Fiset Is Eager for Work in a Game

Goalie Stephane Fiset worked up a prodigious sweat at practice Wednesday, for the second day in a row, and it might serve him well tonight in a game against the New York Rangers.

Fiset, sidelined for the most part since suffering a groin strain on Oct. 18--he played 26 minutes at New Jersey on Oct. 28 before suffering another groin strain--said it’s time to put rehabilitation behind him.

“I want to play at least one game, maybe two, before the long week off,” he said. The Kings are idle from Saturday until Nov. 28.

Manny Legace has been the Kings’ goalie in 14 of their last 15 games, one of them as a substitute for Fiset in New Jersey.

Fiset had a 1.48 goals-against average over four games, and the memory of that setback in New Jersey haunts him.

“I’m going to be scared [of being injured again], but if I think about that, for sure, I’ll be hurt again,” he said.

The key is going to be Fiset’s stamina. He returned to Southern California on Tuesday after spending five days in Canada because of a death in the family.

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Legace’s cage was rattled during morning practice Wednesday when he took a puck off his mask. The shooter? Coach Larry Robinson, during a drill. . . . Backup goalie Jamie Storr is being pointed toward some rehabilitation work with the Long Beach Ice Dogs next week.

TONIGHT

vs. New York Rangers

7:30, Fox Sports West

* Site--Great Western Forum.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 5-11-3, Rangers 4-8-5.

* Record vs. Rangers (1997-98)--1-0-1.

* Update--Because of the odd NHL schedule in the expansion age, New York is one of four teams (Buffalo, Toronto and Montreal are the others) the Kings play only once, and in this one, the Rangers’ Wayne Gretzky makes what likely will be his last call at the Forum. And he does so with a team struggling to score, with only 39 goals --16 coming in two games last week. Winger Russ Courtnall, who was hit by a puck on his left ankle in the third period, left the arena on crutches and will be examined today.