He Just Wants Points

Their modest upsurge in recent weeks notwithstanding, the Kings have failed to gain ground in the playoff race.

Coach Andy Murray, however, claims not to have noticed. “I’m just really focused on how many points we have to get,” said Murray, who believes the Kings need a minimum of 93 to reach the playoffs. “If you asked me who we’re behind and by how many points, I might have trouble telling you.”

For the record, the Kings are nine points behind the Dallas Stars, who occupy the eighth and final Western Conference playoff position.

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Twenty games into the Jason Allison era, the Kings still are not quite in sync with the former Boston Bruin all-star, Murray said.

“You see him do some amazing things out there, and his strength is tremendous,” Murray said. “But I think there’s still a period of adjustment right now.”

It hasn’t helped, Murray said, that Allison and wingers Adam Deadmarsh and Ziggy Palffy, expected to form the Kings’ top scoring line, have been in the lineup together for only five full games because of injuries to Deadmarsh and Palffy. “I think his individual game has just continued to get better because he’s had some practice time,” Murray said of Allison, who has six goals and 11 assists in 20 games with the Kings.

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Felix Potvin, who will start Tuesday, got a day off after playing Saturday at St. Louis. “It’s back-to-back games, and it’s looking at our schedule ahead,” Murray said of his reasons for starting Jamie Storr.... Brad Chartrand sat out Sunday because of an abdominal injury.