Demitra Does His Talking on the Ice

Pavol Demitra grinned. He’d been found out.

The Kings made him their marquee free agent this summer. Yet hardly a peep has been heard from Demitra since. But with Jeremy Roenick blanketing the airwaves and filling up notebooks, Demitra hasn’t had to say a word.

“I like it like that,” said Demitra, whose shaved head gives him a Ben Kingsley look.

Demitra showed that there was neither sand nor fog in his game with play that spoke volumes in a 4-2 victory over the Mighty Ducks on Saturday.

His solid 24 minutes of work included rushing up ice, forcing goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to charge out of the crease and into an embarrassing gaffe, feebly flipping the puck off the boards. Demitra corralled the puck and fed Craig Conroy, who had an empty net in which to score the game-clinching goal with 4 minutes 25 seconds left.

And after the game, the pens and microphones darted for Roenick, who had three assists in his King debut.

Demitra deftly slipped out of the dressing room.

“If someone asks me something, I’ll answer, and that’s it,” Demitra said, smiling. “I’m just enjoying my time in this city. This club has brought in a lot good players this season.”

Demitra, who turns 31 in November, was at the top of that list. He signed a three-year, $13.5-million contract on Aug. 3, giving the Kings a forward whose resume includes 201 goals the last seven seasons with St. Louis. It was the Kings’ first major move after the lockout, and it was eclipsed two days later when they traded for Roenick, the sound bite on skates.

“Pavol can be quiet, but when he steps on the ice, boy, watch out, he’s dynamic,” said Conroy, who played with Demitra in St. Louis.

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Ryane Clowe scored with 3:48 remaining to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 4-3 victory over the Kings in an exhibition Sunday night in San Jose.

Luc Robitaille, Jeff Cowan and Noah Clarke scored for the Kings.