Long Season a Test for Reinprecht

Steve Reinprecht is trying to overcome his inexperience with the long NHL season by working with and receiving counsel from his elders.

“Rob Blake, Nelson Emerson, Bryan Smolinski, those guys played in college and told me about the long NHL season,” said Reinprecht, who never played more than 41 games in a season at Wisconsin. Tonight against Buffalo, he will play in No. 42 with the Kings, and 38 games will remain.

Its effect is showing.

“He needs to elevate his game,” said Coach Andy Murray, who constantly pushes Reinprecht, refusing to allow the rookie a comfort zone.

“There’s another young center who has issued a challenge as to who is the best young center on this team.”

After three seasons in the American Hockey League and three in Canadian junior hockey, Eric Belanger--who has five goals and eight assists in 26 NHL games, plus time at Lowell--is used to the grind. He is playing on the fourth line but has a history as an offense-minded center. Belanger jumped right into the gap between Luc Robitaille and Glen Murray when Reinprecht sat out last Thursday’s game against Florida because of flu.

Reinprecht--who has nine goals and 13 assists in 41 games--is in a slump. He has only one goal in his last 11 games and only four assists in his last 20. And those games were spent playing on a line with Robitaille, who has 572 goals in his career.

“I’m getting scoring chances,” Reinprecht said. “All I can do is to keep putting the puck on net. There’s no secret, no magic to this.”

Maybe one. He has only 50 shots in 41 games and is maybe taking the role of playmaker too seriously.

He has played a lot of hockey since leaving Wisconsin last season, working out during the summer in the Kings’ developmental program at El Segundo, then practicing in Prague before coming to training camp. Still, Murray dismissed the factor of overwork.

“He had about 2 1/2 weeks off between Prague and training camp, and I understand he was skating in Edmonton during that time,” the coach said.

Reinprecht agrees.

“I feel fine,” he said, arguing with the numbers.

*

In the age of quantification, here are numbers that reveal the Kings’ problem through their first 42 games.

They lead the NHL in scoring and are 16th in shots allowed per game, but are 24th in goals-against average at 3.00 and ahead of only Montreal and the New York Rangers in save percentage at .890.

“I don’t want to put the spotlight on that one position,” Murray said of the King goalies.

The numbers do it for him.

TONIGHT

vs. Buffalo, 7

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KSPN (1110).

* Records--Kings 18-16-7-1, Sabres 21-14-5-1.

* Record vs. Sabres--0-1.

* Update--Goalie Dominik Hasek was supposed to have a season for the ages, then retire quietly to raise his children in Europe. Instead, he has been challenged by young Martin Biron, whose goals-against average is better, 1.86-2.41. Hasek, who figures to play tonight, does have four shutouts. Buffalo last won in Los Angeles in 1996. The Kings last won at Buffalo in 1993, and one of those losses was a 5-3 decision on Oct. 7 in a game in which the Sabres had four power-play goals. That offers hope to a team that comes into tonight on a five-for-55 drought over eight games with a man advantage.

* Tickets--(888) 546-4752.