Johnson Will Miss the Rest of the Season

The ever-diminishing King roster lost another player Wednesday when winger Craig Johnson was judged out for the rest of the season after foot surgery.

An instant after scoring the Kings’ only goal, at 1:20 of the third period of a 2-1 loss to San Jose on Tuesday, Johnson crashed into the end boards and his left skate sliced the flexor tendon of his right foot.

Johnson, who has four goals and nine points this season, was immediately put on injured reserve. Winger Scott Thomas, who played in two games for the Kings before being sent back to Manitoba of the IHL, has been recalled and is expected to play on a line with Bryan Smolinski and Jozef Stumpel tonight against St. Louis.

Thomas will join a group that includes winger Brad Chartrand and goalie Steve Passmore, both added to the battered roster since the Kings lost, 4-3, at Minnesota three days before Christmas.

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Passmore will start again in goal tonight for the Kings. The last time he played against St. Louis, the Kings were defeated, 7-1, on Oct. 19, and Passmore, who had started three of the four previous games, went back to the minor leagues a few days later.

“I felt Passmore deserved a chance after that last game,” King Coach Andy Murray said of the St. Louis blowout and also of Passmore’s performance against San Jose. Passmore stopped Mike Ricci on a short-handed breakaway out of the penalty box and turned back 30 shots.

Murray also said Jamie Storr will start Friday at Dallas.

Goalie Stephane Fiset is out indefinitely after suffering a knee injury at Minnesota on Friday.

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Winger Glen Murray, out because of a knee injury since Nov. 18, is with the team and the Kings are hopeful of having him in the lineup Sunday night at Detroit.

Winger Ziggy Palffy did not accompany the team to St. Louis and remains on injured reserve.

TONIGHT

at St. Louis, 4:30 PST, ESPN2

* Site--Savvis Center.

* Radio--KSPN (1110).

* Records--Kings 15-13-7-1, Blues 24-4-4-0.

* Record vs. Blues--0-1-1.

* Update--St. Louis is on an 11-0-1 roll. Goaltender Roman Turek has a 2.1 goals-against average and four shutouts, but his backup, rookie Brent Johnson, has the league’s best goals-against average at 1.47 and is 12-1. He has three shutouts, including a 5-0 victory over Columbus on Saturday. The Blues’ recent success has been fueled by Pavol Demitra, who has eight goals and 10 assists in his last six games, 14 goals and 15 assists in his last 17. Linemate Michal Handzus has an eight-game point streak, with five goals and six assists in that time. The Kings are 0-5-1-1 in their last six games.