Olympics Take Toll on Miller

Helping the United States win a silver medal in the Olympics seems not to have slowed King winger Adam Deadmarsh, who has five points in two games since returning from Salt Lake City, but it apparently wore out defenseman Aaron Miller.

“Part mental, part physical,” interim Coach Dave Tippett said of his reasons for giving Miller a day off from practice Friday as the Kings prepared for today’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. “It’s a tough couple weeks. I think he played a lot more minutes [at the Olympics] than Deader.

“The two games [since the Olympics], he would probably admit, weren’t his two best games. So, he’s just getting a mental and physical break.”

Deadmarsh, meanwhile, seems energized by his Olympic experience. His post-Olympic play continued a February hot streak in which he racked up five goals and seven assists in seven games, tied for the team points lead for the month with Jason Allison and one more than Ziggy Palffy, his new linemates.

“I think it’s been great,” Tippett said of Deadmarsh’s energetic play. “He went through a little bit of a flat spell [in January], but maybe two weeks before the break he was really chasing down loose pucks. He’s just been relentless.

“On power plays, you’re always looking for second chances, and he’s given us a lot of second chances. It’s a credit to him to go through the whole Olympic thing and then, in these two games, he was full of energy, full of life.”

Deadmarsh, who had two goals and an assist in Tuesday night’s 5-1 victory at Columbus, has nine points in three games against the Blue Jackets.

“I don’t want to dwell on it too much,” he said of his success against the second-year expansion team. “I’ve just been kind of lucky a few games.”

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Fox Sports Net originally planned to televise today’s game but dropped it from the schedule because ABC owns exclusive rights to the time slot. ABC, meanwhile, dropped its plan to televise the Kings’ game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 16 at Staples Center even before Thursday’s announcement that Mario Lemieux probably will not play again this season.

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TODAY

vs. Columbus, 1 p.m.

Site--Staples Center.

Radio--KSPN (1110).

Records--Kings 29-20-8-3, Blue Jackets 15-34-8-3.

Record vs. Blue Jackets--3-0.

Update--While outscoring the Blue Jackets, 15-4, in three games, the Kings have converted eight of 13 power-play opportunities and killed all 13 penalties. Goaltender Felix Potvin has won all three games, compiling a 1.33 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage.

Tickets--(888) 546-4752.

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Jerry Crowe