(My Sportsbook) - The Los Angeles Kings kept Atlanta winless on the season by blanking the Thrashers, 4-0, on Tuesday, but suffered a far worse loss of their own when leading scorer Jason Allison went down with a knee injury in the first period .

"It's very serious," head coach Andy Murray said. "I don't know if it's season ending, but it's serious."

Allison was injured in the first period as he skated through the neutral zone in front of the team benches. After crossing the red line in full flight, he was met with a knee-to-knee hit by Atlanta defenseman Andy Sutton. Allison collapsed to the ice in obvious pain and was helped to the locker room.

"I knew it was bad right then," Allison told the Los Angeles Daily News as he walked on crutches to the team bus. "All I know was I was by him and he stuck out his knee. I don't remember anything after that."

An initial examination by the Thrashers' medical staff determined that Allison suffered ligament damage to the knee, but the full extent of the injury should be known after an MRI scheduled for Wednesday.

"He definitely has a torn MCL, and there is concern that he has a torn ACL," Thrashers physician Scott Gillogly told the Daily News. "Obviously, the ACL is more serious, but the MCL he tore was a big one, not a two-week injury, more like a month. And if the ACL is torn, you're looking at four to six months."

Felix Potvin was sensational in the victory by stopping 25 shots, but was more concerned about Allison following the game.

"It's tough anytime you lose your best player," said Potvin, who earned his 26th career shutout. "We knew it was bad when he didn't get up. He's the kind of player who will get up if he can."

After the game Murray was livid at officials who claimed Allison's hit was clean.

"Two referees came up to me and said, 'Clean shoulder hit,' " Murray said. "Shoulder hit? Were they watching the same game? It was a knee."

Sutton was not whistled for the hit on Allison, but drew a penalty after throwing a Kings player to the ice earlier in the play.

"I am sorry that Jason Allison was injured, but that is part of the game," Sutton said. "I am a little more concerned right now about the loss."

WHAT'S NEXT

The Kings will wrap up a five-game road trip on Thursday in Chicago, before returning home for a pair of games against Nashville and Minnesota.