Straka Changes Equation

It doesn’t take deep knowledge of Euclidean theory to understand Martin Straka math. In simple terms, it keeps getting better.

The King forward arrived four games ago from the Pittsburgh Penguins, a savvy goal-scorer who struggled on a young, inexperienced team that had the NHL’s lowest-rated offense and a poor defense to boot.

The result: A lot of negatives in the plus-minus column for Straka, who was an NHL-worst minus-16 when he was traded.

He is plus-three with three goals in four games since leaving Pittsburgh and, at minus-13, no longer has the worst rating in the NHL.

“I told the guys I want to get back to even,” Straka said Tuesday. “Hopefully I can do that. Nobody wants to be minus. I try to be plus or even every game. So far so good.”

Straka, who endured a 15-game slide without a goal until his first game as a King, has scored twice by intercepting clearing attempts in the opposing zone. He has taken only seven shots and has a sterling 42.9% shooting percentage since joining the Kings.

“I didn’t score in 15 before that,” he said. “Sometimes anything you shoot goes in.”

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King defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, diagnosed with a bruise after being hit in the arm with a puck in the Kings’ 3-2 overtime loss Monday to the Detroit Red Wings, could play tonight against the Atlanta Thrashers.

Rookie winger Dustin Brown is close to returning from a severely sprained ankle he sustained Nov. 29 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

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TONIGHT

at Atlanta, 4:30, Fox Sports Net

Site -- Philips Arena.

Radio -- KSPN (710).

Records -- Kings 14-10-1-2, Thrashers 14-11-3-1.

Record vs. Thrashers (2002-03) -- 2-0-0-0.

Update -- The Kings have collected a point every time they’ve played the Thrashers, going 6-0-0-1 since Atlanta began play in 1999-2000. The Kings have picked up nine of a possible 12 points in their last six games. Atlanta left wing Ilya Kovalchuk is tied for the lead in goals scored with 18 and has “one of the better one-time shots that I’ve ever seen,” Murray said.