KINGS NOTEBOOK: STUMPEL MAKES AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT.Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer DENVER - Jozef Stumpel assisted on Bryan Smolinski's goal just 56 seconds into Thursday's game against the Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1996 and 2001. . The Kings did not know until game time whether their top center would even play. Stumpel, who missed the past two games after suffering a broken right little toe little toe n. The smallest and outermost toe of the human foot. Noun 1. little toe - the fifth smallest outermost toe last Thursday against the New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York, U.S.A. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). , struggled during the morning workout but told coach Andy Murray after pregame warmups that he could play. Stumpel has resisted getting a local anesthetic local anesthetic n. An agent that, when applied directly to mucous membranes or when injected about the nerves, produces loss of sensation by inhibiting nerve excitation or conduction. to numb the injury, a common practice in the NHL NHL Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, see there . Team doctors said he could not do any more damage to the toe but cautioned that Stumpel should not play without the anesthetic, which is administered by injection. ``It is still very sore,'' Stumpel said. ``But the team needs me. We're already shorthanded.'' The Kings are playing without leading scorer Ziggy Palffy, who was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a muscle tear in his right hamstring. Palffy, injured Saturday against Tampa Bay Tampa Bay, inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, 25 mi (40 km) long and 7 to 12 mi (11.3–19 km) wide, W Fla., separated from the Gulf by numerous small islands; it receives the Hillsborough River. St. , is expected to miss at least a week. Stumpel, sidelined the first two weeks of the season in a contract holdout hold·out n. One that withholds agreement or consent upon which progress is contingent. Noun 1. holdout - a negotiator who hopes to gain concessions by refusing to come to terms; "their star pitcher was a holdout for six , was injured when he took a slap shot slap shot n. A fast-moving shot made in hockey with a full swinging stroke. off the foot from teammate Mathieu Schneider. Stumpel was parked in front of the Rangers net and his natural reaction was to lift his leg to avoid the shot. If he hadn't, the puck would have hit his shin guard. Kings coach Andy Murray has been hopeful to get back Stumpel but was worried his center might not be ready. When Stumpel said he could go, Murray scratched Craig Johnson, who has been playing right wing on the second line and moved Luc Robitaille to left wing with the first unit. ``From a team standpoint, the worst thing that could have happened was he go out for 10 minutes then realize he couldn't play anymore,'' Murray said. ``Then we really would be shorthanded.'' --Quick whistles: Robitaille, who missed Wednesday's practice with a cold, arrived at the morning workout wearing a hot towel around his neck. Robitaille, second on the team with 18 goals, played and assisted on the first goal of the game. . . . Ray Bourque's assist on Joe Sakic's first- period goal was the 1,136th of his career, passing Paul Coffey for second place all time behind Wayne Gretzky. . . . Bourque (1,543) recently passed Coffey (1,531) for career points by a defenseman. Thursday's game marked the Avs' 259th consecutive sellout. KINGS vs. MINNESOTA Time: 5 p.m., Xcel Energy Center Current arenas in the National Hockey League Western Conference Eastern Conference . TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net; KSPN-AM (1110). Matchup: The Kings make their first visit to Minnesota this season.They defeated the Wild 3-2 at home on Dec. 2. Ziggy Palffy scored the winning goal. This is a homecoming for Kings Craig Johnson and Jason Blake, who grew up nearby. The Kings also will see Sean O'Donnell and Steve McKenna, who played with them last season. The Wild (9-17-6) is last in the Northwest Division but is coming off two impressive outings. It defeated Dallas 6-0 last Sunday in the Stars' first visit to Minnesota since 1993, when it relocated. The Wild came back Wednesday night with a 2-2 tie against Northeast Division-leading Ottawa. - Matt McHale CAPTION(S): box Box: KINGS vs. MINNESOTA (see text) |
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