There’s Still Plenty for Frolov to Fix

During his first NHL game, Alexander Frolov was benched for a short time because he stayed on the ice too long during his shifts.

Before his second game, his coach said of the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Russian right wing, “We’ve got a guy we think can be the rookie of the year.”

On Monday, however, Coach Andy Murray said of Frolov’s performance in Saturday night’s 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, “I didn’t like his game near as much as I liked his first game.”

For all his potential, Frolov is very much a work in progress, understandable considering he’s only 20 and has played all of 23 minutes 56 seconds in the NHL.

Frolov, rookie of the year last season in the Russian Super League, arrived at camp last month without skates or equipment but made an impression after being fitted with a pair of skates from the pro shop at the Kings’ training facility.

“He’s got good skills,” linemate Eric Belanger said. “He’s strong. But he’s got to learn a lot of things. It’s totally a different style of game from where he played. He’s got to learn to be tough on the puck and get the puck out of his zone.

“He’s a good kid. He’s really smart. He’s learning the language fast, so he’s going to learn the game fast. We’ve just got to be patient.”

Said Murray, “Certainly, the best measuring stick will come after 20 games, I would say. But by the same token, he has to be a contributor. We can’t have guys in our lineup who aren’t contributing, whether they’re rookies or not.”

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Ziggy Palffy sat out practice because of a strained groin but is still expected to play Wednesday night against the Mighty Ducks.... Murray hinted that backup goaltender Jamie Storr would play in one of three games this week. Storr made three of his 12 starts last season against the Ducks, going 2-0-1 with one shutout, a 1.30 goals-against average and .953 save percentage. Felix Potvin was 2-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .945 save percentage.... For the record: Jason Allison will be paid $6.5 million this season, $8 million next.