Perreault On His Game--for Now

Yanic Perreault scored twice in a 4-3 victory over Colorado, and the Kings are hoping he carries this level of play into the playoffs.

Perreault, who leads the team with 27 goals, scored 14 in his first 20 games but has only 13 in his last 55. King Coach Larry Robinson said that Perreault’s effort on his first-period goal, when he fought off two Colorado defenders on a breakaway, is what the Kings will need in the postseason.

“What makes me so disturbed is to look at the effort he gave on his first goal when he had guys draping all over him and got the shot away,” Robinson said. “That tells me that there is no excuse why he can’t battle in the corners and do it more consistently. If he can do it once, why can’t he do it more often?

“We’ve been trying to tell him that he has to play hard. He’s not going to have the openings and the great chances that he had early in the season. When you get to this time [of the season], everybody is checking you and checking you close. The chances that [Perreault] will get, he’ll have to create.”

*

Former King and current Colorado winger Jari Kurri, who will retire at the end of the season, was honored before the start of Saturday’s game. Kurri, who played five seasons with the Kings during a 17-year career, was a healthy scratch and said that he was surprised by the walnut plaque given to him by the Kings.

“It was pretty nice, but I actually didn’t know about it until this morning when I read the paper,” said Kurri, the NHL’s all-time leading scorer among European players with 293 points.

“I have good memories [in Los Angeles]. What especially comes to my mind is the 1993 [Stanley Cup] finals. That was a nice journey with the team we had. Here in L.A. . . . the city went crazy at that time.”

*

Brothers Jan and Roman Vopat were in the lineup together for the first time this season for the Kings. It was Jan Vopat’s first game since he was recalled from Utah of the International Hockey League on April 6 after playing 16 games earlier this season with the Kings. Last season, the brothers played in 24 games together. . . . Center Nathan LaFayette, who has missed the last 18 games because of post-concussion syndrome, has been cleared to play and might be in the lineup Monday against Calgary.

*

Scout Rob Laird has been following the St. Louis Blues--the Kings’ probable first-round playoff opponent--for more than a week.