Road Ahead May Be a Pain Too

The Kings’ fast start felt a lot better at 3-0 than at 3-1, their record after Thursday night’s 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

“We were devastated by the loss, and I like that,” Coach Andy Murray said Friday, a day off for his players. “I was driving home last night and they played part of the [postgame] press conference on the [radio] call-in show. My voice sounded like somebody had shot my dog....

“We were downright disappointed.”

More disappointment may be ahead for the Kings, whose injury list continues to grow as they prepare to embark Tuesday on one of the most demanding stretches in franchise history, spending all but four of 31 days on the road.

Ziggy Palffy sat out the last two games because of a strained groin and is listed as day to day. So are Bryan Smolinski and Jaroslav Bednar, who suffered injuries Thursday night, Smolinski a charley horse and Bednar a hyper-extended elbow.

Defenseman Aaron Miller is three weeks away from returning to the lineup after having abdominal surgery last month.

In case one or more of the forwards are unable to play tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, Derek Armstrong was flown in Friday from Manchester, N.H., where he was playing for the Kings’ American Hockey League team.

Activating Armstrong, the last forward cut in training camp, would necessitate putting another player on injured reserve.

It probably would be Palffy, who could return for Wednesday night’s game at Detroit, the opener of a five-game trip. If Smolinski or Bednar were put on injured reserve, neither would be eligible to return until Friday at New York.

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TONIGHT

vs. Vancouver, 7:30, Fox Sports Net

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- KAVL (610), KIIS (1220).

Records -- Kings 3-1, Canucks 2-2-1-0.

Record vs. Canucks (2001-02) -- 1-2-1.

Update -- The Canucks tied the Mighty Ducks, 2-2, Friday night at the Arrowhead Pond. Last season, the Kings won 11 of 13 games against teams that had played at Anaheim the night before playing the Kings. Also, they are 10-0-3 at home against the Canucks since April 6, 1996.

Tickets -- (888) 546-4752.