Breaking the Ice

On the morning of the trade that could change a season, the agent for Jason Allison approached Coach Andy Murray in the Kings’ Tampa hotel.

“It’s going to take him a little while to get in shape,” warned Bryant McBride.

“Fine,” Murray said. “He’s got three or four hours.”

The coach was kidding.

Sort of.

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Three or four hours became three or four weeks. The jokes were getting as thin as the fresh red scratch that appeared Thursday on Jason Allison’s cheek.

Yes, everyone on the Kings knew that even the league’s fifth-leading scorer needed at least a month to make up for a missed training camp.

And, yes, everyone suspected that somewhere in that 6-foot-4 linebacker’s body were skills of a $20-million skater.

But the phrase, “great center acquisition” was being replaced by another three-word phrase.

“Any day now.”

Then, Thursday, that day came.

In the third period against the Dallas Stars, Jason Allison scored a goal.

His first, in his ninth game as a King.

Then, moments later, he scored another goal.

His second, in an endless month as a King.

“He has to be better,” Murray said before the game

In a splendid rush near the end of an eventual 4-3 loss, Allison was better than better.

Abruptly, the Staples Center crowd of 14,584 saw what all the fuss was about.

Barely five minutes into the third period, his team trailing, 3-1, Allison made a pass to start a charge, then finished the charge by showing up in front of the net and poking a rebound past Ed Belfour.

Upon which two things happened, one strange, one not-so-strange.

Allison seemed to smile for the first time since coming here Oct. 24.

The fans chanted, “Bel-four, Bel-four, Bel-four.”

Then, at 7:26 of the period, something like that happened again.

Allison took a pass from Jaroslav Modry, he caught it on his stick, dropped it, then backhanded it in the net.

If this were basketball, it would have been a double-pump reverse layup.

It was pretty enough to tie the game and remind folks that Allison isn’t the only reason the Kings are struggling.

No, what happened about three minutes later provided another bit of information, as Mike Modano scored the eventual winning goal past backup goalie Jamie Storr, who had replaced struggling Felix Potvin at the start of the period.

Yep, the big issue here has been one that everyone thought was settled. Is Potvin the playoff goalie of last spring? So far, he hasn’t quite looked like it.

But when it comes to blame, typical of the personality that the Kings love, Allison is willing to take the heat himself.

Dressed in black sweats, with black stare, he spoke in black tones before Thursday’s game.

“I’m not playing at a level I can play yet, and it’s very frustrating,” he said quietly. “I feel like I’m letting the team down. Everybody says be patient, but I can’t. I feel like, I’ve got to do it now, I can’t wait.”

He was not alone.

The Kings were hoping that he could help them forget about the subtraction of Luc Robitaille.

Instead, he had become a fraction in a completely different equation.

According to Murray, in trading Jozef Stumpel and Glen Murray to Boston for Allison, “We lost two players, and, initially, gained one-half player back. Now he is up to three-fourths. My theme to him is, getting better every day.”

Before Thursday’s game, Allison had no goals and five assists in eight games, with a minus-five rating.

But now, maybe he is up to four-fifths of a player?

The Kings felt they needed a tough scorer who could help carry them through the spring in a way that Robitaille did not and Stumpel could not and Murray would only do on occasion.

That would mean a complete player. Which both Murray and Allison are confident of having.

And maybe now, it will be sooner than later.

“I sure hope it’s soon,” Allison said. “It’s no fun. It’s really, really hard on me. It’s all I think about. You’re not supposed to take the game home with you, but I can’t help it. I do.”

Home has been part of the stress. He has been trying to find a place for wife Christine, 22-month-old son Tyler, and a second child that is due in January.

“To have such a big change in their lives, every moment away from the ice, I’ve been involved in getting everything settled,” he said.

Murray’s stringent system has been part of the stress.

“When he got here, I asked him what system he played under in Boston,” Murray recalled. “He said they didn’t have one.”

Now Allison says he must sometimes think before making a move, act before reacting.

“You’re out there and the game is going so fast and sometimes you’re wondering where you’re supposed to be,” Allison said. “It affects things.”

And, of course, his shape is his stress.

“I told one of my assistants that I thought Jason needed to work harder in practice,” Murray said. “The assistant said he has to get used to how hard we practice.”

Thursday morning, Allison said he would adjust.

“It will come,” he said. “I will just keeping working until it does.”

And so, even if briefly, and even if in a loss, it did come.

Now, about those goaltenders ... .

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Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com