In a Second, Kings’ Opportunity Is Lost : Hockey: Middle period is their downfall in 7-2 loss to Canucks, denying them a franchise playoff first.

Quite easily, the most unpopular man at the Forum was referee Dan Marouelli by the end of Sunday’s game. Boos rained down on him almost every time his arm went up in the air or his face appeared on the scoreboard.

Then there was the beleaguered Kelly Hrudey, who was not close to being in Marouelli’s class of disdain. But he held the distinction--rightly or wrongly--of being the least popular King on Sunday, by simple virtue of his position: goaltender. By the third period, an element of the sellout crowd of 16,005 was delivering mock cheers when he made a routine save.

This might lead you to believe Marouelli and Hrudey had a lot to do with the Kings’ 7-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks in Game 4 of the Smythe Division final.

Not really.

In this case, they were merely whipping boys for the crowd’s displeasure long after the Kings fell out of contention by giving up six consecutive goals, including four in the second period. It was a game in which the Kings were outworked, outmanned and outplayed as the Canucks tied the best-of-seven series, 2-2, with defenseman Gerald Diduck and left wing Geoff Courtnall scoring a goal and handing out two assists each.

The Kings’ two goals came on power plays from Tomas Sandstrom and Luc Robitaille. Wayne Gretzky added two assists, but his goal-scoring streak was halted at five games.

Game 5 is in Vancouver on Tuesday and Game 6 at the Forum on Thursday.

A 3-1 lead in the series would have been a Kings’ franchise first for the second round, and Coach Barry Melrose was trying not to lament the lost opportunity, attempting to figure out why his team lacked intensity.

“I’m sure Scotty Bowman and Bob Berry are wondering the same thing I am,” he said of the Pittsburgh and St. Louis coaches. “That’s why we’re all bald and gray. If you knew the answer you’d be a genius.”

Said Gretzky: “You always look at Game 4 as a big game in the series. We could have gone up, 3-1, but we didn’t. For us, it’s not the end of the world. We are in the same situation that we were in the Calgary series. Life would have been a lot more simple if we had won, but they played hard and raised their game a couple of notches and we didn’t.”

Melrose did not fault Hrudey for the loss and indicated he probably would start Game 5. Melrose did, however, have a couple of verbal jabs for Marouelli.

“He’s got a quick mouth,” Melrose said. “He has good hand-eye coordination. He gets his whistle to his mouth real quick.”

This was in reference to two apparent King goals, which were disallowed because Marouelli had lost sight of the puck and blown the whistle. Even Robitaille’s goal was almost discounted early in the second period. He shot from the base of the right circle, and Vancouver goaltender Kirk McLean made a glove save. It was clear from the replay that McLean’s glove was over the goal line, and the Kings argued it should have been a goal. Finally, the video goal judge reviewed the play and the Kings took a 2-1 lead.

“It’s amazing how that works for one team some nights,” Canuck Coach Pat Quinn said. “I still don’t have a lot of faith in it. It’s their responsibility to call it if it’s in, and he (Gretzky, as captain) certainly put on enough theatrics at the time. I just didn’t like the two they didn’t call two nights ago.”

Robitaille’s goal signaled a major momentum switch because it gave the Kings a 2-1 lead only 27 seconds into the second period. It did provide momentum--for Vancouver.

The Canucks played an inspired period to take a 5-2 lead on goals by Petr Nedved, Murray Craven, Diduck and Courtnall. King defenseman Marty McSorley struggled in the second, being on the ice for three of the four goals. Craven simply outbattled McSorley on his goal, which made it 3-2 at 10:06, charging hard to the net down the left-wing side.

Vancouver went up, 4-2, at 13:21 with some luck off a blind pass. Cliff Ronning, trying to elude a Rob Blake check, fell in the left corner and threw a blind pass back into the slot. Diduck read the play and beat Hrudey on the glove side with a wrist shot from about 35 feet out.

McSorley again was victimized on the fifth Vancouver goal, which was scored by Courtnall just after he stepped out of the penalty box. Craven gave him a lead pass, and he went in for a partial breakaway, with McSorley hooking him. But McSorley could not tie him up enough, and Courtnall jammed a back-hander past Hrudey.

Although the Canucks added two goals in the third, the second period essentially finished off the Kings.

Hrudey, who faced 35 shots, was not interested in reliving the second period or any part of the game.

“We were soundly beaten tonight,” he said. “We were beaten in all areas. It’s disappointing to lose, but we can’t dwell on it. That was half an hour ago and now all we can do is concentrate on Tuesday’s game. I’m not going to rehash what happened 10,000 times. Again, we have to look forward.”

* COMING HOME: For Geoff Courtnall, playing at Vancouver for Pat Quinn has changed his life--and his career. C8