KINGS UPDATE: NEWEST KING NO DIRTY RAT.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

SAN JOSE - Cliff Ronning recently was honored by the Nashville Predators in a touching pregame ceremony for playing in his 1,000th NHL game. A week later, Ronning, the most popular player in franchise history, was traded to the Kings.

In 16 NHL seasons, he knows a bit about change. He has played with St. Louis, Vancouver, Phoenix and the Predators. So it was no big deal Sunday when he left Nashville at 6 a.m., flew to L.A., met Kings coach Andy Murray, then hopped on the charter for the flight to San Jose.

``When it's time to go, you go,'' Ronning said. ``I've had a day to think about everything and I'm excited about the possibilities here. There is so much talent on this team.''

If Sunday was a wild day for Ronning, who was traded for defenseman Jere Karalahti, he knows it only gets busier. The Kings have 14 games remaining in the regular season heading into tonight's game against the Pacific Division-leading Sharks.

A victory could move the fifth-place Kings (33-22-9-4) within two points of first place in the Western Conference. If the season ended today, they would begin the playoffs on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks. If they win the division, the Kings would have home ice advantage in the first round.

``That's why getting someone like Cliff, with his offensive skills and his background in the playoffs is so important,'' Murray said. ``This is going to be a very tough stretch the rest of the way.''

Sounds like a good fit for a player known as the ``Rat.'' Ronning is just 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, but he plays a pesky game that aggravates opponents.

``Usually in a game, it usually looks like I'm trying to take the puck off the guy or chew on their ankles, because I'm so much smaller than him,'' Ronning said. ``It's a name that just stuck.''

Murray doesn't know where he plans to play Ronning, who was mostly a left wing in Nashville.

Sunday morning, he was listed on the Kings' depth chart as the left winger on the first line. Ziggy Palffy, who played on the second line the past few games, was moved back to the top unit. Adam Deadmarsh has been dropped to the second line to help Brian Smolinski, who has gone 20 games without a goal.

Ronning, with 18 goals and 49 points at the time of the trade, also can play center. But as a left winger, he is expected to get playing time at the expense of Steve Heinze, who was benched in Saturday's 4-3 victory after his goal-less streak reached 20 games.

Even though the Kings made the Ronning move, they might not be through. The club has been scouting the Tampa Bay Lightning's Frederik Modin, a former 30-goal scorer who has been hurt this year.

``I look at this move as a chance to add some depth to a very good team,'' Ronning said.

And some experience. Ronning has appeared in 101 career playoff games. Beyond this year, nothing is guaranteed. Ronning is earning $1.85 million this year, but one reason the Predators made the move was a club option they have for next season and did not want to pay him that again.

``This is the time every player lives for,'' said Ronning, a member of the 1994 Vancouver Canucks, who lost to the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals. ``When you've been away from it for a while, you get here and realize just how much you've missed it.''

KINGS vs. SAN JOSE

Time: 7:30 p.m., Compaq Center.

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

Matchup: Tonight marks the first of three games in the final three weeks between the top two teams in the Pacific Division. The Kings enter the game four points back after beating Pittsburgh 4-3 on Saturday. Later that night, the Sharks blew a lead with 36 seconds left in regulation and tied Chicago 2-2. Last season, the Kings won the final four meetings between the clubs, including back-to-back victories March 26-27. Felix Potvin asserted himself as the Kings' goaltender with a pair of 1-0 victories against the Sharks, who fell out of the top spot late in the season. The difference this year might be Vincent Damphouse. The Sharks struggled after he was lost for the year with a leg injury in December. He is back this season and was a member of the North American team at the Feb. 1 All-Star Game at Staples Center. Damphouse has played in every game this year. He is second on the club with 16 goals and 46 points.

- Matt McHale

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KINGS vs. SAN JOSE (see text)