Murray Considers Juggling Lines

The Kings were given Sunday off as Coach Andy Murray pondered whether to extend a line switch of right wingers Donald Audette and Ziggy Palffy.

The two exchanged linemates for the third period of Saturday’s 5-3 loss to Montreal in an effort to provide energy to both lines and to bring Audette’s finishing ability to the first line, also composed of Vladimir Tsyplakov and Len Barrie; and Palffy’s playmaking skills to the second line, also composed of Glen Murray and Bryan Smolinski.

Either way is OK with Palffy.

“It doesn’t matter who you play with,” he said after scoring twice, once in the third period with the new combination. “You have to compete either way.”

Palffy, Luc Robitaille and Jozef Stumpel had made up the first line since the opening day of training camp, but Robitaille will be out one to four more weeks and Stumpel will probably be out until February.

Audette has combined with Murray and Smolinski in what has, at times, been the most productive of the King lines.

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The announcement of a three-years-plus-option extension of the contract of Dave Taylor, the Kings’ senior vice president and general manager, will probably be delayed for as long as a week because of logistics. Team President Tim Leiweke was with another Philip Anschutz property, the Galaxy, at the MLS championship game this weekend; and Taylor left for Toronto on Sunday. There, he will attend Wayne Gretzky’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, then stay to watch four games involving juniors.

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After being scratched during the past six games, center Jason Blake exchanged places with Dan Bylsma on Saturday night and picked up two assists.

Blake had played three games with the Ice Dogs while continuing to work out with the Kings and said the time spent on the ice in the IHL helped.

“It’s a situation in which I had to get my confidence back,” Blake said.