Kings Get Good News and Bad : Pro hockey: Sandstrom scores twice in 4-3 victory over Canucks; Gretzky is hurt.

Out on the Pacific Coliseum ice Tuesday night, the Kings were celebrating. Led by wing Tomas Sandstrom, they had defeated the Smythe Division-leading Vancouver Canucks, 4-3, for their first victory over Vancouver this season.

But their joy was tempered. The Kings knew their chance of catching the Canucks, whom they still trail by 10 points with 17 games to play, was being decided back in the dressing room where center Wayne Gretzky was being examined. Gretzky left the game after being hit in the right knee with 6:10 gone in the third period and didn’t return.

The injury was initially diagnosed as a sprain. More is expected to be known today after Gretzky gets an extensive examination in Los Angeles.

“It’s a little sore,” he said after the game. “I was concerned in the last minutes of the game because I couldn’t play.”

Gretzky, who was sandwiched between Canucks Dana Murzyn and Gino Odjick on the play, suffered a similar injury four seasons ago and was sidelined several weeks.

“It hurt more before,” he said, referring to the earlier injury. “This doesn’t feel so bad. But we’ll see (today).”

Before he left, Gretzky got an assist to maintain the NHL scoring lead with 95 points, one ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Kevin Stevens. Gretzky has become the top scorer by getting 16 points in the last six games.

“He’s our leader,” Coach Tom Webster said. “He’s the guy who has gotten us going. You can replace the player. You can’t replace the person.”

The Kings are at least happy they don’t have to replace Sandstrom anymore. It had taken him 26 games and nearly two months to get back in the lineup after suffering a partially dislocated shoulder.

But it took Sandstrom only two games to get back in form.

He scored the Kings’ first two goals Tuesday, his 11th and 12th of the season and first since Dec. 28.

But he did far more than that. With goalie Kelly Hrudey having fallen on the ice and out of position during a Canuck attack, Vancouver’s young rookie star Pavel Bure had a clear shot at the goal.

By the time Bure fired, however, Sandstrom was crouched in the net, playing goalie. He stopped the shot and swept the puck away to prevent a sure Vancouver goal.

Then with the score tied, 3-3, in the second period, Bure turned the puck over. Sandstrom was there to gain control and feed Tony Granato, who passed the puck to Luc Robitaille for the game-winning goal.

“It’s getting better and better,” said Sandstrom of his sore shoulder. “I just get tired right away. They kept me out so long, but I’m as close to 100% as you can get.”

And until that shoulder gets to be 100%?

“You still have another shoulder you can turn,” he said.

Vancouver’s Sergio Momesso matched Sandstrom Tuesday night before a sellout crowd of 16,123 with two goals of his own, his 12th and 13th.

Vancouver’s other goal was scored by Greg Adams, his eighth.

The Kings’ Corey Millen scored his 14th goal of the season before Robitaille got his team-high 36th goal.

The Kings, who are now 1-3-1 against the Canucks this season, are 26-24-13. Vancouver fell to 33-20-9.

King Notes

Defensemen Paul Coffey (strained back) and Marty McSorley (sprained shoulder) are skating again. Both have missed the last three games. Coffey could be back for Thursday’s game against the Quebec Nordiques, but McSorley is expected to be sidelined longer. . . . Forward Darryl Williams has been returned to the Kings’ Phoenix Roadrunner farm team. Williams was recalled for Sunday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets but was not used when Tomas Sandstrom was able to return earlier than expected. . . . The Canucks are not only bidding to be the first Vancouver team with a winning record in 15 seasons, but the best Canuck club ever. With 18 games to go, Vancouver has won 33, five short of the team record, and has 75 points, 11 behind the club mark. Both records were set in the 1974-75 season.