Jason Blake Feeling Down

Jason Blake is confused and frustrated. He sees an opportunity fleeing and wonders when another will come.

And he wonders if a shot against Boston on Sunday night that goalie Peter Skudra handled with ease wasn’t his undoing.

“Maybe if I’d scored on that breakaway,” Blake said, musing.

He was given an opportunity to fill in for Glen Murray, who injured his knee in a Nov. 18 game against Colorado. Three games later, Blake had not scored and was minus-five on the plus/minus scale. He also was in a box in New York on Tuesday night, watching Craig Johnson play the position and score against the Rangers. And watching Eric Belanger, called up from Lowell of the AHL earlier that day, score.

And wondering what the future might bring.

“My confidence is gone,” Blake said. “You just don’t know. When you don’t play three games, four games in a row, then play 18 minutes in a game like I did against New Jersey [in a 6-1 loss], you’re not in game shape, nothing happens.

“In college I was used to playing 25 minutes a game. I didn’t worry about scoring, because I knew I would have chances to score.”

He was a big fish in that pond. The NHL is a much bigger pond.

Blake retreats into his past, calling college coaches at night for advice and brooding because, though he’s only in his second season in the NHL, he’s 27.

And he can’t see a lot of opportunity.

Going down to Lowell is an option, though his contract pays him NHL money no matter where he plays and the Kings would have to expose him to waivers to send him down.

Learning to accept a different role is another option. But it’s an unsavory one for a forward used to playing.

“I don’t know what to do,” Blake said.

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When Belanger was brought back up to the Kings from Lowell, Coach Andy Murray said it was for Tuesday night’s game and he would be reviewed from there.

Belanger packed for 10 days.

“I can send for more clothes,” he said.

It’s probably time to plan that way.

Belanger went back to Southern California with the Kings, and if he plays Saturday night against Minnesota--and he probably will--he would have to go through waivers again to be sent back to Lowell. After a three-goals, four-assists-in-nine-games NHL performance that includes starting the season with the Kings, it’s unlikely he could get through waivers without being claimed.

He also lit up Lowell with eight goals and 18 points in 13 games, making him an even more inviting target for anybody searching the waiver wire.

So Belanger is probably in the NHL for a while,

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The Kings were off Wednesday after the cross-country trip from New York that followed a 7-6 loss to the Rangers.