Taylor Looks for Forward

ST. PAUL, Minn. —  General Manager Dave Taylor is still hoping to make a trade to add a top-six forward to the King roster for the stretch run, but Taylor said Wednesday from Los Angeles that nothing is imminent.

“We’re not particularly close to anything,” he said. “We’ll continue to see what’s out there between now and the [March 19] trade deadline. Right now, it’s pretty competitive around the league and everybody’s still somewhat in the hunt.

“There’s not a lot of movement.”

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Coach Andy Murray, while also questioning a few calls made against his team, said the Kings put themselves in a bad position Saturday and Monday, giving the Colorado Avalanche 15 power-play opportunities in two games.

In splitting the two games, the Avalanche scored five power-play goals against the Kings’ league-leading penalty-killing unit.

“We’re playing pretty good because we’re playing aggressive,” Murray said. “The thing you have to eliminate are some of the unnecessary penalties. To take a penalty, it should be something you have to do to stop a goal or a matter of trying to change momentum by doing something physically to assert yourself or get your team going. Those are necessary penalties.

“We have to eliminate the unnecessary penalties--the holding the stick, interference because you’re not in good position, hooking because you’re not moving your feet. Stuff like that.”

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The Kings claimed former Mighty Duck winger Ted Donato off waivers from the New York Islanders and put defenseman Mathieu Schneider on the injured list because of a left shoulder strain.

Donato, 32, was loaned to the Kings’ American Hockey League team at Manchester, N.H., for conditioning purposes. He is expected to join the Kings on Sunday for their first practice after the All-Star break.

After signing a 25-game tryout contract with Manchester, Donato scored 32 points in 25 games with the Monarchs before the Islanders signed him Jan. 16.

He played one game with the Islanders before they waived him.

Schneider, 32, will be eligible to come off the injured list after Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Staples Center.

Jerry Crowe