They’re Looking to Change Their Luc

For 60 minutes on ice or 60 minutes in the Kings’ dressing room Sunday night, the question of the hour remained unchanged:

Where’s Luc?

That’s Luc as in L-0-0-0-0-c, if you prefer the official language of the Campbell Conference Final scoring summary. Luc Robitaille, the first left winger in the history of the National Hockey League to score 63 goals in a single season--this season--does not have a goal or an assist in the biggest playoff series in the history of the Kings.

Four games, four zeros. Robitaille also failed to produce a point in Game 6 of the Smythe Division Final, running his personal scoreless streak to a season-high five games.

Where would the Kings be without Luc Robitaille? They have picked a fine time to find out--the doorstep of the Stanley Cup’s championship round--and yet they find themselves tied today with the Toronto Maple Leafs, two games apiece.

So who are you calling “Lucky?”

Robitaille has been as transparent as the frozen water beneath his feet. He took all of one shot in the first three games against Toronto, which is akin to Joe Carter getting one at-bat in the first three games of a World Series, and just as self-destructive. Sunday, Kings’ Coach Barry Melrose took the stick out of his hands, playing Robitaille less than four minutes in the first period and just 15 for the game.

You can’t score if you don’t play, but Melrose is running out of games--and patience. If Robitaille can’t locate the net, Melrose, restless by nature, is going to keep shuffling name cards until he finds someone who does.

Ken Baumgartner has a goal in this series.

Robitaille does not.

Mike Eastwood has a goal in this series, which he scored Sunday night, his first goal of any playoff series.

Robitaille does not.

The Kings lost Game 4, 4-2, with Robitaille swinging and missing on five shots, including a sad, misstruck knuckler from the slot in the final minute, looking so out of sync that Melrose afterward confessed he was becoming concerned.

“I’m concerned about Luc,” Melrose said, “because it’s bothering him. He’s under a lot of pressure and he’s putting most of it on himself. . . .

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow. Luc’s a great, great, great player. He knows now is Showtime. He’ll respond.”

Just in case, though, Melrose arranged a private post-game session in his office with friend and motivational video pitchman Anthony Robbins. Is this “eye of the tiger” hooey getting out of hand in Inglewood? An hour after the final horn and Robitaille was still sequestered behind closed doors with Robbins, trying to awaken the giant within, or at least the kid from Montreal with the sure slapshot.

Reporters grumbled and looked at their watches before a publicist was dispatched to knock on the door. Robbins emerged and held up his forefinger. One more minute.

Yeah, right.

Finally, a stirring. Door swings open and Robitaille slinks out, shoulders slumped, in dress shirt and slacks.

“Sorry, guys,” Robitaille said as the huddle assembled around him.

One member of the huddle asked Robitaille if this prolonged oh-fer was keeping him up nights.

“For sure,” Robitaille replied. “It’s really hard. I’ve got to contribute and help the team. But I’ll tell you one thing for sure--I will help this team the next game.”

If only it were that simple. Robitaille tried to talk himself into it, saying “I haven’t been shooting enough” and that “I have to work harder” and “the key is to stop thinking and just play.”

Stop thinking. That was a popular prescription in the Kings’ dressing room, the more the Kings thought about it.

“If you start thinking out there, you’ll have trouble,” Marty McSorley suggested.

“You can’t overthink,” Tony Granato agreed. “The more you think, the more trouble you get into.”

Why think when you can pay Tony Robbins to do it for you?

Robitaille, however, did allow for a few moments to fret.

“I’ve dreamed of this moment,” he said. “I’ve got to come out of it. . . . I made it to this point. I’ve got to play harder so the things that happened for me before will happen again.”

The Kings need a course correction, and soon. To return to Toronto tied, with Robitaille and Jimmy Carson goal-less, is some feat, but you won’t find any Kings bragging about. “We need Luc Robitaille,” Granato said. “Without Luc, we’d all be home watching hockey on TV.”

So what, if anything, can snap Robitaille out of his robot walk?

“He needs a lucky bounce,” Granato offered.

“We’ve got to get him to relax,” Melrose observed.

Robitaille ended his long-awaited interview session after only a handful of questions. A pressing engagement awaited him, he explained.

Then Robitaille turned and headed back for Melrose’s office. The door opened and Robbins ushered him in for Round 2.

It looked like it was going to be a long night.