Players Could Write a Book About Troubles

Desperate times call for desperate measures. And the Kings, their season slipping away in a rash of one-goal losses, “haven’t faced quite this much adversity ... in the two years I’ve been here,” Coach Andy Murray said Friday.

But handing out writing assignments for players?

Murray passed out pen and paper after practice and asked each player to complete the following sentence: “When I play my best hockey, I ...”

He didn’t say if the papers would be graded on spelling, punctuation or grammar, nor if they had to be single-or double-spaced.

But he did say the players faced a deadline and that each would be required to meet with the coach Friday to discuss his essay.

“Unbelievable,” muttered one, shaking his head. Another player, asked if he’d ever penned such a document for a coach, replied, “Never.”

“I want them to tell me what they do when they play their best hockey,” Murray explained, “so we know exactly what we’re looking for. And then we’ll get together to make sure we’re on the same wavelength.”

The struggling Kings have seemed out of sync this season. They’ve won only four of 16 games and their 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at Staples Center was their ninth in 10 one-goal games.

“We’ve played hard on a lot of nights,” Murray said, “but some of our top-end guys are not being the players they need to be right now, and that’s in every position from goal out. I can’t say they’ve been real bad, but they just haven’t been difference-makers. That’s why these guys have their agents call Dave [Taylor, the general manager] and say, ‘This is what you should pay this guy because he’s a difference-maker.’ ...

“Our workers have put us in a position where we’ve had a chance to win every game,” Murray continued, mentioning Ian Laperriere, Craig Johnson, Kelly Buchberger and Rob Valicevic, “but the guys that have to make the difference haven’t made the difference. Our difference-makers have to be there for us.”

If not, term papers could be next.

*

With the Kings trying to break out of their slump, “the thought crosses your mind to change the goalie,” Murray said, but he plans to stick with Felix Potvin.

“Felix has indicated that he needs to be in the net, he needs to know the team believes in him,” Murray said. “I think we’re giving him the opportunity.”

Potvin is 4-10-1 with a 2.67 goals-against average, which ranks 30th in the league, and .889 save percentage. He has started all but one game.

“I wouldn’t say Felix has necessarily played bad,” Murray said. “He’s like everybody else. He needs to play better.”

TONIGHT

vs. Detroit

Fox Sports Net

Site--Staples Center.

Radio--KSPN (1110).

Records--Kings 4-9-1-2, Red Wings 13-3.

Record vs. Red Wings--0-1.

Update--Ziggy Palffy, sidelined for four games because of back spasms, is expected to play for the Kings. Defenseman Aaron Miller, who has sat out eight games because of back spasms, is “50-50,” Murray said.

Tickets--(888) 546-4752.