Day Off at the White House

After playing four games in six days, the Kings skipped practice Friday and spent part of the afternoon touring the White House.

“It was a thrill to do something that only a few ever have a chance to do,” winger Steve McKenna said. “It really puts a perspective to something that you usually just see on television.”

Added center Jozef Stumpel, a native of Slovakia, “It was pretty good experience, but I would have liked to see the rooms upstairs.”

*

The Kings have lost four of their last five games, but they are still locked in firmly as the fifth-place team in the Western Conference.

With only eight regular-season games left, they would not be in this position if not for a 10-1-1 run in January and February--with time out for the Olympics.

“I think that [stretch] basically put us in the playoffs,” goaltender Jamie Storr said. “But it is up to us to keep it up and to go into the playoffs playing well.”

That is why Coach Larry Robinson has some concern about the Kings’ recent consecutive shutout losses.

“You can look at the big picture and say that we’re still in the playoffs, but I don’t want to look at that part of it,” he said. “What I want to look at is how we are playing going into the playoffs, not wins and losses.”

TODAY

at Washington

* 11 a.m. PST

* Channel 11

Site--MCI Center, Washington.

Radio--XTRA (690).

Records--Kings 34-29-11, Capitals 35-28-11.

Record vs. Capitals--0-0-1.

Update--This will be the fifth game of a six-game trip for the Kings, who are 4-7 over their last 11 games. Center Jozef Stumpel needs a goal to tie his career high of 22 but has scored only one goal in his last 13 games. The Kings have scored only one power-play goal in their last 25 opportunities. Washington has the No. 1 penalty-killing unit in the league and has given up only 37 power-play goals all season. Forward Peter Bondra leads the Capitals with 47 goals and 71 points.