Gretzky Down, Out and so Are the Kings : Pro hockey: Star center will miss at least one game after twisting left knee in awkward fall in 4-3 loss to Jets.

The troubled Kings’ season took another downward turn Saturday when Wayne Gretzky suffered a twisted left knee midway through the second period and had to leave the game. Gretzky said he won’t play today against Chicago.

He had one assist as the Kings went on to lose, 4-3, to the Winnipeg Jets. Nelson Emerson scored two goals for the Jets in their final home game of the season. The Kings, who were officially eliminated from the playoffs last week, have lost three consecutive games and are 1-6 in their last seven.

Gretzky injured his knee while killing off a penalty with the Jets holding a 3-2 lead. Moving laterally, he jumped to avoid a check and came down awkwardly and limped off the ice. Later, Gretzky said he stepped on the stick of Winnipeg’s Darrin Shannon when he landed.

Immediately after the game, Gretzky said the knee was not swollen, but he was limping. But he did not rule out playing in the Kings’ final two home games this week. Gretzky has points in 10 consecutive games.

Rob Blake and Dixon Ward scored for the Kings in the second period when it looked as if they might overcome a 3-0 first-period deficit. John Druce had the last goal for the Kings, late in the final period.

Russ Romaniuk and Darrin Shannon also scored for Winnipeg.

Romaniuk scored after taking a pass in front and beating Robb Stauber at 8:13 of the first period. Shannon slapped a hard shot through the pack in front of the King net at 11:18, prompting the Kings to replace Stauber with Kelly Hrudey.

But Emerson poked a loose puck past a prone Hrudey with 32 seconds left in the period.

The second period was dominated by the Kings, and the turnaround started with Blake’s slap shot at the 1:30 mark.

Ward made it 3-2 with 12 seconds left on the Kings’ first power play, when he deflected the puck past Winnipeg goalie Tim Cheveldae at 8:17.

Emerson gave Winnipeg a two-goal edge at 7:45 of the third with his second goal of the game. Druce scored at 16:16.