Robitaille Gets Right to the Point

Since being held out of two games, Luc Robitaille has a point in four consecutive games, the second-longest streak this season for the highest goal-scoring left wing in league history.

Robitaille was disgusted while sitting out as a healthy scratch in consecutive games for the first time in his career, but he has two goals and two assists since coming back Jan. 18 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

“His play has been better in the games he’s played after the break,” Coach Andy Murray said. “Whether it’s because he’s fresher or because he’s mad at me, it doesn’t really matter. Luc has played better in these last games since before we did that. Not just marginally different -- a lot better.”

Robitaille, who had a six-game scoring streak in October, is not the only veteran to excel in recent games.

Goaltender Roman Cechmanek has been steady and sure-handed, almost the antithesis of his flopping, unpredictable style. He has given up only 20 goals in 10 games since returning from a nagging hip injury and has done a better job of squaring up in case there are rebounds.

“This is the best string of games we’ve seen from Roman since he came to L.A.,” Murray said.

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The Kings have only six defensemen on the roster after sending Tim Gleason to Manchester (N.H.), a move Murray acknowledged as a slight gamble.

“It is a bit of a risk if somebody pulls a muscle in the morning skate or something like that,” he said. “You roll the dice a little bit.”

It’s an easier gamble when considering the defensive play of Lubomir Visnovsky and Mattias Norstrom.

Norstrom was selected to play in next month’s All-Star game, and Visnovsky earned Murray’s praise after logging 30 minutes 11 seconds of almost flawless ice time in the Kings’ 4-2 victory over the Mighty Ducks on Saturday.

“There were a lot of good players left off the All-Star rosters, and he’s one of them,” Murray said.