Schneider’s Revival Could Mean Best Season

He says he isn’t doing anything different, but the numbers refute that notion.

In his 12th NHL season, Mathieu Schneider is on pace to have the best year of his career, with 11 goals and 31 points in 41 games. Not a bad way to start with a new team.

The Kings signed Schneider in the off-season to provide a left-handed-shooting alternative to Rob Blake at the blue line on the power play, certainly hoping for more than he provided the New York Rangers last season.

That was a 10-goal, 30-assist effort in which he struggled on the ice, then found his way into then-coach John Muckler’s doghouse and became expendable as an unrestricted free agent.

“I’m doing the same things I’ve done the last couple of years,” Schneider insists. “But last year with the Rangers, the first 20 games I didn’t have a single point.”

The Kings saw a Stanley Cup ring on his resume, achieved when he played for Montreal in defeating them in the 1993 finals.

After a chilly season in his native New York, he has found a home with the Kings.

“I think he likes it here,” said Coach Andy Murray, asked to explain Schneider’s success.

It’s a simple explanation that bears more amplification.

“Andy likes us to join in the play,” Schneider said.

In that, every play has a defensive responsibility, but every player also is free to join the attack if those defensive responsibilities are met.

“And we’ve got some guys who can find you behind the play,” Schneider said.

His 11th goal, scored Thursday, came when Ziggy Palffy had the puck in the attacking zone and spotted Schneider coming in alone across the ice while the defense was bunched and favoring Palffy’s side. Palffy sent the puck to Schneider, who blasted away before the defense--or Florida goalie Trevor Kidd--could shift its attention.

And Kidd was blocked anyway.

“We’ve got some guys who can work around the net,” Schneider said. “Luc Robitaille is the best I’ve ever played with at doing that. Glen Murray’s great at it. Ziggy and Smoke [Bryan Smolinski] do it too.”

But what has helped Schneider as much as anything has been a change of scenery. He’s a New Yorker, but working in New York was getting old.

“It’s been great for me here,” he said. “It’s been a great change. I’m playing on a good team. I’m playing on a team that thinks it can win every time it goes on the ice. These guys want to win every game.”

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Andy Murray is looking for history to repeat itself with goalie Jamie Storr.

“You remember what he did last time he came back after Steve Passmore was played,” the coach said after Storr shut out Calgary, 5-0, on Saturday night.

To refresh, Storr was late to a team meeting on Oct. 13, and Passmore drew the start instead and shut out Boston. Storr came back and struggled against Phoenix, whereupon Passmore finished the game, then earned a 1-1 tie at Nashville before being shelled at St. Louis, 7-1.

That brought Storr back, and he went on an 8-3-3 run that included a 6-0-2 stretch in November.

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Storr’s shutout of Calgary was the ninth of his career, which ties him with Mario Lessard for fourth place on the Kings’ all-time list.

Stephane Fiset is just ahead, tied with Kelly Hrudy with 10. Atop the list is Rogie Vachon with 32.

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The Kings did not practice Sunday, mostly because they do not play again until Thursday, when Buffalo comes to town. . . . Saturday night’s sellout was the seventh this season for the Kings at Staples Center.