KINGS GET ROYAL THRASHING : ROBINSON TALKS OF BENCHING SPREE TO WAKE UP TEAM BUFFALO 6, KINGS 2.

Byline: Tim Trepany Daily News Staff Writer

The Kings seem to keep coming up with novel ways to lose, so they might as well go ahead and forfeit a game.

That's what they'll have to do if coach Larry Robinson follows through on the threat he made after their latest fiasco - a 6-2 embarrassment to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday at Marine Midland Arena.

The Kings blew a 2-0 lead by getting caught up in the Sabres' physical style of play and pulled their customary collapse at the slightest hint of pressure.

It was the Kings' 11th loss in their past 15 games and the fourth that was by four goals or more during that span.

So it's no wonder an irate Robinson - who's already tried yelling at them, sweet talking them, benching some and mixing up the lines - is now turning to another plan to get through to his players and their fragile psyches.

And if he follows through, he won't have enough players to face the St. Louis Blues, the Kings' next opponent, Sunday.

``I can make it short and sweet: You saw the game. You saw the guys willing to play and sacrifice and play for the team and take a hit,'' he said. ``If you want to play, that's the way you'll play. That's the way it's going to be in St. Louis even if I have to dress 10 guys.''

Ten? Even in his anger Robinson is being generous. For few players actually were willing to compete when the Sabres pressed them.

It's not likely Robinson will sit every player who didn't perform. After all, the talent is thin on the Kings' minor-league affiliate in Phoenix, meaning not nearly enough replacements would be available. And the league would take a harsh stand on a forfeiture.

So Robinson was just venting, as well as anybody on the Kings should.

They took a 2-0 lead after only 9 minutes, 35 seconds on goals by Ray Ferraro and John Slaney.

The momentum was theirs, until the Sabres bullied it away from them. They started checking the Kings at every turn, and the Kings did almost nothing in response except fall to the ice.

``Buffalo was frustrated . . . but we lost every bit of momentum we had,'' Robinson said. ``Now it's my way or the highway. If I can't get the team going and it's going to be my neck out there I might as well go down with my ideas . . . because obviously it's not working. It will be very interesting in St. Louis.''

Some of the Kings did try to fight back. Left wing Barry Potomski fought Matthew Barnaby to a draw while Brent Grieve took on Brad May toward the end of the first period.

Bad idea.

May, who makes his living being a tough guy, easily pounded Grieve into submission. In fact, he hit him so hard that he broke a bone in his right hand, perhaps on the blow that left a sizable lump on the middle of Grieve's forehead.

``I ended up taking the goalie (Dominik Hasek) out a little bit when he played the puck,'' Grieve said. ``They let me know right away they didn't want me doing that.

``I felt I had to stand up for myself.''

By the time Grieve got whaled on, the Sabres had already tied it on goals by Brian Holzinger and Barnaby.

Holzinger's was set up when Kings wing Kai Nurminen tried to send the puck along the boards behind his team's net. But it hit a skate of one of the game officials and was picked up by Donald Audette, who found Holzinger in the slot at 12:22.

``The puck stopped right away when it hit him,'' Nurminen said. ``And it jumped close to their guy.''

The game-winning goal resulted from a loss of composure by Kings defenseman Mattias Norstrom.

Sabres defenseman Bob Boughner checked Ian Laperriere along the boards at center ice. Norstrom, coming to Laperriere's defense, went to crosscheck Boughner, who wound up on top of Laperriere.

That left the center of the ice open, allowing Garry Galley to send a pass up the middle to Audette, who beat goalie Stephane Fiset high on the glove side at 8:09 of the second.

``Matty jumps in shoving Boughner because he checked (Laperriere),'' Robinson said. ``Hey, that's part of the game. So he's shoving Boughner and the guy's going down on a breakaway. What's Matty going to do anyway?''

The Sabres' final three goals came in the final 2:32 of the game, with Derek Plante tying a team record by scoring two goals in 10 seconds.

``It's definitely a frustrating part of the year,'' Kings left wing Kevin Stevens said. ``It's the most frustrated we've been in a long time. We have to find answers quick.''

Notes: Robinson followed through on his plan to bench slumping forward Vitali Yachmenev. ``It helps to watch to see what the guys are doing,'' Yachmenev said. . . . Defenseman Doug Zmolek (right shoulder sprain) missed his sixth straight game.

WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS

The Kings have lost 11 of their last 15, and in four of those games, they've lost by four or more goals:

Date Opponent Score Goalie

Nov. 23 vs. Detroit 6-0 Fiset

Dec. 12 vs. Calgary 5-1 Fiset

Dec. 18 at N.Y. Rangers 4-0 Dafoe

Dec. 20 at Buffalo 6-2 Fiset x

x - allowed five of six, one was on an empty net.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Chart

Photo: (color) The Kings' Rob Blake shoves Buffalo's Randy Burridge away from the puck in front of the Los Angeles bench in the first period.

Associated Press

Chart: WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS (see text)