A Penalty-Kill Collapse

It doesn’t get any easier.

Winless in five games, their penalty-killing unit in disarray, the Kings tonight play the Detroit Red Wings, owners of the NHL’s best record and No. 2 power play.

Three times in their last four games, the Kings have given up three power-play goals--in a 4-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, a 5-3 loss to the Calgary Flames and Tuesday night’s 4-4 tie against the Canucks.

This after leading the league in penalty killing for most of the season and giving up more than two power-play goals only once in 72 games.

“I just think we have to get back to our confident, aggressive style that we played all year,” assistant coach Mark Hardy, who oversees what is now the league’s No. 6 penalty-killing unit, said Wednesday. “I think it comes down to hard work, stops and starts, and keeping it as simple as we can and putting pressure on teams....

“Our style is to be aggressive and that’s why we were successful all year and that’s probably a change we’re going to have to make, especially against teams that move the puck so well. If you give them time to set up, they’re going to score goals against you.”

It hasn’t helped that goaltender Felix Potvin, described by Coach Andy Murray as the Kings’ No. 1 penalty killer, has not been particularly sharp during a 0-3-2 slide that has loosened the team’s grip on a playoff slot.

Potvin’s 3.79 goals-against average and .859 save percentage during the winless streak are far off his season numbers of 2.34 and .906.

Murray intimated that he had pondered making a switch to backup Jamie Storr, then said he hadn’t seriously considered it. Still, he met with Potvin to gauge the goaltender’s psyche and reassure him that he was still the starter.

“I brought him in to tell him, ‘You’re the guy,’ ” Murray said.

TONIGHT

vs. Detroit, 7:30

Fox Sports Net/ESPN2

Site--Staples Center.

Radio--KSPN (1110).

Records--Kings 36-25-11-4, Red Wings 51-14-9-3.

Record vs. Red Wings--1-2.

Update--The Kings are 9-4-3 at Staples Center against teams that played elsewhere the night before, 8-2 against teams coming in from Anaheim, including a 3-2 overtime victory over the Red Wings on Nov. 10.