Kings’ morning skate: Quick to start as season ends against Ducks
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The Kings held an optional skate Saturday in preparation for their season finale against the Ducks tonight at Staples Center. Most players opted for treatment instead of taking to the ice.
Afterward, Coach Terry Murray said team captain Dustin Brown is fine and will play Saturday after being shaken up on a hard hit by Toni Lydman in the third period of the Kings’ 2-1 loss to the Ducks at Anaheim on Friday.
Also, Jonathan Quick will start in goal for the Kings for the second successive night. He stopped 26 shots Friday in a loss that enabled the Ducks to clinch a playoff spot.
“There’s great significance to the game for us tonight. We want to finish as high in the standings as we possibly can,” Murray said.
“We want to put ourselves in the most positive situation we can and finishing this regular season with a win is what we’re shooting for.”
The Kings can still finish anywhere from fourth through eighth -- as can the Ducks. Because of various tiebreakers and the other teams involved, the two local teams can’t finish 4-5 and won’t play each other in the first round.
It’s possible that eighth place and the final standings won’t be determined until Sunday’s league finale between Dallas and Minnesota.
Murray also said right wing Justin Williams, who dislocated his right shoulder March 21, is scheduled to see a doctor Saturday night to test the strength in his shoulder. If the results show progress from the first strength test that Williams took, it’s possible Williams would return in time for the Kings’ first-round playoff series.
The regular season ends Sunday and the playoff schedule will be released Sunday evening. It’s likely most teams will open on Wednesday but others will start Thursday because of TV and arena scheduling reasons.
Check back soon for more, including Anze Kopitar’s first comments since he tore ligaments in his right ankle March 26 and underwent season-ending surgery.
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--Helene Elliott