ROSA BLOOMS, BUT NOTHING ELSE ROSY FOR KINGS : N.Y. ISLANDERS 5, KINGS 4.

Byline: Roger Phillips

One day, you're in the minor leagues patiently awaiting your chance to break into the NHL. The next, you're in the National Hockey League and you've scored more goals in two periods than 11 of the 18 forwards who've played for your new team this season.

Such was the case with 21-year-old right wing Pavel Rosa, who scored two goals for the Kings on Thursday night in his NHL debut and even threw a solid body check that belied his reputation for shying away from physical play.

Rosa's performance, however, wasn't enough to keep the Kings from sinking deeper into this sewer of a season, as Bryan Berard's goal two-minutes into overtime gave the New York Islanders a 5-4 victory over the Kings before an announced crowd of 9,872 at the Forum.

Luc Robitaille and Steve Duchesne also scored for the Kings (8-19-3), who are 2-1-1 in their last four games. Robitaille's goal was his 15th this season (he had 16 last year) and the 493rd of his career. Duchesne's goal was just his second in a thus-far disappointing year.

Jamie Storr, playing for the first time in more than two weeks, was shaky in goal for the Kings the entire night. Along with Berard, Eric Brewer, Ted Donato, Mike Watt and Barry Richter scored for the Islanders (12-19).

The story of an otherwise dismal night for the Kings was Rosa, who was called up from the Long Beach Ice Dogs on Wednesday.

``I couldn't believe it,'' Rosa said of being recalled. ``At first, I was shaking for a couple of hours inside, and I had butterflies. It was nice.''

Asked about the decision to recall Rosa, Coach Larry Robinson said of his offensively-challenged team: ``We've got to get some goals. We've been getting some chances but we're not getting goals. That's this kid's forte. We're not going to expect him to light the tree on fire in one game. But I think he'll get some chances.''

Well, Rosa lit the tree.

With the Islanders up, 1-0, in the first period, Rosa found some open space all to himself to the right of goalie Tommy Salo, and Vladimir Tsyplakov passed him the puck. Showing skill indicative of the reputation that preceded him to the Kings, Rosa used one motion to receive the pass, cradle the puck and slip it between Salo's pads.

Then, in the second period, Rosa stole the puck from defenseman Berard at the Islanders' blue line, faked Salo off his feet and slipped the puck into a virtually empty net, giving the Kings the 4-3 lead they carried into the third period.

Richter tied the score early in the third, beating Storr with an unscreened 50-foot slap shot.

In overtime, Duchesne got caught up ice, the Islanders gained an outnumbered rush, and after Marius Czerkawski's shot hit the post, Berard blasted the puck into the net.

For Rosa, a native of the Czech Republic who was a second-round choice in the 1995 draft, it was a grueling journey to Thursday night and his flirtation with becoming only the third player in history to record a hat trick in his first NHL game. Montreal's Alex Smart in 1943 and Atlanta's Real Cloutier in 1979 are the only ones to score three goals in their NHL debuts.

Two years ago, Rosa produced 153 points in the Quebec junior league. But last year, Rosa suffered a concussion when checked by Colorado's Rene Corbet during a preseason game, and he ended up appearing in only three minor-league games.

This season, after a strong training camp, Rosa was assigned to the Ice Dogs, for whom he had 13 points in 16 games. But Rosa also missed a stretch of time when symptoms of post-concussion syndrome returned.

``It was a big lesson,'' Rosa said of his medical problems. ``It was nothing nice, but it was a big lesson. I know the symptoms, I know my body more, I know if I feel bad what I have to do.''

One thing Rosa said he's learned is to take two Advils before every game. Thursday night, he gave the Islanders headaches.

As for finally making it to the NHL, Rosa said: ``I've been waiting for this since I knew the NHL existed. I went step by step through junior and getting drafted. I dreamed that one day I would get the call.''

Palffy ends holdout with Isles

Zigmund Palffy ended his two-month contract standoff with the New York Islanders on Thursday, signing a five-year deal worth about $5 million a season several hours before the Islanders played the Kings at the Forum.

Palffy, 26, a three-time 40-goal scorer, is expected to join the Islanders in time to make his season debut Tuesday night at home against the St. Louis Blues.

Kings general manager Dave Taylor acknowledged that he inquired about Palffy's availability in a trade when he learned of the signing.

Asked if the Islanders might have signed Palffy to trade him, Taylor said, ``They didn't sign him to trade him to us.''

Or anyone else, apparently, though there had been rumors that the Islanders and Vancouver Canucks might make a deal that would send disgruntled winger Pavel Bure to New York.

``We are thrilled to have Ziggy back in our lineup,'' Islanders general manager and coach Mike Milbury said. ``He is our most explosive offensive players and one of the most dynamic players in the game today.''

- Roger Phillips

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

PHOTO (1--Color--Ran in Final Edition only) Kings' Steve Duchesne pins Islanders' Steve Webb against the glass in the first period.

Kevin Karzin/Associated Press

(2--Ran in Final Edition only) PALFFY

BOX: (Ran in Final Edition only) Palffy ends holdout with Isles (see text)