Poor Defense Does In Kings. : Dafoe makes 39 saves, but Red Wings emerge with a 6-5 victory. Defenseman Blake lost for the season.

The Kings have repeatedly failed to respond to Coach Larry Robinson’s warnings that they’d have to improve their defensive play because they couldn’t count on goaltender Byron Dafoe to repel 40-shot barrages every game.

They flirted with danger once too often. Dafoe made 39 saves but couldn’t save the Kings from a 6-5 loss to the Detroit Red Wings before 14,154 at the Forum on Tuesday, the same day they learned that Rob Blake won’t be back this season to save their defense.

Blake, their top defenseman, is expected to be out six to nine months after undergoing surgery to replace the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The 90-minute procedure was performed by Dr. Stephen Lombardo and Dr. Ronald Kvitne at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic at Centinela Hospital.

“We expect 100% recovery,” General Manager Sam McMaster said after talking to Lombardo. “He expects no complications. He was very pleased.”

The injury occurred when Blake twisted his knee Oct. 20 at Washington. Blake was fitted for a brace in the hope rest and rehabilitation would strengthen the rest of his knee enough for him to continue playing. However, when he tried to skate last week and was very wobbly, it became apparent surgery would be necessary.

The damaged ligament was replaced with the central portion of his patellar tendon. Former Clipper Danny Manning has undergone similar surgery on each knee and has yet to return from the second operation, performed last season.

A team spokesman said it will take two to three months to know whether Blake has even a slim chance of returning in the playoffs.

The Red Wings scored twice early in the third period and held off a late rally by the Kings, who lost for the first time in five games. Dimitri Khristich scored with 1:26 to play and Wayne Gretzky brought the Kings within a goal off a scramble with 27 seconds to go, but that wasn’t enough to keep the Red Wings from extending their winning streak to six.

On the six previous occasions the Kings had allowed opponents to take 40 or more shots, they had won three times and earned ties in the other three games.

Blake’s loss will be greatest on the Kings’ power play. McMaster said he’s looking to acquire a top-notch defenseman but said he won’t panic. He said he would prefer to fill the void from within the organization, with Philippe Boucher and Jan Vopat the top candidates. “You’re not going to replace Rob, but you’d look for someone who could go into your top four,” McMaster said. “It’s an ongoing process and I am nowhere near doing it. If I look for a guy, it would be a guy to play the power play. Defensively we’re not bad.”

But the Kings’ defense was hardly praiseworthy Tuesday.

The Kings struck first, converting a power-play chance 45 seconds into the game when Khristich deflected a slap shot taken by Darryl Sydor. The Red Wings matched that at 6:12, after Johnson stripped Sydor of the puck inside the Kings’ blue line and slipped an ice-skimming forehand shot past Dafoe.

A Detroit turnover allowed the Kings to regain the lead at 7:42 on a short-handed goal. Former King Paul Coffey, who won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman last season, lost control of the puck in his offensive zone and the Kings made a quick transition up ice. Jari Kurri finished the play by flicking a shot past Osgood’s glove for his fifth goal.

Three of the Red Wings’ skillful Russian players collaborated on their tying goal, during a power play. Sergei Fedorov began the play with a pass to defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov, who relayed it to defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov. His shot from the top of the right circle slipped through Dafoe’s pads at 15:34 of the first period.

The Red Wings surged ahead, 3-2, at 1:31 of the second period. Dafoe had steered the puck behind the net, expecting a teammate to pick it up, but the only player there was Detroit’s Steve Yzerman. He threw the puck in front of the net, where Mike Ramsey and Bob Errey swatted at it. Errey was credited with the goal, his first.

The Kings pulled even at 17:17 of the second period, when Vladimir Tsyplakov deflected a shot by Vitali Yachmenev, but the Red Wings took a 4-3 lead at 18:38, when defenseman Mike Ramsey was left alone in front of the net to poke home a pass from Errey.

Martin Lapointe slipped behind the defense to score Detroit’s fifth goal and Viacheslav Kozlov was alone by the right post to score the Red Wings’ final goal, at 7:54 of the third period.

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KING NOTES

Center Yanic Perreault missed his second successive game because of flu.

Defenseman Steven Finn, acquired from Tampa Bay Monday for Michel Petit, is scheduled to practice with the Kings for the first time today. He may play Thursday against the Islanders.

Goalie Kelly Hrudey, who has not played this season because of an ankle ligament problem, said he expects to be in uniform Saturday for the first time as the backup.