Jokinen Becomes the Center of Attention

The job isn’t supposed to be different. He’s still centering a line, but Olli Jokinen knows that playing center between wingers Luc Robitaille and Glen Murray isn’t the same as having some of the other Kings on his flank.

“I have to stay high because the guys like to go to the corner, go to the net,” said Jokinen, who centered the same line during training camp and then joined Robitaille and Murray after coming back from Springfield of the AHL in early November. But he has moved around since--until a week ago.

“I have to play more defense because the guys like to make plays down low.”

He may well be mistaken in his assessment, according to Coach Larry Robinson.

“I’m seeing him too high the last couple of games,” Robinson said. “I still want him to get into it in front of the net.”

The line is, on paper, the Kings’ best but has struggled of late. Robitaille hasn’t scored in seven games, a season-long drought; Murray in 11, 10 of them since coming back after a knee injury; and Jokinen nine.

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Kings’ trainer Pete Demers and massage therapist Dan Garcia were called by the Great Western Forum to work on singer Marilyn Manson, who has a sprained ankle, and the rest of his band before a Sunday night concert.

Tonight

vs. Ottawa

7:30, Fox Sports West

* Site--Great Western Forum.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 25-36-5, Senators 38-19-8.

* Record vs. Senators--0-1.

* Update--After San Jose had scored three times in the first 6:58 Saturday night, Ottawa replaced goalie Damian Rhodes with Ron Tugnutt, merely the NHL’s leader in goals-against average at 1.60. Tugnutt, who has had an injured knee, shut out the Sharks the rest of the way but was too late to prevent an 3-2 loss. Not that it hurt all that much. The Senators still have 84 points, four more than anybody else in the Eastern Conference, and are 8-3 over their past 11 games.

* Tickets--1-888-546-4752.