Robinson Is Down in the Dumps

Larry Robinson was known as a patient player, but his patience as a coach is being tested by the Kings’ inconsistent play.

“If you look at all the best teams in the league . . . they all do the same thing,” Robinson said. “They all dump the puck deep in the zone, and then they go in and make their plays after that. For some reason or another, we do not want to do that.

“It even happens when we practice. We’ll work on it in a drill and then as soon as we start scrimmaging, they start trying to carry it again. They can’t get it in their thick skulls that the puck has to go in deep. . . . We’re playing into the other team’s hands. Our wingers are going hard, expecting to get the puck in the corners, but we end up losing it at the blue line and the other team is going back the other way.”

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Goaltender Stephane Fiset, who is expected to start tonight against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, will have to wear a different mask because his was stolen last Friday.