EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- After watching his team continue to muddle offensively, Los Angeles Kings coach Terry Murray decided wholesale change was in order.

Murray has mixed up almost all of his line combinations and will try them out Monday night in a divisional matchup against San Jose.

The first line has Dustin Brown moving to left wing with Anze Kopitar and Trent Hunter. The second line reunites former Philadelphia teammates Mike Richards and Simon Gagne with Jarret Stoll moving to right wing. Finally, Andrei Loktionov will center a third line with Kyle Clifford and the demoted Justin Williams.

The Kings have scored seven goals in the past four games.

Brown has one goal in the past 14 games and Williams has no goals in that span. Stoll, a 20-goal scorer last season, has only two goals this season.

"I'm hoping the players are going to show us an answer one way or the other here certainly on the positive side that they like the change," Murray said.

Murray won't change the power play units, though, because the issue there has more to do with the organization's long-term issue of not putting pucks on net.

"The shot mentality -- it has to get better," Murray said. "We have to get it off our stick faster. People are in front of the net doing their job and give ourselves and opportunity to score or to recover a puck and create more opportunities."

Hunter on top line: Hunter's promotion to the first line comes curiously after he dubiously missed an open net in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Chicago.

But Hunter is a former 20-goal scorer who has gone from playing on a pro tryout contract in training camp to a first line right wing position.

"It's definitely a little bit of a roller coaster, starting in the summer and not having a contract," Hunter said. "It's not something I've had to do for quite a while, but it's part of the game. Now I've just got to take advantage and try and contribute any way I can."

Hunter has no goals in 11 games but that could change with Brown and Kopitar.

"They're both great players and do great things with the puck," Hunter said. "Brownie takes the puck to the net hard and opens up a lot of space there. Kopi just makes great plays with the puck and sees the ice so well. They definitely make space out there, for sure."

Brown moves to left side: Kings captain Dustin Brown will play left wing after spending large portions of his career on the right side.

The right-handed Brown said there will be some considerable adjustments good and bad.

"It's much more difficult making plays coming out of your own end," Brown said. "But making plays coming off the blue line on the offensive side of the puck -- you can cut, you can do the slant pass on to the guys' stick. And from a protection standpoint it's a lot easier to drive wide.

"There's lot more options on the offensive side of the puck. It's more difficult. I've just got to take more reps in practice and taking it off the wall."

Penner cleared: Dustin Penner has been cleared for practice but is not yet ready to return to the lineup, coach Terry Murray said.

Penner has missed seven games with a hand injury. The team has two days off after Monday and Thursday is a possible target date for his return.

"I hope so," Murray said. "We're very close. If it came to his decision, he'd want to play tonight. But two more days of practice, getting going, feeling more comfortable, I think he's pretty close."

Alec Martinez remains out with an upper-body injury.

San Jose a measuring stick: Murray downplayed the matchup with San Jose as a way to measure his team.

But it's difficult to ignore that L.A. is 0-4 against top-tier teams San Jose, Detroit, Chicago and Vancouver.

Monday is the first Kings-Sharks meeting in L.A. since San Jose eliminated the Kings in overtime of Game 6 of last season’s conference quarterfinals.

"It's definitely an important game," Kyle Clifford said. "Every game counts come April. Obviously we want to make a good push, and you never know who you're going to meet in the playoffs, too. You definitely want to make a strong impression."

Here are how the lineups could look tonight when the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks at Staples Center:

SHARKS
Logan Couture - Joe Thornton - Joe Pavelski
Ryane Clowe - Patrick Marleau - Torrey Mitchell
Jamie McGinn - Michal Handzus - Martin Havlat
Brad Winchester - Andrew Desjardins - Andrew Murray

Dan Boyle - Douglas Murray
Brent Burns - Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Jason Demers - Jim Vandermeer

Antti Niemi

KINGS
Dustin Brown - Anze Kopitar - Trent Hunter
Simon Gagne - Mike Richards - Jarret Stoll
Kyle Clifford - Andrei Loktionov - Justin Williams
Ethan Moreau - Colin Fraser - Kevin Westgarth

Drew Doughty - Rob Scuderi
Jack Johnson - Willie Mitchell
Slava Voynov - Matt Greene

Jonathan Quick

The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks will conclude a home-and-home series on Thursday night at Honda Center.

Because of the back-to-back game situation, the Kings did not have a morning skate Thursday while the Ducks had an optional skate after LA's 2-1 shootout victory on Wednesday night.

Anaheim is expected to start Dan Ellis, who is 7-1 with a 2.24 goals-against average in nine career games against L.A. It will be his first start since he allowed three goals in a loss to Columbus on Oct. 30.

Los Angeles is expected start Jonathan Quick in goal again, according to lakingsinsider.com.

Quick stopped 23 of 24 shots in regulation and overtime and six of seven shootout attempts on Wednesday, including one on Kurtis Foster to seal the victory.

Quick also played in back-to-back games on Oct. 29-30 against Phoenix and Colorado and went 1-0-1.

Anaheim winger Niklas Hagman was awaiting visa clearance as of Thursday morning and it was not known if he would be eligible to make his Ducks debut. Anaheim claimed Hagman off re-entry waivers earlier this week.

Anaheim center Ben Maxwell received his work visa to play for the Ducks, but has yet to have a full practice with the whole team. The Ducks also have defenseman Nate Guenin at their disposal after he was recalled Tuesday with Jean-Francois Jacques.

KINGS
Simon Gagne - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams
Andrei Loktionov - Mike Richards - Dustin Brown
Kyle Clifford - Jarret Stoll - Trent Hunter
Trevor Lewis - Colin Fraser - Ethan Moreau

Drew Doughty - Jack Johnson
Willie Mitchell - Slava Voynov
Rob Scuderi - Matt Greene

Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Bernier

DUCKS
Bobby Ryan - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne
Matt Beleskey - Brandon McMillan - Devante Smith-Pelly
Andrew Gordon - Maxime Macenauer - Jean-Francois Jacques

Cam Fowler - Francois Beauchemin
Toni Lydman - Kurtis Foster
Luca Sbisa - Sheldon Brookbank

Dan Ellis
Jonas Hiller

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Injuries have forced the Los Angeles Kings to make two tweaks to their lineup for Wednesday night.

Coach Terry Murray doesn't expect there to be much adjustment with the insertion of winger Andrei Loktionov on the second line and defenseman Slava Voynov.

Loktionov, the team's top forward prospect, didn't make the team out of training camp but he played 19 games with the big club last season. Voynov had a terrific camp and was up with the team earlier this season.

"They're going to give us some intense play," Murray said. "There's a point here now, being their third year of pro hockey, they're more understanding of what it is to playing the team game and just come out and play the right way also and get into a situation where you feel you have to do a whole lot to impress.

"It's an opportunity for them to show us they're ready to play in the NHL. If they take that attitude, it suits them best."

Murray switched up the defense pairings and reunited Drew Doughty with Jack Johnson. The two play together on the power play but only played together for a handful of games last season.

"We're somewhat familiar with each other from the power play, but five-on-five is going to be different," Doughty said. 

"I know we're both excited … I don't think there's a better defense pairing, really, in the League that can move the puck like both of us. It's going to be lot of fun."

Doughty also said he's past the shoulder injury that forced him to miss games earlier this season. Doughty helps get the Kings' dormant offense going, and he has 2 goals and 3 assists in his past five games.

"I feel good out there," he said. "(The injury) is not in the back of mind, for the most part. I feel healthy and ready to go."

Niklas Hagman is trying to get an appointment with a consulate in Canada to obtain a work visa to begin playing for the Anaheim Ducks.

Anaheim claimed Hagman, a three-time 20-goal scorer, off re-entry waivers from the Calgary Flames.

Hagman was glad to be in another situation after, he said, his role was diminished in Calgary.

"It was tough because you were watching the games and you feel like you're in good shape and you feel like you've been playing well but still you're sidelined because of so many bodies," Hagman said when he met local reporters Tuesday.

"I was just relieved to get into a new environment and get a chance to play and, that way, show that I can play and should be in this League."

Hagman gives Anaheim four Finnish players, including Olympic teammates Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Coach Randy Carlyle said he wouldn't put Hagman with Selanne and Koivu, but instead on the third line.

"We think he's a fit for our group with his work ethic and his commitment to playing the game in those dirty areas, getting inside, getting in on the forecheck," Carlyle said. "That's really what our expectations are.

"We hope, and we're gambling to some degree, that this is going to be the right place at the right time for Nik to come in."

The move is in response to Anaheim's 30th-ranked offense, and Carlyle acknowledged that they have a lot of youth on their bottom six forward unit.

"Probably desperation looking for the third line," Carlyle said. "We're putting a lot of pressure on young kids."


George Parros is wearing a visor as he recovers from laser surgery to repair a torn retina.

The noted enforcer hasn't committed to it, though. He will be out for about another two weeks and is wearing it on a trial basis.

"It's just precautionary for now," Parros said. "I haven't decided whether I'm going to wear it during game play or not."

"It's interesting to play the puck on a backhand for me with the visor line there. But I have a couple of weeks to get used to it."

Parros was struck by the puck in practice on Nov. 5, the second time he was hit in a few days.

Teammate Andrew Gordon was the culprit, and Parros joked that Gordon doesn't owe him.

"It's not his fault at all," he said. "He did buy me dinner on the road, so I took it and thanked him for it."

Here's how the lineups could look tonight when the Los Angeles Kings host the Anaheim Ducks at Staples Center:

DUCKS
Bobby Ryan - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne
Matt Beleskey - Maxime Macenauer - Andrew Gordon
Jean-Francois Jacques - Brandon McMillan - Devante Smith-Pelly

Cam Fowler - Francois Beauchemin
Toni Lydman - Kurtis Foster
Luca Sbisa - Sheldon Brookbank

Jonas Hiller
Dan Ellis

The Ducks recalled Jacques and he will likely make his regular-season debut for the team. Jacques was up with the club early this season, but had to serve a five-game suspension for leaving the bench to fight against Vancouver in the preseason.

KINGS
Simon Gagne - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams
Andrei Loktionov - Mike Richards - Dustin Brown
Kyle Clifford - Jarret Stoll - Brad Richardson
Ethan Moreau - Colin Fraser - Trevor Lewis

Jack Johnson - Drew Doughty
Willie Mitchell - Slava Voynov
Rob Scuderi - Matt Greene

Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Bernier

Terry Murray’s 1,000th game as an NHL coach is Saturday night, and he has done a good job of deflecting the attention.

He reiterated that the focus should be on the game, but captain Dustin Brown acknowledged that 1,000 games is a “big milestone.” Brown also said that Murray’s calm demeanor was the ideal match for a team that made a lot of mistakes when Murray arrived in Los Angeles in 2008.

“I’ve played for all sorts of coaches, and having him especially the last few years, we were a growing team,” Brown said. “He didn’t come in and yell at a lot of young guys. We had a lot of young guys in here making mistakes, (and) now I think it’s benefited some of these young guys.”

That carries over into a more mature team today that doesn’t need many closed-door meetings with Murray as in the past.

“We’ve won one or two games out of the last seven or whatever it is,” Brown said. “Guys are aware of it, (but) he doesn’t even have to come in. It’s the type of team we have.”

Latendresse out: Minnesota will play its first game since Guillaume Latendresse suffered a concussion Thursday.
Cal Clutterbuck could take Latendresse’s place at top line wing and Warren Peters will be inserted into the lineup, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Josh Harding is expected in goal, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.

Here is the projected lineup for Saturday night:

WILD

Cal Clutterbuck - Mikko Koivu - Dany Heatley
Devin Setoguchi - Matt Cullen - Pierre-Marc Bouchard
Nick Johnson - Kyle Brodziak - Darroll Powe
Colton Gillies - Warren Peters - Brad Staubitz

Nick Schultz - Marek Zidlicky
Marco Scandella - Jared Spurgeon
Justin Falk - Nate Prosser

Josh Harding
Niklas Backstrom

KINGS

Simon Gagne - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams
Brad Richardson - Mike Richards - Dustin Brown
Kyle Clifford - Jarret Stoll - Trent Hunter
Trevor Lewis - Colin Fraser - Ethan Moreau

Drew Doughty - Willie Mitchell
Jack Johnson - Rob Scuderi
Alec Martinez - Matt Greene

Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Bernier

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Just when Dustin Penner was starting to find his game, he has an injury setback.

Penner suffered a hand injury against Vancouver on Thursday night and will be out for at least Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

Kings coach Terry Murray said Penner’s status was “longer than day-to-day” after Penner suffered the injury during a power play, although Penner participated in the team’s morning skate Saturday.

Penner played more than 14 minutes, including 5:15 in the third period, Thursday.

Murray will likely put Brad Richardson in Penner’s place at second line left wing with Mike Richards and Dustin Brown.
The injury comes after Penner seemed to turn a corner on a disappointing season this week. He had an assist on Tuesday against Nashville and has looked better since Murray put him back on the second line.

Murray will stick with Colin Fraser at fourth line center. Fraser made his Kings debut on Thursday following offseason foot surgery.

ANAHEIM -- It appears that Roberto Luongo will get another turn in net for the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night.
Luongo was expected to get the night off after he backstopped Vancouver to a 3-2 victory against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.

Luongo wasn't at Friday's sparsely attended optional skate, but when Corey Schneider came off the ice he threw reporters a curve when he said he wasn't starting against the Anaheim Ducks.

Vancouver is finishing a six-game road trip in which they had three days off between games.

"I think they just want to keep Lu in a rhythm," Schneider said. "He's coming back into form and is playing well, so I'm sure they just want to get him going."

Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault wasn't available to comment, and neither was Luongo. Schneider said he found out Thursday night and understood.

"We had three days off before, so to go back-to-back for Lu after three days off isn't such a big deal," he said. "I'm sure he's looking forward to getting back in there again."

ANAHEIM -- The Anaheim Ducks' power play has ranked in the top five in the NHL the past three seasons, including a No. 2 success rate in 2010-11.

It's not difficult to generate offense there with the likes of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne setting up in the opposition's zone.

But Anaheim takes a meek 12.1 percentage on the power play, 26th in the NHL, into Friday's game against the Vancouver Canucks. Coach Randy Carlyle restated at the morning skate that he'll likely switch up the personnel within the two units.

"I think maybe we can mix up the groupings and maybe trying to create a little bit more competition for the ice time," Carlyle said. "We've considered that, and we've worked on a couple options within our grouping and who knows?  Maybe you'll see it tonight."

The Ducks' first unit is usually Getzlaf, Perry, Selanne, Lubomir Visnovsky and Cam Fowler, but second-unit pieces Bobby Ryan, Saku Koivu and Andrew Cogliano are also at their disposal.

"We've got to do whatever we have to do," Getzlaf said. "If we have to move guys around, that's what we're going to have to do. This morning they tried a few different things out there, and hopefully we'll have a few answers tonight."