Ligament Injury Familiar to Fiset

Another MRI exam has revealed a familiar picture for King goalie Stephane Fiset.

A ligament in his left knee is injured again.

Officially, doctors on Saturday said Fiset suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in the knee when Minnesota’s Wes Walz skidded into him while scoring the Wild’s first goal in a 4-3 victory Friday night at St. Paul.

Fiset injured the same ligament in an exhibition game in September at the Arrowhead Pond. Doctors prescribed a brace for him after that injury, which cost him the season’s first 25 games.

“No question I was saved by that brace,” Fiset said.

The Kings played Jamie Storr in goal for 22 of those first 25 games, and he will be in there again Tuesday night when they play host to San Jose. His backup will be either Steve Passmore or Marcel Cousineau, one of whom will be recalled from Lowell of the American Hockey League.

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The Kings returned winger Scott Thomas to Manitoba of the International Hockey League. He played in two games for the Kings as a roster replacement for Ziggy Palffy, who has a strained hamstring.

They were the first NHL games in seven years for Thomas.

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Palffy continues to work out and is said to be improving, as is Glen Murray (knee surgery), whom doctors cleared Saturday for light practice with the Kings.

Neither will play against the Sharks, but both could accompany the Kings on their four-city trip that begins with a game at St. Louis on Thursday and winds through Dallas, Detroit and Colorado.

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The Kings skated in a light workout Saturday after a long flight back from St. Paul in which they arrived in Southern California in predawn darkness.

NHL rules do not allow them to practice today and Monday, and their next workout will be the game-day skate Tuesday before playing San Jose.