Kings Are Down to Four at Home : Hockey: That’s the good news for a team that has a 5-11-4 record at the Forum. The bad news is a 4-1 loss to Calgary.

The optimistic way--if there is one--to look at the Kings’ 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames at the Forum on Wednesday night is to consider the rest of the schedule.

Home games have been an annoyance to the Kings. They have won five of 20 games, going 5-11-4, at the Forum. Only four games remain there, which appears to be the best news in an increasingly dreary season.

And now the San Jose Sharks are making a move in the Western Conference, posing a serious threat to the Kings for the final playoff spot. The Sharks, who defeated Chicago on Wednesday, pulled within one point of the eighth-place Kings (13-18-7) and have a game in hand heading into Sunday’s matchup in San Jose.

“We had a game plan and we stuck to it and we played very hard,” King Coach Barry Melrose said. “We’ve got to do the same thing Sunday--scratch and claw and find a way to win. Our stars have got to be the guys to lead us.”

But the Kings have responded to this latest challenge by losing three consecutive games. Granted, they have a handful of serious injuries, but on Wednesday Calgary started a goaltender who hasn’t played regularly all season.

A sure sign that the Kings would falter should have been the score after two periods. Calgary defenseman Zarley Zalapski scored on a slap shot from the middle of the left circle with 1:09 remaining in the second, putting the Flames ahead, 2-1.

When trailing after two periods, the Kings are 1-16-4. And they didn’t exactly sustain a disciplined attack in the third period, with only two shots in the first 16 minutes. The Flames put it away with two goals from center Kelly Kisio less than two minutes apart. Kisio scored his fifth of the season on a short-handed goal at 12:58.

With 5:09 remaining, Kisio scored his second of the night on a power play, putting away a rebound.

“He’s going through a second childhood for us,” Calgary Coach Dave King said of Kisio, 35, who had missed 27 games because of various injuries. “He’s never been healthy with our team and now he has six goals in five games.”

Also giving the Flames an unexpected boost was goaltender Rick Tabaracci, who was acquired at the trading deadline from Washington. Workhorse Trevor Kidd, who has appeared in 37 games, was given a night off. At one point this season, Kidd appeared in a team-record 28 consecutive games. Tabaracci, who appeared in relief on Monday against San Jose, had not started since Feb. 26. Against the Kings, he faced 32 shots but had little work in the third period.

The only King to score was forward Pat Conacher, who redirected a pass at the left crease from Dan Quinn, who was in the right circle. Conacher’s seventh goal of the season came at 6:39 and gave the Kings a 1-0 lead.

Naturally, the Kings could not get through a game without another injury. Rookie right wing Kevin Brown, who has provided a spark, strained a left hip muscle. He collided with Calgary forward Ron Stern at 14:46 of the first period and had to be helped off the ice.

He is scheduled to go the the hospital for X-rays today, and his departure left the Kings short another right wing. Three other right wings were out of the lineup because of various injuries--Rick Tocchet, John Druce and Tony Granato.

King Notes

The NHL is reviewing the tape of King defenseman Marty McSorley elbowing Mighty Duck Bobby Dollas in the head on Sunday. The Ducks sent the tape in and McSorley compared it to late last season when he received a four-game suspension for an altercation with the Sharks’ Bob Errey. “The Ducks are trying to do what San Jose did last year,” McSorley said. “Because they think they’re in the playoff race.” . . . The other scratches were defenseman Denis Tsygurov (coach’s decision) and right wings John Druce (strained groin), Matt Johnson (hand bruise) and Rick Tocchet (strained lower back). Tocchet has missed five consecutive games because of the injury. Defenseman Tim Watters, limited to one game because of a groin strain, was assigned to the Kings’ team in Phoenix.