Kings Falter in Second Period of 6-2 Loss

The Kings had better get used to those black, red and gold uniforms because they play the Vancouver Canucks nine times this season, thanks to the expanded 84-game schedule.

As for Wednesday’s exhibition, it did not go well for the Kings at the Forum. The Canucks, defending Smythe Division champions, scored five second-period goals to defeat the Kings, 6-2, before an announced crowd of 10,092.

With the Kings ahead, 2-1, after one period, the Canucks scored on four of six shots in the second, starting with Garry Valk’s goal from long range at 2:52, and culminating with Sandy Moger’s shot from the left side of the net off King goaltender Kelly Hrudey at 10:34.

Moger’s goal, which came on the power play, put Vancouver ahead, 5-2. The Canucks scored again before the end of the period on another power-play goal by Petr Nedved.

Vancouver scored three power-play goals in 10 tries, while the Kings’ power play was 0 for 6.

With one exhibition game remaining--Saturday against the San Jose Sharks at the Forum--the Kings are 2-3-2. Vancouver is 4-1-3.

On Wednesday night, Marty McSorley was ejected after a brief scrap with the Canucks’ Gino Odjick in the third period. McSorley received a five-minute match penalty for attempted head-butting.

The bright spot was the Luc Robitaille-Robert Lang-Jim Hiller line, which accounted for the Kings’ two goals, both in the first period. Hiller scored his fifth goal of the exhibition season, at 6:05, and Robitaille scored his second at 17:05.