Just got some info that I wanted to pass along… Justin Williams is expected back in the lineup Monday, and the Kings will skate as follows:

Smyth-Kopitar-Williams
Parse-Stoll-Simmonds
Frolov-Handzus-Brown
Ivanans-Richardson-Purcell

Peter Harrold is expected to be a healthy scratch, as is new addition Randy Jones. Terry Murray told reporters today that there is no timetable for getting Jones in a game.

Murray said today was a “therapy day” for Smyth, who did not practice. Murray told reporters that Smyth will be back tomorrow.

OK, now I’m taking the day off…

Well, after 30 days, I’m taking one off. Happy Halloween! I beg of you, please don’t petition to have me replaced!

First, some housekeeping. You might see, on the left and right, some additions to the page. Some of you have already noticed the picture, for which I’m receiving some well-deserved ribbing. But you’ll also now find a bunch of links that, hopefully, will make this something of a one-stop shop for news. You can find links to the Kings’ stats, roster, schedule, etc., as well as an extensive list of blogs from newspapers that cover every team in the NHL.

Also, on the left, I have posted rules for commenting. They’re the same rules that have existed on this blog and the Daily News blog, and they’re now posted. I have been as tolerant as possible, in terms of giving freedom to debate and argue in a civil way. It’s clear to me that some people try to take advantage of that, which won’t be tolerated. This is a community, and the community must be respected. I only have so many hours in the day. I can use those hours to report on the Kings, or to clean up comments. I’d prefer to spend time on the former. Thank you to the vast majority of you, who are great about making this a fun, smart, respect-filled community.

Practice news and notes will still be posted on LAKings.com today, in the usual notebook format, and if anything but should happen, I’ll be able to post something. Otherwise…back tomorrow! OK, moving on to the fun stuff.

We’re now one month into the season, so what do you think?

The Kings have 18 points in 14 games, good (at the start of today) for second place in the Pacific Division and third in the Western Conference. The Kings have games in hand over quite a few teams, but given that they have already played eight road games, that’s impressive, by any measure.

At this point, I’m grading the team a B, with offense being the (very surprising) strong point, the defense being solid, the goaltending being adequate and the special teams being subpar. Keep in mind, I’m judging the Kings on a high scale, against the best of the best.

The goaltending part of this is the most subjective, as always. I just don’t see the same “swagger” in Jonathan Quick’s game that I saw last season. That’s an intangible, but it’s an important one. How many times, last season, did players/coaches mention — often without being prompted — their confidence in Quick, that he would make the stops? And how many times — if at all? — have you heard similar talk this year? Quick hasn’t been helped by a surprisingly weak penalty-kill unit, but it seems he could stand to get a little of last year’s killer instinct back. Other than that, it’s hard to argue with what the Kings have accomplished, so far.

What are your thoughts, one month into the season?

Playing the San Jose Sharks this week brought back some memories for Terry Murray, who was a defenseman for the Oakland-based California Golden Seals in the early 1970s. Murray shared his memories of how the Seals players were close with the pro baseball and football players in town. Murray played for the Seals when they were owned by then-Oakland A’s owner Charlie O. Finley — an eccentric man who once tried to introduce orange baseballs into the game — and the hockey players would get free tickets to baseball playoff games.

Murray shared one of his favorite stories from those times…

MURRAY: “It was a playoff game, but not the World Series. There was a TV timeout, and they had the usher walking down, and they had the Oakland A’s banner on a stick, and they passed it out to all of us. Charlie Finley stood up and turned around to all of us, and he said, `So, you see that TV (camera) down there? When that light comes on, on that TV, I want everybody standing up and waving that Oakland A’s banner.’ So we did. Some didn’t. I was a kid, so I was the first one up, but a bunch of the veteran guys said, `Shove it.’ The funny part about it was, now play starts, the camera turns and the usher came back and made us pass them all back.”

Is it mere coincidence that after Rob Scuderi’s fine, for his low hit on the Jason Chimera, that Drew Doughty executed two perfect hip checks in the next two games? He had one against San Jose and an even better one last night against Vancouver. A couple days ago, Terry Murray — former NHL defenseman — was asked about hipchecks, and whether they’re still effective…

MURRAY: “I think it’s a very effective tactic. I think it is a hit that was prevalent in the game in the 60s and 70s, maybe even the 80s. I had Scott Stevens, as an 18-year-old, coming into the National Hockey League, and that was the play of the day for him, in his career. There’s a very fine line, as we know, as to getting too low, and how to effectively use that kind of a hit. I think, with the checking we have in our game today, the attitude of everybody tracking back hard to home plate, and you’ve got five guys on the hunt, pressuring players from behind, that’s a hit that’s just there. It’s a good hit, it’s a clean hit and, I think, as we go forward with the style of play we’re seeing, we might see more of that coming back to our games.”

Murray was then asked why there seem to be fewer hipchecks in the game today…

MURRAY: “Timing is everything. I remember Don Cherry saying, about goaltenders using the poke check, `If you miss the poke check, you know where the faceoff is going to be.’ It’s kind of the same thing with the hip check. Timing is everything. You have to just execute it properly. The referees are going to watch it closely, and you could end up with a minor penalty.”

Trevor Lewis has been assigned to Manchester of the American Hockey League. No surprise, given that Lewis has turned into the regular healthy scratch. It’s also very good news for Scott Parse, who presumably will be staying once Justin Williams is back. Parse certainly earned a spot, in my opinion. Good move?

Is it just me, or has Jonathan Quick played better in games in which the Kings have recorded one point (or none) than in the games the Kings have won? Still no indication that Quick is leaving the net any time soon. Here’s what Terry Murray had to say about Quick’s most recent efforts…

MURRAY: “Quick has been real good for us. Again, two teams that are big teams, big-bodied teams, there’s a lot of traffic at the net, they’re playoff teams and they know how to get the job done. You have to have good goaltending, or they’re going to find a way, and I thought Quick’s game (Thursday) against a pretty good hockey team was real good.”

I was able to talk with new Kings defenseman Randy Jones today, a few hours before he flies from Philadelphia to Los Angeles.

Question: How did you find out about the trade, and what were your thoughts when you heard about it?

JONES: “Actually, I was sleeping when I guess it happened. The night before, I went to a concert with a couple buddies, and I got back and I was taking a nap the next afternoon when I woke up and I had a bunch of messages. One of them that I looked at said, `You’ll love L.A. Congratulations, it’s a good fit for you,’ or something. So that’s pretty much how I found out. So I was like, `OK, great!’ So I kind of realized that I was going to L.A., and then I had a couple voicemails that finalized it. I was excited. I woke up with a smile, and I’ve been looking forward to it ever since.”

Question: It seemed like you were stuck, in a way, with the Flyers’ roster and salary-cap issues. Did that get frustrating? Did it almost feel like it was out of your control?

JONES: “Well, sometimes you do feel that it’s a little out of your control. I guess when it first happened I felt a little (upset) at the situation. You almost want to put blame on someone or just get (mad) at certain individuals, but I came to realize that it’s now how I should be handling it. In reality, I should have played better, if you will. You have to play good enough so that they can’t get rid of you. So it was a tough situation, but you kind of have to make the most out of it. I went down and I was still playing great hockey in the American Hockey League. Obviously that’s not where I want to be. I want to play in the NHL. That was the bottom line, and I feel like I can help any team. So I’m really excited to get this opportunity. There was a situation with Philadelphia, but I’ve been here for six years, going on seven, and I’ve loved every minute of it but I’m now looking forward to my opportunity in L.A.”

Question: Terry Murray, Dean Lombardi and Ron Hextall were all in that Philadelphia organization. Is there a familiarity there that can help you?

JONES: “It does make it easier, when you’re kind of familiar with some of the guys that are there. Like you said, I do know Mr. Hextall and I had coach Murray as my defensemen coach here in Philadelphia a few years ago. So I am familiar with them and I have a great relationship with them. We always got along well here, and I always respected them when they were here. Even some of the players that I know a little bit. Willy (Justin Williams), I know him a little bit, and also Handzus, I played with him. And Rob Scuderi, I actually was his brother’s roommate in college. I roomed with him for a couple years, so we kind of said hi to each other when we played against each other when he was in Pittsburgh.”

Question: For fans who don’t know your game, can you describe what you try to accomplish on the ice?

JONES: “I feel I’m a two-way defenseman, a puck-moving defenseman. I like to be able to play in all situations, whether it’s power play or penalty killing or any situations like that. I feel I’m a competitive guy and I don’t enjoy losing. I’m just really thrilled, and I couldn’t be more happy to come to L.A. and play in front of those fans.”

Question: Terry compared you yesterday to Kyle Quincey, and there might also be similarities to the way he was claimed last year and thrived with an opportunity. Is that how you see yourself as well?

JONES: “Well, that’s why sometimes, when you think there’s a little bump in your career, and there’s another opportunity that arises, you take advantage of it. I sat back and I felt that L.A. would be a good fit for me. I don’t mean the city, but I actually mean L.A. the organization and the hockey team. They’ve got a great young team, and they’re playing very well and playing extremely hard. I know how coach Murray likes to coach, so I’m a little familiar with that. The biggest thing with me is excitement. I’ve been all smiles since I heard, and I can’t wait to get there.”

We know how Terry Murray feels about the shootout. He hates it. He said it last night and then, just to make sure everyone knew, he repeated it for the benefit of a local radio reporter who joined his postgame press conference late.

How do you feel about the shootout, now that it’s in its fifth year? I think not only has the novelty worn off, but I don’t really like it. The first year, especially, you could almost feel the excitement of fans when a shootout loomed. Now it’s just another part of the game. And not a particularly good one, to have two points awarded on the basis of a novelty. Is it an American thing to dislike tie games? When I look at the Kings-Sharks game on Wednesday, that was a tie game, in every sense. I don’t think anyone would have had a problem walking away from that game knowing that each team got one point.

Or how about — if we really need a winner — after 4-on-4 for five minutes, going to 3-on-3 for five minutes? It’s still a novelty, but at least it more closely resembles hockey.

What do you think?

Tonight’s game story, with video, stats, etc. Thanks for reading!

Canucks beat Kings 2-1 in shootout

The Kings finished with the second-best October in franchise history, with 18 points on an 8-4-2 record. The 1990-91 Kings went 9-3-1 in October for 19 points.

No practice for the team tomorrow, but I’ll have some stuff throughout the day, so check the blog! Thanks…

Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault:

“The first thing we wanted to do obviously was shut down their best line. I thought, except for that last shift where Kopitar was able to read our defenseman, our guys did a pretty good job containing them and keeping them to the outside. They’re such a strong line. From there it was about being patient and waiting for the right opportunity.”

Vancouver goalie Andrew Raycroft:

“It was a nice, greasy road win. We’ll take them all year. It was nice to win on the road. We did a good job killing penalties and keeping that top line off the score sheet. No time, no space.”