EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Kings might not have goalie Jonathan Quick or captain Dustin Brown for a Pacific Division game Saturday against the rival Anaheim Ducks.
Kings coach Darryl Sutter said he did not know if Quick would be available until game time. Quick and Brown are ill and did not skate Friday or Saturday morning. Sutter wasn’t sure if Quick would be able to backup Martin Jones.
Asked if an emergency goaltender would have to be called, Sutter said, “Billy Ranford,” a joking reference to Kings goaltending coach and former NHL goalie Bill Ranford.
Brown spoke to reporters long after the morning skate.
"Just kind of play it by ear," Brown said. "Back to square one, really. I stayed in later for treatment, and I’ll see how I feel later."
Brown addressed his disappointing season and his third-period benching of Thursday, when he played a season-low 10:12. Sutter said Brown’s line was tired.
"As a player you're not happy but, he's the coach and I'm the player and that's how it works," Brown said. "We discussed it briefly. It's one of those things where, as a player I can contribute more and he thought our line was not as good."
Brown did not see any time shorthanded, an unusual development for a player who has been a top penalty killer for Los Angeles.
"I've talked to Darryl previously about this," Brown said. "I haven't had a very good year. I'm the first one to say that. I think coming out of the Olympic break I've been playing a lot better, feeling a lot better. My mindset's just different. Now it's just about working my way back to where I'm capable of playing. I've always done PK. Again … I've got to work my way back into it.
"I'm disappointed in myself, and at the same time, it gives me an opportunity to focus on certain things to be able to PK and to be able to [play on] power play. As a player, you've just got to work through it."
Here are the projected lineups:
DUCKS
Patrick Maroon – Ryan Getzlaf – Corey Perry
Daniel Winnik – Saku Koivu – Andrew Cogliano
Matt Beleskey – Mathieu Perreault – Jakob Silfverberg
Kyle Palmieri – Nick Bonino – Tim Jackman
Francois Beauchemin – Hampus Lindholm
Injured: Cam Fowler (lower body), Stephane Robidas (leg), Sheldon Souray (wrist)
Scratched: Teemu Selanne
Fowler left in the second period Friday against the Colorado Avalanche and is listed as day-to-day. Selanne played Friday and typically does not play in back-to-back games. Hiller has not played in back-to-back games since Jan. 11-12.
KINGS
Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Justin Williams
Tyler Toffoli – Mike Richards – Jeff Carter
Dwight King – Jarret Stoll – Tanner Pearson
Kyle Clifford – Trevor Lewis – Jordan Nolan
Willie Mitchell – Alec Martinez
Injured: Dustin Brown (ill)
Scratched: Matt Greene
Most veterans did not take the ice and players came off the ice at the same time.
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