Blake Eager to Return After Working Out

A few minutes past 11 Tuesday morning, trainer Pete Demers sidled down to the ice at the Great Western Forum and spoke briefly to King Coach Larry Robinson.

“Time,” Demers said, and Robinson went over to Rob Blake and said, “Time,” and Blake reluctantly went to the bench.

Thus went his first day back after recovering from a broken foot that has sidelined him for almost six weeks.

“I’ll play Saturday,” said Blake, who is like a kid about injuries, hearing only what he wants to hear.

“They said six weeks, and it’s six weeks Friday,” he said.

They said six to eight weeks.

“I’ll take the six,” said Blake, who was cleared to skate after doctors took a look at an MRI on Monday and who has been told to add practice time daily.

“I was ready to stay out there,” he said. “I’m ready to play Wednesday.”

It won’t happen, nor will it Friday, unless doctors agree, because the Kings have a $5.027-million investment in Blake this season and are afraid to jeopardize that.

“It feels fine,” he said of the foot, which was broken when he was hit by a puck in a game Oct. 30. X-rays didn’t show the break, so he continued to play for two more games until an MRI disagreed with the X-rays. Since then, his workouts have all been concentrated on the upper body, until Tuesday.

“When you’re out for six weeks, the first week is OK,” he said. “Then it starts to get to you. You have a routine during the season, and you miss the routine.”

*

Center Jozef Stumpel, on the NHL standings, which the Kings are anchoring: “There’s no reason to look at the standings if you don’t win games.”

*

Winger Steve McKenna has been cleared to play tonight against Washington.

vs. Washington

7:30, Fox Sports West

* Site--Great Western Forum.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 6-17-3, Capitals 8-13-3.

* Record vs. Capitals (1997-98)--0-1-1.

* Update--It’s a matchup of teams on life support. Washington is perhaps the only NHL team that has had as many physical problems as the Kings, and it’s reflected in a fall from the Stanley Cup finals to 12th place in the 14-team Eastern Conference. The Capitals have lost six of their last eight games and have seven forwards injured.