Impressive Weekend Called Very Satisfying

A weekend spent across the border, beating teams that they have to beat to make the playoffs, gave the Kings an emotional lift that carried into a Monday off.

“I think it was just a matter of time,” said winger Bryan Smolinski, whose goal began the scoring in Sunday’s 2-1 victory at Vancouver.

“We’ve had a couple of injuries. With Fis [Stephane Fiset] coming back, we have two goalies who can compete and no one guy to have to carry the load.”

Fiset and Jamie Storr both had victories over the weekend, Fiset on Sunday, Storr on Saturday night at Edmonton.

“We’ve missing Muzz [winger Glen Murray] and when Muzz comes back, it’s going to move us even further,” Smolinski added.

Murray skated Monday for the first time since suffering a knee injury Nov. 18.

“We still think that it’s going to be after Christmas before we get him back,” Coach Andy Murray said. “For now, he can skate 10-15 minutes at a time.”

Glen Murray was joined by defenseman Jere Karalahti, who has been sidelined since he was hit on the foot by a shot from the New York Rangers’ Theoren Fleury in a game Nov. 28 at New York. The injury was not believed serious at the time, but Karalahti has been scratched for the Kings’ last five games.

“We think we’ll have him back by the weekend,” Murray said.

That would mean perhaps for Saturday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but first there is a rematch against the Rangers on Thursday at Staples Center.

The Kings do not play until then, and they will go into the game with a three-game winning streak, and with victories in four of five.

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Murray took a look at the schedule and decided the Kings are in a pretty good situation because, while they are solidly in the Western Conference playoff race, they have done so with the fewest home games in the conference. They have played only 12 home games and have only four more among the nine they play before year’s end.