Johnson out for season

Another King, another season-ending injury.

This time, it was rookie defenseman Jack Johnson, who suffered a non-displaced fracture to his right foot. The injury occurred in the first period of Tuesday night’s game, a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks at Staples Center.

He played one shift in the second period and did not return.

Johnson, 21, is expected to resume skating in about four weeks, meaning he could return in time to play for Team USA in the World Championships in Quebec City, which start May 2.

Eight regular-season games remain for the Kings. Earlier this month, No. 1 goalie Jason LaBarbera had surgery to repair a hernia and also is out for the season.

Johnson has been one of the few bright spots in what has been a bleak season for the last-place Kings. He had three goals and 11 points and 76 penalty minutes in 74 games, and had been averaging 21 minutes 41 seconds a game, third among NHL rookies and third on the Kings behind Lubomir Visnovsky and Rob Blake.

--

TONIGHT

at Phoenix, 7, FSN Prime

Site -- Jobing.com Arena.

Radio -- 1260.

Records -- Kings 28-40-6, Coyotes 36-33-5.

Record vs. Coyotes -- 0-6-0.

Update -- The Kings had trouble stopping Phoenix when Johnson was in the lineup, allowing four goals in each of the last five losses. They haven’t been able to solve the Coyotes’ goaltending either, as Ilya Bryzgalov and Mikael Tellqvist have allowed only seven goals in six games against the Kings.

-- Dan Arritt