Kings' Erik Ersberg will get another start in goal

Erik Ersberg is not the Kings' No. 1 goaltender, but he will be making his sixth consecutive start against the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.

Ersberg's strong performance in net has forced Coach Terry Murray to deflect questions about who is his No. 1 goaltender at this point. It's not an uncomfortable spot for a coach to be in. Ersberg has won four consecutive games and is 4-0-1 since getting his first start, an overtime loss to the Ducks on Nov. 4.

"I don't believe any goalie needs a title to go out and play hockey," Murray said when asked if Ersberg was close to replacing Jason LaBarbera as the team's No. 1 goaltender. "With the demanding travel schedule we have, we're going to need both goalies to be ready to play, and play quite often."

Still, this is a delicate situation for a coach. Murray named LaBarbera the starter in training camp but watched as his goaltender struggled with consistency. LaBarbera had a 3.01 goals-against average and an .884 save percentage in 10 starts.

Ersberg has a 1.94 goals-against average and .908 save percentage this season, which includes two relief appearances.

"You want your goalie to give a good performance, and at times step up and be exceptional," Murray said. "Even with the best defensive teams, there are breakdowns where you give up a spectacular scoring opportunity. That's where you need your goalie to come up big. Ersberg has given us those moments."

Ersberg will be trying for his fifth straight victory. The last Kings goaltender to start and win five straight was Felix Potvin, who had a six-game streak during the 2000-01 season. Mathieu Garon won five straight in 2005-06 but one was a relief appearance.

"I can tell you LaBarbera is happy for Ersberg, happy that we're in the win category," Murray said. "They support each other."

No doubting Doughty

Kings defenseman Sean O'Donnell continues to be impressed with the progress of 18-year-old Drew Doughty.

Doughty, a second-round draft pick in June, has started all 15 games and is a team-high plus-seven. He has two goals and six points.

"Drew Doughty is going to be a phenomenal player and an All-Star in this league," said O'Donnell, who is paired with Doughty. "Sure, he's made a couple mistakes. He's 18 years old playing against the best men in the world. He's succeeding 95% of the time and the other times he's kind of learning things and taking his lumps. He'll be better for it."

Foster is a Times staff writer.

Chris.foster@latimes.com