Stumpel Joins Laperriere on List of Injured Centers

From being flush with centers a couple of days ago, the Kings suddenly find themselves more than a little short for tonight’s game at St. Louis.

An MRI on Monday showed Ian Laperriere’s left knee has a bone bruise and is strained, but there is no cartilage or ligament damage from the injury he suffered in the first period of a Dec. 30 game against Edmonton.

Laperriere’s status is being called week to week.

He was joined on the sidelines in the first period Monday night at Dallas by Jozef Stumpel, who was banged into the boards by the Stars’ Blake Sloan and hobbled off the ice.

Stumpel has a bruised kneecap. His status is being called questionable for tonight, but chances are it’s going to take some medical magic to get him on the ice.

The addition of Bob Corkum, a recently signed free agent, helped alleviate the loss of Laperriere. Corkum centered the “stopper” line of Craig Johnson and Marko Tuomainen. Len Barrie was moved from the fourth line to replace Stumpel and skate with Ziggy Palffy and Vladimir Tsyplakov.

With Jason Blake playing at Long Beach, the Kings have three centers for tonight’s game against the Blues, and Dan Bylsma will probably become the fourth, moving from wing to the middle on the fourth line.

His place at wing could be taken by Donald Audette, who was scratched Monday night for the second game in a row.

*

Winger Luc Robitaille played in his 999th NHL game Monday night at Dallas. He will be honored for Game No. 1,000 on Jan. 11, before the Kings’ game against Ottawa.

TONIGHT

at St. Louis, 5 PST

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Kiel Center.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 17-15-6-2, Blues 23-11-5-0.

* Record vs. Blues--1-0.

* Update--Pierre Turgeon leads St. Louis with 24 points in his last 15 games. He had a goal and an assist in Monday night’s 5-2 win over the Rangers at New York. The Kings’ 3-2 win in this season’s second game broke a losing streak at St. Louis that stretched to Jan. 11, 1997.