Robitaille Gets a Fond Farewell

This was for Luc.

King goaltender Jason LaBarbera stuck out his left leg to deny a shot by Calgary’s Jarome Iginla, preserving a 2-1 shootout victory at Staples Center on Saturday and giving Luc Robitaille one last happy moment on the ice in Los Angeles.

Robitaille, who announced he would retire at the end of the season, had just missed a chance to end the game when his shootout try was stopped.

But LaBarbera, who had started only three games since Jan. 25, came up with one more save to make Pavol Demitra’s shootout goal stand up and Robitaille break down with emotion.

“I wanted to play well tonight for Luc,” said LaBarbera, who stopped 39 of 40 shots through regulation and overtime. “I have never been around someone this amazing as a person.”

This was Robitaille’s night, the last moment King fans would have to cry “Luuuuuuuuc,” which provided an upbeat moment in what otherwise has been a depressing finish to the season for the Kings and their fans.

The outburst lingered after the game, with fans cheering Robitaille back onto the ice one last time to say “goodnight and goodbye.”

“That’s the only thing I could think of to say,” Robitaille said. “I can’t believe with the traffic that they stayed around to the end [of the postgame ceremonies]. That was overwhelming.”

That was an indication of the fans’ attachment to Robitaille, who is the last player in the NHL to wear the Kings’ gold and purple uniforms that were mothballed when Wayne Gretzky arrived in 1988-89.

“The fans have always treated me well here, that made this more special,” said Robitaille, who said he was uncharacteristically nervous in the first period. “I have spent half my life here. This is home.”

There was a noticeable difference in the Kings’ focus and determination throughout the game, characterized when Demitra came out of the penalty box and fell to his knees just as he took a pass for a clean breakaway.

Demitra managed to right himself quickly, then charged in on net, scoring to give the Kings a 1-0 lead a minute into the third period.

Nor did the Kings wilt after Jamie Lundmark’s one-timer tied the score midway through the period -- though it certainly helped that another goal by Lundmark was waved off with two minutes left because of a penalty.

“You could tell the guys were determine to win this one,” Robitaille said. “That was the best game we have played in weeks and I’m thankful for that.”

While King fans were bidding farewell to arguably the most popular player in team history, they were also getting their last glimpse at a team that showed potential but once again defaulted on that promissory note. They were also probably seeing the last of Dave Taylor, at least as the team’s general manager.

Tim Leiweke, the Kings’ chief executive, is believed to be shopping around already for a replacement, with the effort seemingly focusing on former San Jose Shark general manager Dean Lombardi. Leiweke met with Lombardi Friday, league sources said.

The Kings lost 11 of their last 16 games, unraveling out of the playoff race for the third consecutive seasons, leaving Taylor as the next domino to fall. Coach Andy Murray was fired March 21. More than a few players could be next.

Those were thoughts that, for one night, the Kings could push from their minds.

“I’m just glad we won,” Robitaille said. “That made it really fun.

“I’m happy and at peace with retiring. It was a great honor to be a hockey player tonight.”