For Mighty Ducks, A Royal Coup : Hockey: Kings fall to Sabres for ninth consecutive road loss. Melrose wants a trade.

Their ninth consecutive road loss and fourth shutout of the season finally forced King Coach Barry Melrose to utter the inevitable Friday night, as he almost demanded that the front office make a trade.

Minutes after Buffalo goaltender Dominik Hasek recorded his fourth shutout of the season, a 2-0 victory over the Kings at the Auditorium before a sellout crowd of 16,284, Melrose’s frustration was evident.

“We’ve got to make some changes on this team,” he said. “This team can’t win in the NHL. That’s the bottom line. We’re too small. We’re playing against men who are 6-3, 6-4, all night long. We have people who are 5-11. I’m sure you guys took physics. When two things of different sizes meet, the bigger thing will win.

“For me to coach, I have to have a big, aggressive team that can run into people. We just don’t have that. It’s my fault and I take full responsibility. You have to win with what you have. . . . I love these players. I’m asking them to do something they can’t do.”

So, what about a trade?

The one trade the Kings would like to make is with the Mighty Ducks in the standings. With their 3-2 victory over Dallas, the Ducks took sole possession of fourth place in the Pacific Division, 10th place overall in the West, two points ahead of the Kings.

Said Wayne Gretzky: “It’s probably the toughest part of my career right now. I’ve never gone through a streak of not winning. I’ve always taken pride in being on winning teams.”

But a shake-up appears imminent for the Kings, who lost by giving up first-period goals to Randy Wood and Wayne Presley in the first 7:14. The lone bright spot was when goaltender Robb Stauber stopped a penalty shot by the Sabres’ star right wing Alexander Mogilny at 9:34 of the first period.

The Kings have been trying to make a deal, and it’s not a secret around the league. There was no shortage of scouts from other NHL teams on hand in Buffalo and it’s a good bet that they weren’t around to check out the Sabres. Among the teams represented were New Jersey, the New York Islanders, Calgary, Vancouver, Detroit, Washington, Dallas and Toronto. The most intriguing presence was that of Murray Oliver from the Canucks.

Vancouver had previously expressed interest in center Jimmy Carson. Thursday, the Canucks’ Pat Quinn spoke in glowing terms about Carson, whom he once coached in Los Angeles.

“His first year was pretty good and his next two years were outstanding,” Quinn said. “His numbers have fallen off. It could be his playing time or (lack of) confidence from the coach.”

Clearly, the Kings have to do something quickly if they don’t want to slip into oblivion in the Western Conference. From the day Melrose arrived in Los Angeles, he spoke of wanting a bigger, stronger team. Yet they have slipped backward from last season with the loss of Marty McSorley.

That was clearly on Melrose’s mind when it was suggested that this team was virtually the same as last season’s.

“Not quite the same sized team,” he said. “Small men can play well for a short period. But this is an 84-game season.”

Whether he’s asking King management to do something beyond its means is another question. “I’m a very hopeful guy,” Melrose said.

King Notes

Right wing Tony Granato (inflamed disk in lower back) has been examined by spine specialist Robert Watkins and team doctor Ron Kvitne in Los Angeles. He received an anti-inflammatory shot on Friday and is scheduled to have two more by Wednesday.

KINGS TONIGHT

Opponent--Toronto Maple Leafs. Site--Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto. Time--5 PST. TV--Prime Ticket. Radio--XTRA (690), KWNK (670). Records--Kings 11-18-2, Maple Leafs 20-9-5. Record vs. Maple Leafs--0-1.

King update--This is the fourth game of a five-game trip. In three games, the Kings have scored four goals. They have won three of their last 16 games and are 2-13-1 on the road. They have lost nine consecutive road games, three short of the franchise record, which was set in the 1969-70 season. Wayne Gretzky has gone pointless in back-to-back games.

Maple Leaf update--Toronto still has the league’s second-best overall record (two points behind the Rangers), but the Maple Leafs have been struggling lately. They are 1-4-1 in their last six games, including a 1-0 loss to the expansion Mighty Ducks on Wednesday at Toronto. The Maple Leafs have five regulars sidelined because of injuries.