Kings’ Court Misses a Key in Robitaille

The Kings, who discovered early Monday they will be without Luc Robitaille for the remainder of the regular season, struggled to a 2-2 tie against the Vancouver Canucks in front of 12,385 at the Great Western Forum.

Rob Blake and Nathan LaFayette scored and goaltender Jamie Storr stepped in for Stephane Fiset, who sat out the game because of a groin strain, to make 30 stops for the Kings, who are 10-2-3 over their last 15 games.

But the big news was the condition of Robitaille, who had sat out the first three games after the Olympic break because of a right groin/abdominal injury he suffered Feb. 7 at Anaheim.

Robitaille, 32, had surgery to repair the problem Monday morning at Centinela Hospital Medical Center. He is expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks, and the Kings hope he is able to rejoin the team for its apparent first-round playoff appearance that will begin after April 19, the final day of the regular season.

Robitaille, third on the team in scoring with 16 goals and 39 points, had hoped to recover without an operation, but he did not show any improvement over the last month. Although he returned home from the hospital after the operation, Robitaille was unavailable for comment.

“It’s an injury that the track record says is difficult for a player to come back from, and if they do come back, they are sort of operating or competing at less than full strength,” said King team physician Ronald Kvitne on why Robitaille decided to have the surgery Monday.

“With only six weeks or so left away from the playoffs, and since Luc wasn’t getting any better at all, his thoughts as well as ours were that we wanted to take [a questionable recovery] away from the equation [with surgery].”

Losing Robitaille for the stretch run is a tough blow for the Kings, who have struggled at times offensively since NHL play resumed after the Olympics. After going most of the season without many serious injuries, they have suddenly become a team needing healthy bodies.

Not only were Robitaille and Fiset on the Kings’ injured list, but the team also faced Vancouver without forwards Russ Courtnall, who sat out his second consecutive game because of a hip flexor injury; and Ray Ferraro, who was sick with flu.

The Kings also lost players in the game. Steve McKenna was ejected for fighting in the first period, and Ian Laperriere left in the third period because of back spasms.

“Everybody around the league is struggling with injuries,” King Coach Larry Robinson said before the game. “We just have to make some adjustments.”

Against the Canucks, the Kings had to juggle their lines. The only line that stayed together for most of the game was centered by Jozef Stumpel, with Glen Murray and Vladimir Tsyplakov on the wings.

Other than that, it was sort of like hockey on the run for the Kings. For example, Yanic Perreault played center and wing with a couple of different lines, and Craig Johnson began the game as a wing next to Perreault but was also used at times on a checking line.

From the opening face-off, both teams had a difficult time playing under the NHL’s recent crackdown on obstruction. They combined for 18 power plays.

That’s why special teams played such a major role Monday night. Vancouver scored first when Mark Messier scored at 11:19 of the opening period for the Canucks’ 11th short-handed goal.

The Kings quickly responded to tie the score at 1-1 when LaFayette scored his fourth goal, 30 seconds later at 11:49. Then with 57 seconds remaining in the period, Blake scored his seventh power-play goal of the season and the Kings’ second of the game.

Vancouver was able to tie the score, 2-2, at 9:03 in the second period when Dave Scatchard’s shot was blocked, and the rebound bounced off his skate and between Storr’s legs for his 11th goal.