BLAKE: A TRADE `IS GOING TO HAPPEN' KINGS LOSE TO AVALANCHE, APPEAR READY TO DEAL TOP DEFENSEMAN COLORADO 5, KINGS 2.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

DENVER - Losing to the Colorado Avalanche was not unexpected.Losing Rob Blake would be a bombshell.

Blake said just moments after Thursday's 5-2 Kings loss to the league's top team the club will trade him shortly now that negotiations on a new contract have broken down again.

General manager Dave Taylor remained in Los Angeles in an attempt to reach an agreement with Blake's agent, Ron Salcer. The two recentlybegan speaking for the first time in 4 1/2 months, when Blake, the franchise cornerstone for most of the past 10 years, rejected a three-year$22.5 million deal.

``It's just not going to get done,'' Blake said. ``We've been talking the past few days and it's not close. The trade is going to happen now, not later. They have to get something for me.''

When discussions broke down in September, Blake, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, was seeking $8 million a season. The club said it made its final offer and implied it might have to trade the All-Star defenseman.

In the past few months, Blake's value has escalated, with at least 20 clubs expecting to make a bid for him next summer. Ten million dollars a year is not out of reach.

It didn't hurt that Chris Pronger, the league MVP and top defenseman, signed a three-year $27.5 million deal in October. Pronger is fiveyears younger than Blake, 30, but Blake has the hammer because another team can sign him without compensating the Kings.

``We really thought something was going to happen in the past few days,'' Blake said. ``No one wants to wait until the trade deadline (March 15) to get a deal done. But now there is no turning back. They've said what they have to say.''

Kings president Tim Leiweke, who is in Denver visiting Kings owner Philip Anschutz, would not comment on the negotiations. Just last Thursday, Anschutz was in the sellout crowd at Staples Center when Blake scored his first NHL hat trick and added two assists in a 5-5 tie with theNew York Rangers.

At that time, the Kings were unbeaten in four consecutive games. Now they have dropped the last three in a row.

The Blake-led defense, which melted down in losses to Tampa Bayand Atlanta, was better Thursday even though it allowed Joe Sakic the10th three-goal game of his career.

The problem against the Avalanche was offense. Playing without injured Ziggy Palffy, who has been leading the league in scoring most ofthe year, the Kings took just 16 shots at Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy.

Even with the return of Jozef Stumpel, who missed the past two games with a broken little toe on his right foot, the Kings were sluggishall night.

When Mathieu Schneider scored with 9:18 left in the third, it cut the Avalanche lead to 3-2 and gave the Kings an opportunity to steal a game.

``At that point, we thought we still had a chance,'' said Luc Robitaille, who assisted on the Kings' first goal. ``We hadn't played toowell to that point, but with a one-goal game you never know. After the goal we still couldn't get anything going.''

Sakic scored his last two goals in the final five minutes. When Sakic returned to the ice with the Avalanche on top 5-2, Kings coach Andy Murray accused Colorado's Bob Hartley of trying to run up the score.

Hartley claimed he was just using his regular lines. But the Avalanche, who now lead the league with 49 points (22-7-5), were winless in their last four games - all at home.

Although they are the highest-scoring team in the Western Conference, the Kings without Palffy found themselves forced to use lesser players Eric Belanger and Jason Blake on the power play.

As time wound down on the penalty to Ian Laperrere, Sakic took a pretty pass from Peter Forsberg at the top of the left faceoff circle and beat Storr with a slap shot to the glove side to make it 4-2.

Storr, who defeated Colorado 6-4 in November at Staples Center, said it was the second bad goal of the game. Dan Hinote gave the Avalanchea 2-1 lead at the 7:04 mark of the third period when he shot from an impossible angle and banked the shot in off Storr's leg for his third goal of the year and fourth of his career.

It was the kind of goal that was pretty common when the Kings allowed16 goals during three games on the homestand.

Blake said he did not address the team. ``When you're playing badly you know it. There isn't much to say.''

At least until after the game. The Kings flew to snowy Minneapolis for tonight's game against the expansion Wild. But that will in no way be a breather. The Wild has defeated the Dallas Stars and tied the Northeast-leading Ottawa Senators in its last two games.

But as Blake dressed, his mind wasn't on the Wild.

``It's not a case of saying this to get a reaction from them,''he said of the possible trade. ``I'm saying it because it is going to happen.''

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Photo: (color) Colorado defenseman Eric Messier, right, checks L.A. center Eric Belanger Saturday during the Avalanche's 5-2 win.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press