Robitaille Makes Promise Over Blown Leads

It wasn’t the most familiar of experiences, the Kings leading in the third period in Vancouver and Calgary. They hadn’t led since playing in New Jersey two weeks ago.

Maybe that’s why they blew those leads in Vancouver on Monday and Calgary on Tuesday.

Markus Naslund’s goal brought the Canucks back to a 3-3 tie in a game the Kings eventually won, 4-3, on Vladimir Tsyplakov’s goal.

On Tuesday, it was much worse because goals by Calgary’s Cory Stillman and Derek Morris brought the Flames back to 4-4, and they won on Andrew Cassels’ goal in overtime.

“I don’t think [blowing two-goal leads in the third period is] going to happen against us too often this year,” said winger Luc Robitaille, who has five goals in his last four games.

The Kings also did it in a 5-5 tie with Colorado on Oct. 18.

“We’ve got to make sure those things don’t happen to us again,” Robitaille said. “We’ve got to learn to play with a lead . . . and we will. . . . We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

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Center Jozef Stumpel got in 20 shifts worth 21:27, including time on the power play, at Calgary on Tuesday night.

“I felt pretty good,” said Stumpel, who had sat out 10 games because of hip and abdominal injuries. “I was kind of tight, and right now I’m a little sore.”

Stumpel assisted on Tsyplakov’s goal only 17 seconds into his first shift.

“It was good to get that right away,” Stumpel said. “It showed me that my game is still there.”

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Winger Steve McKenna, who suffered a strained abdominal muscle in a fight with St. Louis’ Tony Twist on Nov. 5, is more seriously injured than originally believed and has been put on the injured list. He is expected to be sidelined as long as two months. . . . Goalie Jamie Storr skated with the Long Beach Ice Dogs on Wednesday but was judged not sufficiently healed to play right away. He has a groin injury. . . . Injured goalie Stephane Fiset has gone to Canada because of a death in the family.

TONIGHT

vs. Nashville

7:30, Fox Sports West

* Site--Great Western Forum.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 5-7-3, Predators 5-7-1.

* Record vs. Predators--First meeting.

* Update--Nashville has built a respectable team from some spare parts accumulated in the expansion draft and from a few trades, including one with Phoenix for Cliff Ronning on Oct. 31. He scored Tuesday night in the Predators’ 4-2 victory at San Jose, their second win in four games on a six-game trip. Sergei Krivokrasov leads Nashville with eight goals and 13 points, and Greg Johnson has two goals and 13 points. Veteran Darren Turcotte scored his first goal of the season at San Jose.