KINGS NOTEBOOK: GOALTENDING IS A QUESTION FOR KINGS.Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer PHOENIX - The Kings hope to use Jamie Storr in goal throughout their five-game trip that opened Saturday night with a loss to the Coyotes. There is a chance that Marcel Cousineau will play next Sunday against the New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, a hamlet located on Long Island in Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. in the second of back-to-back games. But the bigger question is when will Stephane Fiset, the projected opening-night goaltender, return? A month ago, he was due back in a month. Now, the hope is mid-November. Fiset, sidelined since Sept. 22 with a torn medial collateral ligament The medial collateral ligament or MCL (or tibial collateral ligament) is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial or inner side of the joint. in his left knee, had a setback this past week. When Fiset, still not practicing with teammates, increased his workout recently there was discomfort. He underwent a second MRI 1. (application) MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2. MRI - Measurement Requirements and Interface. , which showed the knee is healing, but scar tissue scar tissue n. Dense, fibrous connective tissue that forms over a healed wound or cut. around the torn ligament is inflamed. The original diagnosis was a Grade I sprain sprain, stretching or wrenching of the ligaments and tendons of a joint, often with rupture of the tissues but without dislocation. Sprains occur most commonly at the ankle, knee, or wrist joints, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty in moving the involved joint. , far less severe than the Grade III sprain or complete tear of the MCL MCL - Macintosh Common LISP , which forced Glen Murray to miss 19 games two seasons ago. Bryan Smolinski also suffered a complete tear of the MCL during the final week of last season. Smolinski returned for the playoffs. ``It is not a ligament that requires surgery,'' Kings GM Dave Taylor said. ``Steph's injury might have been worse than first diagnosed and it is much more difficult for a goaltender to get back. We're hoping a few weeks.'' --Skills skipped: Rob Blake, who missed three games last week with a hairline fracture hairline fracture n. A fracture in which the fragments do not separate because the line of break is so fine. Also called capillary fracture. in his lower back, will skip today's NHL NHL Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, see there Skills Competition at the Staples Center. Blake, who usually competes in speed skating and hardest-shot drills, figured the day off would help his back. The Kings flew back to Los Angeles after Saturday's game here and fly to Columbus, Ohio, on Monday for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jackets. ``My back feels good,'' Blake said. ``I'm playing in the games and there isn't anything I can't do. But when there is a chance to take a break, you have to take it.'' The competition begins today at 2 p.m.. Admission is $5. Season-ticket holders get in free. --Quick whistles: With the Coyotes playing the second of back-to-back games, starting goaltender Sean Burke was given the night off. Burke, who saves 94 percent of the shots he faces, is 6-1-1 with a 1.74 goals-against average. He won Friday night in Dallas despite allowing one goal on 14 shots, and facing four power plays and one five-on-three in the first period. |
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