Allison Set for Fast Return Tonight

A check of the calendar shows that, according to original estimates, Jason Allison won’t be back in the Kings’ lineup for three to seven weeks.

A check of Allison’s injured right knee this afternoon, however, probably will allow him to play tonight against the Nashville Predators at Staples Center, only five weeks and two days after he suffered the injury Oct. 29 at Atlanta.

Allison, originally expected to be sidelined eight to 12 weeks after a violent knee-on-knee collision with defenseman Andy Sutton of the Atlanta Thrashers, is expected to be cleared to play after an examination by team physician Ronald Kvitne about 90 minutes before the opening faceoff.

“I’m preparing to play,” Allison said Wednesday after practice.

All indications are that he will, his damaged knee heavily taped and held in place by a brace he’ll probably wear the rest of the season, if not longer.

Of the pregame examination, Coach Andy Murray said, “From what I understand, it’s just a final [look], like a pilot walks around a plane before takeoff.”

After sitting out 15 games, Allison is eager to take wing.

“Obviously, you want to get back as soon as you can to help your team win games,” he said. “That was definitely a goal all along. With our conference being so tight, it’s even more important that you get as many healthy games as you can from your top guys.”

Allison, 27, is the top guy for the Kings, their most valuable player since the Oct. 24, 2001 trade that brought the prolific center from the Boston Bruins.

He led the Kings with 74 points in 73 games last season and was their leader again this season with 11 points in nine games before being injured.

“He doesn’t play if there’s any risk,” Murray said. “We’re smart enough to know the asset we’ve got. You can’t have assurances on anything in life, but you can go on the percentages and [his return] is all based on what our medical people tell us.”

The Kings, he said, have been told that if Allison can withstand the pain and the swelling, he should be OK to play.

“He feels real good,” Murray said. “He’s been real strong on the puck [in practice]. He’s able to battle in the battle drills.

“I’m not a doctor, I’m just a coach ... but what I was told in our meeting with our medical people [was that] if Jason played, there’s no greater chance that he would be hurt on that knee than he would if he was hit on the other knee.

“The stability is the same in both, and [the right] is not any more susceptible because of his injury. It’s at that point now.”

He’ll be cleared if his right leg is 80% as strong as his left.

“And he wouldn’t be practicing if that wasn’t the case,” Murray said. “He wouldn’t have been allowed to do some of the things he’s been doing in practice.”

Allison has been skating for more than two weeks and resumed practicing with his teammates Nov. 22, after they returned home from an eight-game trip.

“I think it’s going to take a game to really know, to really test it and see if I’m ready,” said Allison, who suggested Tuesday that if his knee doesn’t respond as well as expected he might have to sit out again for a week or two. “I’m at the stage now where I feel I’ve got to test it and try it in a game.

“You can do any kind of practice you want, but obviously guys in practice aren’t playing as hard, so we’ll try it in a game. I’m hoping it will feel good.”

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TONIGHT

vs. Nashville, 7:30

Fox Sports Net

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- KSPN (1110).

Records -- Kings 10-7-4-3, Predators 4-12-4-4.

Record vs. Predators -- 1-0.

Update -- The Kings’ Adam Deadmarsh, Ian Laperriere and Lubomir Visnovsky will again sit out, Deadmarsh and Laperriere because of concussions and Visnovsky because of back spasms. Craig Johnson, suffering from stomach flu the last two days, also is expected to sit out.

Tickets -- (888) 546-4752.