Kings Beat Jets, Move Into Second : Hockey: Four players share the spotlight with Gretzky, who takes league lead in scoring during 4-2 victory.

One man needed a medical clearance to get into the lineup.

A second needed a trade.

A third needed a meeting with the coaches.

And a fourth needed a break.

But all four made the most of their appearances to lead the Kings to a 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets Sunday night before 15,223 at Winnipeg Arena.

Wayne Gretzky added three assists, enabling him to take over the NHL scoring lead with 94 points, two better than Kevin Stevens of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But on this night, even Gretzky had to defer to four teammates who made a rare skate into the spotlight:

--Wing Tomas Sandstrom, who returned to the lineup after a 26-game absence because of a partially dislocated shoulder. Informed Sunday morning that he would be playing after taking part in only one full-contact practice since the injury, Sandstrom played well and without pain.

“You can’t think about it,” he said of the injury. “If you think about it, you might as well stay off the ice.”

--Goalie Steve Weeks, who made his first start for the Kings since arriving last week in a trade with the New York Islanders.

Weeks, who hadn’t played since shortly before the All-Star break in mid-January, relieved starter Kelly Hrudey during the third period of Friday night’s loss to the Calgary Flames.

Sunday’s start by Weeks ended a string of 18 starts by Hrudey and 20 consecutive appearances.

Weeks made 30 saves in his first victory as a King.

--Wing Jay Miller, who made a great pass to Dave Taylor in the slot to set up the Kings’ final goal, Taylor’s eighth of the season.

After Friday’s game, Miller went to Coach Tom Webster and his assistants and asked for more playing time for the fourth line, consisting of himself, Taylor and John McIntyre.

The result was one of the best overall performances of the season by that line.

“It was the first time all season,” Webster said, “that I really felt comfortable with all four lines.”

McIntyre also scored, his fourth goal of the season and second in as many games.

--Wing Bob Kudelski, who scored his 19th goal Sunday night and his third in two games.

Kudelski, who started the season as the second-line center and has been moved nearly everywhere else on the four lines, was back on the first line Sunday with Gretzky and Jari Kurri.

Sandstrom’s return on the second line moved Tony Granato back to that line as the center between Sandstrom and Luc Robitaille.

“It doesn’t matter just so long as I’m in there,” Kudelski said.

“I’ve been going back and forth so much, I could play on the moon and it wouldn’t matter.”

Before his scoring burst the past two games, Kudelski hadn’t had a goal in 13 games and only one in his previous 18.

The other King goal Sunday was by Peter Ahola, his fifth.

The victory moved the Kings back above .500 at 25-24-13 and broke a tie for second place in the Smythe Division with the Jets (25-26-11).

It also ended a two-game losing streak for the Kings, who had given up a total of 13 goals in their previous two games.

With defensemen Paul Coffey (strained back) and Marty McSorley (sprained shoulder) back home for treatment and an untested newcomer in goal, the Kings were concerned over the possibility of another dismal defensive performance Sunday.

Especially when the first break went against them.

Thomas Steen, skating down the Kings’ slot and moving the puck from forehand to backhand, lost control of it shortly before reaching Weeks.

But the puck continued under its own power into the crease and through Weeks’ pads for Steen’s eighth goal. The King goalie, faked out by Steen’s inadvertent loss of control, couldn’t adjust in time.

But he adjusted from there on, giving up only Phil Sykes’ second goal of the season.

“I was really nervous beforehand,” Weeks said. “I had a lot of butterflies. You want to get off on the right foot.”

He was helped by a strong team defense, by a penalty-killing unit that stopped all six Jet power plays and by the Kings’ rejuvenated fourth line.

“I went to the coaches and said, ‘Let’s get four lines going,’ ” Miller said after the game.

“We’re going to need four lines going into the playoffs. We showed a little bit tonight.

“It’s just one game. Let’s see if it gives us a little more confidence.”