Glen Murray

The message was clear to winger Glen Murray when he went to his stall in the dressing room Monday morning and found a gray sweater. By the time Coach Andy Murray talked with him after practice, Glen Murray already knew. It meant he was joining a line centered by Bob Corkum. The other wing was Kelly Buchberger. "I haven't been putting the puck in the net," said Murray, "so I'll grind it out and get a goal."

Mattias Norstrom thought he had left hockey behind when he retired in 2008 and went home to Stockholm, where he joined two friends in starting a business that insures Swedish athletes and artists. But hockey won't let go of Norstrom. It maintains an unbreakable hold through the many friends he made during a solid career that included 11-plus seasons with the Kings and the distinction of being the first European-born player to serve as their captain. Norstrom, 38, made a tentative return to the game in February as an assistant coach of Team Sweden at the Vancouver Olympics.

One player's misfortune can be another's opportunity. And winger Glen Murray is taking advantage of the extra playing time he has gotten since center Jozef Stumpel cracked a rib and exited the lineup. Murray had four goals and five points in the five games leading up to the Kings' 2-2 tie with the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday, increasing his season totals to 16 goals and 35 points in 50 games. He has always had good speed, but he didn't always play as big as his size, 6-3 and 225 pounds.

Glen Murray took advantage of his good fortune and made a goat out of Montreal's Alex Kovalev. Murray pounced on Kovalev's mistake to score on a breakaway 9:27 into the second overtime Tuesday night, giving the Boston Bruins a 4-3 win over the Canadiens at Montreal. Boston, which took a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series, tied the score when Mike Knuble scored with 30 seconds left in regulation.

The question is about pace, and King winger Glen Murray wants his to be centered on next Friday. "I want to peak at the beginning of the season," he said. But Coach Andy Murray doesn't understand that concept, and he has prodded Murray for much of training camp. "He wants me to be at the top of my game right away," Murray said. "I definitely need to pick it up."

Mattias Norstrom thought he had left hockey behind when he retired in 2008 and went home to Stockholm, where he joined two friends in starting a business that insures Swedish athletes and artists. But hockey won't let go of Norstrom. It maintains an unbreakable hold through the many friends he made during a solid career that included 11-plus seasons with the Kings and the distinction of being the first European-born player to serve as their captain. Norstrom, 38, made a tentative return to the game in February as an assistant coach of Team Sweden at the Vancouver Olympics.

King Coach Andy Murray felt better about his criticism of Glen Murray last week after the winger opened the season with a bang. Glen Murray, scoreless in three exhibition games, seemed to be all over the ice in Thursday night's season opener, scoring the Kings' first goal, assisting on the second and snapping off seven shots in a 2-2 tie with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Some day, somehow, the management of the Kings will realize, as do the majority of King fans, that its continual mismanagement limits the success of the team and that the next level remains beyond accomplishment. After last season, they chose to wave goodbye to Luc Robitaille. Now they have chosen to say goodbye to Jozef Stumpel and Glen Murray. For months we have been told that the ceiling of $40 million was imposed by the owner, and now in a state of panic after nine games, management somehow seems to find $20 million.

Let's see now, new guys? Check. Old guy? Check. Rehabilitated guys? Check. Exiled guys? Check. Kids? Check. Everything checked out in Wednesday's intrasquad scrimmage when the Kings got goals from Aki Berg (back from last season's self-exile in Finland), Bryan Smolinski (new guy, acquired in trade from New York Islanders), Steve McKenna (rehabilitated from stomach injury), Glen Murray (rehabilitated from knee injury) and Donald MacLean (kid) in a 5-4 win over their teammates.

The Kings have always played well against Detroit, and are 2-2-1 against the Red Wings this season. Beyond that, the Kings are 68-51-25 against Detroit in the franchise's 33 seasons. But the Kings have never played the Red Wings in the playoffs. A look at each game this season: Game 1 Kings 1, Detroit 1 Nov. 3, Joe Louis Arena Kings: 0 1 0 0-1 Detroit: 1 0 0 0-1 Coach Andy Murray seemed to be awe-struck after earning a tie to end a three-game trip with five of a possible six points. ". . .

Glen Murray scored three goals in a game for the fifth time in his NHL career, to lead the Boston Bruins over the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-1, Sunday at Boston. All of his goals came in the third period. Murray has scored six of the Bruins' last seven goals and has come up with the game-winning goal in each of their last three games. Before that, he had gone 15 games with only three goals. "You ask anyone, when you get a couple of goals in a row it seems like you find the right spot," Murray said.

The Boston Bruins' top line has been without Sergei Samsonov nearly all season, but there has been no shortage of production. Glen Murray scored the fourth hat trick of his career, Brian Rolston scored two goals and John Grahame stopped 29 shots, and the streaking Bruins defeated the Calgary Flames, 7-2, Tuesday night. The Bruins won their third consecutive game and seventh in a row at home. Boston is 8-1-1-0 at the FleetCenter this season. The Flames lost for the seventh time in eight games.

Andy Murray is aware of the hockey axiom that says a coaching honeymoon in the NHL lasts no longer than three seasons. In the fourth, according to conventional wisdom, his players start tuning him out. The King coach, who has guided an ever-evolving team to three consecutive 90-point seasons, also is aware of the perception that he has changed his style because of it, that he has eased up on the reins and stopped riding so hard. He doesn't buy it.

Ziggy Palffy and Aaron Miller, who returned to the lineup after sitting out because of back injuries, earned high marks from Coach Andy Murray for their work in Saturday night's 3-2 overtime victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Palffy, who had sat out four games, made the more obvious contribution, scoring the winner and assisting on a third-period goal by Adam Deadmarsh. "He certainly looked better than he did before he went out," Murray said. "He had more jump in his stride.

Some day, somehow, the management of the Kings will realize, as do the majority of King fans, that its continual mismanagement limits the success of the team and that the next level remains beyond accomplishment. After last season, they chose to wave goodbye to Luc Robitaille. Now they have chosen to say goodbye to Jozef Stumpel and Glen Murray. For months we have been told that the ceiling of $40 million was imposed by the owner, and now in a state of panic after nine games, management somehow seems to find $20 million.

Dave Taylor declined comment Thursday when asked about reports that the Boston Bruins wanted Adam Deadmarsh to be included in the Jason Allison trade before Taylor told them that Deadmarsh was untouchable. "We talked about a lot of players," said Taylor, who is said to have tried to package a defenseman and a forward before agreeing to send forwards Jozef Stumpel and Glen Murray to the Bruins. "I don't want to talk about specific guys." Is Deadmarsh untouchable?

Glen Murray said Wednesday that he was surprised by recent comments made by Coach Andy Murray, who questioned the winger's commitment and suggested that his days with the team could be numbered. Not that he read them. "I don't read the papers," a tight-lipped Glen Murray said. "But I heard about it. All my teammates told me about it." He seemed puzzled by the comments. Among other things, the coach said the player must decide if he wants to stay in Los Angeles.

The Kings are running out of patience with Glen Murray, whose lack of production belies the enormous potential they see in him. Coach Andy Murray suggested Saturday that the veteran winger's days with the Kings could be numbered unless he brings to practice and the regular season the same intensity that made him a force in the playoffs last spring. "I think Glen has to make a decision, and I think the bottom-line decision is if he wants to stay in L.A.," the coach said.

What did a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night mean for the Kings? Certainly, getting their first victory was a morale boost. "If we hadn't won, it would have been not real pleasant around here this morning," Coach Andy Murray said Friday at the team's training facility in El Segundo. But the Kings' poor defense in a 6-5 victory also means there is much work to be done, Murray said. St.

King Coach Andy Murray felt better about his criticism of Glen Murray last week after the winger opened the season with a bang. Glen Murray, scoreless in three exhibition games, seemed to be all over the ice in Thursday night's season opener, scoring the Kings' first goal, assisting on the second and snapping off seven shots in a 2-2 tie with the Phoenix Coyotes.