Extension in Works for Taylor

King President Tim Leiweke and Dave Taylor, the team’s senior vice president and general manager, continue to meet on a contract extension, and Leiweke said that he hopes to have Taylor signed within a week or so.

“He has one more year on his contract and an option year, and people we want to keep, we don’t want them to get into the option year,” said Leiweke.

Taylor has deferred questions concerning his contract status to his boss.

“Dave has done a great job,” said Leiweke, counting off decisions to get Ziggy Palffy in an off-season trade with the New York Islanders and another to hire Andy Murray as the team’s coach.

The two have been large contributors to the team’s success. The Kings’ 12-4-4-0 record gives them 28 points, tied for tops in the NHL.

At issue is still the length of the contract and financial figures, but Leiweke said the negotiations have been amicable.

“I’ve never had a disagreement with Dave,” Leiweke said. “I don’t expect one now.”

*

After reviewing tape of Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Chicago, Murray said he might have been a bit harsh in his assessment of the Kings’ performance.

“We didn’t play badly at all in the first two periods,” he said.

The third was another story. The Kings were outshot, 23-1.

“It’s a good thing the game wasn’t 30 seconds longer,” Murray said.

The problem, he added, was a lack of respect for the Blackhawks, who are among the league’s bottom feeders with 13 points. With that in mind, his message greeted the Kings on the bulletin board at Staples Center when they reported for Wednesday’s practice: “Our present position is based on respect for our opponent and the mind-set that we have something to prove as a team and as individuals.”

TONIGHT

vs. Phoenix, 7:30, Fox Sports Net

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 12-4-4, Coyotes 10-6-3.

* Record vs Coyotes--1-1.

* Update--Phoenix, which had lost four of five games, rebounded with a 2-1 win over Calgary on Tuesday night but struggled in doing so. The Flames had 35 shots. The Kings beat the Coyotes Sunday in what was probably their best-played game so far this season, one in which they got breakaway goals from Craig Johnson and Ziggy Palffy.

* Tickets--(888) 546-4752.