Sandstrom May Be Able to Play Friday

Tomas Sandstrom skated for about 15 to 20 minutes Wednesday at Culver City and could return to the Kings’ lineup as early as Friday night, when the Kings play the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their Smythe Division final playoff series at the Forum.

Sandstrom, a right wing who skates on the Kings’ No. 1 line with Wayne Gretzky and Tony Granato, was thought to be lost to the Kings for at least a month and possibly for the remainder of the playoffs after breaking a bone above his right knee last Saturday night in Game 2 of the series.

But, “he showed dramatic improvement in the last 48 hours, in terms of his comfort (and) his ability to move the knee,” team physician Steve Lombardo told reporters Wednesday night at the Northlands Coliseum.

Sandstrom has undergone therapy all week, Lombardo said.

“He has responded very favorably to it, to the point where his strength is excellent and he’s very comfortable, so we permitted him to skate for about 15 to 20 minutes and he did remarkably well,” Lombardo said.

“So, his status now has been converted from a week-to-week thing to day to day. As far as him playing, a target date has not (been set) at this time. We’ll have to see how he responds to the stress he put on the knee (Wednesday). A major barometer on when he (might) play will be comfort.”

How could Sandstrom play so soon? “The fracture is in a non-vital area of the bone,” Lombardo said. “He doesn’t run a significant risk of any further damage. It’s not in a critical area, where if he reinjured it, it would create a more significant problem.”

He said Sandstrom will be fitted with a customized brace.

Sandstrom, who scored 45 goals to share the team lead with Luc Robitaille and ranked third among the Kings with 89 points during the regular season, was injured in the first period of a 4-3 double-overtime loss when Oiler defenseman Craig Muni checked him in the middle of the ice.

At practice Sunday, he wore a splint but said he hoped to recover in time to play in the Stanley Cup final, should the Kings make it.

Sandstrom has a history of recovering quickly from injuries.

Last season, after suffering a facial fracture, scratched cornea and bleeding in his right eye during a brawl in a game against the Oilers, he was fitted with a full-face visor and missed only two games.

Lombardo was encouraged after examining him Sunday.

“He didn’t respond with the usual amount of swelling that an injury of this type would (usually produce),” Lombardo said. “I sort of felt like I would be able to tell more at the 48-to-72-hour mark.

“Sometimes an injury doesn’t declare itself, in terms of the severity of it, until you see what the tissue reaction is. A lot of the tissue reaction he’s had has been very (limited), in terms of swelling and inflammation. So, basically, he was on crutches and in a splint when he walked into therapy on Monday, and he had the crutches and splint under his arm (when he left). He’s a very tough individual, (has) a high threshold of pain.”

When Sandstrom’s right knee was tested Tuesday, Lombardo said, its strength was “equal to, or superior to, the other knee.”

As of Wednesday night, he said, Sandstrom was pain-free.

“The fact that he’s on the ice is a dramatic change from where he was on the night of the injury,” Lombardo said.

He said Sandstrom will be examined again today. Determining when he might play, Lombardo said, would be a “committee” decision.

“Some people would say, ‘This is a fracture and this is outrageous that he plays,’ ” Lombardo said. “They’d have to examine him and look at the X-rays to understand why this decision was made.

“Obviously, we want to get him back as soon as possible, but within a reasonable standard of comfort and (potential) risk.”