Blake’s Back and It Shows

Rob Blake was back on the ice Sunday night, which actually is unusual.

“You’ve got to remember, I’ve only played like a game and half in two months,” he said.

He played 27 minutes 36 seconds in the 4-1 victory over the Blackhawks, his first game since completing a three-game suspension for slashing Vancouver’s Harry York on Dec. 12.

That appearance was his first since Nov. 5, the time between the two games spent rehabilitating a broken foot.

Blake’s presence was quickly felt. The Kings went on the power play at 15:10 of the first period, and at 15:13 he had unleashed a shot at Chicago goalie Jocelyn Thibault. Ten seconds later, Blake fired another.

“That’s something that isn’t missing,” he said after taking nine shots in all, without scoring. “That’s a shooter’s attitude. The timing and wind can be off, but the shooting is there.”

And the Kings’ confidence was there.

“He makes a huge difference,” said Glen Murray, who had his 12th and 13th goals.

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The Kings’ first two goals came with the dubious intervention of Chicago’s Paul Coffey. After falling in front of Thibault to pave the way for Donald Audette’s goal at 1:38 of the first period, Coffey sent a short pass off the boards right to Murray, who fired in a goal at 7:09 of the first.

After that Coffey was benched for the rest of the night.

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King center Yanic Perreault was scratched for the first time this season, in part because of the addition of Audette, but also because Perreault has only two goals and seven assists since the fourth game of the season. He had played on the fourth line Saturday at St. Louis.