It Has Been a Bumpy Start

In their first 11 games, the Kings have had more than their share of bad breaks. Whether it was a key controversial goal counting for an opponent, which happened in a loss to the Edmonton Oilers and ties with the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, or the disallowance of an apparent King goal, as occurred in a home loss to the Boston Bruins, the Kings have been coming up short.

Throw in their early-season road schedule, which includes a six-game, 11-day trip and an upcoming five-game, 13-day trip, and Coach Larry Robinson gets more than a little upset.

“We don’t even get a break in our own building--that’s been going on for the last four or five years,” Robinson said after the Kings had given up a goal against Detroit on Thursday when Ian Laperriere was slow getting out of the penalty box because of a faulty scoreboard at the Forum.

“We’ve got to earn our breaks. That’s how it goes. We have to start winning some games and start getting some recognition from the rest of the league and then maybe we’ll start getting breaks in our own building.”

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Center Jozef Stumpel began the season by getting a point in eight consecutive games but has gone scoreless in his last three. . . . Left wing Steve McKenna scored his first NHL point when he assisted on Rob Blake’s goal in the Kings’ 4-1 loss to the Red Wings on Thursday.

The Kings are 2-0 when they have scored first and 1-5-3 when they haven’t. They have been outshot only three times and they’re 0-2-1 in those games.