Burke will be put right to work

No one was throwing palm leaves on the ground as goaltender Sean Burke walked into the Kings’ dressing room Friday. Still, there was a sense of relief.

Burke went through his first practice with the Kings since being claimed on waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was brought in to prop up an increasingly unstable goaltender situation and, for one day, did just that.

“He’s cool and calm when you see him in practice,” center Craig Conroy said. “It’s very relaxing.”

Said Coach Marc Crawford: “If nothing else, he has a presence about him.... It’s hard to put your finger on what a presence, but he has it.”

Now comes the hard part -- a game.

Burke will be in net tonight when the Kings play the Phoenix Coyotes. The Kings have stumbled along, using rookies Barry Brust and Yutaka Fukufuji in net since Mathieu Garon went on injured reserve because of a broken finger Jan. 12 and Dan Cloutier underwent hip surgery.

Burke gives the Kings an NHL-savvy goaltender, even if he hasn’t played in an NHL game since April 29, when he stopped 35 shots in 3-2 loss to Ottawa in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Burke has been with Springfield, the Lightning’s American Hockey League affiliate, and has not played in “about a month and a half,” he said.

“I just want to show the guys they can have confidence in me as a goaltender,” Burke said.

Garon had played well at times but has been injured twice. Brust and Fukufuji “were not ready to play in the NHL,” Crawford said.

Burke, who has played in 797 NHL games over 17 seasons, commands immediate respect, even if his skills are not what they once were.

“Even he said, ‘I’m not going to perform miracles,’ although we hope he can,” Conroy said.

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Crawford said Garon, who had X-rays taken Friday on his broken finger, would not practice with the team until after the All-Star break. Garon’s earliest return, Crawford said, would be against Calgary Jan. 30.

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TONIGHT

vs. Phoenix, 7:30, FSN West

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 1150.

Records -- Kings 16-27-6, Coyotes 21-24-2.

Record vs. Coyotes -- 3-2-0.

Update -- The Kings sent Brust back to Manchester, their AHL team. Defenseman Mike Weaver returned to the Kings after spending two weeks on a conditioning assignment with Manchester. Forward Marty Murray cleared waivers and was sent to Manchester.

Tickets -- (888) 546-4752.

chris.foster@latimes.com