Robitaille Ceremony Cuts Rest Time

The Kings held a 10-minute meeting after the morning skate Saturday to deal with a couple of pressing issues.

One was Edmonton, which pressed all over the ice on defense during the Kings’ 4-3 overtime victory Tuesday in Edmonton.

The other was Luc Robitaille, who was honored for scoring his 500th goal Thursday. In a ceremony between the first and second periods Saturday night, he received a trophy from the NHL, presented by Marcel Dionne, who assisted on his first goal. Robitaille also received a car from the Kings and a big-screen television from his teammates.

The process cut 7:30 off the Kings’ intermission, prompting Coach Larry Robinson to say, “I’m concerned about how they’ll play in the second period.”

The answer was not so hot. The Kings gave up the game-tying goal and were outshot, 13-7, in the period.

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Ray Ferraro had tangled with Colorado’s Wade Belak and was on the bench at the Great Western Forum a week ago saying that hockey wasn’t worth all this, that he was 34 years old and had earned retirement.

Besides, his knee hurt.

“And then I thought about how well I was playing when I was injured,” said Ferraro as he stood with the help of crutches Saturday, planning a Tuesday operation for torn cartilage in his right knee.

“I was having fun, and I was contributing and we were winning. I wanted to be a part of all of that again.

“Besides, I’d done this before.”

That was last season, when Ferraro ripped a ligament in his other knee. He has spent a good part of the time since in rehabilitation and was playing as though the knee was whole and sound again.

“Rehab is no fun,” Ferraro said. “But in four or five weeks--probably five--I’ll be back again playing.”