It's perfect timing for Jason LaBarbera to return to action, facing the team and player that knocked him out.

Crawford has never been more livid this season than after the Dec. 1 game against Colorado, when Ryan Smyth broke his stick and knocked LaBarbera out for seven games with a rib injury trying to jab the puck loose from the goalie. Crawford wanted the play to get the league's attention, but nothing was ever done to Smyth, who didn't even get a penalty on the play.

That nothing includes no retaliation by the Kings against Smyth for the final 14:40 of the game after the play. He didn't receive as much as a hard hit against the boards.

The Kings have been more protective of the goalie since the play, with captain Rob Blake ejected from the Dec. 8 loss to Phoenix for something he said to a referee in part out of anger for penalties not being called when the Coyotes crashed into backup Jean-Sebastien Aubin.

So, will Smyth ``pay the price'' on Monday?

``I’ll have a few words with Smyth,'' Kings enforcer Raitis Ivanans said. ``We’ll be looking to make some hard hits. It’s part of the game, but obviously we've got to let him know not to do that ever again.''

LaBarbera said he didn't think Smyth was a dirty player or that there was intent to harm, though he ``found it interesting'' that Smyth broke his stick on him in the play.

``For me, as long as they don’t get penalties (sending a message to Smyth) that’s the biggest thing. You obviously have to stand up for your teammates and that’s all part of the game. But I don’t want guys to take penalties. It puts us behind the 8-ball to do something like that. Who knows. I don’t expect anything to happen. The biggest thing for us is to go out and get a win tomorrow.''

Crawford faced some controversy earlier this month when a Canadian news report revisited the on-ice attack from then-Vancouver player Todd Bertuzzi on Colorado's Steve Moore from 2004, alleging that Crawford pointed to Moore's name and number on a board in the Canucks' locker room during the second period intermission and said Moore ``must pay the price.'' Moore sustained a broken neck and never played in the NHL again.

Here's what Crawford had to say about facing Smyth again:

``As I said after the game, everybody appreciates the way Ryan Smyth plays. You do appreciate it, but again look last night and we got a penalty (Michael Cammalleri for goalie interference in the third period) for doing far less than he did, and he got no penalty on the play. The onus is on your team to make sure the life-long adage of hockey and people protecting their goaltenders has always been present in our game and should continue to be. That area in front of the goalie should be a no-parking zone and you have to defend it rigorously. If people are trying to take liberties with your goaltender, that’s always going to raise the ire of your team and rightfully so. Every good team worth its salt will always be very protective of their people. We don’t want to play to the extent where we're taking unnecessary penalties. A lot of times there is a subtle difference of being there and showing support without going overboard, and that’s a delicate balance.''