BLAKE `AWFUL' IN KINGS LOSS : CHICAGO 3, KINGS 2.

Byline: Tim Trepany Daily News Staff Writer

The Kings can talk about all the blown scoring chances, the dropoff in intensity and their sudden unwillingness to be physical, but it was easy to see the No. 1 reason they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Saturday at the Forum.

Look no further than Rob Blake.

The team captain's turnovers led directly to two of the Blackhawks goals, including the game-winner by Ulf Dahlen in the second period.

And nobody knew this more than Blake, who slumped in his dressing stall after the game and criticized himself more harshly than any collection of suffering Kings fans could.

``I was awful,'' Blake said. ``It could be the worst game I ever played. I made two bad mistakes and it cost us two goals. It was the turnaround of the game. Without that we win the game.''

Goals by Ray Ferraro and Kai Nurminen gave the Kings a 2-0 lead after just 8 minutes, 26 seconds, but Blake self-destructed and the Kings wound up losing for the fifth time in their past seven games (1-5-1).

His giveaway led to a goal by center Denis Savard just 30 seconds after Nurminen's goal and he turned it over late in the second period, setting up Dahlen's goal at 17:17.

``Blake was a direct cause of two of (Chicago's goals),'' Kings coach Larry Robinson said. ``All he had to do was clear the puck out. Those are mistakes he can't be making. He has more experience than anybody out there on defense. He is supposed to be our leader. He has to get his game in gear if we are going to play well.''

The loss dropped the Kings (18-28-6) to 12th place in the Western Conference, three points ahead of last-place Toronto. The Kings' 18 victories are the fewest in the conference.

``(Blake) makes 10 super plays for every bad play,'' said goalie Byron Dafoe, who made his second straight start. ``Sometimes people dwell on the negative, but he's always a positive out there.''

After taking their early lead, the Kings found out why the Blackhawks decided two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Ed Belfour was expendable.

Jeff Hackett, who became the Blackhawks' No. 1 goalie when Belfour was dealt to the San Jose Sharks last week, made 34 saves.

Four of Hackett's saves came with the Kings on a power play that started with 5 minutes, 14 seconds left in the game. He made two more on shots by Eddie Olczyk after Dafoe was pulled for an extra attacker with 36 seconds remaining.

After giving up two early goals, Hackett shut out the Kings over the final 49:34.

``That's truly how we wanted to use him all year,'' Blackhawks coach Craig Hartsburgh said. ``We were pressed to use him every night and we knew going in we wanted to get the best of him. Right now, he is really playing on top of his game.''

The Kings set a physical tone early, with enforcer Matt Johnson dropping the gloves against Blackhawks tough guy Bob Probert just two minutes in.

Funny thing is, Probert, who swung his stick at Probert during a game earlier in the season, didn't want to fight. He backed up and appeared to motion to the linesmen to break it up. They did before Johnson could do anything more than slap Probert's left hand.

But the Kings let up during the second period, when they were outshot 13-8 and saw Chicago take the lead.

``We stopped being aggressive, we stopped playing the man, they won all the one-on-one battles, we got beat out of the corners,'' Robinson said. ``It was embarrassing.''

Kings notes: Left wing Craig Johnson, the Kings' fastest skater who has been sidelined since undergoing abdominal surgery on Dec. 11, has resumed skating and hopes to return in three weeks. . . . Defenseman Philippe Boucher and right wing Brad Smyth were healthy scratches. . . . Defenseman Jan Vopat (left ankle sprain) missed his fifth straight game.