BLAKE, TAYLOR SHOULD JUST DO LUNCH CONTRACT SNAFU COULD BE RESOLVED AMICABLY.

Byline: MATT McHALE NHL 

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Rob Blake says Chris Pronger's new three-year, $29.5-million contract can only help him in negotiations with the Kings.

What will help Blake more is following the path Pronger blazed as he was awarded the richest contract for a defenseman by getting personal with the St. Louis Blues and resolving a situation far more difficult than his own.

After months of haggling and getting nowhere, Pronger, the NHL's MVP made a decision. He wanted to stay in St. Louis. He also wanted big, big money. So he invited Blues president Mark Sauer to lunch and made his pitch.

``It was like a moment of silence in the conversation, kind of an awkward pause,'' Pronger said. ``I don't remember my exact words, just something like, 'Was your last offer as firm as it's going to be?' He said, 'I'll get back to you.' The gist of it was that it wasn't a direct no. He said we can try to get something done and I called my agent.''

There. The two were $13 million apart over appetizers and left the table with a deal.

Meanwhile, back in L.A., the sound of the phone not ringing is deafening. Both sides have acted poorly and the result is an up-and-down month by the team. When your best player is upset, everybody suffers and that just won't do in an improved Western Conference.

Vancouver is better. So are the Ducks. Those two clubs didn't make the playoffs last year. The Kings could be out this year.

The Kings and Blake aren't even $3 million apart. In the beginning, Pronger wanted $37 million and the Blues held firm at $24 million. In the end they split the difference.

The Kings erred by giving Blake a take-it-or-leave-it offer at the beginning of training camp. Except for Wayne Gretzky, he has been their best player the past 11 years. The approach should not have been so abrupt. Blake was stunned and never even made a counterproposal. The feeling in the Kings camp was Blake was being manipulated by the NHL Players Association in an attempt to drive up salaries.

But Blake's side also failed by not reacting to Pronger's contract and jump-starting the talks themselves. Blake's agent, Ron Salcer, used to represent Kings general manager Dave Taylor. He should have called to say, ``How's the missus, this is what we want'' and started a dialogue.

Instead, nothing.

Maybe worse than nothing. After two Blake-led victories over Anaheim last week, the Kings looked drained in Saturday's loss to Phoenix, which played the night before and was coming off a four-game trip.

The energy on the ice that night was comparable to the energy in the Kings board room. They are right to have a budget in mind when proceeding with Blake, who is five years older than Pronger. The agent is right for wanting more for his client. But in this case two rights make a wrong.

Make the call. It's time for lunch.

--The Donald: Remember Donald Audette, the former Kings player who whined his way out of town last March because the club didn't think his bad numbers and worse attitude warranted a new multiyear contract?

The Kings on Thursday will get another look at Audette, who is tearing it up in the early going with second-year Atlanta.

Audette had a seven goals and 14 points in the Thrashers' first seven games, putting him on an 82-goal, 164-point pace. He also is happy with the way coach Curt Fraser is using him after arguing with Kings coach Andy Murray last year about ice time and his role on the power play.

``Curt has given me a lot of confidence, playing me in every aspect of the game,'' Audette said. ``You can't go wrong when you're playing 25 minutes a game. I had a good summer, worked out hard.''

Audette also isn't popping off.

He knew his value was down after his Kings disaster last year. Audette signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Thrashers and bypassed arbitration, saying, ``I didn't think it was worth it to go to war.''

But if Audette's good season keeps up, he'll expect a three- or four-year deal or become an unrestricted free agent. Although the Thrashers are happy with his production, they have a difficult decision. They don't want to give the money too soon while Audette is playing his heart out during a contract year, but they don't want to offer it so late that he tests the market.

--Hold please: The voice on the phone wasn't angry, but even with a thick European accent, the point was made.

Last week's reference to the Kings first unit of Ziggy Palffy, Jozef Stumpel and Tomas Vlasak as the Czech line, touched an ethnic nerve with one caller.

He pointed out Palffy and Stumpel are Slovakian and only Vlasak is Czech. Since 1992, when the former Czechoslovakia was split in two, they have not been countrymen.

Well, it's an NHL tradition to give catchy names to its marquee units. In the 1950s, the Detroit Red Wings line of Gordie Howe, Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay was known as the ``Production Line.''

In the `70s, Buffalo's high scoring trio of Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert was known as the ``French Connection Line.

Even the Kings had one in the `70s with Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer, known as the ``Gag (goal a game) Line.''

But what to name this new group? With the New York Rangers, their Czech line is all Czech - Petr Nedved, Jan Hlavac and Radek Dvorak. In St. Louis, the Czech line of Pavol Demitra, Michal Handzus and Lubos Bartecko actually is all Slovakian.

For the Kings? How about the ``Ex-Czechs?'' But Vlasak still calls Prague his home.

``I don't care what you call us,'' Palffy said. ``Just spell the names right.''

How about the ``Please Stay Healthy Line?''

BLUE LINES

By Matt McHale

HOW ABOUT THE KINGS?

Chicago and Carolina have been the most active bidders for Boston holdout forward Anson Carter. The Blackhawks offered a first- and second-round draft pick but were turned down, though it's not certain if Bruins GM Harry Sinden found that insufficient or he just isn't ready to deal Carter. The Hurricanes reportedly might be willing to part with center Jeff O'Neill, who is making $1.5 million this year as a result of an arbitration award.

DEFENSELESS

Pittsburgh captain Jaromir Jagr blasted Penguins defenseman after a 3-2 loss to Ottawa. ``Our defensive guys cannot handle their guys, their forwards,'' Jagr said. ``And if you're not getting pucks to the forwards, you can't create offense.'' Three nights later, the Penguins were routed by New Jersey 9-0 when the Devils' Randy McKay and John Madden scored four goals apiece.

AT LAST

Calgary's Valeri Bure finally scored last Friday against Minnesota, ending a slump of games without a goal at 25 that dates back to March 7 of last season. Bure had lived in the shadows of his high-scoring older brother Pavel of the Florida Panthers until last year when he scored 35 goals in his first 68 games. Pavel and Valeri set the NHL record for goals by a pair of brothers (93) only because Pavel scored 13 goals in the last five weeks. Valeri was shut out for the final 15 games last season and 10 this year.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: JAGR

Box: BLUE LINES (see text)