KINGS : Defense Is the Name of the Game

He was coaxed to Los Angeles by King owner Bruce McNall more than six years ago, carrying the qualities of leadership, defensive stability and star power.

One more time, please.

Larry Robinson returns to the Forum--only behind the bench rather than on the ice--with the same qualities and a revised assignment under drastically different circumstances. The popular former King defenseman will be conducting his first practice as a head coach in the NHL today at Iceoplex in North Hills, where the Kings will open training camp.

The first time he joined the Kings, Robinson was playing for a Stanley Cup contender. Now, the team is a mere shell of itself, on and off the ice. The Kings went 16-23-9 last season, missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season and could soon file a prepackaged bankruptcy petition.

A serious cash shortage has prevented the Kings from delving in the free-agent market, so the biggest off-season acquisition was not a player but a coach.

Robinson, expected to be named to the hockey Hall of Fame today, spent two seasons as an assistant at New Jersey under his mentor, Jacques Lemaire, completing his education with another Stanley Cup ring in June, to go with the six he won as a player with Montreal.

No one is really calling this a rebuilding season for the Kings because the turnover has been minimal. The most significant new faces belong to forward Dimitri Khristich, who was acquired in a draft-day trade with Washington; and defenseman Aki-Petteri Berg, the first-round pick from Finland.

Still, Robinson is optimistic.

“But I’m not going to sit here and make promises and excuses for the way we’ve played,” he said. “I wasn’t here to be part of it. But [the fans] are going to get a team that comes to play every night.

“There are not going to be any nights off, because anybody that takes the night off is going to take the next night off as well--and probably not in the same position.”

Robinson said he has a few early ideas for line combinations but is going in with an open mind. He knows what Wayne Gretzky can do and is planning to have him play in only three exhibitions.

One objective is to spread the goals around. Robinson has said he can’t have Gretzky and Jari Kurri playing 25 to 35 minutes a game. He also might have defenseman Marty McSorley move to right wing at times or play a more stay-at-home role on defense.

“I don’t think scoring was our only problem,” Robinson said. “When you are giving up 52 shots a game, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not scoring. We’ve got to shore up our defense and spread the defensive responsibilities around.

“Good offense comes from good defense. If the goalie has to worry about not only the initial shot, but the five or six rebound shots after that, he can’t do the job. Defense is a universal word for everybody on the team--and that’s the basis for where we’re going to start.”