Crucial Stretch About to Begin

For the Kings, this will be the first day of the rest of their lives, at least as far as the Stanley Cup playoff race is concerned.

On Tuesday, Coach Andy Murray was fired and John Torchetti was installed as the interim coach. The collegiate-style motivational sayings Murray is so fond of were gone -- taken from the dressing room walls by players, a team source said -- and there was a spirited practice Friday.

All of which means little if the Kings come out flat against the Nashville Predators tonight, as they have in recent games. Tonight is the first of seven in a row against teams now ahead of them in the playoff race. The Kings are ninth in the Western Conference.

“I expect us to come out to play hard and play with a lot of emotion,” assistant captain Luc Robitaille said. “This is the point of the year where you can’t worry about anything else but how to beat your opponent.”

Torchetti has spent the first two days on the job familiarizing himself with players, meeting with them, in small groups and individually, and trying to tweak the Kings’ woeful power play.

Yet, even he knows that his team’s psyche, so fragile in recent games, is the key.

“They might come out a little nervous, but I don’t think they will have trouble getting started,” Torchetti said. “I’ll be looking to the leaders in our organization to show us the way. We had a lot to adjust to in very little time. For me, it has been about getting the team ready to play and the first thing you have to do is build confidence.”

Robitaille, asked whether he could feel a difference in practice, said, “Yes, there is a difference. As players, we are not happy with the way we have played and we have to be charged with emotion. It was better, but it has to be better in the games.”

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Torchetti has preached work ethic since being brought in, and he seemed to lead by example. On Thursday, he called his former boss Rick Dudley, now the Chicago Blackhawks’ player personnel director.

“He said he might not go back to the hotel because he was watching game film, trying to understand what he can do in this short amount of time to get his team over the hump,” said Dudley, who was general manager for Florida and Tampa Bay when Torchetti was an assistant with those teams.

“It was already late where I was, and it was getting late where he was, but I think his day was just beginning.”

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TONIGHT

vs. Nashville, 7:30, FSN West

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 710.

Records -- Kings 37-28-5, Predators 42-20-8.

Record vs. Predators -- 1-2-0.

Update -- King forward Alexander Frolov (separated shoulder) was activated from injured reserve and is expected to be in the lineup. Defenseman Aaron Miller, who played only 10 minutes Monday because of a bad back, is also expected to play. Forward Pavol Demitra underwent surgery Friday to repair his nasal fracture and will be out at least a week. The Predators’ Paul Kariya has already set team single-season records for assists (45) and points (70).

Tickets -- (888) 546-4752.