Kings Feel Young at Heart

ATLANTA — It was a family reunion:

* Stephane Fiset rejecting the best Ray Ferraro could offer and the two laughing about it.

* Fran Kaberle high-sticking Jozef Stumpel and drawing a penalty, which started a King power play, the kind on which Kaberle used to pass the puck to Stumpel.

* Former King Donald Audette beating former Thrasher Kelly Buchberger to a puck, then firing it across the ice for an assist.

Kings yesterday, Thrashers today.

And vice versa.

And the kids, as they always do at family reunions, stole the show.

Brad Chartrand deflected Jason Blake’s shot into the net at 11:51 of the second period to lead the Kings to a 4-1 win Sunday before 15,857 at Philips Arena.

The victory punctuated the Kings’ 2-0-1 trip through the East and solidified their hold on fifth place in the Western Conference.

They have 86 points, six more than sixth-place Phoenix, San Jose and Edmonton.

Chartrand and Blake, playing on a line centered by veteran Bob Corkum--who also had an assist on the play--combined to break a 1-1 tie.

“I was playing like a basketball rebounder,” said Chartrand, who had a Thrasher on his back when he scored. “You know, kind of sticking out my butt to try to get some room, then try to get a stick on [the puck].”

Blake was just blasting.

“I had made a move from the side and I just turned and fired it,” he said. “I just knew there was some traffic there. That was a good play by Chartie.”

The goal was joined by those of Luc Robitaille, Glen Murray and Ian Laperriere for the Kings and made Fiset a winner only a day after he was pulled to start the third period at Boston.

The Kings were behind, 4-1, then.

“It’s always hard to come back when you were pulled the night before,” Fiset said. “So I was a little bit nervous until I faced a couple of shots.”

He had been told by Coach Andy Murray that the problems in Boston were those of his teammates, rather than Fiset’s, and Murray then lit into the Kings, who responded with three third-period goals in a 4-4 tie.

When he was pulled, Fiset was told he would start Sunday.

“I played the next night, so there was no time to be angry,” Fiset said, but he refused to deflect blame.

“I never get frustrated at other players,” Fiset said. “I get frustrated at myself.”

Frustration was felt by Ferraro when Fiset stopped his breakaway with 50 seconds left in the opening period. The Kings’ Aki Berg had turned over the puck in his own zone, and Atlanta’s Dean Sylvester sent it to Ferraro, who was alone ahead of the field, with Fiset at his mercy.

It was a familiar sight, seen daily for three years at Kings’ practice venues.

Fiset knew what was coming, so he skated out to challenge the puck successfully. When the clock stopped, the words started.

So did the laughter.

“He asked me why I didn’t go to my backhand, because that’s my only deke,” said Ferraro. “I’ll have to be honest with you, I really wanted to score on that play.”

Instead, Fiset preserved a scoreless tie until the Kings could get their offense going.

“I knew his move and I didn’t want to give him any chance,” Fiset said. “As soon as he got the puck, I went right at him.”

A day that began with an admonition from Murray--”We wanted to play an unfriendly game,” he said, acknowledging the ties on both sides and the end of a trip--ended with old-home week, embraces all around.

King defenseman Garry Galley agreed to go to LAX today and pick up the family of Donald Audette, whom the Kings traded to Atlanta two weeks ago.

Injured King Nelson Emerson stuck around for a few days to tie up some loose ends in Atlanta, where he was formerly employed.

And the kids, Jason Blake and Chartrand, just got on the bus and went home.

PLAYOFF RACE

The race for final four of eight Western Conference playoff spots (G=Games left):

No. Team Pts. G

5. KINGS: 86 6

6. San Jose: 80 7

7. Edmonton: 80 7

8. Phoenix: 79 7

9. DUCKS: 78 5

10. Vancouver: 78 6

11. Calgary: 74 6