Kings battle illness before taking on Ducks

Apparently, the Ducks aren’t the only ailing team in the area.

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter disclosed Wednesday that “a bunch” of his players are not feeling well. He declined to offer more specifics -- not wanting to make excuses -- and because the day’s morning skate at El Segundo was an optional one, it was unclear how many were under the weather.

“I don’t like talking about it because it’s sort of the popular thing around the league now for guys to use as an excuse, and we don’t,” Sutter said.

There were no line rushes Wednesday morning, and Martin Jones was the only goalie on the ice. That was not unusual, and No. 1 goalie Jonathan Quick was at the training complex in the morning.

Defenseman Jamie McBain, signed Tuesday to a one-year, two-way contract, is scheduled to make his Kings’ debut Wednesday night against the Ducks. In fact, the conversation about McBain and his potential partner on defense was what led Sutter to mention that some of the players were sick.

And how is Sutter feeling?

“Me? If I was any better, I could play,” he said, drawing laughter.

It sounded as though the current illness hitting the Kings started this week. Before the mysterious sickness hit the Ducks, the St. Louis Blues were the most notable example of an NHL team getting hit hard this season. Some of the Blues were suffering from a bacterial infection, not the flu, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.