KINGS NOTEBOOK: ROBITAILLE READY TO MAKE HIS MARK.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

CHICAGO - Randy Robitaille knows one player's injury is another's opportunity.

Robitaille, who joined the Kings last summer, didn't want to see the club lose Ziggy Palffy (back) and Adam Deadmarsh (ribs) for Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. But it gave him the chance to play on the Kings' first line and perhaps build on the momentum in the minor leagues. Robitaille assisted on Brian Smolinski's first-period goal that gave the Kings a brief 1-0 lead.''

``There certainly is a big difference between here and there,''said Robitialle, who scored seven goals and 10 points in six games at minor-league Manchester. ``But I look at this as a chance to show what I do at this level.''

Robitaille, 26, also has done a little binge scoring at the NHL level. He played two full seasons for the Nashville Predators and totaled six points in back-to-back games last March. He also had a four-point game against the New York Rangers.

``You like to see a guy who goes down and doesn't mope,'' coach Andy Murray said. ``It's hard to get sent down, especially if you've played in the NHL. How you react to the adversity often tells how quickly you get back''

--Potvin pulled: Goaltender Felix Potvin, one of the few bright spots on this trip, was pulled to start the third period after allowing four goals.

Of the goals he allowed, the worst gave the Blackhawks a 4-1 lead. It was scored by Igor Korolev on a long shot from the corner. Potvin was screened by Mark Bell and the puck slid through his legs.

``We put in Jamie because we thought it was a good time to get him some work,'' Murray said. ``We weren't throwing in the towel. But Jamie hasn't played a lot this year and it was a good time to get him some action. Felix has been playing well. This was just a tough game.''

--Holland plugs a hole: Defenseman Jason Holland made his Kings debut. Mathieu Schneider was back in Los Angeles with wife Shannon for the expected birth of the couple's second child.

Holland, who broke with the New York Islanders during the 1996-97 season, had 25 games of NHL experience entering Tuesday. He played 17:32 and had an even plus minus even though the Kings lost by four goals.

``It's something I've been looking forward to for a long time, but it wasn't a game you want to remember from a team standpoint,'' said Holland, who was called up Oct. 15 from Manchester but had eight consecutive healthy scratches. ``It's been hard to sit and watch the team struggle. You think you can help.''