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Kings after deadline: Notes and quotes from their 5-0 victory over the Red Wings

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A few leftover notes from Jonathan Quick’s 51-save performance in the Kings’ 5-0 victory at Detroit on Monday:

The shutout in Detroit was only the second in the Kings’ history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The only other one was by Rogie Vachon on March 30, 1978. Thanks to Elias’ Bob Waterman for that and the million other facts and statistics he provides.

Defenseman Matt Greene, who didn’t play after he was hit hard into the boards by Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall in the first period, left the Kings’ locker room at Joe Louis Arena with all four limbs intact, no casts, splints, crutches, slings or bandages. Not even a limp. He supposedly suffered an upper-body injury but there seemed to be some question about the severity and whether he could have returned.

“I’m fine,” he told reporters. “I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow.”

Coach Terry Murray seemed puzzled, too.

“I just talked to him before, right as soon as we came off the ice for the third period. He says he’s fine,” Murray said. “He said, ‘I’m fine. The doctor just wouldn’t let me go.’ He said, ‘I’m good. I feel good.’

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‘Obviously there was something there that the doctor felt he couldn’t play but he assures me that he’s fine.”

A team spokesman said Greene will be re-evaluated Tuesday.

The Kings’ defense corps was stretched again when Rob Scuderi missed most of the third period after being cut in the mouth by an accidental but damaging high stick from Justin Abdelkader.

“That made it tough. You’re down to four defensemen with 17 minutes left to play,” Murray said. “Makes it very demanding, especially with a young group of guys like that but Quick was excellent, obviously.

“The second period when they had the two back-to-back power plays they put a lot of pucks to the net. We were having a difficult time winning faceoffs and they just threw everything there but he was big and he was the reason why we won this one.” Murray normally is reluctant to cancel practice but decided to hold off-ice workouts instead of skating Tuesday in St. Louis because the four defensemen left standing Monday piled up so many minutes. Jack Johnson played 25 minutes and one second, Drew Doughty played 25:39, Willie Mitchell played a game-high 27:10 in his return from a fractured left hand, and Alec Martinez played 17:52.

Murray said he still expected left wing Marco Sturm to arrive in St. Louis Tuesday night, even though a team spokesman said Monday that Kings had until Tuesday afternoon to complete tests on Sturm’s surgically repaired knees. The Kings’ acquisition of Sturm was conditional on the seven-time 20-goal scorer passing various exams.

Murray said he hadn’t decided where Sturm will fit if the trade becomes official. Sturm has yet to play this season after undergoing surgery on his right knee following an injury in the playoffs last spring.

“I’m kind of messing around with a piece of paper and pencil and you write things out and erase a lot, so I’m not real sure,” Murray said. “I want to get him in and get some practices in and get him acclimated to our team and then we’ll make a decision….A week or so of good, hard work in the skating club and then we’ll decide where he’s going to fit.”

More Tuesday from St. Louis, where it’s supposed to be windy and snowy with a high in the low 20s.

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Helene Elliott, in Detroit

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