Don’t Expect Round Two With Senators

The last time the Kings squared off against the Ottawa Senators, Dec. 20 at Ottawa, a hockey game broke out.

But only after a second-period brawl that resulted in 174 minutes in penalties and the ejection of six players, among them goaltenders Felix Potvin of the Kings and Jani Hurme of the Senators, did the Kings emerge with a 4-2 victory.

King interim Coach Dave Tippett, however, is not looking for a repeat when the teams play again tonight at Staples Center.

“It’s about the points; it’s not about grudges,” Tippett said. “Ottawa’s a very good hockey team and if we come in thinking that it’s going to be a fight rather than play the game--we can’t think that....

“Hockey’s an emotional game. It was just one of those things.”

Jason Allison, Kelly Buchberger, Ian Laperriere and Adam Deadmarsh of the Kings all earned major penalties for fighting at Ottawa, precipitated by what the Kings believed was thuggish treatment of Allison. And that was before the main event, which featured the rare sight of goaltenders Potvin and Hurme trading punches.

All 12 players on the ice at the time were involved in the second-period melee. Allison, one leg draped over the boards, was restrained by several of his teammates from joining the fray but nobody bothered with rookie Adam Mair, who earned an automatic 10-game suspension when he left the bench and jumped into a fight.

After a 20-minute delay, Potvin, Hurme and Mair had been ejected, as had Jaroslav Modry of the Kings and Andre Roy and Chris Neil of the Senators.

The game then played out without incident, the Kings outscoring the Senators, 3-1.

TONIGHT

vs. Ottawa, 7:30

Fox Sports Net

Site--Staples Center.

Radio--KSPN (1110).

Records--Kings 29-21-8-3, Senators 31-18-7-5.

Record vs. Senators--1-0.

Update--The Kings, whose road record of 16-9-4-2 ranks third in the NHL, are only 23rd best at home with a record of 13-12-4-1 after Saturday’s surprising 2-0 loss to the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets. The Kings have not lost consecutive games since mid-November.