John Druce

To the three Trobabes, Hank, Bo and Tom: Ask not what Coach Raveling can do for you, but what you can do for Coach Raveling. If you're winners, fight on; if you're losers, bye. JOHN DRUCE Hollywood

And how did the Kings respond to the trade of popular right wing Rick Tocchet? In losing, 8-2, to the Hartford Whalers on Thursday at the Civic Arena, it was their most one-sided defeat of the season, and certainly the most embarrassing. They had not yielded eight goals in a game since losing, 8-2, at Dallas on March 6, 1995. Now, the Kings are winless in their last eight games, going 0-6-2, and have only one road victory in the last 17 games.

And how did the Kings respond to the trade of popular right wing Rick Tocchet? In losing, 8-2, to the Hartford Whalers on Thursday at the Civic Arena, it was their most one-sided defeat of the season, and certainly the most embarrassing. They had not yielded eight goals in a game since losing, 8-2, at Dallas on March 6, 1995. Now, the Kings are winless in their last eight games, going 0-6-2, and have only one road victory in the last 17 games.

To the three Trobabes, Hank, Bo and Tom: Ask not what Coach Raveling can do for you, but what you can do for Coach Raveling. If you're winners, fight on; if you're losers, bye. JOHN DRUCE Hollywood

Opponent--Philadelphia Flyers. Site--CoreStates Center, Philadelphia. Time--4:30 PDT. Radio--XTRA (690). Records--Kings 1-2, Flyers 1-1. Record vs. Flyers (1995-96 season)--0-1-1. King update--Even before No. 1 goaltender Stephane Fiset was hit by a barrage of shots (42) from the Montreal Canadiens, King Coach Larry Robinson had planned to give Byron Dafoe the start against the Flyers, his first of the season. Dafoe started the first six games last season, going 3-0-3, and 17 of the first 21.

Alan May scored the winning goal after assisting on the tying score in the Dallas Stars' 3-2 exhibition victory over the Kings on Tuesday. The Stars (4-1-4) are tied with the Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues for the most points during the exhibition season with 12. Jamie Storr, the Kings' first-round pick in the 1994 draft, stopped 24 of 25 shots for the Kings (4-3-1) before being replaced.

Dino Ciccarelli got the tiebreaking goal early in the third period as the Washington Capitals ended an eight-game winless streak by defeating the New Jersey Devils, 4-3, Tuesday. Ciccarelli's eighth goal, with 14:20 left, ended the Devils' bid for a franchise-record nine-game unbeaten streak and kept them two points behind the first-place New York Rangers in the Patrick Division. New Jersey was 3-0-5 since losing to Pittsburgh Dec. 13.

The Washington Capitals have been consistent for most of this decade. They start out each season poorly, make a move in midseason and wind up as a good hockey team. So far, the Capitals have been true to form. They won only 4 of their first 14 games and fell into the Patrick Division cellar. But now that the season is past its midpoint, they are a team on the move.

Joe Nieuwendyk's explanation was simple. "Anything I shot out there tonight, I was getting good wood on it," he said Wednesday night after scoring 5 goals in the Flames' 8-3 victory over the Winnepeg Jets at Calgary, Canada. Nieuwendyk set a Flame single-game record for goals. His 4 goals in the second period tied a National Hockey League record, accomplished eight times previously.

After giving up three goals in less than two minutes Saturday night, the Philadelphia Flyers figure they could have folded. Instead, John Druce scored to pull them within one goal and Rod Brind'Amour had a goal with 43 seconds to play in the third period to give the Flyers a 3-3 tie with the Washington Capitals at Philadelphia. "It shows a lot that we didn't give up," said Philadelphia left wing John LeClair, who had a goal and an assist. "We had to accept it.

Brian Bellows' goal at 9:05 of overtime gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers and evened their best-of-seven series at one game apiece. Lightning goalie Daren Puppa, who made 25 saves, came up with several big stops in the overtime. The Flyers lost three players to injuries during the game, including John LeClair, who scored 51 goals in the regular season.

The troubled Kings' season took another downward turn Saturday when Wayne Gretzky suffered a twisted left knee midway through the second period and had to leave the game. Gretzky said he won't play today against Chicago. He had one assist as the Kings went on to lose, 4-3, to the Winnipeg Jets. Nelson Emerson scored two goals for the Jets in their final home game of the season.