It’s no secret Kings captain Dustin Brown has struggled this season, but coach Darryl Sutter took the rather dramatic step Thursday of benching the left wing during a 3-2 home loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Asked if Brown was injured, which might account for the fact that he played only 10 minutes, 12 seconds, Sutter said, “No, he got benched. The line was tired, so they din’t play that much.”

Brown was unavailable for immediate comment.