Robitaille Scores to Break Drought

Left wing Luc Robitaille may have started the season strong, with 13 goals in his first 26 games, but his second-period goal in the Kings’ 4-2 victory at San Jose on Wednesday night was only his second in his last 20 games.

“I want to put the puck in the net obviously,” Robitaille said before Wednesday’s game. “But I think the key is to gear everything toward winning. . . . There are some nights when we lose and I didn’t score, [when] I feel bad because I know that I need to put the puck in the net. . . . I know that I have to keep working hard and shoot even more.”

Against San Jose, Robitaille was more active than he had been in recent weeks, and it showed when he had two assists to go with his 15th goal of the season.

*

The Kings scored two power-play goals against San Jose, the sixth time this season they scored at least two in a game. They have five man-advantage goals in their last three games.

“Our power play has been struggling, but it’s more of frustration than us playing poorly,” Coach Larry Robinson said. “The guys on the power play were feeling it the most because I think they realize the importance of specialty teams.”

*

Defenseman Mattias Norstrom, who did not play Monday against the Mighty Ducks, was in the lineup after the NHL announced Wednesday that his suspension was for only one game--with a $1,000 fine--as a result of a boarding incident against Edmonton forward Tony Hrkac on Jan. 10th.