TAYLOR MASTERS ART OF THE DEAL.

Byline: Matt McHale NHL 

Hollywood always needs a story line.

Luc Robitaille is scoring goals like the good old days. New coach Andy Murray is part headmaster, part rink rat. Downtown is not down anymore, not with a glitzy new arena called Staples Center.

But those things are only part of the reason the Kings' improbable first month really is not that surprising, and why barring injuries they should remain very competitive in the NHL's toughest division.

General manager Dave Taylor, who at this moment is sitting in some drafty barn in Quebec looking at teen-age prospects, has reshaped the Kings the old-fashioned way, completing two trades since last December that clearly has made the club much more than a facade.

In fact, heading into tonight's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Kings have more goals than any team in the league.

During the summer, Taylor acquired high-scoring Ziggy Palffy from the New York Islanders. But in the same deal he got Bryan Smolinski, whose career had stalled on a series of last-place teams.

He now is part of a second line that has scored 20 points in its last eight games. His linemate Donald Audette came from Buffalo for a draft choice almost a year ago.

In the first 13 games, the Kings have gotten 12 goals from Palffy, Smolinski and Audette. In return, the Islanders and Sabres have gotten one goal - by former No. 1 pick Ollie Jokinen.

The ratio is nearly a goal a game. Last season, the Kings averaged 2.3 goals. Now it's 3.4. See the connection.

Certainly it helps that Robitaille has regained the scoring touch thought lost just two years ago. Or that first-line center Jozef Stumpel, the club's leading scorer during the 1997-98 season, appears back after a year slowed by a hip injury.

The windfall has been so good for the Kings that winger Vladimir Tsyplakov, who saw considerable action on the first and second lines the past few seasons, has been a healthy scratch many times already this season. He does not have a position to play.

As a skill player, Tsyplakov is not equipped for duty on the physical third and fourth lines that are designed to stop the other team's top unit.

Both trades have been a boon for Taylor, who had a lot of people whispering in his ear last season that he needed to open Staples Center with a flashy free agent like Pavel Bure or Theo Fleury.

When Vancouver dangled Bure last season, Taylor didn't bite, even though he knew he needed to put a more exciting product in the new building than the one that missed the playoffs five of the previous six years.

Bure had back-to-back 60-goal seasons on his resume. Fleury was among the league's top offensive players and the heart and soul of the Calgary Flames.

Bure was traded to Florida, signed a huge new contract and quickly went down with a knee injury that is still bothering him. The Bure who is tied with Robitaille and Montreal's Brian Savage for the league lead in goals is Calgary's Valeri Bure.

Fleury was traded to Colorado, which lost him when the big-money New York Rangers came calling last summer.

The Rangers have a $60 million payroll and only four victories.

ROENICK ON THE MOVE?

Travis Green, who was a bust with the Islanders and Mighty Ducks, has come on so strong in Phoenix and might have made Jeremy Roenick expendable.

Green is now the first-line center and Roenick is considering his future. One report has him possibly headed to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for center Brendan Morrison and left winger Patrick Elias.

Blue Lines

A Fine Predicament

Anaheim's Ruslan Salei is back after his 10-day suspension for hitting Dallas forward Mike Modano. His fine was the fourth highest in NHL history. Here is the list:

Player Fine Gms Yr

1. Sergei Fedorov, Det $386,178.85 5 1999

2. Rick Tocchet, Pho $131,097.55 5 1998

3. Rob Blake, LA $128,475.60 2 1999

4. Ruslan Salei, Ana $109,756.10 10 1999

5. Bryan Marchment, TB $109,756.08 8 1998

STAR STRUCK

The Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars might have the best record in the NHL over the past three seasons, but when they lose, they lose hard. The Stars were shut out seven times last season - third most in franchise history - and already have been shut out three times this season.

LISTEN UP

Like the rest of the teams this season, the Red Wings underwent diversity training this past week. The NHL-sponsored session was conducted by sensitivity trainer Zachary Minor and Willie O'Ree, who broke the NHL's color barrier. This is the first year for such training after a couple of ugly racial incidents. Players were shown a film with five vignettes illustrating racial, ethnic and gender harassment.

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BOX: Blue Lines (see text)