Special Teams Are Doing the Job

Leading the league in power-play conversion and penalty-killing percentage with 10 games to play, the Kings could become the first team since the 1984-85 New York Islanders to top the NHL in both categories.

It would be a nice feather in their cap, Coach Andy Murray said Monday, but it won’t mean a thing if they don’t make the playoffs.

“Those individual stats are nice to have,” he said, “but it’s the same as individual statistics for players. If the team success isn’t there, it doesn’t matter. I think it’s gratifying, and it’s a credit to our players and our assistant coaches, but it doesn’t matter....

“But if we’re near the top in those two categories at the end of the season, you’d have to think we should be in the playoffs because [special-teams play] is going to be so crucial in the next 10 games.”

The Kings have twice led the league in penalty killing, the last time in the 1974-75 season, and once had the league’s top power-play unit, in 1976-77.

When Felix Potvin was pulled after the first period of the Kings’ 4-0 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes on Sunday, it was the first time since Dec. 29 that he had not completed a start. He’ll be back in goal tonight against the Vancouver Canucks.

“I thought our team played so poorly in the first period that it was a way of trying to wake our team up,” Murray said of his decision to insert Jamie Storr after the Coyotes opened a 2-0 lead. “It was saying, ‘Hey, Jamie’s practiced hard, let’s give him a chance; we’ve got to play hard.’

“It was no reflection on Felix at all. It was all about trying to get our team going.”

The Kings have not lost consecutive games since mid-November.

“I think it’s out of fear,” Murray said. “I think it’s recognizing that we can’t let up at all. We’ve got to bounce back.”

TONIGHT

at Vancouver, 7, Fox Sports Net 2

Site--Staples Center.

Radio--KSPN (1110).

Records--Kings 36-23-9-4, Canucks 34-30-6-3.

Record vs. Canucks--1-0.

Update--Losers of two in a row after a five-game winning streak, the Canucks are 10th in the Western Conference race, making their three remaining games against the Kings all that more crucial to their fading playoff hopes.