A Shot at Red Winged

The Kings got a break--and a sprain--that might help them rebound from their series-opening loss to the Detroit Red Wings and end their 13-game playoff losing streak.

If not now, maybe never.

Detroit forward Brendan Shanahan, who had two goals and an assist in the Red Wings’ 5-3 victory Wednesday, learned Thursday he broke a bone in his left foot when he blocked a shot by Aaron Miller and will miss the rest of the teams’ first-round playoff series.

Coupled with the sprained left ankle that drove Detroit captain Steve Yzerman out of Wednesday’s game in the first period--and probably out of Game 2 Saturday at Joe Louis Arena and Game 3 Sunday night at Staples Center--the Red Wings suddenly face a potential loss of leadership, finesse and raw physical strength.

“The only thing I was hoping was, I’d get a call and someone says Sergei Fedorov broke his arm,” King Coach Andy Murray joked. “There’s probably not a heck of a lot we’ll do different. They’ll put Pat Verbeek in there, and he plays with the same grit and determination as Shanahan, although maybe not with the same offensive upside.

“I’m really trying to focus on our team. It all depends on our determination and work ethic.”

Detroit Coach Scotty Bowman, unusually candid in acknowledging the injuries, wouldn’t detail his plans beyond saying he will continue to rotate four lines and won’t shift the emphasis to defense. Verbeek and Boyd Devereaux are expected to replace Shanahan and Yzerman.

“Injuries are part of the game. We know that,” Bowman said. “[The Kings] have played a lot of games without Aaron Miller and he had been playing real good, and they were able to get through that and were able to put players in different roles. We have depth on this team, and we’re going to see how we get through it. . . . In a series like this, it’s a matter of making up your lines and different options. We have guys that play on different lines.”

Shanahan, valued for his size, skill and indomitable will, said he was in considerable pain after Miller’s shot struck him on the laces of his skate in the third period. He hoped it was merely a bruise and finished the game, but became alarmed when he awoke Thursday and couldn’t put weight on his leg. X-rays showed the damage.

Shanahan was given crutches and fitted with a removable boot so he can undergo therapy to accelerate the healing process. He’s unsure how long he will be out.

“I go down to block shots all the time,” said Shanahan, who led the Red Wings in scoring with 31 goals and 76 points this season. “You’re pretty well protected, and your skate serves as extra protection, but not on the laces.

“It’s really disappointing. You get so excited for the playoffs and you gear yourself up, hoping for and expecting a big playoff run. I’m still hoping I’ll be back. I don’t think it’s the end of the playoffs for me.”

Nor for the Red Wings.

“It’s a test of our depth, but we’ve got guys who can do it,” said Shanahan, who shoots right-handed but usually plays the left side with various linemates in Bowman’s ever-changing line combinations. “The personality of our team is that if someone goes down, we’ve got guys who step up and do it.”

Yzerman, who tied Gordie Howe’s club record Wednesday by playing in his 154th playoff game, injured his ankle late in the season and aggravated it Wednesday. He got treatment Thursday while his teammates practiced at Joe Louis Arena, but he left without speaking to reporters.

“He’s out for the weekend, I’m pretty sure,” Bowman said. “He’s not any better. It’s not like you have to put in your roster now, but the way it is now, he’s very doubtful. I think he’s very disappointed because it’s the playoffs and he’s been there [injured] before.”

Yzerman missed the first game of the Red Wings’ sweep of the Kings last spring because of a knee injury. He had no goals and three assists in that series. Shanahan had a goal and two assists.

Yzerman, one of the NHL’s top two-way forwards and one of the first eight players named to the Canadian Olympic team for the Salt Lake City Games, will be missed in the locker room as much as on the ice.

“He’s irreplaceable,” goaltender Chris Osgood said. “We have to figure a way for guys to step up and fill his spot. Sergei can do that, and so can other guys.”

Said center Kris Draper, “Obviously, you’re taking our captain out and one of our best players. When a guy like that goes down, guys have got to rise to the challenge. Whatever the lineup is, guys in here have got to go out and play the kind of game we played in the third period [Wednesday].”

Bowman also said he was unsure if defenseman Chris Chelios’ broken thumb has healed sufficiently. Chelios, who will play with a cast, said he’s close to returning but wouldn’t elaborate.

NHL PLAYOFFS

Kings vs. Detroit

GAME 2

Saturday

10 a.m.

Channel 7