A Big Game Even Without Blake

A sprained knee will keep Rob Blake off the ice today, when the Kings and Colorado Avalanche meet for the first time since the Feb. 21 trade in which the Kings sent Blake and Steven Reinprecht to Colorado for Aaron Miller, Adam Deadmarsh, a prospect and two draft picks.

But the Kings don’t need to face their former captain to get emotionally revved up.

“If he played, it would be a little different,” said defenseman Mattias Norstrom, who was Blake’s frequent defense partner and stays in touch with him. “We’ve been friends for a long time and we played together for a long time. But with the circumstances right now, that would be secondary for us.

“Hopefully, next year I’ll get a chance to play against him. Or maybe in the playoffs. Uh-oh, that would be really something. You want to play well against the best players. It’s a challenge to play well against players like him.”

The Kings will recognize Blake in a video tribute on the arena scoreboard during the first intermission. Blake, who spent Friday at his Manhattan Beach home, will attend the game. Injured March 20, he will resume skating in the next few days and might return before the playoffs.

With Miller sidelined because of a sprained wrist, the only principals from the trade in the lineup are Reinprecht and Deadmarsh. The latter sat out three games in early March because of a hand injury and is slowly regaining his vigor. However, he has only one goal in 13 games.

“I’m going to be excited to play against them,” he said of his former teammates. “I have some great, longtime friends over on that team. . . . It was exciting in Colorado to try and win that Presidents’ Trophy [for the best regular-season record] but now that I’m here, I’m in a different exciting situation, battling to get in a playoff spot. It’s making the game fun to be in the situation we’re in.”

The Kings’ situation remains desperate. They had a purposeful practice Friday and worked on their power play, which is one for 15 in the last three games and three for 29 over the last five.

“Columbus or Colorado, you still get two points if you win,” said Norstrom, who has meshed with new defense partner Jere Karalahti. “You don’t get bonus points for beating a good team. People might say, �Wow, you can beat Colorado,’ but for us, the big thing is just to get points.

“The way we’ve been playing the last 2 1/2 weeks, I think for sure we’re going to make the playoffs. I also feel confident that when we get in, we can do some damage. People say we underachieved earlier this season, but I don’t think we’re overachieving now. We’re consistent and strong and playing the way we should be playing.”

Although the Kings have lost the season series only once in the last six seasons, Coach Andy Murray tried to cast the Kings as underdogs today and create a rallying point. “I think it’s a game all our opponents around us are looking at the schedule and saying, �They won’t win,’ ” he said. “I’d like to surprise them and get two points.”

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Goalie Felix Potvin will make his 19th consecutive start. He’s 10-4-4 with a 2.07 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. “Felix was kind of in and out in Vancouver, so his year has not been jampacked,” Murray said. “He just has to hang in there for five more, then get us in there.” . . . Winger Scott Thomas will replace Adam Mair on the fourth line.

TODAY

vs. Colorado, noon

Channel 7

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KSPN (1110).

* Records--Kings 35-28-12-2, Avalanche 50-14-9-4.

* Record vs. Avalanche--1-2.

* Update--The Kings, who have qualified for the playoffs twice in the last seven seasons, are a point behind the eighth-place Phoenix Coyotes and have a game in hand. The Kings are 7-1-3 at home since Feb. 24 but have only one home game left, Monday against the Vancouver Canucks. Goalie Patrick Roy is expected to start for the Avalanche, which has won six of seven. Despite tendinitis in his knee, Roy has 38 victories, matching the career high he set in 1996-97. Colorado is three points from clinching the Presidents’ Trophy.