Time Will Tell If Lesson Learned

Friday was lesson day, and what better way to learn time management than to skate until your tongue hangs out?

The Kings were put through a post-practice drill in which Luc Robitaille, Jozef Stumpel, Glen Murray, Olli Jokinen and Steve Duchesne were the first group.

They skated up and down the ice until Coach Larry Robinson blew his whistle.

Then the rest of the Kings broke into groups and did the same, though the whistle blew much sooner.

Back to the five for a long skate, and to the rest for a shorter one.

The idea was to engrave on some minds how long a shift on the ice should be. Robitaille, Stumpel, etc., went 1 minute 20 seconds. The rest went 30-40 seconds.

“You’ve heard a picture is worth a thousand words?” Robinson said after he had made his point, accompanied by a heated message to the players about the impact that skating long shifts in the first period can have on third-period play.

The Kings have lost their last two games in the third period and blew a lead at Vancouver in the third before rallying.

The chief culprits of the long skates, according to Robinson, were the players who went 1:20 on Friday.

“It’s not that we’re out of shape,” Robitaille said. “I worked all summer and I’ve never been in better shape than now. And we play four lines, so there’s no reason for being tired.

“What’s happening is that we’re not wanting to make the mistakes that lose the game, instead of making the plays that win the game.”

Regardless, a lesson was taught on Friday. Whether it was learned will be known tonight.

*

Defenseman Mark Visheau, sidelined because of a broken thumb since a fight against the Mighty Ducks’ Stu Grimson in an exhibition game, has been cleared to play and, rather than being sent to the Long Beach Ice Dogs as expected, could be activated by the Kings tonight. He has played in one NHL game, for the Winnipeg Jets in 1994. . . . The Kings have sent winger Dan Bylsma back to Long Beach. He was with them for three games and was scratched for two.

TONIGHT

vs. Carolina, 7:30

Fox Sports West

* Site--Great Western Forum.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 5-8-3, Hurricanes 6-7-3.

* Record vs. Hurricanes--1-0.

* Update--Sandy Moger gave the Kings a 3-2 victory Oct. 25 at Greensboro, N.C., when he tipped in Mattias Norstrom’s shot with 2:54 to play. Moger has since been sidelined because of a lower back strain, but King medical personnel said he is ready to play and could be activated tonight.