KINGS UPDATE: FOUR KINGS ON MENDING TRAIL.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

TORONTO - While most of the Kings were flying east to begin a three-game trip, four teammates were back in Los Angeles skating for the first time since getting injured.

Ziggy Palffy (cracked rib), Mathieu Schneider (abdominal surgery), Randy Robitaille (separated shoulder) and Brad Chartrand (bruised rib) each took the ice at the Kings' training facility in El Segundo.

With the exception of Palffy, who could be back after Christmas, the others aren't expected to return until mid-January.

``I think a good old-timers team could have beaten them out there today,'' Kings coach Andy Murray said. ``They weren't allowed to skate very hard, shoot or have any contact. But it is good to see there is progress.''

Palffy, who fractured a rib just under his right collarbone after colliding with the boards Dec. 1 against Nashville, reports a great deal of upper-body soreness. Until Monday, Palffy had been able to do little more than ride an exercise bike.

But after the three-day Christmas break (Dec. 23-25), the Kings play three of their next four games at home and the club is hoping Palffy can return.

Robitaille figured to pick up most of the ice time after Palffy went down, but he was injured just one game later in a collision with Calgary's Robyn Reaghr.

Schneider, the club's leading scorer at the time of his injury, hasn't played since Nov. 8. He was not placed on injured reserve until seven days later when doctors found a tear in a nagging groin injury and prescribed surgery.

Chartrand, called up from minor-league Manchester, N.H., gave the Kings an offensive lift when he teamed with Mikko Eloranta and Craig Johnson to form the club's new fourth line.

``We don't expect them to contribute any time soon,'' said Murray, whose club takes a three-game winning streak into tonight's game with the Toronto Maple Leafs. ``We just have to keep playing hard every night and wait for them to get healthy.''

KINGS vs. TORONTO

Time: 4:30 p.m., at Air Canada Center.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net; 1110-AM.

Matchup: The Kings open a three-game swing through Canada that continues Thursday in Ottawa and Saturday in Montreal. The Maple Leafs have the best record in the Eastern Conference (20-8-2-3) and are just four points behind Detroit for the NHL's best record. Curtis Joseph, a member of the Canadian Olympic team, will start in goal for Toronto. There is concern, however, that the Leafs' top line of Mats Sundin, Mikael Renberg and Jonas Hogland are slumping. Actually, Sundin is holding up his end with 17 points in the past month. But Renberg and Hogland have just 13 points combined in that span.

- Matt McHale

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KINGS vs. TORONTO (see text)