Stumpel May Provide Boost

There’s a familiar face along on the Kings’ trip, but whether that face appears in a lineup has yet to be determined.

Center Jozef Stumpel, who led the Kings in points with 79 last season, is due to skate today and might play Tuesday night at Calgary after missing the last nine games because of a hip pointer and abdominal pain.

The absence of Stumpel might be a factor in the Kings’ struggling offense. They were shut out twice in a row at home and in three of four games overall. They just finished an 0-3-1 home stand.

The impotent power play might be helped by Stumpel, who led King forwards with 21 power-play points last season.

Stumpel suffered his injuries in the final exhibition, at Bakersfield against Vancouver, and tried to play through the pain in the season’s first four games, failing to earn a point.

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There apparently is another entry in the Pavel Bure sweepstakes, with Vancouver papers reporting that Canuck President and General Manager Brian Burke has given the New York Islanders permission to talk with the high-scoring forward.

The Kings have talked with Burke several times about Bure, who is under contract but unwilling to play for Vancouver.

According to the Province in Vancouver, the Canuck-Islander deal would have the team swapping Bure for Ziggy Palffy, who is holding out in Europe. He was talked to there by New York boss Mike Milbury, who came back empty-handed.

Tonight

At Vancouver, 7 p.m.

Fox Sports West

Site--General Motors Place.

Radio--KRLA (1110).

Records--Kings 4-6-3, Canucks 5-5-1.

Record vs. Canucks--0-1.

Update--It’s back on the road, where the Kings appear to be most comfortable with a 3-3-1 record, compared to 1-3-2 at home. The Canucks dealt them their first loss, 4-2, on Oct. 12 in a game in which two apparent King scores were waved off because winger Sandy Moger was detected--once wrongly--in the crease at the time. Vancouver had struggled in its last five games, going 1-3-1, until getting well against Nashville in a 5-3 victory Saturday night.