Kings Let Robinson Know They Are Listening, 4-0

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. —  There was more rain on the Kings’ parade Wednesday, but at evening’s end, the clouds had parted.

And there was a rainbow . . . for Craig Johnson . . . for Steve Duchesne . . . for Vladimir Tsyplakov . . . for the King power play . . . for a five-game trip that ended with the Kings beating New Jersey, 4-0, on goals by those three and Rob Blake--and included the aborted return of goalie Stephane Fiset.

Fiset had missed four games because of a strained right groin, and he left at 13:29 of the second period because of a strained left groin that will be evaluated today in Southern California.

It was left for Manny Legace to finish the shutout, and he faced 17 shots in doing so before 15,008. Fiset got the win, but Legace extended his save percentage lead in the NHL, which is not bad for a goalie who, just over a week ago, was playing for the Long Beach Ice Dogs. Legace has faced 147 shots and given up five goals.

“It’s unbelievable. When it rains, it pours,” said King Coach Larry Robinson, who began the day with morning movie sessions with some players who, in his opinion, weren’t earning their pay.

“We will take the win, especially since the effort we put up on Long Island [Tuesday night in a 1-0 loss] wasn’t there.”

In Wednesday’s effort, the Kings were outshot, 40-18, but they made the most of their opportunities.

“We knew they were coming off a game last night, and we thought they would be a little tired in the first period,” said New Jersey’s Brendan Morrison. “We wanted to work them down low, and I thought we did a pretty good job in the first period. . . . We made some costly mental errors tonight that ended up in our net.”

One of those came in the first, in which the Kings were outshot, 17-7. Johnson converted on a two-on-one rush with linemate Matt Johnson that sandwiched New Jersey’s Scott Stevens.

It was Johnson’s first goal of the season, one he hopes will persuade Robinson to quit this business of scratching him even if he’s healthy. Twice, Johnson has sat out games, in part because the King coach wasn’t happy with his effort.

That continued to change in the second period, when the Kings’ lead became 2-0. Blake’s shorthanded goal came on a series that began when Glen Murray won a personal scrap with New Jersey’s Jason Arnott. With the Kings killing a penalty--by game’s end they increased their total to a league-leading 45 of 46 kills--Murray beat Arnott to a puck just inside the New Jersey zone.

Murray is among those who have been singled out by Robinson as not playing to his potential in one-on-one situations. This time, he fired at goalie Martin Brodeur, who turned back the shot, but Sheldon Souray’s clearing pass didn’t clear Blake’s stick and the King defenseman sent it past Brodeur.

“The key was Glen winning the puck,” Blake said. “He kept Souray out there and got him tired.”

Goals by Duchesne and Tsyplakov in the third period ended personal droughts for a team that has had more than two goals in a game only three times this year. Duchesne’s came on a power play, with a shot from 45 feet at 9:13. “On Steve Duchesne’s power-play goal, we had three guys in front of the net and that’s something we haven’t had in six games this year, screening in front of the net,” Robinson said. “It’s great to see.”

The coach has stressed that kind of play to a team that previously has regarded the slot and its heavy defensive traffic as Few Man’s Land.

The goal was a relief for Duchesne, who has struggled since being brought in primarily to help on the King power play.

The goal broke a 0-for-17 power-play drought.

“He said, ‘I don’t want you to try to do it on your own,’ ” Duchesne said of Robinson. “It’s a team thing, but you want to do it and the next thing you know, you’re trying to do too much.”

It was left for Tsyplakov to finish things off, scoring his first goal of the season by converting a pass from Yanic Perreault at 13:48, and the Kings finished a 2-2-1 trip on an up note.

Message sent. Message received.

“It sure was,” Duchesne said. “We haven’t been playing very well, and it’s great because we’re still there. Still above .500.”