No Fightin’ Words, or Fights, for Avery, Laraque

The public address system at Rexall Place blared, “Let’s get ready to rumble.”

Edmonton enforcer Georges Laraque lined up as a starter for one of the few times in his career. Sean Avery was already on the ice. It had everyone’s attention, with the lead-in to Friday’s game between the Kings and Oilers being the claim by Laraque, who is black, that Avery had called him “monkey” during an Oct. 11 game.

The puck was dropped.

Nothing happened.

The two left the ice 37 seconds later and went through the entire game without so much as thumbing their noses at each other.

“I didn’t even think about it, to tell you the truth,” Avery said after the Kings’ 5-3 loss to the Oilers. “I wasn’t surprised he was out there.

“It didn’t matter. I was trying to win a hockey game.”

Still, Laraque chuckled at what the league’s hierarchy must have thought.

Said Laraque: “I bet [director of hockey operations] Colin Campbell, [Commissioner] Gary Bettman and the other guy ...”

Vice president of hockey operations Mike Murphy?

“Yeah, Mike Murphy, must have reacted when they saw the starting lineups. But I wasn’t going to fight him.

“There was no reason to do that.”

*

Luc Robitaille nearly had the sweetest moment of his season, which has been a difficult one so far.

With the Kings trailing, 4-3, and four minutes left, Robitaille managed to corral the puck in front of the net and fired a wicked shot that Oiler goaltender Ty Conklin snagged with his glove.

“I had great position, I got the puck on my stick and got the puck on net hard,” Robitaille said. “I’d change nothing about it. Lucky save.”

*

The Kings played without defenseman Aaron Miller, who is suffering from back pains.

“It’s the same thing I have had for years,” Miller said.

“It just stiffens up sometimes.”

Still, Miller said he may get examined, “just to make sure there is nothing in there.”

The Kings did have George Parros and Craig Conroy in the lineup. Parros, who had re-injured his ankle during a workout Thursday, played only 13 seconds. Conroy, who’d missed Wednesday’s game with flu-like symptoms, scored his 14th goal of the season and his third in three games.