Fitting McAlpine In Might Take Time

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Defenseman Chris McAlpine, signed as a free agent last summer, rejoined the Kings on Sunday after a two-game conditioning assignment with the club’s American Hockey League team at Manchester, N.H.

But that doesn’t mean that McAlpine, sort of the odd man out in the Kings’ fast start, will crack the lineup any time soon.

“That’s a real tough one because you want to get him in, you want him to feel part of it,” Coach Andy Murray said. “But you’re also dealing with some other guy. You take him out and all of a sudden you get that guy starting to wonder, ‘What’s my situation here?’ And then you put that guy back in and maybe he’s not as good as he was before.

“Most of our guys have been pretty good. We haven’t really had a reason to say, ‘This guy needs to sit and watch for a game.’ ”

Enforcer Ken Belanger also had not played before Sunday. He replaced Erik Rasmussen, who had a sore back, and got into a fight just 2 minutes 36 seconds into the game, drawing 17 minutes of penalties. He played less than two minutes.

*

Jason Allison, who strained ligaments in his left forearm in Friday night’s 6-2 victory over the New York Rangers, said Sunday that he feared at first the arm was broken.

It bothered him, but the rugged center stayed in the lineup.

“You’re not going to be 100% every night,” he said. “It doesn’t mean you can’t have a good game. You just try to ignore it as best you can.”

*

Ziggy Palffy sat out for the fifth time in six games because of a strained left groin.... Steve Heinze has scored four goals in his last three games at Manchester but has not attracted any trade offers, King General Manager Dave Taylor said.