`FRAGILE' KINGS AREN'T STRONG VS. RED WINGS L.A. GOES WINLESS VS. DETROIT FOR 12TH STRAIGHT TIME DETROIT 3, KINGS 1.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND  Staff Writer

Kings captain Mattias Norstrom winced slightly when the word got relayed to him, the word coach Marc Crawford used to describe his team after consecutive dreadful losses to the Dallas Stars last week.

Fragile.

It's a bit of a lightning-rod word, one that can touch a nerve with players who are weary of having their mental or physical toughness called into question, but it's hard to argue with Crawford's word choice.

The Kings showed more fortitude Monday night against Detroit, but the results remained the same as the Red Wings claimed a 3-1victory over the Kings in front of 17,417 at Staples Center.

``We played better tonight,'' Kings defenseman Rob Blake said, ``but we made a couple costly mistakes, and when you do that against a quality team, they're going to score.''

Former Kings forward Robert Lang scored two goals as the Kings' winless streak against the Red Wings grew to 12 games (0-9-3) dating to 2002. The attendance marked the first time since 1999 that the Kings had failed to sell out a home game against Detroit, and few other numbers were kind to the Kings.

In their past three games, all losses, they have scored just one goal in each game, gone a total of 1 for 24 on the power play and given up a shorthanded goal, Kris Draper's game-tying goal Monday.

So the Kings, whose only victories this season are over the lowly St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders, were left to ponder another loss, with undefeated Minnesota coming to town Wednesday.

``I don't know if I'd look at us as fragile,'' Norstrom said before the game. ``I don't see it that way. Is this a fragile team?

``No. After Thursday and Saturday? Yes, we looked fragile. But those are the kind of things that turn around. You win a couple games and you start hearing different words.''

Crawford, highly critical of his team after the previous two losses, sounded more upbeat Monday night, even though Lang's second goal, 1:37 into the third period, sent his team to defeat again.

``We're in a results-driven business,'' Crawford said, ``but we played pretty well against a veteran club, and we hardly gave them anything all night.''

The Kings made two costly errors though, and paid.

Sean Avery's goal, with 45 seconds remaining in the first period, gave the Kings a 1-0 lead that lasted until midway through the second period. Johan Franzen brought the puck through the neutral zone and, a moment before a crushing hip check from Blake, moved it up to Draper.

Draper slipped a backhand shot through Cloutier's pads to tie the score 1-1, 9:44 into the period.

Then, 55 seconds into the third period, with the Red Wings already on the power play, the Kings' Alexander Frolov took a delay-of-game penalty when he flipped the puck over the glass.

The Kings killed off the two-man advantage but Detroit struck 42 seconds into Frolov's penalty when Lang took a pass from Nicklas Lidstrom and beat Dan Cloutier for a 2-1 lead.

Lang added his second goal with 3:58 remaining. Cloutier has allowed 16 goals in five games.

Detroit goalie Chris Osgood, making his first start of the season, made 22 saves.

Notes: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was in attendance and, during a brief meeting with reporters, said the league would look into changing the schedule to have more Eastern Conference teams play in the West every season. Bettman also said he was unconcerned about sagging attendance figures in big markets, including Los Angeles. ``A couple weeks into the season, any speculation like that is premature and probably off base,'' Bettman said. ``I think it's premature to be judging two or three weeks into a season.'' ... Kings forward Derek Armstrong received a $2,500 fine for a high-sticking penalty against Dallas' Stephane Robidas in Saturday's game. Armstrong accepted the penalty with a shrug. ``When you see it on TV it looks bad,'' Armstrong said, ``but I didn't mean to do it. It happens.'' ... Rookie forward Patrick O'Sullivan, a healthy scratch in Saturday's game, returned to the lineup Monday.

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Kings' Raitis Ivanans, left, and Detroit's Brad Norton fight during the first period of Monday's game.

(2) The Kings' Brian Willsie, right, tries to pass the puck as teammate Brent Sopel, center, and Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk, left, fall to the ice during the first period Monday night.

(3) Detroit's Kris Draper avoids getting tangled up with a group of players during the second period against the Kings.

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press