L.A. Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr sidelined by upper-body injury

Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr suffered an unspecified upper-body injury during their 6-4 victory Thursday over the St. Louis Blues and could not finish the game. It wasn’t immediately clear how serious the injury was or whether Regehr could play in Saturday afternoon’s game against the Arizona Coyotes at Staples Center.

One thing was for sure, however. The Kings cannot afford to lose another veteran defenseman for a prolonged period. They have been without Slava Voynov since Oct. 20, when he was suspended by the NHL because of a domestic violence arrest. Voynov was ordered to stand trial in the case earlier this week.

Regehr has been sidelined for three games already this season because of an undisclosed injury. Alec Martinez sat out seven games because of an upper-body injury and Jake Muzzin missed six games because of an upper-body injury.

 

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L.A. Kings coach Darryl Sutter talks about struggling forward Jeff Carter

Jeff Carter, far left, is in a slump. (Photo by John McCoy Daily News)

Jeff Carter, far left, is in a slump. (Photo by John McCoy Daily News)

 

Kings forward Jeff Carter hasn’t scored a goal since Nov. 18 against the Florida Panthers, a dreary stretch of 13 games in which he also has only three assists. So, when a beat reporter asked Kings coach Darryl Sutter on Wednesday if Carter was getting enough scoring chances, Sutter said, “Not consistently. Not consistently.”

Sutter also said: “He hasn’t scored a goal for a month tomorrow. Nov. 18. I have it all marked down. … We’re trying to get all our top guys to be more productive players right not. It’s not just Jeff Carter.”

In addition, Sutter said one way to eliminate some of the pressure from Carter is having him play on center Anze Kopitar’s wing. “There was a time last year when (Dwight) King, ‘Kopi’ and ‘Carts’ were our best line,” Sutter recalled. “Just trying to manage it game by game … the reason why you shift guys around is because top guys aren’t producing. That’s clearly why, if you look around the league now, why guys get shifted around.”

 

 

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L.A. Kings quote of the day … or all you really need to know about their state of mind

The Kings held an optional practice Wednesday in El Segundo, a day after their 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues completed their lackluster 1-3-1 trip. Here was the money quote, courtesy team captain Dustin Brown: “If you’re not excited about playing tomorrow after what happened in St. Louis, we have bigger issues.”

 

 

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L.A. Kings defenseman Slava Voynov to stand trial in domestic violence case, judge rules

Kings defenseman Slava Voynov will stand trial in domestic violence case, judge rules.  (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Kings defenseman Slava Voynov will stand trial in domestic violence case, judge rules. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

 

Kings defenseman Slava Voynov will stand trial on domestic violence charges, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Hector M. Guzman ruled Monday. The judge determined after a preliminary court hearing there was strong enough evidence that Voynov, 24, should be tried. An arraignment was set for Dec. 29.

Voynov punched, choked and kicked his wife before pushing her into a wall-mounted flat-screen TV in the couple’s Redondo Beach home on Oct. 19, according to the testimony of a Redondo Beach police officer. Voynov’s wife suffered a gash over left eye that required eight stitches to close.

Voynov was suspended with pay by the NHL on Oct. 20. He pleaded not-guilty to one count of corporal injury to a spouse with great bodily injury, a felony. He remained free on bail.

Redondo Beach police officer Gregory Wiist offered the first detailed account of what happened between Voynov and his wife, Marta Varlamova, In graphic testimony, Wiist said he first questioned Varlamova at Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance. She told the officer she had argued with Voynov at a Halloween party and then he punched him in the face when things escalated.

After departing for home in a taxi, the two continued to argue, according to the officer’s testimony. Wiist said Varlamova told him that Voynov pushed her to the floor, kicked her and choked her. Voynov then shoved his wife into the TV, opening a gash. It was only at this point, the officer said, that the player became concerned.

“It wasn’t until then that the attack stopped,” Wiist said Varlamova told him.

The pair sought medical attention at the hospital. Wiist arrived after Torrance police contacted their Redondo Beach colleagues. Wiist said he tape-recorded an interview with Varlamova at the hospital and then, upon returning to the residence, conducted a second taped interview with the woman. Voynov was taken into custody in the early-morning hours of the 20th, the officer said.

 

 

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L.A. Kings post noteworthy numbers in wake of victory over Senators

The Kings’ scoring struggles are nothing new. They had one goal in two games plus one period before taking the ice to start the second Thursday in Ottawa. Then erupted for three in the final period, breaking a 2-2 tie with the Senators and holding on for a 5-3 victory. The Kings improved to 12-2-1 in their last 15 games with Ottawa, dating to Jan. 16, 2001. They also have won four in a row over the Sens.

Defenseman Jake Muzzin tied a career high with three assists.

Trevor Lewis scored the game-winning goal, his first GWG since last March 22.

Drew Doughty had two assists for his third multi-point game of the season.

(Thanks to the NHL’s crack stat crew for the facts and figures).

 

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What to watch Thursday when the L.A. Kings play the Ottawa Senators

Here are a couple of things to watch when the Kings face off against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday at the Canadian Tire Center:

First, the Kings are 3-5-1 on the road after Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to the Sabres in Buffalo, which helped to explain why they were fifth in the Pacific Division and ninth in the Western Conference at the start of business Wednesday. The defending Stanley Cup champion Kings appeared headed for an early vacation rather than a playing for a chance to defend their title.

Second, a poor road record plus a lack of scoring depth have been costly for the Kings (14-9-5). Anze Kopitar, their leading scorer last season, has only five goals and 12 points. Mike Richards has only four goals and 10 points. Marian Gaborik, their leading goal-scorer in the playoffs, has four goals and eight points in 16 injury-plagued games. Gaborik returned to the lineup Tuesday after a four-game absence because of an upper-body injury.

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