This Team Knows Meaning of Spreading the Offense

The Kings’ climb to near the top of the Pacific Division standings has truly been a team effort. No King ranks among the league’s top 65 scorers.

But that’s not necessarily ideal, Coach Andy Murray said.

“We’d just as soon have five or six 20-goal scorers if we could,” said Murray, whose leading scorer, Jason Allison, was tied for 67th in the NHL with 37 points (12 goals and 25 assists) before Monday night’s games. “I’d love to see us have those kinds of scorers. We encourage our guys to do that....

“Our game is not one where we restrict anybody in what they’re able to do with the puck. We encourage our guys to be creative.”

On the other hand, Murray said, “It’s a credit to our team that we’ve been able to hang in there without that [kind of production]. I think some of those guys who [are counted on to score consistently] could play better for us.”

Backup goaltender Jamie Storr, who has played in only one of the last 11 games since shutting out the New York Rangers on Jan. 9 at Madison Square Garden, will start Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes at Staples Center or Friday against the Coyotes at Phoenix, Murray said.

Storr, unbeaten in five starts since Nov. 29, leads the NHL with a 1.89 goals-against average and is tied for third with a .923 save percentage.

Defenseman Mathieu Schneider, sidelined the last two games because of a left shoulder strain, is expected to return to the lineup Thursday night.... Adam Mair was scratched after being recalled from a weekend stint in the minors. The rookie center played three games during the All-Star break for the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate at Manchester, N.H.... Former Mighty Duck winger Ted Donato, picked up off waivers last week from the New York Islanders, was scratched. “He’s depth at this point,” Murray said. “It’s a matter of working himself into the lineup.”