Storr Starts Over Potvin

As had been strongly hinted by Coach Andy Murray, struggling goaltender Felix Potvin was benched for Thursday night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

How long Jamie Storr will spell Potvin has not been determined.

“It depends on his game,” Murray said, “and it depends on how Andy [Nowicki, the Kings’ goaltending consultant] feels about Felix.

“That call, to a large degree, will be Andy Nowicki’s. Obviously, it will be my call [ultimately], but I’ll certainly lean on him for his opinion.”

In the Kings’ two previous games, Potvin had surrendered eight goals in 37 shots.

In similar circumstances last season, Storr started four of five games -- and relieved Potvin 23 minutes into the other -- while Potvin worked overtime in practice, honing his mechanics under Nowicki’s direction.

“The key thing is, we want to give Felix some work in practice and get his timing and his form back to where we need it,” Murray said.

Potvin, he has said repeatedly, remains the No. 1 goalie.

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Rookie Chris Schmidt was recalled from the Kings’ American Hockey League team at Manchester, N.H., to take the spot vacated by Bryan Smolinski, who was put on the injured reserve list and has sat out the last three games because of a scratched cornea.