DUCKS-KINGS REPORT

Along with Luc Robitaille, Ray Ferraro and Jozef Stumpel, Kings’ defensemen Rob Blake and Mattias Norstrom were offered Sunday off.

But Norstrom and Blake declined, and in Blake’s case, it might well have been penance.

“It’s tough to lead when you’re the guy making the mistakes,” said Blake, the team captain who is still bearing the burden of a defensive faux pas on Guy Carbonneau’s game-winning goal in the second period of Saturday night’s 3-2 loss to Dallas.

The enormity of the error stems from the importance of each King game in their quest for a playoff berth.

“The other night, we beat Philadelphia and they went home and forgot about it,” Blake said. “They’re not worried about the playoffs. They’re worried about the Stanley Cup.

“If we were 20 points ahead in first place, I’d think about it for an hour and that would be that. But when you’re struggling like we are, it’s different.”

And when you’re Blake, it’s different.

“We ask a lot of him,” said Coach Larry Robinson, whose voice is about gone because of overuse and a cold. “We’re pretty hard on him. For us to play well, we need our leaders to play well.”

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Robinson said he tried yelling at referee Kerry Fraser in Saturday night’s game but gave up after a couple of efforts.

It was a night, he added, in which he could have used his voice.

“At least eight calls [were questionable],” Robinson said. “Those are calls he didn’t make.

“Sandy Moger was high-sticked in the face. And [Richard] Matvichuk closed his hand on a puck. And that was an awful call on [Sean O’Donnell].”

O’Donnell allegedly instigated a fight with Grant Marshall and drew 17 minutes in penalties.

One of the problems, said Robinson, is the NHL’s system of assigning officials in groups of games with a single team. Fraser has called three of the last four King games.

“They’re people, like anybody else,” Robinson said. “If you say something in the first game and see them seven more times, they have to feel it.”

TONIGHT

Kings vs. Mighty Ducks

5 p.m., Fox Sports West

* Site--Great Western Forum.

* Radio--KRLA (1110), XTRA (690).

* Records--Kings 20-30-4, Mighty Ducks 22-23-9.

* Record vs. each other--Ducks 2-0.

* Update-King Coach Larry Robinson may work from the press box, using a headset microphone to croak out instructions to assistant Jay Leach if Robinson’s voice doesn’t improve.

* Tickets: (714) 740-2000