Kings Coach Terry Murray may play backup goaltender Erik Ersberg in upcoming back-to-back

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With the Kings embarking on a five-game road trip beginning Monday at Chicago, Coach Terry Murray had one immediate area of business to settle.

He cancelled the skating portion of Sunday’s practice and opted for the team just to conduct off-ice workouts. Aside from the noon flight today to Chicago, Murray pointed to the Kings’ 3-1 loss Saturday to the Nashville Predators as evidence that the team was ‘lacking in energy’ and needed some rest.

Murray also will have to settle another area of business this week. He said he remains undecided whether he’ll split time with goaltender Jonathan Quick and backup Erik Ersberg during the Kings’ (10-5-2) back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday against the Atlanta Thrashers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

‘I’ve been thinking about that,’ Murray said regarding playing Ersberg. ‘He needs to get another start fairly soon.’

Murray said he’ll decide during the team’s morning skate Friday at Atlanta, a scenario Ersberg said he and the coaching staff haven’t discussed yet.

Quick has started in 16 of the Kings’ 17 games this season, posting a 2.61 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. Ersberg made his lone appearance Oct. 14 in a 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers, a decision Murray had said he regretted making.

Ersberg says he’s ready for the opportunity.

‘Obviously that was a disappointing game,’ he said of his performance in New York. ‘But you can’t still have that in your head too much. That was a long time ago. It’s just one game. It doesn’t bother me at all.’

‘If they put me in, I’m going to do my job. Stop the puck, that’s all I can do and try to play my game and try to help the team to win the game.’

Stay tuned for more Kings coverage at latimes.com/sports

--Mark Medina