UNLIKELY SOURCES POWER KINGS RESERVES SCORE IN EASY VICTORY KINGS 3, NASHVILLE 0.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

Who needs Jason Allison, Adam Deadmarsh and Josef Stumpel when the Kings have the dynamic threesome of Sean Avery, Kip Brennan and Michael Cammalleri?

Maybe ``dynamic'' is a bit strong, since those three had a combined 14 NHL goals before Wednesday, but given the Kings' injury woes, they need some unconventional scoring. Avery, Brennan and Cammalleri each scored a goal in the Kings' 3-0 victory over Nashville in front of 16,935 at Staples Center.

``You don't want to be here because guys are hurt,'' Cammalleri said, ``you want to be here because you're helping the organization win games. But whatever the situation may be, when you're put out there to do a job, you try to get it done.''

Kings coach Andy Murray didn't decide until Tuesday night that Brennan would play against the Predators, and Murray certainly didn't have the foresight to see Brennan tip in a second-period shot by Lubomir Visnovsky for his first career goal in 28 games.

``A rather unlikely source,'' Murray said with a grin.

Avery, another hard-nosed forward, scored his second goal of the season but left the game later in the first period because of a game-misconduct penalty. Cammalleri, recalled from the American Hockey League on Monday, scored his first goal of the season.

The combination of Avery, Brennan and Cammalleri seemed to take to heart Murray's message from the past few days, that injuries to star players can create chances for role players to shine.

``I look at it with excitement and optimism,'' said Murray, who has had to juggle lines in the last month because of injuries to centers Derek Armstrong (broken finger) and Stumpel (deep chest bruise).

``A lot of guys are getting an opportunity. What an exciting time, if you're a player, because what else can you ask for but to get a chance? So many guys go through life and, for whatever reason, don't get the opportunity to do what they want to do, but these guys are getting that chance.''

Kings goalie Roman Cechmanek stopped 30 shots for his third shutout of the season and his 100th career victory, and the maligned Kings' penalty-killing unit stopped all six Nashville chances.

Neither team had played since Saturday, but the Kings came out with the greater energy, even though the Predators have established themselves as one of the league's most physical teams.

Nashville goalie Tomas Vokoun came in with a three-game winning streak but was beaten twice in the first four shots he faced and was pulled from the game for less than a minute.

Avery started things four minutes into the game, when he pounced on the rebound of a shot by defenseman Joe Corvo and tipped it past Vokoun.

Another scoring neophyte, 18-year-old Dustin Brown, get into the action on the second goal and recorded his second career point. Brown fed a nice pass to Cammalleri at the top of the faceoff circle and Cammalleri used a screen from Nashville defenseman Jamie Allison and beat Vokoun.

The game could have turned nasty with 8:45 remaining in the first period, with Nashville's Scott Hartnell skating toward the puck in the corner. Avery pushed Hartnell in the back and Hartnell lost balance and fell head-first into the boards, but the game proceeded without further incident.

The game's most unlikely goal came five minutes into the second period. Ziggy Palffy brought the puck into the Nashville zone and dropped a nice pass for Visnovsky, who cut to the front of the net and fired the wrist shot that Brennan tipped past Vokoun.

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Sean Avery's second goal of the season Wednesday was a nice surprise for the injury-riddled Kings.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer