Robitaille Shows Why He’s a Keeper : Kings: He gets his first hat trick of season in a 7-4 victory over the Canucks.

No wonder every other trade rumor on the wind in the last few months has included Luc Robitaille. No wonder King owner Bruce McNall keeps saying that Robitaille is not on the block.

Before a sellout crowd of 16,005 at the Forum Saturday night, Robitaille scored the game-winning goal for the third consecutive game as he scored his first hat trick of the season in a 7-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

The rematch is tonight. The Kings and the Canucks can pick up right where they left off tonight in Vancouver, less than 24 hours after the final buzzer sounded at the Forum.

The Kings, unbeaten in their last six, improved to 12-10-1.

With the victory, the Kings moved into a tie with Edmonton for second place in the Smythe Division, both three points behind Calgary, which picked up a point in a tie with St. Louis.

In a game as tight as the Smythe Division race until the final minutes, it seemed Robitaille was always in the right place at the right time to keep the Kings in the thick of it as the teams traded goals.

And, once again, goalie Kelly Hrudey was a key. Hrudey stopped 39 shots to run his record to 9-7-1. His career record against the Canucks is 11-0-1.

King Coach Tom Webster didn’t know where to begin passing out praise.

As for Robitaille? “He’s playing with confidence,” Webster said. “He had chances before, but the goalies were making saves or the pucks were rolling off. Now everything he touches is turning out right. But then, he’s been putting in extra work.”

Robitaille said that he had been working with Rick Wilson, one of the Kings’ assistant coaches, who has been shooting pucks at him for practice on his one-time shots--the kind that are hit right off the pass, without an extra touch to stop the puck and position it.

That is the kind of shot he made off a pass from Wayne Gretzky on the winner Saturday night.

“I didn’t even have time to look at that one,” Robitaille said.

Neither did Canuck goalie Steve Weeks.

The puck was with Gretzky in the left corner one second and was in the net the next, after a very brief moment on Robitaille’s stick.

“My shot might be a little quicker,” Robitaille said. “With the extra practice, I’m getting the rhythm of shooting quick. But I’m playing mostly the same game I was playing before. My sticks are a little bit longer. They had been sending me sticks that were a little too short. I’m keeping my head up a little better, but I’m also getting more breaks.”

Dave Taylor, who set Robitaille up for his second goal of the night with what Robitaille called “a pretty nice pass, actually,” noted that Robitaille has been playing well around the net as well as in the corners, and playing with a lot more confidence. “I don’t know whether the trade rumors bothered him earlier, but he certainly has been playing well lately,” Taylor said.

In the last three games, Robitaille has had six goals and four assists for 10 points.

Vancouver Coach Bob McCammon said: “Give the Kings credit for capitalizing on their opportunities. I thought we had the better of the chances, but chances don’t win hockey games. And Robitaille had a big night. (Bernie) Nicholls played well again tonight and (so did)Gretzky. They’re the big three guys for them, and I think they’ve improved their defense.”

Steve Duchesne got the Kings started with a goal on the Kings’ first shot, 1 minute 24 seconds into the game.

Brian Bradley tied the score at 12:19 after getting around defenseman Tom Laidlaw for a direct assault on Hrudey.

Robitaille put the Kings back in the lead at 13:46 of the first period, waiting slightly to the right of the crease for the puck that Nicholls won in a draw and Laidlaw sent across the crease.

The Canucks made the score 2-2 at 1:40 of the second period on a goal by defenseman Doug Lidster but, again, Robitaille came through with his one-timer at 9:52.

Vancouver’s Trevor Linden tied the score again when he skated through the crease, faked Hrudey to the ice and held the puck until he could shoot around the fallen goalie.

Greg Adams gave the Canucks their only lead of the night, 4-3, on a power play. It came after the Kings’ newest acquisition, defenseman Brian Benning, took Doug Smith out of the play and then held him and engaged in a little roughing.

King defenseman Marty McSorley’s shot through the slot made the score 4-4, setting the stage for Robitaille’s hat trick goal.

It was the sixth hat trick of Robitaille’s career.

Hubie McDonough scored an insurance goal with 2:23 to play, and Steve Kasper scored on the empty net with 18 seconds left to put the game away.

Linden said: “The Kings are more than a one-man show, and people are starting to realize that. With Bernie Nicholls, who shoots the puck so well, and with Robitaille, who had a good night tonight, Gretzky is just one part of their game.”

King Notes

Luc Robitaille’s power play goal in the second period Saturday night was his 10th this season, tying him for the league lead with Boston’s Cam Neely. . . . The Kings wore their black road jerseys Saturday night at the Forum and will wear their white home jerseys tonight at Vancouver in their annual “reverse jersey” nights, a chance for the home fans to see their teams’ road jerseys. . . . After tonight’s game at Vancouver, the Kings will have four games at home, including an exhibition against a Soviet team Monday, Dec. 4.