Robinson Issues Penalty Threat

Thursday was a day of rest, but today is a day of scolding for the Kings, who will hear from Coach Larry Robinson that retribution has a time and place.

And if the time and place aren’t carefully chosen, they will hear of a potential fiscal consequence.

The third period Wednesday night wasn’t the time, and San Jose wasn’t the place.

“We made it difficult for ourselves,” said Robinson after the Kings had blown two-thirds of a 3-0 lead before holding on to win an exhibition game, 3-2. “We have to get more disciplined. If we’re going to get better, we have to be more disciplined.”

As happened earlier in the exhibition season, the chief culprit was what Robinson calls “unnecessary penalties,” which are infractions that are usually retaliatory and come at a time in which the transgressor is certain to be caught, with the other guys beginning a power play.

They are “penalties that hurt,” Robinson said.

On Wednesday night, Matt Johnson’s shove of the Sharks’ Bryan Marchment was a case in point. Marchment had goaded Johnson into the cross-checking penalty, then turned away before he was pushed. Johnson was joined in the penalty box by teammate Sean O’Donnell after a brief melee. Joe Murphy scored the Sharks’ first goal only 19 seconds into the two-man advantage.

Robinson did not single out the problematic Kings, but he didn’t have to.

“It’s a team effort,” he said. “ . . . And we intend to take care of it.”

One way is “through the wallet,” Robinson said, figuring fines could well bring the point home.

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The Kings are expected to send goalie Manny Legace to the Long Beach Ice Dogs today, reducing their goaltending corps to the two who will start the season: Stephane Fiset and Jamie Storr. Legace appeared in two exhibitions, with a 1-1 record and a 2.00 goals-against average.