Pronger Will Improve Team Speed

Eric Lacroix left his mark on the Kings.

It was a message scrawled in red on the white wall of their locker room Saturday morning, reading: “Boys, Good Luck Tonite. See You Soon. E.”

With that, he vanished into the Eastern Conference, replaced by center Sean Pronger, whom the New York Rangers sent the other way in trade. How Lacroix could see the Kings soon--the two teams could meet again this season only in the NHL finals, the longest kind of shot--is anybody’s guess.

In Pronger, who was not available for Saturday night’s game against Dallas, the Kings get a better offensive player and a faster skater.

“I remember him from the Ducks,” Coach Larry Robinson said of Pronger’s first of four NHL stops. “I don’t know if he’s done it, but we might see if he can kill penalties.”

The idea is to see if Pronger can spell Vladimir Tsyplakov on the second line of that unit, the better to allow him to concentrate on offense.

Lacroix never quite fit in with the Kings. He frequently was scratched and failed to score, getting only one assist in 27 games.

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King defenseman Doug Bodger was pounded into the boards by Dallas’ Derian Hatcher and went off the ice because of bruised ribs at 10:49 of the first period. He did not return. Bodger has had two lengthy stays on the injured list: because of a broken hand, suffered on Oct. 30; and a cervical sprain, suffered when he was hammered from behind by Phoenix’s Dallas Drake on Dec. 28.