This Time, Kings Finish What They’ve Started : Hockey: They take a two-goal lead into the third period and beat the Canucks, 7-4, to take a 3-2 lead in the series.

This time, there was no furious comeback. No monumental upset. No shocking finish.

This time, the Kings took a two-goal lead into the third period and shut the door on the Vancouver Canucks to emerge with a 7-4 victory Friday night in Game 5 of their best-of-seven, first-round series before a sellout crowd of 16,005 at the Forum.

As a result, the Kings can shut the door on the Canucks’ season Sunday when they take a 3-2 series lead into Game 6.

The Canucks had come back from a two-goal deficit to win Game 1 at the Forum, but a King offense operating at peak efficiency and a defense playing tight when it had to proved too much Friday.

After going two for 14 in power plays in the first four games, the Kings were three for seven in that department, with Luc Robitaille getting two of the three. Wayne Gretzky did his part with four assists.

And suddenly a team that struggled offensively in the early part of the series has 13 goals in the last two games.

“In the last two,” Gretzky said, “we took it at them offensively. We made things happen instead of being maybe too cautious. We utilized our speed.”

And the improved power play?

“We went down low a little bit more,” he said, “threw it out quickly back to the point and then went to the net.”

A goalie who surrenders four goals doesn’t usually win star-of-the-game honors, but the Kings’ Kelly Hrudey was tough when he had to be, stopping all 12 Vancouver shots in the final period.

“Kelly has been unbelievable,” said Troy Gamble, his Vancouver counterpart. “When they’ve needed him, he’s done the job.”

Canuck Coach Pat Quinn switched goalies for Game 5, going back to Gamble, who had started the first two games. After Gamble came down with flu, Quinn had gone with Kirk McLean the last two games.

“He played well. I have no problem with the way he performed,” Quinn said of Gamble. “They had three power plays goals on us. He can’t be blamed for that. We’ve still got two kicks at the can.”

The Kings got the first advantage when Vancouver’s Sergio Momesso was called for holding, but the Canucks took advantage of the situation.

Trevor Linden left a drop pass for Jyrki Lumme in the slot. With Jay Mazur screening Hrudey, Lumme was able to put the puck over Hrudey’s left shoulder for a short-handed goal 4:50 into the game.

Once again, as they had in three of the four previous games, Vancouver had scored first.

But this lead was short-lived.

On a power play, Rob Blake shot from the right circle. Robitaille, standing between Blake and Gamble, redirected the puck through his own legs and those of Gamble at 8:52 to tie the score.

Vancouver went ahead, 2-1, at 13:59.

Lumme’s goal marked the first time in 178 minutes 39 seconds, since early in the second period of Game 2, that someone other than Cliff Ronning had scored for Vancouver. But it was back to business as usual on Vancouver’s second goal Friday, Ronning putting in his own rebound for his sixth goal of the series.

Robitaille scored his second of the night and fourth of the series on a power play at 16:48 to make the score 2-2.

The Kings finished the wide open period on top when Mike Donnelly took a pass from Larry Robinson along the left boards, and, with Gerald Diduck on his back, rushed the net and flipped the puck over the fallen Gamble at 19:01.

Lumme’s second goal of the game made the score 3-3 1:37 into the period. He had a little help, however, as Steve Kasper inadvertently deflected Lumme’s shot from the left circle under Hrudey’s right pad.

The Canucks went out in front on Diduck’s first goal of the playoffs, but the Kings then ran off three in a row to lead, 6-4, by period’s end.

Steve Duchesne scored the tying goal at 6:25, Brad Jones the go-ahead goal at 13:27 and Tomas Sandstrom scored at 16:14.

Bob Kudelski added an open net goal in the final minute after Quinn had pulled Gamble.

King Notes

King defenseman Rod Buskas suffered a broken left thumb and will miss the remainder of the season. He will undergo surgery next week. . . . Wayne Gretzky has 200 playoff assists.