Penalties Among Robinson’s Concerns

Larry Robinson wanted fewer penalties but what he got was no scoring as the Kings lost to the Phoenix Coyotes, 2-0, Saturday night before 12,723 at Phoenix.

In the first game of a two-game, home-and-home series with Phoenix, the Kings had blown a 3-1 lead on Friday night, and the Coyotes had tied the game, 3-3, on two power play goals, the product of what the Kings’ coach termed “silly penalties.”

“They cost us a lot of games last year,” Robinson added, “and we have to fix that.”

The chief culprit Friday was defenseman Sean O’Donnell, whose cross-checking infraction added to his penalty-minutes package that totals 11 penalty minutes in playing three of the first four exhibitions.

His penalty was followed 58 seconds later by a goal by Oleg Tverdovsky that made it 3-2.

“The guy I was most disappointed with was Sean O’Donnell,” Robinson said. “He’s got to learn not to retaliate.”

The idea is to get mad, get even, but pick your spots.

O’Donnell understands, but it’s hard when your blood is up.

“It’s natural,” he said. “A guy hits you and you want to hit him back, and the referee sees the retaliation. I have to be better at that.”

And to develop a better memory.

“Larry talked to me about it and he told me to just take the guy’s number and put it away for the future,” O’Donnell said. “Just suck it up, because there will be a next time.”

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Going into Saturday night’s game, the Kings were five for 24 in power play opportunities in their first four games, and had surrendered five goals in 23 opponents’ power plays. . . . Today’s practice at the Forum at 1 p.m. is open to season ticket-holders, and individual game tickets also go on sale. Non-season ticket holders can attend practice for $5, with proceeds going to charity.