Segal's strong start

You can call him “Steven” or “Bugsy” — and I’m sure he’s heard too much of both — but no matter what you call him, it’s pretty clear that Brandon Segal is having a positive impat in his short stint with the Kings so far. Segal doesn’t have a point in his three games with the Kings so far, but he’s bringing some intense, gritty play on the fourth line.

Segal’s minutes, not surprisingly, are trending upward. He played 5 minutes, 29 seconds in his Kings debut Wednesday in Edmonton. The next night, in Vancouver, Segal played 6:34. In Saturday’s victory over Chicago, he played 8:20. Listed at 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, Segal plays strong but isn’t a liability. Here’s what Terry Murray said about Segal’s game so far…

MURRAY: “He’s better than what I thought he would be, quite honestly. He has played well. He has been here before. He’s been through Tampa and Anaheim and knows what it’s all about. Again, just to repeat what I have said, if he can just keep his mind set on, `This is what I am in this league, and this is how I need to contribute,’ and not think that he should be on a top line, then everything will work out really well. He’s got bulk, he’s got size, he’s got a good head on his shoulders, he makes the right decision with the puck and it allows me, on a pretty consistent basis, to have the confidence to play them later in the game.”