Kings’ morning skate: He shoots, he doesn’t score ... and other tidbits

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Losing Ryan Smyth to an upper-body injury has played a large role in linemate Anze Kopitar’s 0-for-10 goal drought, but Dustin Brown plays on another line and has no excuse for his 11-game famine.

It doesn’t matter that his linemates have often changed, because his bang-and-crash game isn’t going to differ no matter who his center or left wing might be. And it’s not that Brown isn’t shooting the puck: The Kings’ captain took six shots against Anaheim on Tuesday during the Kings’ 4-3 victory and has taken 40 shots in his last 11 games.

It’s simply that the puck isn’t going in, a feeling the hard-hitting right wing knows only too well. Last season he had droughts of eight and nine games and was scoreless in his final 12 games. Despite scoring only once in his last 22 games, he produced 24 goals for the season.

‘That’s sometimes how it goes,’ he said of his scoreless streak. ‘I think especially last game I had some really good shots. [Goaltender Jonas Hiller] made some pretty good saves.

‘I’m just going to keep shooting, I think. Taking the best play available, a lot of the time, coming down, that’s a shot, I think. Especially with our net mentality. That’s just something I’ve got to stick with even though they’re not going in.’

He said that with fewer goals being scored off the rush league-wide and more action centered on potting rebounds around the net, it makes sense to continue to shoot and hope for a rebound or deflection.

‘You’re not always shooting to score. Sometimes you’re just shooting it for a pad’ and simply trying to create a rebound for a teammate, he said. ‘That’s my mind-set.’

He said his current slump doesn’t feel as bad as his season-ending drought.

‘I’ve had numerous opportunities. It’s just one of those things when they’re just not going into the net,’ he said.

Kings Coach Terry Murray said he’s not concerned about Brown’s drought. ‘Because of the fact that he is putting a lot of pucks to the net, he is getting some really good scoring chances,’ Murray said. ‘I think there’s a couple of games here where he’s had some outstanding chances [and] he’s tried to go under the crossbar and being a little bit too fine with it.

‘I would say, ‘Just keep hitting the net. Keep hitting the goaltender. Close your eyes and throw it right to the net right away and hope good things are going to happen.’ But I like what he’s doing. I like his mentality. He’s playing hard. He’s at the net. I think you go through a little bit of a drought sometimes whenever you’re a player, and I’m looking for a big breakout real soon.’

Slap Shots

Peter Harrold was scheduled to return to the Kings’ lineup Thursday against Ottawa and play the wing, but the sprained knee suffered by winger Brandon Segal at Anaheim means that the Kings have no extra bodies. However, Murray said no call-ups are planned.

Among the most baffling moves made by Murray this season is his continued use of Teddy Purcell on the first line and on the power play -- or at all.

Purcell hasn’t scored since the third game of the season yet continues to get prime minutes, including time on the first power-play unit on Tuesday. Although the lack of available replacements limits Murray’s maneuvering room, he said ‘the rope is getting shorter every game’ for Purcell to still get time in crucial situations.

‘You’ve got to have production. That’s a big part of the MO that he needs to bring to our team,’ Murray said. ‘When you go through an extended period of time of not getting results, then there has to be some consequence. Cutting back on special teams, power play, absolutely. That has to be the first move, and then after that we’ve got to get some people healthy in order for some other moves to be made.’

More later at www.latimes.com/sports

-- Helene Elliott

Left photo: Dustin Brown. Right photo: Terry Murray. Credit: Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times