KINGS VS. EDMONTON.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal

Faceoff: 7:30 p.m., at the Forum.

TV/Radio: FSW; XTRA-AM (690)

Kings (35-30-11) update: Coach Larry Robinson was asked whether he would feel good about his team if the playoffs were to start today: ``Yep. If you asked me a week ago, I might've given you a different answer.'' His confidence stems in part from the Kings' 3-1 victory in Colorado on Monday, which snapped a losing streak at three games and capped a disappointing 2-4 trip. Of course, Robinson had hoped for a more successful excursion, but he said it wasn't as bad as it seemed. Of the six games, he said the team played poorly in only two, a 5-2 loss to Calgary and a 3-2 victory over Toronto. And the Colorado victory might have been a turning point. ``I'm not trying to make excuses, but it's been a long year,'' he said, trying to explain a recent lack of focus. . . . Everybody runs into a wall where you say, `Geez, we've been doing this forever. Let's just get to the playoffs.' One game (Colorado) doesn't put you back on track. The signs are better, though. Like (Wednesday) we had a real good practice. . . . I see the jump starting to come back.'' The Kings have six more games - five at home.

Oilers (31-37-10) update: Edmonton leads the season series 3-1, but each game was decided by a single goal. The Oilers, battling Phoenix, San Jose and Chicago for the final playoff spots in the Western Conference, have three games remaining.