Kings to Play in Minnesota Tonight

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The Kings will reach the midway point of their season tonight when they play the Minnesota North Stars.

Last season at this stage, the Kings had a 16-16-8 record, but they are 12-23-4 this time around.

Minnesota (15-17-7) has won six of its last seven games and is in third place in the Norris Division, one point behind the St. Louis Blues. The North Stars defeated the Kings, 4-2, on Nov. 23 at the Met Center here.

Center Neal Broten of the North Stars missed practice Thursday because he was in court, where he was convicted of drunken driving. Broten was fined $250. He also was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but that was suspended for a year pending his completion of a drug-alcohol awareness program.

Broten is the team’s leading scorer with 16 goals in 39 games.