KINGS NOTEBOOK: BROWN BIDES HIS TIME ON THE BENCH.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

In hockey, it's difficult for a coach to hide his displeasure with a particular player. If the coach isn't happy, the player doesn't get many minutes, and that's where Dustin Brown is these days.

Brown, expected to be a major contributor for the Kings this season because of his combination of brawn and skill, has seen his minutes drop sharply this month. On Thursday in Nashville, Brown played a season-low nine minutes, 26 seconds, not counting a game in which Brown received a game misconduct.

``He just needs to do some things better,'' Kings coach Andy Murray said. ``He needs to step up his game a notch here. We provide opportunities and he needs to take advantage of it.''

Brown started the season with four goals and five assists in his first 12 games but entering Saturday had no goals and one assist in his previous 11 games. Brown's game is based more on big hitting than scoring, but Murray suggested Saturday both areas were in need of improvement.

``I think maybe one leads to the other,'' Murray said. ``We think he can be more physical, more aggressive on the forecheck.''

Part of Brown's limited ice time is because he doesn't kill penalties, but it's mostly a message from Murray.

``I feel like I've been playing well, but I haven't been getting points,'' said Brown, who averaged nearly 15 minutes per game early in the season. ``It's a little frustrating, but I can't let it bother me.

``Sometimes, it's just how the game goes. I just have to go out there and do whatever I can with the minutes they give me.''

--Record-setter: Mattias Norstrom played his 663nd game as a King on Saturday, breaking the franchise record for defensemen set by Rob Blake.

Norstrom, acquired from the New York Rangers in 1995, is the longest-tenured King.

``I've just been fortunate to be with this organization for a long time,'' Norstrom said. ``It's fun, but it's not that big of a deal. We're not talking about a points or a goals record. You see, more and more, players getting moved a lot. There's no recipe for not getting traded. It's just timing and good luck.''

--Diving in: The Paul Kariya drumbeat continues, as the Kings remain upset about Thursday's game at Nashville. Kariya was awarded a penalty shot in the second period, and Nashville's Darcy Hordichuk attacked Sean Avery for a perceived dirty hit on Kariya.

``It's brutal to see how some guys get favorable treatment on the ice,'' Kings forward Jeremy Roenick said. ``Kariya is the same as anybody else in this league, so he should get hit the same as everyone else. Guys are running at me and Luc (Robitaille) all the time and you don't see our guys (starting brawls).

``This game is hard and it's got to be played hard.''

--Roster move: The Kings called up Ryan Flinn from Manchester (AHL) to take the lineup spot of Tom Kostopoulos because Murray wanted a more physical element Saturday.