Canucks Keep Kings at a Distance, 4-3 : Hockey: Vancouver goes five points ahead as L.A. ends emotionally draining day in defeat.

After a two-week trip, the Kings came home on the most somber day in Forum history.

Shock still reverberated through the building Thursday night over the sudden retirement of Laker star Magic Johnson earlier in the day because of a positive test for HIV.

King owner Bruce McNall and center Wayne Gretzky met with Johnson. The doctor treating him briefed the Kings.

And then the emotionally draining day got even longer as the Vancouver Canucks, surprise leaders in the Smythe Division, increased their margin to five points over the runner-up Kings with a 4-3 victory before a sellout Forum crowd of 16,005.

Garry Valk’s third goal of the season 2:43 into the final period was the difference, dropping the Kings to 8-4-3.

McNall and Wayne Gretzky met with Johnson in Laker owner Jerry Buss’ office Thursday afternoon.

Told that Gretzky wanted to see him, Johnson reportedly said: “ Wayne Gretzky wants to come by and say hello to me ?”

After the game, Gretzky talked about Johnson.

“It’s a time of disbelief and shock. I’m the same as you guys, a fan,” Gretzky told reporters. “When one of the greatest athletes of our time suffers something like this, you know no one is invincible. We’re all human.

“He’s a great person and a great guy, first class all the way.”

Referring to his own father, Walter, who recently suffered an aneurysm on the brain, Gretzky said: “This is the second tragedy I’ve seen in three weeks. It’s really given me a pretty good jolt.

“He (Johnson) is going to attack this head on. I wish him the best. Our prayers are with him.”

Dr. Michael Mellman, who has been treating Johnson, filled in the details for the Kings.

“He told them,” McNall said, “what Earvin wanted to get across, that anybody can get this (HIV) if they don’t practice safe sex.

“He transcended the sport of basketball,” McNall said. “He means so much to millions of people all over the world . . . We’re a family here at the Forum.”

Like everyone else, McNall couldn’t say enough about Johnson’s appearance at the Thursday news conference.

“The remarkable thing about Magic is his attitude,” McNall said. “He is taking this as a challenge.”

The challenge for the Kings Thursday was to maintain the momentum of their trip after a four-day break in the schedule and to do so against the fastest-starting Canuck team ever. The Kings were 4-0-1 in their previous five.

Vancouver took the early lead on Jim Sandlak’s fifth goal of the season at the 12:43 mark.

That was hardly news. The Kings have given up the first goal in each of their last six games and seven of eight.

This time, the Kings bounced back 36 seconds later on Bob Kudelski’s sixth goal.

The Canucks took only 18 seconds to respond, Igor Larionov putting them out in front again with his fourth goal.

In the old days, Kudelski’s goal might well might have taken the steam out of Vancouver. But these are not the old days. The club is coming off a 9-3-1 October, best in club history, and, at 11-4-2, has its best record after 17 games.

By the end of the second period, the score was tied, 3-3, but the shots on goal weren’t even close, with Vancouver dominating, 23-7, in the period.

King Notes

In his news conference, Magic Johnson indicated he will remain an active businessman. Following up on that, he discussed the purchase of horses with Bruce McNall and Wayne Gretzky when they met Thursday afternoon.

King Coach Tom Webster missed the game because of flu. Defenseman Rob Blake returned after missing 11 games with a sprain of the right shoulder.