Murray’s Focus Is Firmly on 93 Points

The Kings are within striking distance of the first-place San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division. Home-ice advantage in the playoffs is within their grasp.

But all Coach Andy Murray is focused on is 93 points.

Since mid-November, when the Kings were struggling to stay out of the Western Conference cellar, Murray told his players that if they garnered 93 points they would make the playoffs and their early troubles would be forgotten.

After Saturday’s 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, they’ve got 79, meaning they need seven victories in their last 14 games of the season, well off the pace they’ve maintained in going 25-8-5-2 since Dec. 8.

“I just want to make sure we’re in the playoffs,” Murray said. “I know where we were at the end of November, and if somebody had told me at that time, ‘We’ll give you the eighth spot,’ we probably would have taken it....

“Once we get to 93, then I’ll think beyond that. Get to 93, then we’ll talk about other things. But until we get to 93, I don’t want our players saying, ‘We want home-ice advantage’--to even talk that way.

“Until we get to 93, we’ve got nothing to talk about.”

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His disappointing season notwithstanding, second-year King defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, an all-rookie selection last season, has drawn interest from teams hoping to make a deal before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

“A lot of teams have inquired about him because he’s been in and out of the lineup a little bit,” Murray said. “There are teams that like him, and they should like him because he’s a good player. But he’s not going anywhere.”

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Rookie Jaroslav Bednar will give up No. 7 to newly acquired Cliff Ronning and will switch to No. 27.... Steve Heinze, who has gone 20 games without a goal, was benched for the second time in five games.... The L.A. chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Assn. nominated Kelly Buchberger for the Masterton Trophy, presented annually to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”

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Jerry Crowe