Kings’ Ship Runs Aground, 4-2 : Game 4: Robitaille, Carson remain goal-less as the Maple Leafs tie the series, 2-2. The next game will be at Toronto.

Soon after the last errant pass and the final missed bodycheck of the Kings’ 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs in Game 4 on Sunday night, Coach Barry Melrose was pulling out all the historical stops to motivate his team for the Campbell Conference final, trying to steer them through unchartered territory.

“When Cortez landed in North America, he burned the three ships and his soldiers marched--there’s no going back to Spain,” Melrose said. “The soldiers had to fight to get across the country.

“That’s motivation.”

How will he do this with the Kings?

“I’m going to burn the plane when they get to Toronto,” Melrose said, laughing, about the team’s private jet.

After they missed the chance to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series at the Forum before a sellout crowd of 16,005, the comical message was that the Kings would have to walk home if they lose in Toronto in Game 5 on Tuesday.

The Maple Leafs approached Sunday night’s game with their own motivation. They held a team meeting at their hotel in Santa Monica and realized this was their 111th game of the season. A loss would almost put them back to square one and a victory would tie the series at 2-2.

“I think we’re always at our best when we think we’re done,” Toronto Coach Pat Burns said. “We’re a club that often has to play that way. We have to play with our backs to the wall. When we’re scared to lose. That’s when we’re at our best.”

Afterward, the necessary mental work on the Kings’ missing left wing, Luc Robitaille, was starting in earnest. Robitaille, pointless in this series and goal-less in five games, kept the large media contingent waiting for more than an hour after the loss. Part of the time, he was sequestered in Melrose’s office alone with a motivation expert. Robitaille, a 63-goal scorer during the regular season, twice went four games without a goal, making this his longest drought.

“Sorry, guys,” Robitaille said. “It’s disappointing. It’s really hard. I’ve got to contribute and help the team. I know one thing, for sure, I’ll be there next game.”

Robitaille spoke for several more minutes and ducked back into the office for another feel-good session. Maybe he should have brought King center Jimmy Carson along.

Carson has been virtually invisible since the first round against Calgary, when he scored five goals. He hasn’t scored since Game 6 against Calgary, going goal-less in 10 games. But Carson at least has one assist in this series. Robitaille was in danger of failing to get a hat trick of shots against Toronto, getting only one in the first three games. In Game 4, Carson went without a shot and Robitaille had five.

“Obviously, you would like to score a few more,” said Carson, who scored 37 goals during the regular season. “The key is winning hockey games. At times I am (struggling). You just keep going after it.”

Said Melrose: “Lucky’s sheer talent will come through. He just has to be the leader he is. If he’s that, the goals will come. Jimmy’s getting chances, same as Luc. They just both have to get back to going to the net.”

Game 4 exposed the Kings’ reliance on Wayne Gretzky and their defensemen and aging veterans for the scoring punch. Both the Kings’ goals on Sunday came on the power-play, by Gretzky during the first period and defenseman Rob Blake during the third, with 9:01 remaining.

Gretzky, who has a 12-game point-scoring streak, can’t continue to carry the Kings, which means Robitaille and Carson are going to have to start scoring.

Sunday, the Maple Leafs simply outworked the Kings to take a 3-1 lead after the first period and after that they were able to protect the two-goal margin with their tenacious defense.

It showed after Gretzky scored at 12:22 of the first period, flipping a backhander over goaltender Felix Potvin after Blake’s shot had hit the left post and the puck stayed in the crease before Gretzky moved in. The goal came after Toronto had gone ahead on goals by defenseman Bob Rouse and center Mike Eastwood.

The Maple Leafs quickly deflated any momentum from Gretzky’s goal by outworking the Kings with a couple of shifts of strong forechecking, eventually resulting in Mike Foligno’s power-play goal at 14:52 to make the score 3-1. Foligno, scratched for Game 3, beat King goaltender Kelly Hrudey by redirecting a centering pass from Mike Krushelnyski.

The Kings would not threaten until Blake’s goal.

“They’re one of the best teams in hockey at protecting a lead,” Gretzky said. “One of the best defensive teams in hockey. They’ve proved they can win on the road, and we’ve proved it. We play well on the road. We’re the best road team in the NHL in the playoffs.”

Now they will get to prove it again.

* FELIX THE CAT: Toronto’s young goaltender impresses everyone with his maturity. C10

* NOTES: Burns gambles with Mike Foligno, a 14-year veteran, and it pays off. C10