LOS ANGELES — Coach Terry Murray doesn’t deserve the blame for the Los Angeles Kings’ terrible start to a season of high expectations, according to GM Dean Lombardi.

Murray had to pay for it anyway.

Los Angeles fired Murray Monday and replaced him with assistant coach John Stevens, who will be the underachieving club’s interim head coach.

Murray was behind the long-struggling Kings’ bench for their best moments in the past decade, leading Los Angeles to consecutive playoff appearances after an eight-year absence while compiling the best winning percentage (.560) of any coach in franchise history.