Bodger Disturbed by What He Sees

Doug Bodger came to the Kings from the New Jersey Devils for this season, and he sees something that is disturbingly familiar in the Kings’ four-game losing streak and their having lost 10 of 11.

“We’re getting in a big hole here and I hope everybody realizes it,” said Bodger, 32. “I played with a bad team in San Jose, where we were out of it in January, and that makes for a long season. It’s just a wasted year, and I don’t have many years left. I want to win. . . . You don’t want to be going through February and March, playing for nothing.”

And you don’t want to have to negotiate from weakness.

“I wanted to come to this team,” said Bodger. “It looked like it was on the way up. I started young and have played 15 years. I don’t have many left, and I don’t have a contract at the end of the season.

“When you’re on a losing team, you know what happens? They say ‘Hey, you played on a bad team and we can’t use you,’ and that’s it, it’s over.”

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King winger Steve McKenna, sidelined for more than a month because of an abdominal strain, has been cleared for duty and could play as early as next Wednesday, against the Washington Capitals. . . . Defenseman Rob Blake will be examined Monday to determine his progress in recovering from a broken foot. . . . About 1,000 tickets remain for tonight’s game.

TONIGHT vs. Detroit, 7:30

Fox Sports West

Site--Great Western Forum.

Radio--KRLA (1110).

Records--Kings 6-16-3, Red Wings 13-9-1.

Record vs. Red Wings (1997-98)--2-1-1.

Update--The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions had to deal with some “What’s wrong with the Red Wings?” stories early in the season when they stumbled a bit, but they quickly answered, “Nothing.” But that doesn’t keep Coach Scotty Bowman from experimenting with specialty teams that are already formidable. Detroit has killed off 21 of 23 power plays over the last six games, including three in a 2-2 tie Friday night against San Jose.