Kings Hit a Low Point in Toronto, 7-4 : Hockey: Los Angeles battles back to get even in third period, but the Maple Leafs pull away for victory.

TORONTO —  Goalie Kelly Hrudey of the Kings sat in the locker room with a blank look after a 7-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night.

The game had been over for 15 minutes, but Hrudey, alone in his thoughts, replayed the evening.

With the score tied in the third period, 4-4, the Kings allowed three consecutive goals, including an empty-netter, en route to their third consecutive loss.

What went wrong?

“Listen, we got to stick together,” Hrudey said. “I’m not going to go out there and start criticizing my teammates. That’s been one of our problems all season long. If we stick together we’ll play through it.”

The Kings have lost four of five games, their worst slump since a four-game losing streak in November.

Are the Kings playing as poorly during this losing streak as they were earlier this season?

“No,” Hrudey said. “The two losses previous to tonight weren’t that bad because we had a lot of chances. Tonight we were bad.

“If you start to read into things and make more out of things rather than trying to gain some positives out of the last three losses, you tend to group all three losses into the bad category. And it just festers from there.

“It’s like wildfire, it spreads so quickly. And that negative attitude is an evil that’s hard to get rid of. Believe me.”

After beating the Washington Capitals to open the four-game trip, the Kings lost the next three.

Is this a good time to be going home, where the Kings open a five-game home stand Tuesday against St. Louis?

“That’s an understatement,” Hrudey said.

Did the King collapse start in the third period?

“It started before that,” King Coach Tom Webster said. “It started way before that. In the first period we were just awful, just awful. We were lucky to come away tied, 2-2. The last two games I felt we worked hard. Even though we lost I wasn’t that upset.

“Tonight we did not work. Let’s put it this way, some of us didn’t work, and when you’re an offensive hockey team you’d better score because that means you have to work at the other part of the game.”

Does Webster think the Kings need to trade for better defensemen?

“I’m not that concerned about our defense,” Webster said. “I’m concerned with our work without the puck. There’s a price that has to be paid. . . . You can make excuses all you want, but defensive hockey is hard work. I don’t want to say much more because I’ll get myself in trouble.”

Although the marquee outside aging Maple Leaf Gardens read: Kings vs. Leafs, 8 p.m., it should have read: Wayne Gretzky vs. Leafs.

When Gretzky plays in Toronto it’s an event. Scalpers were getting $300 for choice seats. The worst seats in the Gardens were going for $40. And business was so brisk that one scalper told fans to line up.

Born in nearby Brantford, Ontario, Gretzky is a local legend. And the Great One didn’t disappoint the sellout crowd of 16,328, scoring one goal and assisting on another as the Kings rebounded from a 4-2 second-period deficit to tie it, 4-4.

Gretzky set up right wing Mikko Makela for the tying goal at 1:31 of the third period.

But Toronto right wing Daniel Marois, who had a first-period goal, scored back-to-back goals for his first hat trick of the season. Left wing Vincent Damphousse assisted on all three of Marois’ goals.

“When you win against a team like L. A. and Wayne Gretzky, it’s always a big lift for us,” Damphousse said. “A lot of people thought we weren’t going to win this game. But I think we felt we could beat anyone in the league.”

Marois got his second goal on a power play at 7:47 of the third period. Damphousse set up the play when he centered the puck to Marois, who was alone in the crease. Hrudey didn’t have a chance. Marois added his third goal after a scramble in front of the net at 12:39.

Toronto right wing Lou Franceschetti added an empty-net goal with 1:45 remaining.

“Tonight we didn’t do our jobs,” King defenseman Tom Laidlaw said. “It was a real team effort tonight. It’s real easy to point fingers at people, but it isn’t going to do us any good. I know it sounds corny, but it takes everybody to win. And when we lose it’s the same way. Tonight was the perfect example of that.

“It’s not like we’re in last place in our division. We’re still a good hockey team.”

But they didn’t look like a very good team against Toronto.

King Notes

Toronto center Ed Olczyk extended his scoring streak to 17 games when he scored an unassisted goal in the second period. . . . Center Gilles Thibaudeau, who was called up by the Maple Leafs Friday, scored on his first shot of the game. It was his first goal as a Maple Leaf since he was acquired from the New York Islanders last month. Actor John Candy sat next to King owner Bruce McNall next to the Los Angeles bench. Mr. T. also took in the game.