Palffy, Murray Hope to Return Thursday

Ziggy Palffy had just returned from a New Year’s Eve dinner when the call came to catch a plane to report for duty.

“Vacation is over,” Palffy said Monday after sweating through his first workout with the Kings since suffering a hamstring pull Dec. 16.

“Actually, this is good. It’s been two weeks. It’s supposed to be three to four weeks with this injury.”

Palffy has actually been back on the ice for about a week, skating at HealthSouth Training Center at El Segundo.

The idea was to work Palffy and right wing Glen Murray hard Monday to gauge their conditioning and the status of their injuries. There is little chance either will play tonight, but both are pointing toward Thursday’s game at home against Florida.

“I just need a couple of practices to get ready for Thursday,” Palffy said.

Murray has been with the Kings the entire trip, and his knee--injured Nov. 18--swelled significantly after a Thursday workout in St. Louis.

He rested it Friday and skated lightly Saturday in Detroit.

TONIGHT

at Colorado, 6 PST

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Pepsi Center, Denver.

* Radio--KSPN (1110).

* Records--Kings 17-14-7-1, Avalanche 25-8-5-0.

* Record vs. Avalanche--1-1.

* Update--Center Peter Forsberg, who fed Joe Sakic three times for goals when Colorado beat the Kings Dec. 21, has been dropped to the third line for nonperformance, skating with Shjon Podein and Eric Messier. Forsberg hasn’t had a goal in nine games.