Kings Stay Hot, Win, 6-4 : Hockey: They are off to their best start in club history after victory over Flames. Gretzky raises point total to 1,999.

INGLEWOOD —  They came to the Forum Tuesday night hoping to see history.

And history they saw.

No, it wasn’t Wayne Gretzky’s 2,000th point. That will have to wait for another night; Gretzky collected two assists to bring him to the brink with 1,999 points.

But two third-period goals by Bob Kudelski and one by Tomas Sandstrom enabled the Kings to beat the Calgary Flames, 6-4, and equal the best start in club history through nine games.

The Smythe Division-leading Kings improved to 7-1-1, matching the record of the 1980-81 team. Gretzky got his second assist of the night with 1:26 to play, but with the sellout crowd of 16,005 cheering him on, he did not come close to gaining his 2,000 point as time ran out.

Gretzky missed two chances for a point in the first period.

Operating in a power play, he twice fed Tony Granato, once in the crease and once in the slot. On both occasions, goalie Mike Vernon fell to his knees to make strong saves on Granato shots.

The Flames led, 1-0, at that point, having scored only 1:21 into the game. Al MacInnis, having skated around Gretzky into the right circle, fired a 30-foot slap shot from there that flew between goalie Daniel Berthiaume’s pads. It was MacInnis’ team-leading seventh goal of the season.

Some fancy skating by Todd Elik tied the score at 6:31 of the period.

Elik skated around defenseman Ric Nattress, leaving him a clear shot at the goal. Elik then moved past Vernon to the right side of the net where he backhanded the puck past the goalie for his fifth goal.

The Kings got a little help in taking the lead.

John Tonelli, who has gotten off to a quiet start this season, made some noise by slamming the puck off Vernon in front of the goal.

Unfortunately for the Flames, the puck skidded out to defenseman Tim Sweeney whose momentum was carrying him toward the goal. Unable to stop, Sweeney inadvertently kicked the puck into the net with his right skate.

Sweeney got the score, but Tonelli got credit for his first goal and second point of the season.

Gretzky got his only point of the night in the second period after taking a pass from Tomas Sandstrom, who had controlled the puck off the right boards.

Sandstrom passed to Gretzky on the left. The Kings center spotted Tony Granato all alone ahead of two defensemen, like a wide receiver who had beaten the defensive backs.

Gretzky got Granato the puck and Granato got his fourth goal of the season by scoring through Vernon’s pads from about 15 feet out. That made it 3-1 at the 1:39 mark

The Flames drew closer when Joe Nieuwendyk, carrying the puck down the left side, left a drop pass for Roger Johansson.

Johansson shot from the slot and appeared to bounce the puck off the crossbar. It bounded past Berthiaume for Johansson’s first goal of the season at 5:11 of the period.

The Flames came back at 9:07 to tie the game, Gary Suter scoring his second goal of the season from the left circle through Berthiaume’s pads.

Both teams had a two-man advantage in the period, the Flames for 1:16, the Kings for 1:11, but neither side could convert.

King Notes

Tim Watters returned to the lineup after missing six games with bruised ribs. . . . The American national anthem was sung by Rev. George Simmonds, fulfilling a longtime fantasy at age 100. . . . Three Flames are out with injuries. Right wing Tim Hunter has a bruised shoulder and is day to day. So is goaltender Rick Wamsley, out with a bruised hand. Wing Colin Patterson will be out two to three more weeks with a partially torn ligament in the right knee, an injury suffered in the preseason.