No Regrets Playing Potvin

King Coach Andy Murray said he had no regrets about using goaltender Felix Potvin on Friday night, even though Potvin, playing on consecutive nights for the first time this season, gave up a season-high six goals as the Phoenix Coyotes overcame a 4-0 deficit in a 6-5 overtime victory at Phoenix.

“None at all,” Murray said. “The reasons for using him were justifiable. We can all speculate [in] hindsight, and Felix wasn’t as good as he normally is, but he didn’t feel fatigued....

“I have to say, based on the circumstances, if I had to make the decision again, I’d make the same one. You go on percentages and what you think, and everything pointed to Felix playing.”

Murray used Potvin after saying earlier in the week that he would probably give the start to backup Jamie Storr if Potvin played Thursday night.

“Felix wants to be in there right now,” the coach said. “I’d love from a professional perspective to give Jamie a chance because he’s worked real hard. The other side of it is, we have identified our No. 1 goalie.... You have a No. 1 guy for a reason. He should be your guy who plays in these important games, and that’s no reflection on Jamie at all. I think he’s been outstanding. But I think you’re sending the wrong message if you’re not playing the guy you perceive to be your No. 1 guy.”

Potvin, who made his season-high 10th consecutive start Monday night against the Dallas Stars, played in the Kings’ last 23 games last season after being traded from the Vancouver Canucks. He wants to play in every game, he said, but denied lobbying Murray to play Friday night, as Murray had indicated.

“I never asked,” Potvin said. “He came to me [before the game] and asked me how I felt. I said I was fine and he said, ‘Do you want to play?’ and I said, ‘Yeah.’ You always want to play. You come and ask me, I’m going to say yes.”

*

Lubomir Visnovsky, who played for Slovakia in two Olympic preliminary-round games over the weekend, was scratched Monday night.

*

For the record: Before Friday, the Kings last squandered a 4-0 lead Oct. 11, 2000, when the St. Louis Blues scored four goals in the third period of a 4-4 tie at Staples Center.

Jerry Crowe