Murray: Palffy Not to Blame

Ziggy Palffy will face no repercussions from the Kings despite playing for Slovakia against the team’s wishes in an Olympic preliminary-round game Saturday at Salt Lake City, Coach Andy Murray said Sunday.

Though he had been given permission to play only in a Sunday night game against Latvia, Palffy was in uniform and sitting on the Slovak bench Saturday when Coach Jan Filc pressed him into service midway through the second period with his team trailing Germany, 2-0.

Afterward, King General Manager Dave Taylor phoned his counterpart with Slovakia’s Olympic hockey team, former NHL standout Peter Stastny, and made it clear he did not want to see Palffy in uniform Sunday night.

“We’re not upset with Ziggy, not at all,” Murray said. “He’s there with his country, they’ve asked him to dress. He knew he was going to play [only] one game. I guess they took the chance [Saturday]. I guess maybe they were thinking, just dress him for moral support and not play him....

“Peter Stastny should have been the one to say, ‘He doesn’t dress.’ Peter Stastny has to be the one to take the blame for it, not the coach. You can’t blame the coach when you’re trying to win and you’ve got Ziggy Palffy sitting on the bench.”

Palffy and Lubomir Visnovsky, a King defenseman who played in both weekend games for Slovakia, are scheduled to fly into Los Angeles this morning aboard owner Philip Anschutz’s private jet.

Palffy is expected to play in tonight’s game against the Dallas Stars at Staples Center, but Visnovsky might be scratched.

TONIGHT

vs. Dallas, 7:30

Fox Sports Net

Site--Staples Center.

Radio--KSPN (1110).

Records--Kings 26-20-7-3, Stars 25-19-7-4.

Record vs. Stars--0-2.

Update--Two of the Kings’ 14 one-goal losses (in 21 one-goal games) came at the hands of the Stars, 2-1, on Oct. 9 at Dallas and, 4-3, on Nov. 15 at Staples Center.

Tickets--(888) 546-4752.

Jerry Crowe