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Plan Calls for Robitaille to Play Friday Against Ducks

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Winger Luc Robitaille will rejoin the Kings when they return to practice Tuesday, and the plan is for him to be able to play against the Mighty Ducks Friday night.

The Kings don’t play until then, and team officials are hopeful that the process of healing a broken bone in his left foot will be far enough along for him to play.

Robitaille suffered the injury when he was hit by a shot by teammate Ziggy Palffy during a game against Pittsburgh Oct. 28. Robitaille continued to play for three more games until the pain was too much to bear.

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The Kings are 5-4-1-1 in his absence, with Vladimir Tsyplakov scoring four goals and four assists in his place.

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King President Tim Leiweke said Saturday that because of time he has spent out of town with the Galaxy and other business, and time Dave Taylor, the team’s senior vice president and general manager, has spent on the road, the two have not been able to meet to finalize a three-years-plus-option contract extension for Taylor.

That is expected to be done in the next week or so, Leiweke said.

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The Kings’ power-play woes have been particularly difficult at home, where they were six for 56, a miserable 10.7% efficiency--26th in the league--before going two for five on Saturday.

They broke a 0 for 29 overall drought on Glen Murray’s first-period goal. The Kings were 0 for 19 at home before Murray scored.

The Kings are 8-3-2 when they score a power-play goal.

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The Kings are 3-3-0-1 in the Pacific Division. They were 6-18 in the Pacific last season. . . . Center Bryan Smolinski had three assists Saturday, giving him 17 for the season. Smolinski had only 24 assists last season with the New York Islanders.

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