KINGS NOTEBOOK: BEST PLAYERS NEED TO TAKE A STEP UP.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

PITTSBURGH - The rest of his teammates were long gone Thursday night, but Mattias Norstrom remained in the Kings' dressing room, trying to figure what had just happened.

Norstrom knew the Kings' eight-game unbeaten streak was bound to end, but he never expected the thud of a 6-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. While others had been quick to point out New Jersey was indeed reigning Stanley Cup champions, Norstrom wasn't buying the excuse.

``We just did too many things wrong to give them much of the credit,'' Norstrom said. ``Now we have to go out on the road to prove that it was just one bad game. We've been playing well, but that is never easy.''

The Kings open a three-game trip tonight in Pittsburgh, their third visit to Eastern cities in less than two months. Even though they made the four-hour flight here Friday morning, coach Andy Murray put the players through a conditioning workout when they arrived.

The problem areas were obvious against the Devils. The Kings were awful in front of their own net, a strong point during their 6-0-2 run. New Jersey scored most of its goals on rebounds or redirected shots.

When the Kings allowed 47 shots to Colorado last Saturday, the 6-4 victory cushioned the concern. But the Devils had 35.

Captain Rob Blake, who has been the club's most valuable player in the season's first quarter, was on the ice for five of New Jersey goals. Ziggy Palffy, who entered Friday's action with the league lead in scoring, took just one shot.

Palffy has 29 points, the best start of his career, but seven of his 11 goals have come on the power play. Murray said he wants to see Palffy dominate in five-on-five situations as well.

``We need our best players to be our best players,'' Murray said. ``That didn't happen against the Devils.''

And there is more pressure on Palffy's first unit now that second-line winger Glen Murray will be gone for at least a month after undergoing knee surgery Friday.

The Kings have been tinkering with their lines all season and thought they struck a good balance playing veterans Murray and Luc Robitaille with rookie center Steven Reinprecht. With Murray out, the Kings have turned to Jason Blake, who has speed but has not shown a scoring touch in limited duty.

Add it up and the Kings went 1 for 5 against the league's worst penalty-killing unit.

KINGS vs. PITTSBURGH

Time: 4:30 p.m., at Mellon Arena

TV/Radio: ESPN2, Fox Sports Net; KRLA-AM (1110)

Matchup: The Penguins, who played Friday in Philadelphia, had the best record in the Eastern Conference last week but now are trying to hold off the surging New Jersey Devils in the Atlantic Division. As always, Jaromir Jagr is among the league leaders in scoring, but he has had difference with new coach Ivan Hlinka about his role on the power play. Hlinka is the first European-born coach in the NHL and like Jagr is from the Czech Republic. One reason Hlinka is spreading the scoring around is the long-overdue emergence of Alexei Kovalev. Long touted as the next great scorer, Kovalev recently was NHL player of the week and had a stretch of 15 points in six games.

- Matt McHale

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