Garon stars in Kings’ win

This was a building-block game for those Kings who will be in jolly old England with the team when the puck drops on the 2007-08 season.

For Mathieu Garon, it might have been a have-pads-will-travel advertisement.

Kings fans, whose faith has been tested over the years, were shown a 5-3 win Saturday over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Staples Center.

Lubomir Visnovsky scored his career-high 18th goal of the season, and can look forward to negotiations for a contract extension this summer. Dustin Brown had an assist, and also tilted the game the Kings’ way with a thunderous hit, another high-profile moment marking his growth.

Garon stopped 30 shots for his second consecutive victory, a performance that will be a highlight on his resume if he goes job-hunting after this season as an unrestricted free agent.

“Right now, I’m just trying to keep my focus on the games,” Garon said. “Obviously it’s something I’ve thought about, but the only thing I can do is go out there and play good and play hard and then see what happens.”

Dan Cloutier, recovering from hip surgery, is on the payroll for $3.1-million next season and Jason LaBarbera’s play with minor league Manchester (N.H.) has impressed Kings’ officials. That may leave Garon to peddle his skills elsewhere.

“Right now when I get a chance to play, I make sure I make the big save, the key save and give my team a chance,” Garon said.

Visnovsky and Brown have a much more certain future, and showed why Saturday.

Brown knocked the Blue Jackets out of sync seven minutes into the game when he clobbered defenseman Rostislav Klesla into the boards. Klesla suffered what was called a lower body injury and did not return. Forward Alexander Svitov jumped Brown, turning a Kings power play into a two-man advantage.

The effect on the game was immediate: Visnovsky buried a one-timer for a 2-0 lead, giving him one more goal this season than he had in 2005-06.

Visnovsky and Brown are key components in the Kings’ rebuilding process. Alternate captains Rob Blake (37), Aaron Miller (35) and Scott Thornton (36) are almost as old as the 40-year old franchise.

“I think we are in the process of developing leaders,” Coach Marc Crawford said, adding that “Brown is quiet, but he has passion and can be an informal leader.”

Whether Garon will be around to see all that unfold is uncertain.

Garon, acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in 2004, demonstrated skills that led the Kings to believe he was their goaltending solution.

The Kings had two shots Saturday in the first 13 minutes -- both goals -- and Garon had to make 11 saves in that time, demonstrating flexibility and a spine like a Slinky. The Kings built a 4-0 lead in the second period, taking the pressure off Garon, whose brief career with the team has been dotted with such moments, though consistency has been lacking.

Last season, Garon had 31 victories, equaling the third most in franchise history, but his play slid down hill after December.

Cloutier arrived during the off-season and was handed the No. 1 goaltender job, and a two-year, $6.2-million contract extension. But he got off to a horrendous start. Garon was on the verge of taking the No. 1 goaltender job in late November, but twice suffered injuries that cost him 23 games.

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chris.foster@latimes.com