Here’s what Dustin Brown had to say about his first game back after missing two games with a left shoulder injury: “It felt pretty good. It kind of took me a little while to get into the game. You go in with an injury, youre going to be pretty tentative — especially an injury like this where its contact thats going to hurt more than anything. I felt once I got past the first maybe 10 minutes I started being more comfortable with it and I think I had a few good hits out there, so thats a positive that I was able to play part of my game considering how sore it is.”

Brown said the shoulder wasn’t any more sore after playing, but he wakes up with it stiff and it loosens up as the day goes on. He had an ice pack on it after practice. He had a similar separation to his right shoulder in juniors and was back playing in a week, but the shoulder continued to be sore for over a month.

“It’s going to be one of those things that’s sore for a while,” Brown said. “I’ll just have to deal with it.”

Michael Cammalleri didn’t practice Thursday because of bruised ribs and it’s sounding less likely that he will play Saturday in Colorado or Sunday in Chicago.

“He’s still sore,” Crawford said. “He worked out off the ice today. He’s not ready to resume on ice. I would say hes listed as doubtful for these next couple of games but we havent put him on the injujred list. Were hopeful hes able to play, thats why we havent put him on the injured list. It will be a day-to-day call and hell have the most to say on it. Mike’s a pretty aware guy about his body. Its not a big body but hes aware of it, and hell tell us when hes ready.”

Guess what was back tonight? That’s right, Marc Crawford’s favorite catch phrase — stay the course!

“We had a number of opportunities and didn’t get the job done and, you’re right, it’s a familiar refrain,” Crawford said. “But, at this time of year, all we can do is continue to keep persevering and continue to try to stay the course. One solace in all this hopefully is that guys learn to hate losing. There’s some dejected people in our room right now. I don’t think anybody’s quitting. I think there’s a lot of effort. What can you ask for except better excecution, and we’re trying to work on that.”

But that wasn’t all. We have a double stay the course!

“I hope our guys continue to be really sour about losses,” Crawford said. “I hope the one thing we need most — which is a win — comes our way and, when it does, you have to think that sort of confidence will spur us on and make these one-goal losses turn into victories. We’re very close now. We’re doing more things right than we are wrong, and we have to stay the course.”

Maybe he means stay the course to the first pick?

Here’s what Kopitar had to say …

“Weve got to find a way to win hockey games because its definitely not fun coming to the locker room after the game. Its getting old, the losing. The guys are frustrated and miserable.

“Weve got to improve this. Theres 20 guys in here. If we can get one percent more out of each guy, thats 20 percent better.

Neither Crawford nor Nagy seemed to think futher disciplinary action was needed against Craig Rivet for putting his stick up against Nagy’s throat.

Here are Crawford’s thoughts on yanking LaBarbera: “I felt we needed a change right there. We have to get more saves than we’re getting right now. We’ve been out-goaltended in a lot of games here lately.”

The eight-game losing streak is the worst by the Kings since they lost 11 to end the 2003-04 season.

You probably figured that out by now. I’m back from the locker room and will have some notes and quotes up as soon as I finish my gamer.

Well, the Kings failed to score on the major and then Michalek tipped in his second goal of the game. That should do it. Still 16 minutes left but …

I think we should know in the first 2:20 of the third if the Kings will win this one. That’s the time remaining on a five-minute major to Craig Rivet. After a cross check from Nagy, Rivet hit Nagy under the chin with a two-handed shove of his stick. Rivet was called for intent to injury and got a game misconduct. The Kings got some early chances in the power play but did not finish the period strong.

Frolov went around the goal and hit one off Evgeni Nabokov’s pads. Rob Blake took the long rebound and scorched one with some old-school power. The power-play goal came just after the Kings had failed to convert in 42 seconds with a two-man advantage. Blake now has 479 points as a King, tying him with Jim Fox for seventh in franchise history.

It’s kind of like the Dallas game, except there’s no horn and the Kings aren’t actually scoring. Seems like some technical difficulties. Or maybe the guy who controls it is trying to spark the team.

And LaBarbera was yanked for Aubin after Joe Pavelski scored the second goal with 7:43 left. It’s looking like anyone thinking the Kings could end their seven-game losing streak forgot this game isn’t in San Jose. The Kings didn’t get their first power play until the final 1:44. Good news is they still have 16 seconds left when the second period starts!

Jason LaBarbera, Jean-Sebastien Aubin and Jeff Giuliano went to Brian Willsie’s house for Christmas dinner. Willsie’s wife, Kelly, did most of the cooking. LaBarbera made two dishes as well, one with sweet potatoes and the other with cranberries. He said he enjoys cooking.