Biron logged 20 saves and Matt Moulson scored a late third period goal. But the Isles still fell to the Los Angeles Kings, 2-1, in front of a matinee Nassau Coliseum crowd Monday to fall to
0-1-3. All four defeats have been by a single goal.

“We played safe,” Biron said. “We played an OK game but OK in this league is not going to work. We have to play a little harder and go for it a little bit more.”

The Islanders posted a 29-22 shot advantage and had a chance to tie it at the one-minute mark. Moulson tallied his season’s second goal with 1:55 remaining and the Islanders generated a good scoring chance after pulling Biron for the extra attacker.

Kyle Okposo collected the puck on the penalty-box side boards and fired a cross-ice pass for an open John Tavares. But Tavares, who was open below the right circle, fanned on the chance as the Kings improved to 4-1.

Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty scored for Los Angeles. The contest mark the first time this campaign the Isles failed to pick up a point following a pair of shootout losses and an overtime defeat.

Jonathan Quick registered 28 saves, including all in the first period when the Islanders forged an 11-4 advantage in shots through 20 minutes.  The Islanders are winless through the opening four games for the first time since 2000. That club finished the year in last place.

“We don’t have to keep the morale up. We got to kick each other in the butt and go play 60 minutes,” Islanders captain Doug Weight said. “We really controlled the beginning of the game and we’ve done that in a lot of games so far.

“It’s how we react. We need to start reacting better.”

Los Angeles opened the scoring 18:33 into the second period when Justin Williams slid a touch pass to his left for an open Kopitar, who wristed a shot over Biron’s right shoulder for his fourth goal. Former Islander Ryan Smyth, who heard boos nearly every time he touched the puck, picked up the secondary assist on the power play tally.

Doughty launched a 40-foot shot through traffic to beat a screened Biron 5:31 into the third period for a 2-0 Los Angeles lead. Tavares, the 2009 first overall draft pick, had just one shot while Doughty, the No. 2 pick in the 2008 draft, notched his second goal of the season.

The Islanders blew a third period lead against Pittsburgh and squandered a three-goal third-period advantage against Boston in the two shootout losses so far. Okposo said the team needs to eliminate its propensity to produce bad stretches in order to win the close games.

“We need to stop and dig deep in those times and really find a way to win those hockey games,” Okposo said.

Moulson ended Quick’s shutout bid with a backhand shot from the slot that went heavy traffic in front of the crease. The Kings avoided giving up the lead, improving to 2-0 on its ongoing six-game road trip.

“There’s no smokes and mirrors with our team,” Weight said. “We know what we have to do. We have to play pretty perfect for 60 minutes and we have to be moving.

“Whether it’s the atmosphere of the building or getting down or having a team flurry at us; we haven’t reacted well to it. We just have to get better in those areas. We have to remedy it quick.”

Notes: The announced attendance was 12,145…Islanders forward Joel Rechlicz fought Raitis Ivanans almost midway through the opening period…Smyth, acquired by the Islanders at the 2007 trade deadline before signing as a free agent with Colorado in the subsequent offseason, did not get off a shot in 22:05 of ice time…The scoreboard’s video display malfunctioned six minutes into the second period.

The Bombers had made the postseason 12 consecutive years under the tutelage of Joe Torre and staying home in October just isn’t acceptable. Joe Girardi was the successor of the throne and was given a pass in a way, Bronx style. The manager knew that if he didn’t produce a playoff berth now he would have been looking for a new job this fall.

Taking no chances, the front office went out during the winter and basically put together a fantasy team. Adding to an already talented roster, bringing in the likes of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixiera basically cemented the division.

On Wednesday, the Yankees became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff berth, albeit it as a result of a Texas Rangers loss. It was a moot point as the Yanks went out that same night and won their game in Anaheim.

“It’s good to be in,” third baseman Alex Rodriguez said to reporters. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. There’s no question the intensity level was very high.”

Girardi echoed a similar emotion. “That’s the expectation here every year, and that’s obviously very pleasing,” the skipper told reporters. ”We’re going to be playing in October, but there are still some things we want to accomplish before the season ends.”

Just making the playoffs is not suffice in Yankee land. That may be okay for the Rays or Tigers, but winning their 27^th World Series title is the only barometer of a productive season. Owning a league-best 96-55 seems to be something to build on towards reaching the ultimate goal. They are six games up on the Angels for home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs.

By wrapping up a spot this early, the members of the Yankees can’t help but look ahead to possible opponents, regardless if they admit it or toe the company line. If the season ended today, the Yankees would face the winner of the AL Central. “You hope you play them – that means we’re there,” Derek Jeter commented to reporters. “But it’s still too early to think about match-ups. It’s important for us to play well against good teams.”

And that is exactly what is going to happen in the ‘second season.’ Since the Red Sox appear to be the clear-cut wild card entrant, the Yankees will face off against the winner of the AL Central in the Division Series. At press time, the Detroit Tigers were leading the Minnesota Twins by two and a half games.

That means that Anaheim and Boston will face one another in the other series and the survivors will square off in the American League Championship Series. Does the road to the World Series go through Yankee Stadium? (The AL has home field advantage in the Fall Classic thanks to a win in the All-Star Game.) Anything less and the season will be considered a failure.

Such is life when perfection is not only expected, but also demanded.