Division Standing Belies Play of Special Teams

Next to a seemingly endless list of injuries, poor special-teams play has hampered the Kings most of all through the season’s first three months.

Their power play has clicked at a pedestrian 13.6% success rate (24 for 176), ranking 22nd among 30 teams. Their penalty-killing unit’s success rate is a meager 77.1%, (36 goals in 157 short-handed situations), ranking ahead of only Edmonton’s 75.4%.

So the obvious question was put to King Coach Andy Murray: Can a team stay near first place and advance to the playoffs with such punchless special-teams play?

“Right now, point-wise, we’re on track to make the playoffs, and we’ve been bad from Day 1,” Murray said after Monday’s practice, sounding grateful to answer questions about something other than injuries. “You help your chances if your special teams play better.”

*

Murray said he didn’t see injured center Jason Allison at the rink Monday, a day after saying he didn’t know Allison’s status. Allison has been sidelined since Jan. 25 because of what he has said are post-traumatic migraines.

Defensemen Lubomir Visnovsky and Brad Norton are about a week away from being fit to play, Murray said.

Visnovsky has been sidelined by a concussion for almost two weeks, and Norton has been out since tearing two forearm tendons in an exhibition game Sept. 30.