Red Wings’ Lineup Adds Young Players

After watching Detroit rip San Jose to open the season Thursday, King Coach Andy Murray said the Red Wings still look the same even though the defending Stanley Cup champions have a new coach and some new faces in the lineup.

“The only thing I noticed is that they now have some real good young players too,” said Murray, whose Kings play the Red Wings tonight at Staples Center. “They have filled some key spots with players with good quickness. They are doing things a little differently with some subtle changes, but for the most part they are still [the Red Wings].”

Longtime Detroit assistant Dave Lewis, who took over as head coach after Scotty Bowman retired, will send out a lineup tonight that features a mix of experience and youth. Such veterans as Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Shanahan and Tomas Holmstrom are being teamed with rookies Henrik Zetterberg and Jason Williams.

But the biggest change for the Red Wings is in goal, where Curtis Joseph has replaced the retired Dominik Hasek. Joseph, who signed as a free agent from Toronto during the off-season, was solid against San Jose with 23 saves.

“We don’t have to tell our guys anything because they know them pretty well,” Murray said. “Except for one game last season at Detroit, all of the games between us since I’ve been here have been battles.”

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Murray said rookie Alexander Frolov played well in the Kings’ 4-1 victory over Phoenix on Wednesday.

“I thought he was really solid for his first game,” Murray said. “The only thing that he may have done wrong was stay on the ice a little too long for a couple of shifts.”

The ideal shift for the Kings lasts 40 seconds, and one time against the Coyotes Frolov was on the ice for nearly two minutes. A mistake Murray let him know about by sitting him down for a couple of shifts.

“He’s a smart kid and a quick learner,” Murray said. “I think he understood what he did wrong after I talked to him.”

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Defenseman Jaroslav Modry, who will team again with Lubomir Visnovsky tonight, was all over the ice against Phoenix. Murray and some King players were still talking Friday about his open-ice challenge of the Coyotes’ Tony Amonte, one of the fastest skaters in the league.

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TONIGHT

vs. Detroit, 7:30

Fox Sports Net

Site--Staples Center.

Radio--KSPN (1110).

Records--Kings 1-0-0-0, Red Wings 1-0-0-0.

Record vs. Red Wings (2001-02)--2-2-0-0.

Update--Against Phoenix, the Kings scored two power-play goals and kept the Coyotes scoreless in six man-advantage situations. If the Red Wings struggled in any area at San Jose, it was penalty killing; they gave up two goals in six attempts.

Tickets--(888) 546-4752.