Fiset Spends His Time Looking for Some Answers
Goalie Jamie Storr goes onto the Staples Center ice tonight, before thousands of paying customers and a few television cameras, and earns his living stopping as many Buffalo shots as he can.
Hours earlier, Stephane Fiset goes onto the same ice before a couple of folks and no cameras and earns his living trying to relearn his position.
The teacher is goalie consultant Don Edwards.
“As soon as I talked with Fiz, I knew he was frustrated,” Edwards said Monday. “I knew that while recovering from his injury, some things had crept into his game, and now we’re going back to some fundamentals.”
Edwards said some of Fiset’s problems in compiling a 2-7-1 record over 10 games were things he has done to compensate for a bruised hand that prompted his being held out of games for four weeks.
Fiset won’t cop to it.
“I’m not the kind of guy who is going to complain,” he said of sitting and watching Storr, who returned to the lineup on Saturday in a 3-2 overtime loss at San Jose. “Jamie is playing well.”
*
Ziggy Palffy continues with his back- and trunk-strengthening regimen, and perhaps his back is responsible for his scoring only two goals since Nov. 27. But it could just be his work ethic.
No, not on the ice. Off it.
“I think Ziggy has played the game on his natural ability,” Coach Andy Murray said.
That ability is considerable, but hockey is increasingly becoming a game of strength.
“I think he’s become aware that he needs to become stronger,” Murray said. “ . . . He and his girlfriend are opening a fitness center in Slovakia. I hope he takes out a membership.”
*
Look for Aki Berg to return to the lineup tonight, probably rejoining Jere Karalahti in a pairing of Finnish defensemen. Berg will probably replace Jaroslav Modry, who has played well recently but struggled Saturday night at San Jose.
*
The Kings have asked the NHL to review Shark Tony Granato’s cross-checking of Mattias Norstrom in Saturday’s game. Granato received a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Norstrom received about 30 stitches in his nose and mouth.
Tonight
vs. Buffalo, 7:30
Fox Sports Net
* Site--Staples Center.
* Radio--KRLA (1110).
* Records--Kings 18-18-7-3, Sabres 18-21-6-1.
* Record vs. Sabres (1998-99)--1-1.
* Update--This is the first of two King games this week against Stanley Cup finalists, but only Dallas (Thursday) has been playing like one. Despite Buffalo’s win Monday, the Sabres have had scoring and leadership problems without injured goalie Dominik Hasek.
* Tickets--(888) 546-4752.
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