Fiset on Schedule to Beat His Record

Goaltender Stephane Fiset has started 19 of the Kings’ 22 games and is on pace to top his career high of 50 games set in 1993-94 with Quebec.

Last season, Fiset struggled because of an abdominal injury and finished with a 13-24-5 record to go with a 3.19 goals-against average. This season, Fiset is 9-7-3 with a 2.70 average.

“This season, I’m communicating better with our defense and I’m trying to move the puck as much as possible,” Fiset said of his improvement. “I’m more confident now in the net . . . and [Coach] Larry [Robinson] likes when I play the puck a lot.”

Robinson said Fiset probably will continue to get most of the starts, even when Jamie Storr, currently playing with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the International Hockey League, returns to the Kings and Frederic Chabot is sent back to Houston of the IHL.

Robinson said the Kings plan to play Chabot in at least 10 games this season so he can be protected for next year’s expansion draft. Chabot is 1-1-1 in his three starts.

*

Defensemen Mattias Norstrom and Philippe Boucher, healthy scratches for six games each this season, have plus-eight ratings. Only Aki Berg’s plus-nine rates better among King defensemen. As of Friday, Vladimir Tsyplakov was tied for the league lead at plus-14. . . . Former King defenseman Mark Hardy, an assistant coach with the Ice Dogs, signed a three-game player contract after the team was hit hard by injuries.

TONIGHT

at Colorado

* 6 PST

* Fox Sports

West 2

*

Site--McNichols Arena, Denver.

Radio--XTRA 690 (AM).

Records--Kings 10-8-4; Avalanche 11-5-7.

Record vs. Avalanche (1996-97 season)--3-3.

Update--Despite being overmatched by Colorado the last two seasons, the Kings are 2-2 in their last four games at McNichols Arena. Overall, they are 5-5-1 the last two seasons against the Avalanche. Fiset, who was drafted by the Quebec/Colorado franchise in the second round of the 1987 draft, faced a career-high 51 shots against his former teammates in a 3-1 loss to the Avalanche last season in Denver. King center Jozef Stumpel has scored at least a point in six consecutive games and has a team-high 25 points. Yanic Perreault ranks among the NHL leaders with 14 goals. Colorado is 6-1-4 at home, including a 3-1 win over Toronto on Friday. Peter Forsberg, who had a goal and two assists against the Maple Leafs, leads the team with 28 points. Goaltender Patrick Roy, who did not play against Toronto because of a sore left shoulder, is expected to start tonight for the Avalanche.