Robitaille Won’t Cut the Slackers Any Slack

When King Coach Larry Robinson talked of benching a couple of veterans for lack of effort in a 4-3 win at Nashville, he had at least one vocal supporter.

“I hope he does it for the rest of the year,” said Luc Robitaille, who had three goals in that Monday night game.

Robitaille and other King team leaders have suggested on more than one occasion this season that Robinson not use certain players.

“Bench them, because there are some of us who still want to do a decent job,” said Robitaille. “Guys who are working hard, play them. Guys who don’t want to work don’t deserve to play. If the guy’s not working hard to help the coach, why should the coach help him?

“To me, right now, that’s the reason we’re not in the playoffs, so why keep giving them a chance? If you don’t want to work, don’t come here and ruin the guys who are trying hard.”

Robinson said he had talks with both players and that their effort picked up enough for them to continue playing.

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Colin Campbell, the NHL’s director of operations, has scheduled a telephone hearing with King defenseman Sean O’Donnell after his match penalty Monday night at Nashville.

With 4:09 to play, O’Donnell was assessed the penalty for cross-checking the Predators’ Cliff Ronning after a slashing-and-taunting episode.

The Kings successfully killed off the final 5:06 of the game in penalties, including 1:03 of time spent with a two-man disadvantage.

King defenseman Rob Blake is coming off a suspension of his own. He lost the Dallas and Nashville games for cross-checking San Jose’s Alex Korolyuk on Thursday.

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Winger Sandy Moger had shoulder surgery for a partially torn rotator cuff and is done for the season. The operation, performed Monday by team doctor Ronald Kvitne, was to repair the latest of a long line of Moger injuries this season. They have included back problems and a broken nose.

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Kvitne also examined defenseman Mattias Norstrom, who suffered bruised ribs in Sunday’s game at Dallas. Norstrom is expected to miss the Kings’ final three games.