They Pay Penalty for Undisciplined Play

With the March 14 trading deadline near and only a few points separating them from another playoff miss, the Kings must soon determine if they have the character to win under pressure.

A 5-2 loss to Carolina on Thursday resembled the undisciplined play that characterized their 4-12-1 slump in December and January. The Kings average 17.2 penalty minutes a game, and the four teams with more minutes will miss the playoffs.

“For a lot of guys, this is a real measuring stick as far as what kind of players they are, these last 18 games,” King Coach Andy Murray said Friday. “We have been in this situation for six months now and we should be used to it. We’ve got to continue to focus on our next game and what we have to do. . . .

“We’re in a battle and we have to play accordingly, and that means playing with discipline and battling every shift out there.”

The rumor mill lists Montreal left wing Shayne Corson, Atlanta right wing Kelly Buchberger, Tampa Bay center Chris Gratton and New York Islander center Claude Lapointe as available, and each has intensity or size. Each also would cost a lot in salary or players and draft picks.

There’s not much time for the Kings, 0-1-1 on a seven-game homestand, to decide their course.

“Frustration will be part of the game. It’s how you overcome frustration and whether you turn it into something creative that matters,” defenseman Mattias Norstrom said. “It’s something you have to do come playoff time.

“It’s time to see what we’re made of, if we can deal with frustration and get to the playoffs. This is a big test for us. . . . It’s a test in many ways for a team that hasn’t been in this situation before.”

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Stephane Fiset will start for the sixth time in seven games, emphasizing a shift away from a Fiset-Jamie Storr rotation to reliance on a hot goalie. “My feeling is we need both goaltenders. At this particular time we’re going with Steph,” Murray said. “We’re going on a game-to-game basis.”

TONIGHT

vs. Nashville, 7:30

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 30-26-8-3, Predators 22-36-6-5.

* Record vs. Predators--2-0.

* Update--The second-year Predators are eight points short of last season’s total, but they’ve lost three games in a row and squandered a 3-1 lead Thursday in a 4-3 loss at San Jose. Mike Dunham (3.00 goals-against, .901 save percentage) is expected to start.

* Tickets--(888) 546-4752