Hrudey Upstages Roy, 5-3 : Hockey: King goalie saves 41 of 44 shots in beating his Canadien counterpart.

Patrick Roy came into the Forum Saturday night as the NHL’s best goaltender in both goals-against average and save percentage.

But the Montreal Canadiens’ 32-game winner wasn’t even the best goalie on the ice Saturday.

Far from it.

Kelly Hrudey, standing on his head, rolling on his back and doing any and all required contortions, saved 41 of 44 shots as the Kings defeated the Canadiens, 5-3, before a sellout crowd of 16,005.

It was Hrudey’s 47th game, tying his total for all of last season when he was 26-13-6, giving him a career high in victories. This season, Hrudey is 19-12-12.

“Truthfully,” Hrudey said, “I feel better physically and mentally this year, and last year was the best I’ve ever played.”

No argument from teammate Wayne Gretzky.

“He has tremendous confidence and poise,” he said of Hrudey. “What separates him now is that when the game is close, he comes up with the big saves.”

The Kings, scoring their fourth victory in a row, improved to 28-24-13, the first time they have been four games above .500 since November.

The Adams Division-leading Canadiens (37-22-8) saw a 5-0-4 streak end.

Tomas Sandstrom broke a 3-3 tie in the third period with his 13th goal and Gretzky added his 27th into an empty net at the end.

It was the fourth point of the night for Gretzky and his 99th of the season, tying him with Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues for the league scoring lead.

Jari Kurri ended the month as he had begun--with a goal. Unfortunately for the Kings, he didn’t get anything in between.

Kurri opened the scoring for the Kings in the first period Saturday night with his 20th goal, and his first in 14 games, his last goal coming Feb. 1.

Expected to excel after being reunited with Gretzky, his linemate from the Edmonton Oiler days, Kurri has instead struggled all season, getting only 48 points in 58 games.

Robitaille’s two goals, his team-leading 38th and 39th, put the Kings ahead by 3-0 during the second period.

Montreal’s first goal was officially scored by Guy Carbonneau, his 17th of the season. But Carbonneau’s shot into the crease would not have made it past Hrudey had it not bounced off one of Marty McSorley’s skates.

McSorley immediately went after Canadien wing Chris Nilan, resulting in a penalty for instigating a fight.

Gilbert Dionne appeared to score for the Canadiens on the resulting power play by deflecting in Denis Savard’s shot.

Appeared to, that is, until replay judge Jeff Raelson took a closer look and ruled that Dionne’s stick was above his shoulder when contact with the puck was made, thus negating the score.

No matter.

Only 12 seconds later, still operating with a man advantage, the Canadiens pulled a replay of their own, Kirk Muller putting in his own rebound for his team-high 31st goal to make the score 3-2.

Dionne scored his 14th goal from the red line at the start of the third period to tie the score.

King Notes

Luc Robitaille had two power-play goals, giving him 23 for the season. That ties the team record, set in the 1980-81 season by both Marcel Dionne and Charlie Simmer. . . . Defenseman Paul Coffey left the game during the second period and did not return because of back spasms. . . . There was a minute of silence before the game to honor former King Bert Wilson, who died of cancer Saturday at 42. Wilson, a left wing, played 317 games for the Kings in five seasons ending in 1979-80.