Kings Lose Game and Could Lose Robinson

This has not been an easy season for King Coach Larry Robinson. At times, his team has played good hockey but for the most part, the Kings are a team with a great number of unanswered questions.

Probably the biggest question is whether Robinson will exercise an option in his contract that would enable him to leave the Kings after the season.

After the Kings lost their fourth consecutive game--5-4 to the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night before an announced crowd of 13,111 at the Forum--Robinson avoided saying he will definitely return next season.

“I’d like to come back, but we’re still going to talk,” Robinson said. “There are a few things that I would like [in my contract] that aren’t there now. . . . to have an option for next year. I had an option for this year. I would just like to have the same thing for next season.

“I enjoy it here, I enjoy the people and the players. You would like to be around for the fruits of your frustrations. I would like to get it done as soon as possible.”

General Manager Sam McMaster said, “[Robinson has] indicated to me that he wants to come back.”

In the loss to the Coyotes, Roman Vopat, Glen Murray, Aki Berg and Brad Smyth scored goals for the Kings. Keith Tkachuk led Phoenix with two goals--including an empty-netter in the third period--to take over the league lead with 49 as the Coyotes kept pressure on the Mighty Ducks in their battle for home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Goaltender Jamie Storr, who made 29 saves, lost his first NHL start this season and is 4-5-1 since being the team’s No. 1 pick in 1994.

“That wasn’t the real Jamie out there tonight,” Robinson said. In making his decision, Robinson has to be concerned with the type of players Kings will have in trying to turn around the franchise. Robinson has made it clear that he wants bigger players in the lineup.

King Notes

Center Ray Ferraro was named as the Kings’ nominee for this season’s Masterton Trophy, an annual award given by the Professional Hockey Writers Assn. for sportsmanship, perseverance and dedication to the game of hockey. . . . Goaltender Stephane Fiset, who missed his eighth consecutive game, is not likely to play the rest of the season because of a groin-stomach injury.