BREAK OUT THE BUBBLY! KINGS END SLIDE KINGS 8, EDMONTON 2 ROBITAILLE SCORES FIVE POINTS IN FRANCHISE'S 1,000TH VICTORY.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

The last two weeks had seemed like a millenium, but the Kings vowed they would party again.

After six consecutive losses had scalded their promising season, the Kings routed the Edmonton Oilers 8-2 Thursday night behind five points by Luc Robitaille and Jeri Karalahti's first and second National Hockey League goals.

It was the 1,000 victory in franchise history and right now there are few that might seem more important. During the last six games, the Kings had been crushed, played hard at times, lost close games and barely showed up for others.

The only constant was their hold on a playoff spot continued to dwindle to teams like the Oilers, who were gaining ground after going 4-2-5 in their last 11 games.

But in front of a raucous sellout of 18,118 at the Staples Center, the Kings put on a show with four goals in the second period and five power- play goals overall.

Captain Rob Blake, who by his own admission played one the worst games of his career in Wednesday's loss at Colorado, scored two goals.

But it was Robitaille who had the biggest offensive showing with the sixth five-point game of his career. The last was Feb. 11, 1993 against Detroit.

Robitaille, who has come to life in the past week, scored his fourth goal in three games and just missed a fifth in the second period when Glen Murray dislodged the Oilers net just before Robitaille scored.

It also was a big night for Robitaille in the record book. His first period assist was his 1,100 NHL point, making him just the 23rd player to score 1,100 points and 500 goals.

Only after the Kings built a 5-0 lead did the Oilers score against Kings goalie Stephane Fiset. With Jaroslav Modry off for holding, Pat Falloon slipped in his third goal of the season.

But on this night, there would be no comebacks against the Kings. Just 3 minutes, 7 seconds into the third period, Bryan Smolinski scored after rebounding a Glen Murray shot.

Even the crowd played its part, taunting Edmonton goaltender Mike Ranford, who inadvertently helped the Kings score their first goal.

In the final minutes of the first period, Ranford tried to clear the puck and fired it into the crowd. That is a delay of game penalty and the Kings used it to get a power play goal by Modry.

For Modry, it was his first goal since the 1996-97 season. After that, the crowd chanted Ranford's name every time the goaltender touched the puck.

But Modry's goal had a greater significance. The Oilers, who had beaten and tied the Kings earlier this season, allowed just one power-play goal in their last eight games.

The Kings had been converting at only 14 percent (11 for 78) with the man advantage at home.

But Modry broke the ice, so to speak, scoring the first of four power play goals on Thursday.

Robitaille opened the second-period rush by scoring in the first 58 seconds. It was his 15th of the season and classic Robitaille, backhanding a rebound shot past Ranford after Mattias Norstrom fired from the point.

Less than two minutes later, Blake scored his first of then game with Alexander Selivanov in the penalty box for a high stick. Ziggy Palffy, another of the Kings missing stars during the losing streak, dug the puck out of the corner and passed in front to Blake who made it look easy against Ranford.

Exactly two minutes later, or 7:14 into the second, Blake was at it again on a pass from Jozef Stumpel that beat Ranford. It was his 13th goal of the year, one more than he had last season. It also was a power play goal, created when the Oilers were whistled for having too many men on the ice.

But perhaps the best snap shot of Blake's night came with 7:16 left in the second when he flattened Edmonton center Jim Dowd with a crunching hip check along the left boards.