Smolinski Believes in Miracles

Bryan Smolinski, called a medical “miracle” by Ronald Kvitne, the Kings’ doctor, skated with the team Tuesday and accompanied the Kings to Detroit for their first-round playoff series, which begins Thursday.

“We’re still assuming that he won’t play, at least in the first two games,” Coach Andy Murray said. “We’ll be monitoring him closely tomorrow at practice.”

Smolinski, a center who had 20 goals and 56 points, suffered a torn ligament in his right knee April 3 at Phoenix when the Coyotes’ Travis Green slipped and rolled into the leg with 16.5 seconds to play.

Kvitne said Eric Lindros had what was diagnosed as a less-severe tear and “couldn’t play for three months.”

Smolinski benefited from quick treatment that kept swelling down, Kvitne added.

Smolinski is wearing a knee brace, and Murray’s judgment reflects his usual assumption of a worst-case scenario that allows anything different to be a pleasant surprise.

If Smolinski is able to play, he will probably rejoin Glen Murray on a line that includes Craig Johnson, which would allow the Kings to reunite high-scoring Ziggy Palffy and Luc Robitaille with center Jozef Stumpel.

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Stumpel kidded Palffy about the Kings leaving success alone, but there was no doubt that they welcomed Palffy back Tuesday.

The Kings were 5-4-3-1 without Palffy, who suffered a sprained shoulder in a March 15 game at the Arrowhead Pond.

The Kings worked on several power-play situations, some with Palffy and some without. They were five for their last 11 in the regular season on the power play but will probably put Palffy back on the ice with Robitaille and Stumpel with the man advantage against Detroit.

That unit was among the league leaders in the first half of the season.