No One Needs Reminder of Blown Four-Goal Lead

The Kings figure they have heard enough about the debacle of eight days ago, when they blew a four-goal lead in the third period of a 4-4 tie with the St. Louis Blues at Staples Center.

“We dealt with it pretty strongly before the Boston game,” Coach Andy Murray said Wednesday.

Before shutting out the Bruins, 5-0, the Kings watched a video and listened to 13 points of failure in the game against St. Louis. To do more would belabor the obvious.

The Kings have led in all seven of their games and have outscored opponents, 13-1, in opening periods. But they have won only three of those games, spurring concern about their ability to play with a lead.

The Blues, however, are more worried about their future than the past.

Their 0-for-7 performance on the power play against the Kings began a slide that has extended to one for 19 with a man advantage over the last three games--despite one of the best power-play units in the NHL.

Overall, they are four for 40, the 10% efficiency ranking 24th in the league.

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King winger Luc Robitaille, who has suffered with flu for the last few days, was better Wednesday and should play tonight. He played 21 shifts Tuesday but was clearly not 100%.

TONIGHT

at St. Louis, 5 PDT,

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Savvis Center.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 3-2-2, Blues 3-2-1.

* Record vs. Blues--0-0-1.

* Update--Don’t be surprised if you see a collision involving the Kings’ Kelly Buchberger and St. Louis’ Chris Pronger, although Buchberger is unlikely to initiate it. The two tangled last week at Staples Center after Buchberger hammered the Blues’ Pavol Demitra with a legal check at the red line. Pronger came off the bench to retaliate, and that retribution cost him two minutes for instigating a fight, five minutes for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct. It also cost a one-game suspension, which has been served. Steve Passmore is back in goal for the Kings, and he has given up one goal in his two starts this season.