Kings Get Stuck on Pause, Lose : Pro hockey: They’re still looking for first victory after Edmonton wins, 4-3.

For the Kings, the luxury of working through a shaky stretch or a sluggish period is not an option during the lockout-shortened season. It’s almost like fast-forward hockey, NHL style.

But the Kings, so far, are showing some of the same patterns of last season’s horrendous performance. They are still searching for their first victory after losing, 4-3, to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night at the Forum. The crowd was 13,160, the smallest since the third home game of last season.

Their special teams couldn’t have done much more--two power-play goals and they limited the Oilers to one goal on six power plays. But one third-period mistake, four-on-four, cost them dearly as Edmonton center Mike Stapleton scored on a breakaway with 5:28 remaining. And the Kings (0-1-1) put themselves at a distinct disadvantage by falling behind, 2-0, in the first 13:41.

Unlike the Toronto Maple Leafs in Friday’s 3-3 tie against the Kings, the Oilers (2-0) managed to hold on with some stellar play from goaltender Bill Ranford.

“There are really no excuses,” said Wayne Gretzky, who had two assists. “We can’t get behind, 2-0, every night. You can’t say it’s early because it’s not early. We’ve got 46 games left. We’ve got to win Tuesday night, for sure.

“It’s a tough loss because we’re all battling for position--Toronto is 1-1. Vancouver is 1-1.”

Forward Rick Tocchet, who scored his first goal as a King, had an even harsher assessment. “Everybody should be upset about this loss. A good effort doesn’t count in this game, no way,” he said.

The other King goals were scored by Marty McSorley and rookie Eric Lacroix, his first in the NHL. But the Kings were forced to constantly play from behind and tied it twice before losing.

Adversity seemed to shadow the Kings most of the night. Starting goaltender Robb Stauber left the game at 16:22 with an injured middle finger of his right hand. Then Kelly Hrudey, who relieved him, took a shot on his right knee in the second period and it stiffened later. He will have it examined today.

Additionally, the Kings were forced to play with five defensemen for more than half the game. Alexei Zhitnik was assessed a game misconduct for a five-minute, cross-checking major on Oiler right wing Kirk Maltby at 7:41 of the second period.

Then King defenseman Michel Petit compounded the problem when he took a minor penalty for interfering with Ranford at 8:18, which gave Edmonton a five-on-three advantage for two minutes.

Then further misfortune hit the Kings when the Oilers were holding a one-man advantage. McSorley lost his stick and was without it for at least a 30-second stretch. At one point, the scrambling situation turned comic when Jari Kurri tried to toss his stick to McSorley.

McSorley dropped it. And two Kings were without sticks.

Somehow, the Kings killed it off and managed to tie the game, 2-2, on McSorley’s goal with 17 seconds remaining in the second period, in which they were outshot, 17-5.

In all, it was a chaotic evening. Especially for Hrudey, whose supposed night off didn’t last long. Stauber, making his first start of the season, gave up two goals on six shots in the first period and pulled himself. Stauber stayed on the bench for the final minutes, and the team’s third goaltender, rookie Jamie Storr, was summoned from the stands.

Nobody is taking any chances with injuries during the lockout shortened season, and the same holds true with lineup changes.

For the Kings, it didn’t take long for the first player to check into King Coach Barry Melrose’s noted doghouse--center Robert Lang. Displeased with Lang’s play away from the puck early in Friday’s opener, Melrose cut his ice time in the second and third periods and yanked him off the second line in practice on Saturday.

Sunday, he was scratched from the lineup.