Gretzky Dislikes Hopeless Feeling

SACRAMENTO —  Wayne Gretzky couldn’t escape the reality. Now he was just like all those other athletes in places such as Winnipeg and Hartford, playing hockey with no hope of making the playoffs.

Fourteen NHL seasons--nine with the Oilers and five in Los Angeles--all ended with playoff appearances for Gretzky. His flawless record was marred Saturday night when the Kings were officially eliminated from the playoff race. It was the first time in 24 years that a team failed to make the playoffs the season after reaching the Stanley Cup finals.

For Gretzky and the Kings, 6-1 winners over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, the bitter sting of missing the playoffs probably won’t fully hit them until postseason play begins. The Kings (26-41-11) had reached the playoffs seven consecutive seasons after missing in 1985-86, when they finished with 54 points.

“You’re in a sense of denial,” said Gretzky, who had three assists. “But like I said, we absolutely deserve to be where we are and each guy deserves to be held responsible. . . .

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’ve never had this feeling. It’s ridiculous. I don’t understand. We’re a better hockey team than our record. But there are no excuses.

“Last year, we went to the finals and everybody stood up and took bows--people better stand up and be counted now. Every person in the organization.”

The Kings are 14 points behind the San Jose Sharks and trail the expansion Mighty Ducks by four points. Their victory over the Oilers before an announced crowd of 10,363 at Arco Arena ended a three-game losing streak. Goaltender Robb Stauber made 35 saves and left wing Luc Robitaille scored his 40th goal of the season at 12:40 of the second period. Robitaille has scored 40 or more goals for eight consecutive seasons, the longest streak among active players.

“It’s a lot more fun to play for the team than for individual statistics,” said Robitaille, who had scored once in his previous nine games.

It was a strange position for all the Kings. Instead of talking about the playoffs, Gretzky was asked whether he would represent Canada in the World Championships this month in Italy. He said he will consider the option, but it is highly unlikely.

“I’d rather be playing (in the playoffs),” he said. “Maybe sometimes it’s good to experience everything. But it’s the worst feeling in the world. I don’t know if it’s good. I hope everyone learns from this.”

The Kings had different reactions to teammate Pat Conacher’s outspoken comments on Saturday, when he said they “laid down like dogs.” Said Gretzky: “What you get from Patty’s exactly how he plays. An honest effort. He spoke from the heart. I don’t know exactly what he said, but he probably hit the nail on the head.”

King Notes

Wayne Gretzky expressed sadness that Dave Taylor’s long and outstanding NHL career ended ingloriously. Taylor suffered a concussion on Jan. 4 after a collision with Warren Rychel and continues to suffer from headaches and dizziness. An official retirement announcement is pending. “I think we missed Davey a lot,” Gretzky said. “His experience in calming down the younger players. It’s unfortunate he ended his career the way it did--hit by his own teammate.” . . . One discontented King fan held up a sign that read: “Quakes, Fires, Riots, Kings--Another Big Catastrophe.”

King Coach Barry Melrose, on the value of off-season workouts: “I’d rather have 20 fats guys working hard than 20 guys who look like Greek gods.”