Vachon’s List Gets Longer : Hockey: Kings display a lot of needs in 5-2 loss to Red Wings. Gretzky passes Dionne for No. 2 on all-time goal list.

King General Manager Rogie Vachon has been doing some Christmas shopping the last few days, scanning the league for an available second-line center.

While he’s making his holiday list and checking it twice, he might add the following:

1.) Some scorers.

2.) A few defensive-minded players.

3.) A power-play unit.

None were in evidence Saturday night at the Forum, where the slumping Kings lost to the Detroit Red Wings, 5-2, before a sellout crowd of 16,005.

The only reason the Kings, 1-7-2 over their last 10 and 12-14-7 overall, have been able to avoid sole possession of fifth place in the Smythe Division is that the Calgary Flames have been playing just as poorly. The two clubs are tied for fourth, 13 points behind the front-running Vancouver Canucks.

The only bright spot for the Kings Saturday was Wayne Gretzky’s 14th goal. It was his 732nd lifetime, breaking a tie with Marcel Dionne for second place on the all-time list.

“When you start to struggle,” defenseman Larry Robinson said, “everything is magnified. Sometimes when you try that much harder, you get less done. We don’t have that puck talking.”

Probably a good thing, considering what it might say about the way the Kings are playing.

But it wasn’t simply the Kings’ ineptness that made Saturday’s game so one-sided. This is a good Detroit team, perhaps its best in years. At 21-10-4, the Red Wings have a strong hold on the Norris Division lead. Before losing their last game, they were 6-0-1 over seven and 14-1-3 over 18.

The ineffectiveness of the Kings of late was demonstrated in a span of 1:42 of the second period. Given a two-man advantage over that stretch, the Kings managed one shot on goal. They spent most of that time just trying to get the puck on the Detroit side of the blue line.

Overall, the Kings, who were outshot, 39-17, were 0 for six on the power play Saturday. And they started the night 19th in the 22-team league in that category.

Yves Racine’s first-period goal, his second goal of the season in 32 games, gave Detroit the lead 8:21 into the game.

Gretzky tied the game with his historic goal 38 seconds later. Gretzky took a slap shot from the outer edge of the left circle that sailed over the shoulder of goalie Tim Cheveldae.

Mike Donnelly’s 15th goal at 17:30 gave the Kings a 2-1 lead.

But then, in the second period, the red light went on three times for Detroit.

And the lights went out for the Kings.

The Red Wings scored in every conceivable manner to surge into a 4-2 lead. The goals came:

--On a power play, Shawn Burr scoring his 10th goal of the season at 4:02.

--On a King power play, Steve Yzerman getting his team-high 18th goal short-handed at 9:42. He also had two assists.

--At even strength, if the Red Wings against the Kings can be considered even strength, Bobby Dollas getting his second of the season at 12:58.

Kelly Hrudey replaced Daniel Berthiaume in the net. But the damage had already been done.

For the period, the Red Wings outshot the Kings, 19-5.

In the third period, Sergei Fedorov closed out the scoring with his 14th goal.

When it was over, Hrudey discounted the recent comment by owner Bruce McNall that he might resign as club president, or Vachon’s trade threats as potential sparks to ignite this club.

“It’s not as if we’re not trying,” Hrudey said. “We’re sweating like dogs.”

King Notes

The Kings have sold out every home game this season, 17 in all, bringing their consecutive sellout streak to 41 games, not counting the playoffs. The last time the Kings failed to sell out was Dec. 5, 1990, against the Winnipeg Jets. . . . A rarity for the Kings, or any other hockey club for that matter: They don’t have a player on the injured list. . . . The Kings will practice today, then get a three-day break before returning to the ice on Thursday to face the San Jose Sharks. . . . Lucia Vachon, 77-year-old mother of King General Manager Rogie Vachon, is home from the hospital after suffering a heart attack earlier this month.