Avery Is Focused on Winning

Sean Avery didn’t know whether the Kings ranked among the top eight teams in the Western Conference on Wednesday. Nor did he care.

“I have no idea if we’re in the playoffs,” the feisty forward said. “You have to win every game. It’s not going to change the way I play. It shouldn’t change the way anyone plays, whether we’re 15 points out of a playoff spot or five points.”

After enduring a 14-game winless streak, the Kings have defeated Chicago and Calgary to climb past Dallas and into eighth -- at least for the moment.

“We’re not looking at where we are right now, and it’s more just trying to accumulate points,” Coach Andy Murray said. “I still think you’re going to have to have 90 points to get in.

“Our games are draining enough that if you’re watching the scoreboard or if you’re watching other games on your off night and your emotions drop when Dallas wins, at this point, you never get a mental break. What we’ve tried to say is we expect the other teams in our conference to win. Just expect them to win and know that if we get over 90 points, we’ll get in.”

Avery said the difference for the Kings the last two games was their ability to get and hold a lead. “We’re not sitting back in the third period,” he said. “We’d get the lead and sit back on our heels, and we can’t do that.”

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Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, who has a neck strain, will be reevaluated today to determine whether he can play tonight. He underwent an MRI exam on Wednesday, but a club spokesman said results weren’t expected until today.

Winger Martin Straka was scheduled to undergo surgery today on torn cartilage in both knees. Murray said Straka might return by the end of the season.

Murray also said winger Dustin Brown, who has a sprained ankle, might return Saturday against the Mighty Ducks. Defenseman Aaron Miller, who has a pinched nerve, didn’t skate Wednesday. There’s no timetable for his return.

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Murray said he had seen more consistency over the last five or six games from goalie Roman Cechmanek, who will start tonight. “There’s been less adventures,” Murray said. “It looks like he’s square to the puck and he’s feeling good about his game.”

TONIGHT

vs. Detroit, 7:30

Fox Sports Net

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- KSPN (710).

Records -- Kings 18-14-10-5, Red Wings 27-14-6-2.

Record vs. Red Wings -- 0-1-0-1.

Update -- The Red Wings will play the third game of a five-game trip. They will be without goalie Dominik Hasek, defenseman Derian Hatcher and forward Darren McCarty.