Kings’ Greene to sit out after hard hit on Monday

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Defenseman Matt Greene, who was shaky after absorbing a hard hit from Detroit’s Niklas Kronwall on Monday but said he felt fine and practiced on Wednesday, awoke Thursday feeling wobbly and won’t play when the Kings face the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center.

Greene, one of the Kings’ alternate captains, did not participate in the morning skate Thursday and deferred all comment to team officials. His spot in the lineup will be taken by Davis Drewiske, who hasn’t played the last three games and has played only one of the last five.

Greene was visibly shaken Monday after being hit by Kronwall during the first period of the Kings’ 5-0 victory at Joe Louis Arena, but he said he felt fine a few minutes later and came out to the bench for the second period. The Red Wings’ medical personnel would not allow him to play, but he and Coach Terry Murray said after the game that they expected him to play against the Blues. Both said the same after Wednesday’s practice in St. Louis.

However, concussion symptoms can sometimes surface a day or more after a blow to the head. No one with the Kings has used the word ‘concussion,’ but it’s routine for teams to be vague about injuries.

Murray said after Thursday’s game-day skate that he was surprised to hear Greene felt ill.

“All the conversations I had immediately after the game in Detroit the other night and through the day off, we had the off-ice workout, everything was great,” Murray said. “I had a meeting actually with my leadership group upstairs and he’s a part of that and everything was good. Practiced [Wednesday].”

Murray said Chris Kingsley, the team’s head athletic trainer, would be in touch with doctors in Los Angeles to determine the next steps for Greene. No one will be called up, Murray said, because Drewiske and Peter Harrold are available.

Murray said he sat with Drewiske and went over video of the defenseman’s last three or four games. “He’s hungry to get back in. He’s looking forward to the opportunity to play now and he’ll step right in and I’m sure he’ll do a good job for us,” Murray said.

More later, including a chat with Oscar Moller, at Latimes.com/sports.

-- Helene Elliott in St. Louis