Kings change defense: Martinez out, Harrold in

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Kings Coach Terry Murray couldn’t decide how or whether he should reconfigure his defense corps for tonight’s game against San Jose after an atrocious effort in the team’s 6-3 loss to Phoenix in its season opener. Today, he said the decision had been made for him.

Murray said after the team’s game-day skate that rookie Alec Martinez, who had an especially shaky performance in Game 1 and was in jeopardy of losing his spot, is injured. Murray said Martinez has a ‘little bit of a lower-body injury’ incurred during a drill at the end of Monday’s practice.

‘I spoke with our medical trainer this morning. It’s day to day but it could be a little bit more than day to day,’ Murray said. ‘So with that happening at the end of the practice he would have been out of the lineup. It really was not a coach’s decision after all.’

The defense pairings for tonight’s game -- at least to start with; they’ll probably get jumbled along the way -- are Peter Harrold with Jack Johnson, Matt Greene with Rob Scuderi and Drew Doughty with Davis Drewiske. Veteran Sean O’Donnell will serve the final game of his suspension tonight and is eligible to return Thursday.

O’Donnell’s return means a roster move is unlikely unless Martinez has a long-term injury. ‘We just have to evaluate as we move through it,’ Murray said.

Doughty said he was able to get one positive note out of his Game 1 performance, which included two giveaways that led directly to goals and a penalty that set up a power-play goal for the Sharks. ‘I know I didn’t play a good game. I guess the only way I can go from here is up, so that’s a good thing,’ he said.

‘I’m just really focused on having a way better game. If I want to be an elite player in this league one day I cant’ be playing games like that and to help the Kings win I can’t be playing like that, either. I took out of that just kind of forget about it and improve and play a really good game tonight.’

More later at www.latimes.com/sports

-- Helene Elliott