, we feel very good about it.�

As for the other positions, there is uncertainty, particularly up the middle. The big-ticket Kings--wingers Luc Robitaille and Ziggy Palffy and Blake--are signed, as are both goalies. But centers Jozef Stumpel, Bryan Smolinski and Ian Laperriere aren’t, though they are restricted free agents.

Defenseman Aki Berg, also a restricted free agent, has shown a tendency to be a problem at contract time--two seasons ago, he held out and played in Finland--and his being scratched for the first two playoff games as well as his inconsistent play during the season probably will complicate negotiations.

The possibility of exposing Berg in the expansion draft could make the situation even more difficult.

Once the expansion and entry drafts are completed, the free-agent market is open for shopping. The Kings want to retain their own unrestricted free agents, Garry Galley and Marko Tuomainen, and will scour the shelves for others.

Judgments will be made, and there is a tendency to have the playoff failure outweigh the regular-season success. Smolinski will spend the summer rehabilitating his knee after failing to score in the Detroit series. Glen Murray also did not score against Detroit.

The Kings had only six goals in the four games, five in Game 2 alone. Craig Johnson was the only scoring forward not on the first line. Sean O’Donnell was the only defenseman to score.

“We need to get better, because if you don’t get better, you’re going backward. And that will mean that there will be personnel decisions,� said Andy Murray, who spent some of Thursday with Taylor, discussing those decisions.

In the end, though, one very important thing was learned.

“The class and character on their team, I was really impressed by that,� Murray said of the Red Wings. “ . . . I think we’re still maturing to that.�

The playoff series was an indication of how far the Kings still have to go.

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All the Kings’ Men

The Kings’ roster and contract status of each player:

GOALIES

*--*

1 Jamie Storr Team has option for 2000-01, which it will exercise. 35 Stephane Fiset Signed and figures to share time with Storr.

*--*

FORWARDS

*--*

7 Steve McKenna Team option for 2000-01 and an expansion-draft candidate. 9 Kelly Buchberger Signed and a linchpin for the future. 11 Jason Blake Signed and headed for the weight room. 12 Marko Tuomainen Unsigned (restricted free agent) who wants to stay with Kings. 15 Jozef Stumpel Unsigned (restricted free agent) who figures to be back with Robitaille, Palffy. 17 Nelson Emerson Signed and contract probably will allow him to pass through draft. 19 Bob Corkum Team option for 2000-01, though he could be lost in the draft. 20 Luc Robitaille Signed and, this time, probably a King for life. 21 Bryan Smolinski Unsigned (restricted free agent) and looking for a long-term deal. 22 Ian Laperriere Unsigned (restricted free agent) player whose stock fell toward end of season, rose in playoffs. 23 Craig Johnson Unsigned (restricted free agent) player whose speed could become important. 27 Glen Murray Team/player options for 2000-01, and he should be able to overcome playoff failings. 29 Brad Chartrand Unsigned (restricted free agent) who is a coaches’ favorite. 33 Ziggy Palffy Signed and figures to score more than 27 goals next season. 37 Jason Podollan Unsigned (restricted free agent) player who is struggling to crack the Kings. 42 Dan Bylsma Unsigned (restricted free agent) penalty killer whose stock rose at the end of the season.

*--*

DEFENSEMEN

*--*

3 Garry Galley Unsigned (unrestricted free agent) the Kings want to return. 4 Rob Blake Signed, though his leadership will be shared with Buchberger. 5 Aki Berg Unsigned (restricted free agent) who could be a problem to get under contract. 6 Sean O’Donnell Signed but had consistency problems that figure to get better. 8 Jere Karalahti Unsigned (restricted free agent) player the Kings want to keep around. 14 Mattias Norstrom Signed and Blake’s alter ego. 44 Jaroslav Modry Team option for 2000-01 and could be lost to expansion.

*--*