Stumpel Had Robinson Stumped

Larry Robinson didn’t know anything was wrong. All he knew was that center Jozef Stumpel was playing poorly.

“Indifferent” was how Robinson, the Kings’ coach, had described Stumpel’s play.

Robinson changed his assessment on Wednesday after learning Stumpel is injured.

“Here I was getting mad at him because he’s not playing well,” Robinson said.

Stumpel suffered a left hip flexor in the final exhibition game at Bakersfield, but continued to skate, playing in all four King games until Wednesday night at Sunrise, Fla., and earning no points. Last season he led the team with 79 points.

“I’ve just been putting heat packs, icing it,” Stumpel said. “I figured it would get better. I wanted to play, but it wasn’t getting any better.”

Robinson learned of the injury during a counseling session with Stumpel, in a query designed to determined why he was pointless.

“You can’t play this game well at 60%-70%,” Robinson said. “It’s hard enough to play at 100%. We’ve got healthy guys.”

The time of the year has a bit to do with the decision to sit Stumpel too. Trainer Pete Demers called it an October decision, adding that, were it April, with a playoff spot on the line, Stumpel would have played.

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Despite what Robinson says, the Kings aren’t all that healthy.

Besides missing goalies Stephane Fiset and Jamie Storr, the Kings scratched defenseman Steve Duchesne (strained right groin), winger Josh Green (shoulder strain) and center Ian Laperriere (knee), leaving them with 18 uninjured skaters and two minor league goaltenders, Manny Legace and Alexey Volkov.

Duchesne’s not playing was called a coaching decision, because he was held out both as a precaution and to allow Garry Galley his first game play of the season.

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Also getting in his first game was Roman Vopat, who centered a checking line that included wingers Steve McKenna and Matt Johnson. . . . Stumpel’s line, which included Green, instead was comprised of incumbent winger Glen Murray, with center Ray Ferraro and Sandy Moger. . . . In his 19th NHL season, Florida winger Dino Ciccarelli has become a $2,174,688 cheerleader, having been scratched in all four of the Panther games after missing much of training camp because of an ankle sprain.