Kings Turn Over a New Leaf With 4-3 Victory Over Toronto

King Coach Larry Robinson promised a shake-up--and there was one, sort of.

The Kings won a game.

Not only did Hrudey and the Kings win--beating the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3, on Thursday night--they defeated a team ahead of them in the standings. A team not named the San Jose Sharks or Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

An announced crowd of 12,459 at the Forum watched the Kings beat a team with a record above .500 for the first time since defeating Winnipeg on Dec. 6. And it was their first victory in five games as center Kevin Todd scored the game-winner with 4:13 remaining as he put away a centering pass from Eric Lacroix. It was Todd’s 13th goal and 31st point of the season.

As for Hrudey, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, he has had two contentious meetings with Robinson this week and his agent’s telephone calls to King management have gone unreturned.

“Basically, I told him [Robinson] I have to explore my possibilities,” said Hrudey, upset that Byron Dafoe received consecutive starts, breaking the goalie rotation.

“I don’t think I’ve shown any decline in my mind whatsoever.”

Hrudey vowed he would not give up his position without a fight, saying that Hall of Famer Billy Smith never handed him the job when they were with the New York Islanders.

“At times, [Robinson] and I see my role differently,” he said. “I don’t want to accept being a role player. It’s inevitable and it’s going to happen. But I’m going to keep on fighting to delay it as long as possible. So when a guy takes my job he’s ready for it.”

Said Robinson: “I wanted to get a goalie who is hot and go with him. Kelly and I had a talk and he responded. He’s concerned about his role, as he should be. I don’t think guys in that situation have to like it.”

Meanwhile, Robinson’s promised big shake-up didn’t exactly have the players shaking in their skates, but the Kings (18-25-12) showed some spirit and drive for the first time in weeks.

Robinson scratched two of his harder-working players, forwards Gary Shuchuk and Pat Conacher as well as center Robert Lang. But Lang and Conacher did not play in the loss to Chicago on Tuesday.

But there were other changes. Hrudey returned to the crease for the first time in a week and looked sharp against the likes of Doug Gilmour and Mats Sundin, facing 34 shots. That wasn’t the only difference Thursday. Forward Dan Bylsma returned from the minors for the second time this season, and making his King debut was 24-year-old forward Steve Larouche, who wore Luc Robitaille’s old No. 20, and he used his opportunity wisely. Larouche scored in his first game as a King, on the power play at 12:56 of the second period, giving the Kings a 3-1 lead.

Scoring the other King goals were defensemen Marty McSorley (ninth of the season) and Rob Cowie (fourth), on the power play. Left wing Dimitri Khristich added two assists and Wayne Gretzky had one. For the Maple Leafs, left wing Dave Andreychuk scored twice on the power play, his 14th and 15th goals of the season.

As for Larouche, a 5-foot-11, 190-pounder from Rouyn, Quebec, he has always been able to score. Last season, he had eight goals and 15 points in 18 games with Ottawa. The Kings acquired him from the New York Ranger organization on Jan. 15 in exchange for defenseman Chris Snell.

On his goal against the Maple Leafs, Larouche drove to the net and poked a rebound of Philippe Boucher’s blast from the top of the slot past Toronto goaltender Felix Potvin. Still, the Kings were unable to hold a two-goal lead against the Maple Leafs, who had played the night before. Toronto, with only one victory in its last 10 games, rallied with Andreychuk’s second goal of the game, on the power play at 13:51 of the second period.