KINGS NOTEBOOK: FISET PICKS A POOR TIME TO COME BACK.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

Goaltender Stephane Fiset returned Tuesday after missing five weeks with a deep bone bruise in his right hand and skated right into the Kings' worst game of the season.

In a 7-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils, Fiset took over to start the second period after Jamie Storr allowed three goals in the first. He then gave up three more in the second, including a long, bouncing shot by John Madden that gave the Devils a short-handed goal and a 4-1 lead.

``Not the best way to come back, that is for sure,'' Fiset said. ``Things are OK physically and even if they weren't I wouldn't say. It was just good to return to the ice. That's probably the best thing you could say about a game like this.''

Kings coach Andy Murray went with Fiset in the second because he didn't feel like burying Storr, who has played well since Fiset went down with a hand injury 15 games ago.

``The team wasn't playing well for Jamie,'' Murray said. ``Steph was ready and it was a good time to get him some playing time. Unfortunately he came back in a awful game.''

Storr will play tonight against the Rangers. But Fiset, who started 14 of the Kings' first 15 games, is not merely working himself back into shape.

``I would not have come back until I was ready to play everyday,'' said Fiset, who left Continental Airlines Arena with an ice pack on his right hand. ``Everything will be fine.''

Roster moves: In addition to Fiset, captain Rob Blake and leading scorer Ziggy Palffy returned. To make room, defenseman Jere Karalahti and goaltender Marcel Cousineau were sent to minor-league Long Beach.

Karalahti, who signed with the club last summer but was held up in Finland with visa problems, was recalled Friday and made his NHL debut Saturday in Montreal. He was teamed with Blake's defensemate Mattias Norstrom and did not play well.

The move was not unexpected.

Quick whistles: Center Jozef Stumpel, who has missed five weeks after abdominal surgery, has started skating with the Ice Dogs. He originally was scheduled to make the trip, but the plan was shelved because of unpredictable practice time. The team played back-to-back games with two days off in between. The Kings hoped to have Stumpel back by Christmas. . . . In addition to Larry Robinson, who is now a Devils assistant, New Jersey coach Robbie Ftorek coached the Kings for two seasons from 1987-89. Devils defenseman Lyle Odelein faced the Kings in the 1993 Stanley Cups Finals when he played for the Montreal Canadiens.

KINGS vs. N.Y. RANGERS

Time:4 p.m., at Madison Square Garden

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

Matchup: The Kings close out their four-game trip tonight against the improving New York Rangers. Saddled with the league's highest payroll ($60 million), the Rangers got off to a miserable start and top free agent Theo Fleury went 17 games without a goal. But in their past four games - all played without Petr Nedved (groin), Valerei Kaminsky (sprained right wrist) and Brian Leetch (broken right wrist) - the Rangers are 3-0-1. The Rangers had hoped to have Nedved back tonight, but it looks like he's not ready. One of the reasons for the club's improvement is reclamation project Alexandre Daigle, playing for his fourth team since Ottawa made him the No. 1 overall pick in 1995. He has three goals and six assists in eight games.

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BOX: Kings vs. N.Y. Rangers (see text)