EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- If ever a team has good reason to stick with a lineup after it surrendered 52 shots on goal, it's the Los Angeles Kings.

Coach Terry Murray changed three of his four lines prior to Game 5 of the Western Conference quarterfinals against San Jose, and it resulted in a 3-1 victory.

Despite making goalie Jonathan Quick record a franchise playoff record 51 saves, the Kings actually were better off overall in part to balanced, two-way play by their forward group.

So why fix what's not broken?

"I will not change the lines right now, no," Murray said after Sunday’s practice.

Murray will continue to use Scott Parse on a line with Michal Handzus and Justin Williams. Dustin Penner has been dropped down with Jarret Stoll and enforcer Kevin Westgarth while Trevor Lewis centers Ryan Smyth and Dustin Brown.

The one line intact is that of rookie Kyle Clifford, Brad Richardson and Wayne Simmonds, who have turned out to be the story of the playoffs for L.A.

Clifford and Richardson lead the team with five points apiece and Simmonds has contributed a goal and two assists. But it's their play on both ends of the ice that have made them the most effective, with Clifford's grit, Richardson's veteran savvy combining with the speed of Simmonds.

Richardson said they developed chemistry playing together at the end of the regular season and recently discussed a desire to get on the scoreboard.

"We talked about it," Richardson said. "We were happy with our play, but we just wanted to get some more production. I think it was just a matter of getting an ugly goal – I think Cliffy got one in the second game – so I think that just kind of sparked us. But we've been playing well even before that. We felt like we were getting our chances."

Clifford is the biggest surprise. A few weeks ago he made news only for losing fights to Ryan Reaves of St. Louis and Sheldon Brookbank of Anaheim.

Clifford's three goals lead the Kings and he was the postseason’s top rookie goal scorer entering Sunday.

"The fact that you're looking at a young player, a rookie, putting some pucks into the back of the net, it really doesn't surprise me," Murray said. "It has happened in the history of the game when you have a player who's doing it who plays that hard game. He goes to the area that you have to go to to play at this time of the year. There's no reluctance, no hesitation in physical contact and paying a price in order to recover pucks. You get rewarded for that attitude."

Steve Sullivan isn't quite used to playing a limited role, particularly in the playoffs.

But the veteran had groin surgery in March and missed all but two of the team's final 22 games, so he's happy just to be in the lineup even if it's on the fourth line.

"These guys have gone to battle the last two months and gotten into the playoffs," Sullivan said.

"For me to think I'm just going to step in and try to make a difference - we got to think of a winning hockey club. It's not about trying to get me back in the lineup. Every game I can play, every extra minute I can play is a bonus right way."

Trotz said easing Sullivan back slowly is the right step.

"Sully's been in this position in the past," Trotz said.  "We ramped him up into a real high role and for the most part, he struggled in that role, because it's hard to go from 0 to 60 when you've been out a long time. From experience, we said, ‘Hey, we're not going to ramp him up there. We're just going to put him in a little lesser role and then if he can contribute from there, we'll build from there.'

Sullivan made the most of his 6:15 minutes of ice time as he scored Nashville's second goal in a 4-1 victory.

It was only his second goal in his past 13 playoff games.

"It felt great. It really did," he said ."It really felt to be able to make a contribution. (Trotz) had a hard time with the decision of putting me in there, and hopefully it was worth it."

It seems odd for a player to play all 82 regular season games and then get scratched for the first game of the playoffs, but Nashville coach Barry Trotz didn't think Colin Wilson earned the right to play in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.

"He didn't do anything wrong," Trotz said Thursday. "He just didn't do enough things right. It's a privilege to play in the playoffs. It's a privilege to play in the National Hockey League. It's a privilege to have one of the 12 spots as a forward on our hockey team."

Trotz instead gave a spot to rookie Blake Geoffrion, opting not use Wilson, a 16-goal scorer this season.

Trotz noted that Wilson, the seventh pick in the 2008 draft, wasn't happy about the move and he likened it to defenseman Ryan Suter having similar growing pains earlier in his career.

"He'll start to understand that it is a privilege to play," Trotz said. "There is a certain level you have to play at … it's not that Colin's not a mature person. He's still a young guy. He's been a top pick. He's played a high level at every level that he's played at and been a very prominent player. All of a sudden he's not that prominent player, and that's hard to deal with for a young guy."

According to Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider, Justin Williams declared himself good to go for the start of the Sharks-Kings quarterfinal series.

The Los Angeles Kings winger said that he will "probably" make a decision on his status today as he continues to work back from a dislocated shoulder.

Williams practiced Tuesday and was seen taking contact in the corners and participating in drills, although he wore a gray jersey designated for injured players and was not part of the line rushes.

He said he would later talk to coach Terry Murray and stopped short of saying he was ready to play Game 1 of the Kings' opening round series against San Jose on Thursday.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Nashville will have nearly all its key offensive players available when it opens its first-round playoff series against Anaheim on Wednesday night at Honda Center.

Predators coach Barry Trotz said Steve Sullivan and Martin Erat are good to go after they sat out the last regular-season game or two with injuries.

"Basically all our forwards are ready to go," Trotz said. "They've all been cleared to play."

Sullivan had groin surgery in early March and returned for the Predators' penultimate game. He said he has been skating for more than three weeks and feels good.

"That's going to be getting better every single day," Sullivan said. "That's going to be a continuation. I think every touch I can get on the ice -- good practices, games -- I'm going to continue to get better every time."