KINGS NOTEBOOK: EARLY ROAD TRIP COULD PAY OFF.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

Of the seven teams the Kings face on the road to begin the 1999-2000 season, the St. Louis Blues posed the biggest threat.

The Blues made it to the second round of the playoffs last season before losing to Dallas, the eventual Stanley Cup champions. The Kings defeated them 3-2 Monday night in St. Louis.

The Blues also were the only team of the seven to finish with a winning record a year ago. The Edmonton Oilers, the Kings' final road opponent on Oct. 16, was the only other playoff team in the group and they lost to Dallas in the first round.

Of course, the Kings did not get close to the postseason last year, the sixth time in seven years that has happened. But with seven new players and a new coach, enthusiasm around the club is picking up two weeks before the Staples Center opener Oct. 20 against the Boston Bruins.

``You don't want to get too far ahead of yourself,'' rookie coach Andy Murray said. ``We have a general philosophy to go hard for all 60 minutes, but we don't want to think too far down the road. We know we have a good opportunity to do well during this stretch.''

So far, the Kings seven season-opening opponents are 2-5-1. One of those victories is by tonight's opponent the Florida Panthers, who defeated Washington on opening night. If the Kings win this game they will start 3-0 for the first time since the 1988-89 season.

``The thing that has impressed me the most (in St. Louis) was the patience we showed on the ice,'' veteran winger Luc Robitaille said. ``We were down against the Blues but we never lost sight of what we were trying to do. That's a sign we believe in the system. Andy called a timeout and reminded us that there was still half a game to play. That helped us regain our focus. That is good for the future.''

Itinerary:The Kings historically have not done well on long trips that include visits to the East Coast.

General manager Dave Taylor, who played with the Kings for 18 seasons, remembered when the circus used to come to the Forum for two weeks every January. The club hit the road with sometimes disastrous results.

``There were years when our season ended during those trips,'' Taylor said. ``But this is early and I think the time away gives the players a chance to grow as a unit. I think it also helps that we get some of the longer trips out of the way.''

By playing Calgary and Edmonton now, the Kings do not return to those cities until late February. And fortunately for the club, a five-day break after Sunday's game in Washington gives the Kings a chance to return to L.A. before heading to Calgary on Oct. 15.

KINGS vs. FLORIDA

Time: 4:30 p.m., at National Car Rental Center.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports West; KRLA-AM (1110).

Matchup: The Kings are undefeated after two games for the first time since the 1995-'96 season. Luc Robitaille leads the club with two goals and two assists, and all the scoring in the first two games has come with the first line on the ice. Captain Rob Blake scored his first goal of the season in the first period Monday, assisted by Robitaille and Ziggy Palffy. Pavel Bure, the Panthers' high-scoring right-winger, returned after rehabbing a knee injury for six months and scored Florida's first goal in Saturday night's victory over Washington. Left-wing Ray Whitney scored the next two and center Viktor Kozlov added the game winner.

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BOX: Kings vs. Florida (see text)