Norstrom-Blake Tandem to Return Against Ducks

The partnership will be back together tonight when the Kings play the Mighty Ducks at the Great Western Forum.

After playing elder statesman in pairing with youngster Peter Hogan on defense for the Kings in exhibition games in Las Vegas, Mattias Norstrom will be back with his usual running mate, Rob Blake.

And Norstrom knows that his role is unchanged.

“ ‘Blakie’ is a great offensive and defensive player,” Norstrom said of the NHL’s Norris Trophy winner, who on Friday signed the richest contract for a defenseman in the history of the league, and who tonight will make his exhibition season debut.

“I have more of a defensive responsibility.”

Blake likes to rush the net, which is one reason he led NHL defensemen with 23 goals last season. And when Blake takes off, somebody has to stay home.

Norstrom is a homebody.

“Part of the game I really would like to improve is my offense,” said Norstrom, who has played in 207 NHL games and scored only four goals. “But I know that when I’m playing with ‘Blakie,’ I have a job to do.”

Last season, that job earned Norstrom the most ice time he has had in his career, an average of 20 minutes 59 seconds per game.

“Maybe if I improve offensively, I can get more than one goal,” he said, laughing. Last season’s goal came on 61 shots, 200 fewer than Blake.

Then again, you don’t shoot as much when you stay at home.

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Left winger Matt Johnson, who also signed Friday, is also scheduled to play tonight. . . . Stephane Fiset, who did not play in Las Vegas, is scheduled to open in goal for the Kings. . . . Center Jozef Stumpel, who sprained an ankle on the first day of training camp, skated on Monday, but he probably will not play tonight or Friday, when the Kings face Phoenix at the Forum. . . . Because of scheduling difficulties on King flagship radio station KRLA, the games tonight and Friday will be on KCTD (AM 1540) and Saturday’s game at Phoenix will be on KLSX (FM 97.1).