Murray a Reluctant Juggler

Winger Ziggy Palffy is out for tonight’s game against Atlanta because of back problems, and that has sent the Kings scrambling.

The question is, who skates with winger Luc Robitaille, normally Palffy’s partner on a line with, lately, Len Barrie and, before he was injured, Jozef Stumpel.

The answer is, just about everybody.

Robitaille skated with Barrie and Vladimir Tsyplakov on Saturday in a 3-3 tie with Tampa Bay. On Monday and Tuesday, Robitaille practiced with Jason Blake and Brad Chartrand.

Tonight, he probably will play frequently with both units in a double-shift situation.

It’s a departure from what Coach Andy Murray prefers, and from what the Kings’ players have told him they want. Among the major complaints they had with his predecessor, Larry Robinson, was his penchant for juggling lines.

“I’m one for keeping things the way they are,” Murray said. “If I’m changing lines all the time, I’m just making excuses for the players.

“When you make a lot of changes, you just end up with players back on the same lines they started [on], anyway.”

Were it not for injuries, the Kings’ lines would have varied little from their makeup when training camp opened. The line of Bryan Smolinski, Glen Murray and Donald Audette has stayed together since the season began, and Ian Laperriere has skated with Craig Johnson, wingers Chartrand and Marko Tuomainen, exchanging places only when Tuomainen was injured.

*

One surety tonight is that the line of Laperriere, Johnson and Tuomainen will start the game. Laperriere’s line has started all but one game, a 6-3 loss to Phoenix on Oct. 22.

The idea is for Laperriere to win the opening faceoff and dump the puck, then for the line to get a couple of hits to set the tone of a game.

*

Defenseman Rob Blake didn’t skate Tuesday but will play tonight. He is nursing a sore left groin. . . . Stumpel and injured goalie Stephane Fiset will make the coming trip to Detroit, Montreal, New Jersey and New York, but will not play.

TONIGHT

vs. Atlanta, 7:30

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 14-7-6-1, Thrashers 7-16-2-2.

* Record vs. Thrashers--First game.

* Update--Atlanta is 2-1-0-1 in its last three games after losing to Nashville, 4-3, in overtime Monday night. In their first season, the Thrashers are 2-8-1 on the road, both wins over the New York Islanders. They feature a couple of former Kings in center Ray Ferraro, with five goals and 16 points their second-leading scorer, and enforcer Matt Johnson, whose two goals equal his total for the Kings last season. Rookie center Patrik Stefan, who played with the Long Beach Ice Dogs the last two seasons, has three goals and 10 assists after having been the top choice in the June entry draft.