STANLEY CUP FINALS : A Lesson Kings Will Never Forget : Game 3: Melrose continues to insist that he would never challenge the curve of an opponents’ stick.

The roles were always clear: Jacques was the teacher, Barry was the pupil.

But this was supposed to be the week that all changed. It was going to be the week that Barry Melrose became the equal of Jacques Demers. Melrose had completed his incredible one-year leap from the Adirondack Red Wings to the Stanley Cup finals as coach of the Kings and would face Demers, coach of the Montreal Canadiens, on even terms.

It hasn’t been quite that way.

In danger of a falling behind, two games to none, in the best-of-seven series, the wily teacher still had a lesson for the brash pupil.

And it hurt them both, in different ways. The Kings, of course, lost the game and the series lead, and the Canadiens were being pilloried in many quarters for making the call.

Melrose found himself back in school when King defenseman Marty McSorley was caught using an illegal stick after Demers had called for a measurement at 18:15 of the third period. The Canadiens scored on the ensuing power play with 1:13 left to make the score 2-2, and then won 51 seconds into overtime when defenseman Eric Desjardins scored his third goal, tying the series, 1-1, with Game 3 set for tonight at the Forum.

It was clear that Melrose did not like being outfoxed, especially by his first pro coach. He played for Demers with the Cincinnati Stingers of the old World Hockey Assn.

The defeat was devastating and being out-coached was downright embarrassing. And although the Kings were outwardly supportive of their misguided teammate, there was an undercurrent of resentment toward McSorley, who, they felt, should have known better.

Twenty-four hours later and 3,000 miles away, the hurt feelings on both sides had not abated.

“I just checked the rule book and I discovered we have two urinals in our bathroom that are four inches too high,” Melrose said, joking. “I have to get that straightened out. Obviously, we have to pay close attention to those things.”

Melrose would not even say the name of Montreal’s building, the Forum, when he was asked to sum up the mood of the series.

“We’re leaving that place 1-1 and they had to do that to tie us,” he said.

Sarcasm aside, Melrose stuck to his contention that he would not call for a stick measurement under any circumstances.

“If I was involved in the seventh game with the series on the line and I suspected that Montreal was using an illegal stick, I would not call it,” he said. “I never did and I never will.”

That remark met with skepticism on the Montreal side.

Canadien General Manager Serge Savard had an earthy two-word answer.

And Demers said: “I know when he played hockey, everything was to win. I still believe in my heart if Barry knew that the Montreal Canadiens had an illegal stick and it was to win a game, I believe deep down inside that he would have done it.”

Before this series began, Demers promised that it wouldn’t deteriorate into a name-calling sideshow behind the bench as was the case when the Kings played the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Campbell Conference finals. Melrose and Toronto Coach Pat Burns turned that series into a farce at times, Burns criticizing Melrose’s hair and Melrose making fun of Burns’ weight.

This would be different, Demers insisted, because there was mutual respect by the coaches.

Friday, Demers was sure of only his feelings.

“I like the guy a lot,” Demers said. “Before the series started, I said he stands for something. He’s a man with integrity.

“I’m not going to get into fighting words with Barry because there’s a lot of respect on my part. I don’t know if he’s lost some respect for me for what I did. I hope not. “

Demers said he had no doubts about his actions Thursday night, adding that he found it ironic that he had to defend his decision to use the rules.

“I’m not here to defend myself,” he said. “We could have been down 0-2 in the series. We chose to go to the rules of the league. As a coach, I’m not trying to embarrass Marty McSorley, one of the great competitors in this league. The last people I want to embarrass are Wayne Gretzky, Marty McSorley and Barry Melrose.”

Demers said he expected a cold reception in Los Angeles because of his move.

“If it’s not appreciated here, I can’t do anything about it,” he said. “If it had to be done again tomorrow night, I’d do it immediately. I don’t think all the media here want to hang me. I just believe that, as a coach, I can live with my decision because I didn’t cheat.

“I don’t make the rules in the National Hockey League. . . . I just went by what the rules are. I had 20 players in front of me who knew the sticks were illegal. I have a responsibility to my players and no one else. I am paid by the Montreal Canadiens. I am not paid by the Los Angeles Kings.”

Stanley Cup Notes

Barry Melrose said he might make a lineup change, possibly the return of center Jimmy Carson, who has not played since Game 4 of the Campbell Conference finals against Toronto. Melrose said that Wayne Gretzky’s scoreless performance during Game 2 had little to do with Montreal center Guy Carbonneau’s checking. “(Gretzky) could have easily had four points,” Melrose said. “They did not do that great a job against him and now I’ll be able to keep him away from Carbonneau in this building a little bit. Stuff like this, it just fuels him. I hope they talk about that for the next two days, what a great job they did on him.”