Gretzky Shows Way for Kariya : Hockey: Kings’ captain has a goal and two assists in 4-2 victory over the Mighty Ducks.

The Mighty Ducks’ Paul Kariya looked for all the world like Wayne Gretzky when he sent a perfect no-look pass far across the ice to Patrik Carnback for the Ducks’ first goal Monday night.

But ultimately Gretzky is still inimitable--as Kariya is the first to agree--and he set up Tony Granato beautifully for one goal, scored another himself, and assisted on a third in the Kings’ 4-2 victory over the Ducks in front of 17,174 Monday at The Pond.

With his three-point performance, Gretzky moved into a three-way tie for fourth in the NHL scoring race with 26 points. Mario Lemieux is first with 37.

Kariya had a goal and an assist, tying his career-high point streak at eight games and moving into eighth in the scoring race with 24 points.

“It’s nice sitting on our side and having a weapon like Paul, instead of just watching Gretzky all the time,” Duck forward Peter Douris said. “It’s a pleasure watching Gretzky and watching Paul.”

Gretzky also moved into sole possession of first place in scoring against the Ducks: No other opponent has scored more than his 18 points.

“It was an important game,” Gretzky said. “They’re one of the best teams in the league right now. We saw their games against the Rangers and Jersey and they were dominating games.”

The Ducks threatened to dominate the Kings early, outshooting them in the first, 13-5, and, 23-14, through two periods. But goalie Jamie Storr, making his first start since Halloween and playing only his fourth game this season, withstood the barrage, finishing with 32 saves. The Ducks’ Guy Hebert made 25.

“I thought it was a great performance all-around,” King Coach Larry Robinson said. “We were coming against a team that had lost only one of its last six games. Our penalty killers did a good job and we got a very strong performance from Jamie Storr in net. The kid hasn’t played in a while.”

Byron Dafoe has been so spectacular that Storr has only watched recently, but with back-to-back games Monday and tonight against Detroit, Robinson gave him a night off.

“My thought was to start Jamie tonight so Byron would be around the rest of the year,” Robinson joked. “Byron has seen a lot of pucks and we’ve got a bunch of games coming up.”

Storr was sharp--and needed to be. He had no chance when Carnback one-timed Kariya’s pass high into the net at 6 minutes 40 seconds of the first, and Kariya simply out-waited him on the second, putting the puck around him after Storr dove helplessly to the ice as Kariya cut the Kings’ lead to 3-2 at 8:17 of the third.

“One thing you have to do to stay sharp is practice like you’re getting ready to play,” Storr said. “You’ve got to eat well and sleep well, because when you get in, you’ve got no excuses. You can’t say you’re tired.”

Gretzky pulled the Kings into a 1-1 tie at 14:54 of the first when he stickhandled through the slot and then threaded a pass between two Duck players onto the outstretched blade of Granato’s stick. It was the sixth goal of the season for Granato, who joined Gretzky and Vitali Yachmenev’s line.

Granato--who also had two assists--gave the puck to Gretzky in the neutral zone early in the second period and Gretzky carried it across the blue line, unleashing a rising slap shot from the top of the right circle for a 2-1 lead at 15:53.

“I figured it was time for me to get one,” Gretzky said of the goal, his fifth. “I’ve given Yachmenev enough this year. Normally I would pass in that situation. This time I just felt like shooting.”

Kevin Todd scored what proved to be the game-winner at 17:48 of the second when Robert Lang found him open at the corner of the net after two Ducks went to Lang, with Mike Sillinger leaving the net.

After Kariya’s goal, his 14th, Rick Tocchet finished the scoring at 15:25 of the third, giving the Kings a 4-2 lead and a leg up on what has been a troublesome series for them.

“In the past our problem was that Anaheim, San Jose and Edmonton hated us and we didn’t have the same dislike for them,” Gretzky said. “That’s been the difference between us and making the playoffs in the last couple of years.”

Notes

The Kings traded defenseman Michel Petit before the game, sending him to Tampa Bay for tough defenseman Steven Finn. Petit, 31, had played in nine games this season, and had one assist and 27 penalty minutes. Finn, 29, was scoreless with 24 penalty minutes in 16 games. Formerly with Quebec, Finn has more than 1,500 penalty minutes in his career. General Manager Sam McMaster called the move “a chemistry change” but declined to pin it on Petit having a penchant for untimely penalties. “Don’t they all,” he said. “I like Michel. He’s a nice guy. . . . [Finn] is a left-handed shooting defenseman. We just felt long-term we had a lot of right-shooting defensemen. We’re just trying to build up the left side.” . . . King rookie Aki Berg scored his first two NHL points, both on assists. Center Yanic Perreault missed the game because of flu. Defenseman Denis Tsygurov returned to the lineup after coming off injured reserve. . . . The Kings’ victory ended the Ducks’ club-record five-game home winning streak. . . . Duck center Mike Sillinger’s club-record five-game goal streak was ended. . . . Duck winger Valeri Karpov, who broke his right wrist Oct. 23, said the injury is similar to a broken left wrist he suffered in 1992, and he believes he can be back sooner than the projected three months. “I hope by the New Year,” he said, adding that he came back in less than two months from the previous injury.