Cloutier’s goal is to secure playing time

His smiling face in the Kings’ media guide was about the only tangible evidence goaltender Dan Cloutier still had much of a link to Los Angeles.

You know how that out-of-sight-out-of-mind thing works.

Until Sunday.

That night, in Columbus, Ohio, Cloutier emerged from the wilderness – well, as much a wilderness as Manchester, N.H., is – and recorded his first victory of the season with the Kings. In a shootout, no less. That was one-sixth of the way to his win total of last season, six in 24 games played.

“At the start of the year, I went through a lot of stuff. I tried to stay as positive as I could and work my way back up,” he said Thursday after practice in El Segundo. “It was nice for guys to play such a good game in front of me for my first game.”

Injuries, mainly the hip requiring surgery in January 2007, had virtually put his career at a standstill and he said he was healthy about “two weeks” last season. He was sent to the Kings’ minor league team in Manchester during training camp in September and the plan was to get as much playing time as possible. Instead, Plan B unfolded.

“I went down to the minors at the start of the year expecting to play a lot of games and that didn’t happen for whatever reason and then I was very frustrated,” he said. “It was very tough mentally when you are told you’re going to play every game. Whether it’s good or bad, we’ll give you the chance to get your game back. I think I played a total of 12 games down there, so I wasn’t very happy with that.

“Then I was out for a long period of time, not even traveling with the team and the next thing you know I’m back up. There’s been a lot of weird things going on. Now I’m here and I’ll do my best up here and play as many games as I can.”

A rare positive moment was the birth of his daughter on Dec. 3, coming after a difficult pregnancy, requiring his wife, Nikki, to spend 15 days in the hospital. Then came a stretch following a cortisone shot in his hip that kept him out for eight weeks after he thought he would be out for three to four days. “I’m not going to go into that,” Cloutier said.

Kings Coach Marc Crawford thought Cloutier would probably get his next action when the Kings play three games in four nights, starting tonight against Calgary.

Scott Thornton (neck) tested himself briefly in practice, couldn’t continue and won’t play tonight, Crawford said. Defenseman Rob Blake (hairline fracture in his left ankle) is due to get another MRI exam this weekend.

TONIGHT

vs. Calgary, 7:30, FSN West

Radio – 1150.

Site – Staples Center.

Records – Kings 24-32-3, Flames 29-20-8.

Record vs. Flames – 0-3-0.

Update – Flames Coach Mike Keenan won his 613th game Tuesday in San Jose, putting him fifth on the all-time list, tying Bryan Murray.

lisa.dillman@latimes.com