Laperriere in Position to Contribute

Sometimes Ian Laperriere has to stop and wonder where he is supposed to be. And what.

Is he a center? A winger?

He has been both in games lately, as he was Saturday, when he had his usual job, centering a checking line with Matt Johnson and Dan Bylsma, then moving to wing in the second period on a line centered by Jozef Stumpel, with Vladimor Tsyplakov on the other wing.

Oh, and Laperriere also killed penalties, the job he enjoys most.

“When I’m on PK, I feel like I do more for the team than just hit people,” said Laperriere, whose long suit is physical play.

That aspect of his game showed Saturday on the first Pittsburgh power play, when Laperriere broke up a pass to German Titov, who was set up in front of the King goal. Instead, Titov joined his teammates chasing the puck to their end of the ice.

But Laperriere has benefited from that versatility with additional ice time. He has averaged about eight minutes a game as a center, but played more than 12 on Thursday, when he also played center and wing.

“When I’m on wing, I’ll tell my center to yell at me if I’m out of position,” he said.

Whatever that position is.

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Defenseman Steve Duchesne limped off the ice at the morning skate, favoring his right leg, and was scratched from Saturday night’s game.

A release from the team attributed the scratch to back spasms.

Duchesne has struggled with a thigh bruise, suffered when he was hit by a puck in a game against Edmonton on Jan. 9, and aggravated several times since, including Saturday morning.

“I keep trying to get out of the way of pucks, and they keep finding me,” Duchesne said.

Duchesne’s assist in that Edmonton game gave him 304 points for his career as a King, making him the all-time leader among King defensemen, a point better than Mark Hardy.

Doug Bodger took Duchesne’s place on the power play, which struggled, giving up a short-handed goal by Ian Moran on its first opportunity in the opening period.

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After talking about opening next season in London, then about playing exhibition games in England, the Kings have decided to stay in North America.

They had talked about a two-game series with Ottawa, with a game in London, where King owner Philip Anshutz also owns the London Knights, and another in Manchester, which would take some of the pressure off construction of the Staples Center.

But construction of the new downtown building is apparently on schedule, with a certificate of occupancy due for Sept. 30, and with the Kings able to open their season there. They still have the Great Western Forum as a backup option.