With Fiset Sidelined, There Will Have to Be More in Storr

The idea was to get Jamie Storr an easier game Saturday night, the better for the Kings to chart his progress in his competition in goal with Stephane Fiset.

Also, to get Storr some help.

After all, he had been hammered in his only other exhibition start, a 5-1 loss Sept. 16 at Colorado, where the Avalanche played a top lineup against a King team that used several players who were cut before Saturday’s game.

Little was easy for Storr in Bakersfield, where the Kings defeated San Jose, 4-1, before an estimated 3,000--though the Sharks are still shy four unsigned players, including Owen Nolan, their best.

But Storr showed more than a little progress in giving up only Matt Bradley’s goal in 17 shots in two periods before giving way to Marcel Cousineau.

“You know, there were different circumstances before,” Storr said. “It wasn’t as though I had 16 shots and no goals last week. I gave up four goals, but they came on good chances. Tonight, it was a totally different kind of game.”

And a different team, with defense tandems Rob Blake and Mathieu Schneider, Aki Berg and Jere Karalahti and Jaroslav Modry and Lubomir Visnovsky to keep the Sharks at bay.

Storr’s performance was heartening for the Kings, who lost Fiset on Friday night because of a knee sprain.

Fiset’s status is being called week-to-week, indicating that he might not be ready to play in the season opener on Oct. 6 at Washington.

“I can’t worry about that,” Storr said. “I can’t do anything about it. I have to play my game.”

Bob Corkum, Schneider, Ziggy Palffy and Kelly Buchberger scored the Kings’ goals.

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The Kings made cuts a day earlier than expected, sending defensemen Joe Corvo and Michael Pudlick and forwards Jason Podollan, David Hymovitz, Nate Miller and Kevin Baker to Lowell of the American Hockey League and winger Scott Thomas to Manitoba of the International Hockey League.