KINGS INSIDE LOOK: REINPRECHT RETURNS, HAUNTS OLD TEAM GOAL-SCORER WAS PART OF THE TRADE THAT SENT BLAKE TO THE AVALANCHE.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Steven Reinprecht doesn't receive the same unforgiving treatment as Rob Blake when he returns to Los Angeles. Probably because most fans don't remember him.

``Exactly,'' Reinprecht said. ``I was the throw-in.

The L.A. fans will remember him now.

Reinprecht, a relative unknown when the Kings dealt him and Blake to the Avalanche for Adam Deadmarsh and Aaron Miller, scored the lone goal in Tuesday's game - his third of the series - to give Colorado a 1-0 victory over the Kings in Game 4 at Staples Center. The Avalanche lead the best-of-seven series 3-1.

Reinprecht scored on a slap shot from the left faceoff circle and beat Kings goalie Felix Potvin to the glove side 5:57 into the second period.

``Peter (Forsberg) did a great job getting it to (Chris Drury) and I just shot it toward the net; I really didn't know where it was going,'' Reinprecht said. ``I found out it was in a couple seconds later.

So what do Kings fans remember about Reinprecht?

``Nothing,'' said Zeke Greenbaum of Beverly Hills. ``But I know he scored the first goal.''

Blake's every touch of the puck garnered boos from nearly every corner of Staples Center, which had its largest hockey crowd in history at 18,700.

Reinprecht understands why he's been able to operate - and so efficiently - without enduring much flak.

``(Blake) put in a lot of good years here,'' Reinprecht said. ``I think their hate has stemmed from their love. I really wasn't here long enough. I had a great time here. The fans are very good here.''

Many fans don't remember Reinprecht, but his former teammates sure do.

``He's an outstanding player,'' Kings defenseman Mattias Norstrom said. ``He played well for us too before the trade. That was his rookie year. He really showed the type of player he is. He's going to become even better. It's not a big surprise that he's playing as well as he has.

``Of course when you have names like Rob Blake in the trade, of course you're going to mention that name.''

Reinprecht scored a goal in each of the first two games in Colorado and added an assist. He's blossomed into a formidable second-line center who plays with Drury and Forsberg.

He played for the University of Wisconsin for four years and was signed by the Kings as a 24-year-old free agent in 2000. He scored 12 goals and had 17 assists in 59 games with the Kings before he was shipped to Colorado.

``Our team understood what he's done,'' Blake said. ``Playing with him in L.A. and seeing the pressure that was on him as a (third-line) center right off the hopper out of college, you knew he was going to be a special player.''

Reinprecht had 46 points, including 19 goals, in the regular season this year. He recorded his first career hat trick April 3 against Atlanta.

Kings coach Andy Murray hasn't forgotten.

``He has so much ability, and we recognized that when we made the deal and that was actually something that (general manager) Dave (Taylor) tried to avoid, putting Reinprecht in the deal,'' Murray said. ``But we felt we had to do it. I've always thought he was a great player.''

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Colorado center Steven Reinprecht, right, who scored the only goal Tuesday, was traded away along with Rob Blake.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Box:

KINGS vs. COLORADO: Colorado leads best-of-seven series 3-1