Forum Goodbyes Will Have to Wait

In case you were looking for a bit of Great Western Forum “Auld Lang Syne” when the Kings play St. Louis on April 18 in the season finale, don’t bother.

It will be the last regular-season game there, but the Kings are planning two exhibition games at the Forum before next season.

They will move to the Staples Center for the 1999-2000 season, but construction is not scheduled to be completed until Sept. 30, and the regular season will open a bit earlier than usual, about Oct. 1. To provide a buffer, the Kings probably will open their season with a lengthy trip.

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King Coach Larry Robinson wasn’t sure what he had when Jason Podollan reported for the pregame skate Thursday morning, so he called Long Beach Ice Dog Coach John Van Boxmeer. The report: good hands, good skater.

And the numbers--he was leading the AHL in scoring with 42 goals when he was traded from Toronto for Yanic Perreault on March 18--indicated he knew where to find the net.

So Podollan was put on a line with Jozef Stumpel and Luc Robitaille for the game against the Sharks.

The timing was awkward, though. Perreault had scored four goals Wednesday night for the Maple Leafs.

“Those are pretty big shoes to fill,” Podollan said, smiling. “I hope they don’t expect me to score four goals.”

No, but he is auditioning..

“This is like a job interview,” said Podollan, a right winger. “It’s my chance to make a first impression.”

That said, he had a scoring chance in the game’s second minute, though his backhand shot was turned back by San Jose goalie Mike Vernon. And Podollan had board-rattling checks of Bill Houlder and Andy Sutton in the first period.