NOTES : Zhitnik’s Head Aches From Lefebvre’s Check

Alexei Zhitnik watched from the bench Tuesday night as the Kings lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2, in overtime in Game 5 of the Campbell Conference finals.

He had an excellent seat, but it’s hard to say how much he could see.

Zhitnik, his head covered with a cold compress, was suffering from a mild concussion, visual problems and a cut on the back of the head.

All that was caused when Toronto defenseman Sylvain Lefebvre rode Zhitnik into the boards head first 10:25 into the overtime.

“I don’t even know how he got the laceration,” said team doctor Ron Kvitne, “because his helmet never came off.”

Zhitnik would not have been allowed to go back into the game, according to Kvitne, even if it had gone into a second overtime.

Zhitnik’s availability for Game 6 Thursday night has not been determined.

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Fellow defenseman Tim Watters did get back into the game after inadvertently colliding with teammate Marty McSorley in the second period.

Watters, bleeding heavily from a split lip when he left the ice, required 12 stitches before returning.