Rookie Sets Up Kings’ Winner : Hockey: Sydor finds Sandstrom as L.A. rallies to beat Bruins, 4-2.

As a child growing up in Edmonton, Darryl Sydor idolized King defenseman Larry Robinson.

Sydor, who is young enough (19) to be the son of the 40-year-old Robinson, shares defensive shifts with Robinson. Robinson shaves daily, and Sydor jokingly says he shaves once a year.

“When I first started, I was in awe of guys like Larry Robinson and Wayne Gretzky, but now they’re my teammates,” Sydor said.

A rookie defenseman who is getting a chance to play because injuries have depleted the Kings’ defensive corps, Sydor is making the most of his opportunity.

Sydor made a nice pass to set up Tomas Sandstrom’s game-winning power-play goal with 8:41 left as the Kings overcame a 2-1 deficit by scoring three third-period goals to defeat the Boston Bruins, 4-2, Thursday night at the Boston Garden.

Holding onto the puck until the last moment, Sydor passed to Sandstrom at the bottom of the left circle and he beat goalie Andy Moog to give the Kings a 3-2 lead. Gretzky added an empty-net goal with 23 seconds left as the Kings won at the Boston Garden for only the second time in their last 16 games.

“He put the puck right on my stick,” Sandstrom said of Sydor. “I was just driving for the net and he hit me with the pass and I just tried to slap it into the net and it went in right between (Moog’s) legs.”

One of four rookie defensemen on the Kings’ roster, Sydor is beginning to gain confidence. He scored his first NHL goal Saturday in the Kings’ 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders.

“You can see that he has confidence because he’s jumping into the offense and he seems to be moving the puck well on the power play,” King Coach Tom Webster said.

Goalie Daniel Berthiaume played well in winning his second consecutive game, making 34 saves as the Kings extended their unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1).

“It was definitely my best game of the year,” Berthiaume said. “This is a tough building to get a win in. The rink is small (nine feet shorter than most NHL rinks) and everything happens so fast.”

Trailing 1-0 after defenseman Glen Wesley scored a power-play goal at 1:06 of the second period, the Kings tied it when Robinson scored his second goal of the season off a pass from left wing Luc Robitaille at 7:07 of the second period.

However, the Bruins retook the lead 49 seconds later when defenseman Ray Bourque beat Berthiaume with a slap shot that caromed into the net off the left post.

But the Kings tied it at 1:19 of the third period when Robitaille scored his eighth goal of the season, jabbing in a rebound off a shot by rookie defenseman Peter Ahola.

Playing on a line with Gretzky and Jari Kurri, Robitaille has taken over the NHL scoring lead with 22 points, getting eight goals and 14 assists in 13 games. He has a nine-game scoring streak, posting 17 points in that span.

“I don’t feel I’m on a roll this year,” Robitaille said. “I’m not thinking about a streak, I’m just thinking about winning.”

King Notes

Walter Gretzky, who underwent brain surgery at a hospital in Hamilton, Canada, on Oct. 19, was moved from intensive care Thursday. . . . King defenseman Jeff Chychrun, who hasn’t played this season because he is recovering from wrist surgery, had the second pin removed from his left wrist Thursday and could receive medical clearance to play when the Kings return home to face the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 7. . . . Defenseman Charlie Huddy sat out the game to rest his sore groin. . . . Defenseman Brent Thompson, called up from the Kings’ minor league affiliate in Phoenix Tuesday, made his NHL debut. Boston’s Bob Carpenter welcomed Thompson to the league in the first period by checking him into the boards so hard that Thompson lost his helmet.