AMID TRADE SPECULATION, KINGS ARE TIED BY SABRES\KINGS 2, BUFFALO 2.

Byline: Associated Press 

The Kings first shrugged off trade rumors about Wayne Gretzky, then found out what life in the NHL might be like without their superstar center.

The Kings, struggling amid speculation about Gretzky leaving the team for a contender, scored the first two goals before allowing the Buffalo Sabres to forge a 2-2 tie Wednesday night.

"We're trying to do whatever we can to make the L.A. Kings a better hockey team," coach Larry Robinson said. "That doesn't necessarily mean trading Wayne is going to make us a better team. We're talking about one of the best to have ever played the game."

Gretzky missed the game with a bruised hip suffered in a 9-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.

Los Angeles, which has won just twice in its past 17 games (2-11-4), could have used him after blowing a second-period lead.

Yanic Perreault and Eric Lacroix scored 38 seconds apart in the second period before Buffalo came back on goals by Rob Ray and Pat LaFontaine. Los Angeles had four shots in overtime; Buffalo had one.

LaFontaine's goal at 11:16 of the third period gave the Sabres the tie and extended their unbeaten streak to four games. Buffalo goaltender Dominik Hasek stopped 37 shots, including 15 in the third period.

"I felt like we were sleepy in the first period," Hasek said. "Then in the second, they got the two goals very fast, and I think it woke us up. We came on strong after that."

The Sabres, who have scored two goals in each of four games during an unbeaten streak, found themselves in a 2-0 hole before Ray tipped in Craig Muni's slap shot from the point with 2:57 left in the second period.

LaFontaine tied the game 2-2 on a give-and-go with Brad May. LaFontaine hit May with a pass on the left wing, then directed May's return pass past goalie Kelly Hrudey to the glove side.

"Imagine if we could score three goals in a game," Sabres coach Ted Nolan said. "We got a point out of it, and we'll take a point. We kept chipping away on them."

Perreault started the scoring with his 19th when he threaded a hard wrist shot over Hasek's shoulder with Los Angeles on a power play. Vitali Yachmenev started the play with a pass near the boards to Perreault, who skated untouched within about 15 feet before hitting the top corner.

Moments later, Lacroix pounced on Phillippe Boucher's shot from the point and beat a sprawled Hasek with a wrist shot into a near-open net. The initial shot went off Kings forward Gary Shuchuk in front of the net before bouncing into the high slot.

Granato has surgery: Kings right wing Tony Granato underwent surgery at the UCLA Medical Center to remove an intracranial hematoma, the team said.

The surgery was a four-hour procedure performed by Dr. Neil Martin.

"The surgery went very well," Martin said in a statement issued by the Kings. "In this early postoperative period, he's recovering well."

Granato, 31, was resting and in stable condition late Wednesday, the Kings said.