Palffy could bring some pizazz to Kings

Steve Carp

Friday, Sept. 10, 1999 | 12:02 p.m.

After all the acrimony, Zigmund Palffy knew he was going to be moving last spring. So much for that nice new home he had recently bought in Old Westbury on Long Island.

The superstar-in-waiting had pretty much worn out his welcome with the New York Islanders, especially general manager Mike Milbury. For a while, it appeared the talented right wing from the Czech Republic could keep his residence as the Islanders and Rangers were talking trade.

But the trade fell through and Palffy wound up being dealt to Los Angeles. And while he's stuck with a million-dollar home on the Island, Palffy's career is likely to get out of first gear -- and possibly to the fastest track of his seven-year NHL career -- with the Kings.

First-year coach Andy Murray has put Palffy on a line with Luc Robitaille and Jozef Stumpel. That trio will be on display Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden when the Kings open their NHL preseason schedule against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Tickets, priced from $20-$60, remain on sale at the Grand Garden box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. A crowd of between 8,000-9,000 is expected.

"It can be an exciting line," Palffy said. "Both Luc and Stumpel can score. All of us know how to put the puck in the net."

And if Murray is true to his word to open things open offensively and let Palffy and Co. do their thing, it could be very exciting at the Staples Center.

The Kings move into their beautiful new home in downtown Los Angeles Oct. 20. Palffy is a big part of the equation to get the team back in the playoffs and revive interest at the turnstiles that has been waning since Wayne Gretzky left for St. Louis nearly four years ago.

"It's a great opportunity," Palffy said of coming to Los Angeles. "There's solid ownership here and they're committed to winning. It's a very good situation.

"In Long Island, the ownership was the key. They didn't want to spend the money and they took apart what could have been a very good team."

So while the Islanders continue to search for stable ownership and a modern building to replace the mausoleum-like Nassau Coliseum, Palffy gets to re-ignite his career in grandeur and splendor.

He averaged 46 goals for three straight seasons before last year's holdout and battles with Milbury limited him to just 50 games. He managed 22 goals over that period, playing with new faces for the most part, as the Islanders continued dismantling their young talent.

Playing with Robitaille and Stumpel, Palffy won't be double-teamed as much and it'll force opponents to deal with the line as a unit more than as individuals.

However, that doesn't mean Palffy will finally break through the 50-goal barrier. At least, it's not his primary objective.

"I don't look at it that way," he said. "I never set any (individual) goals. You can't predict what's going to happen. You can get injured. The puck doesn't go into the net. Whatever.

"My goal is to play hard every night and play the best I can. I do that, the goals will come."

* FROZEN FURY NOTES: Along with Palffy and linemates Robitaille and Stumpel, several Kings regulars are expected to play, including Rob Blake, Garry Galley, Aki Berg and Glen Murray. ... Coyotes fans will get to watch the NHL head coaching debut of Bobby Francis, the former Boston Bruins assistant who takes over for the departed Jim Schoenfeld. If you're an old-time hockey fan and Francis' name sounds familiar, it should. He's the son of Hall of Famer Emile "The Cat" Francis, ex-Rangers coach.