March 16--About the only clear thing regarding Jarret Stoll's status is that the veteran center will not play Monday night against Arizona, according to the Kings.
Stoll, who was injured in Thursday's game at Vancouver, has not been on the ice since then. Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi has characterized it as an upper-body injury, and assistant GM Rob Blake said Stoll was still being evaluated as the team follows appropriate protocol.
"We're not going to have a recall here today, by any means," Blake said Sunday, regarding potential reinforcement from the team's American Hockey League affiliate. "We don't have a timetable on Stollie yet. He's not playing tomorrow."
Stoll was hurt on a questionable hit from Canucks forward Derek Dorsett in the third period.
Kings defenseman Alec Martinez (concussion) initially was called day-to-day, and he has been out more than a month since his injury at Tampa Bay. He was the only Kings player to skate Sunday, the morning after a 2-1 loss to Nashville.
Is there a concern that the Stoll injury could be long-term?
"Hopefully, not," Blake said. "You saw the hit. . . . The problem with that is we don't have a timetable for that stuff.
"Marty [Martinez] is very close now. Gotta have one or two" full practices.
So there is a decent chance Martinez could be back in time for Saturday's game against Vancouver at Staples Center. The Kings remain in a tight playoff race and dropped out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with Saturday night's loss.
They took a 1-0 lead, sparked by Jeff Carter's 24th goal of the season, into the third period and gave up two goals in a span of 66 seconds. The goals came on consecutive shots as the Predators scored on the power play and Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin had an own goal.
Andreoff's chance
The Stoll injury meant that center Andy Andreoff was back in the lineup, playing in his second game since Feb. 3. Andreoff won five of six faceoffs, logged nearly 8 1/2 minutes of playing time and nearly scored against the Predators, hitting the left post
Keeping a sharp mental edge isn't always easy with the long gaps between games. He has played in 14 games this season.
"It's tough. It's been a long year," Andreoff said. "But I'm kind of getting used to it. You just got to make sure you're being the hardest worker in practice and being ready for the opportunity."
KINGS TONIGHT
VS. ARIZONA
When: 7:30 p.m.
On the air: TV: Fox Sports West; Radio: 790.
Etc.: One of the things Blake did at the Kings' training facility Sunday was to look at video with defenseman Drew Doughty, going over the finer points of shooting. Who better for Doughty to consult with than a Hall of Famer? "He's good. He wants to listen," Blake said. "He wants to learn. That's what I like best about him."
lisa.dillman@latimes.com
