Kings Come Limping Home After 2-1 Loss : Hockey: After falling to Chicago despite Stauber’s 33 saves, team will finish its season with two games at the Forum.

Goaltender Robb Stauber did his part, making 33 saves, including seven on breakaways, but the battered and bruised Kings still lost to the Chicago Blackhawks, 2-1, on Sunday.

Sidelined by an assortment of injuries or ailments were Wayne Gretzky, Doug Houda, Robert Lang, Dave Taylor, Tony Granato, Dave Tomlinson and Marty McSorley.

The Kings, losing on the road for the 26th time this season, have lost 13 times in their last 23 games, going 5-13-5 record during that span. They have lost four in a row.

The Kings conclude their season with home games against Calgary and Edmonton Wednesday and Thursday.

On Sunday, Chicago goaltender Ed Belfour made 28 saves in recording his 36th victory of the season. He now has 77 over the last two seasons.

After Belfour stopped John Druce at 14:11 of the third period on a breakaway with a glove save and stopped Alexei Zhitnik from the right point at 12:16 for his 26th and 27th saves, Chicago had to kill off a two-man advantage for 1:32.

Belfour’s luck ran out at 11:07, when Kevin Todd tipped in Zhitnik’s 50-footer from the right point on the Kings’ 28th shot.

The victory, only their third in their last 10 games, left the Blackhawks in the sixth playoff slot of the Western Conference.

The Blackhawks were assured of finishing no better than sixth when St. Louis tied Dallas, 2-2.

Chris Chelios’ 16th goal of the season at 5:49 of the first period gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead. He scored from 55 feet on the left point.

His assist at 12:51 of the second period with four players on each side set up Joe Murphy’s 31st goal, a 28-footer from the deep slot.

Belfour, with only one stop in the first period, made a big save at 18:34 of the second period on Warren Rychel from the left faceoff circle. Then, in rapid-fire succession, Belfour stopped Keith Redmond at 14:06 from barely outside the crease, then Rob Blake’s 17-foot wrist shot from the left circle.

Belfour said he was able to stay focused despite the lack of activity in the first period. “It can make you lose your concentration and give up a couple of easy goals,” he said. “But my guys did a good job defensively, and I was able to stop a lot of shots.”

King Coach Barry Melrose, meanwhile, was happy with his team’s performance, despite the loss.

“(The Kings) probably played their best game in Chicago in the two years we’ve played here (under Melrose),” he said. “We out-chanced them in the second and third periods. Robb Stauber came up big, and for a guy who has only been in 21 games, he showed us he can be a real force next season.”

Gretzky suffered a twisted left knee in the Kings’ 4-3 loss at Winnipeg on Saturday, and his status is day to day.

“He’ll be examined (today),” Melrose said. “We’ll check him out real good and if we find he shouldn’t play, we won’t let him. He got in a real collision.”