[0] ANOTHER TOP-OF-THE-LINE EFFORT; KINGS STUN WINGS HEADING INTO BREAK WITH FOUR GOALS IN THE SECOND PERIOD KINGS 6, DETROIT 3.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

The Kings ended the first half Thursday night the way they hope to play the rest of the season.

They now head off to the All-Star break after scoring four goals in the second period, including three within 90 seconds, to rout the mighty Detroit Red Wings 6-3 in front of a sellout crowd of 18,118 at Staples Center.

For the first time since Nov. 16 they have won two straight.

After 48 games, the Kings (23-21-7) have 56 points and hold the eighth and final playoff spot.

The Kings also got goals Thursday from each member of their first line. Ziggy Palffy had two and Luc Robitaille, Jozef Stumpel had one apiece. Bryan Smolinski and Glen Murray also scored.

For Robitaille, whose goal gave the Kings a 4-2 lead, it was his 25th of the year and the 542nd of his career, moving him past Stan Mikita into 19th place on the all-time list.

``We're going to need those guys to win some games for us in the second half,'' said coach Andy Murray, who has six goals from his first unit in the past two games.

But this was not the New York Islanders, who were manhandled by the Kings 5-2 on Tuesday night. The Red Wings came in one point behind St. Louis for the best record in the Western Conference.

The Kings, however, have played them tough in their first two meetings, a 1-1 tie Nov. 3 and a 3-1 loss on Dec. 10, both in Detroit.

Despite the offensive flurry, it might have just been the Kings' night. Calgary, which entered the night just one point behind, was tied in the final 10 seconds of regulation by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Thursday's game started poorly for the Kings when the Red Wings' Sergei Fedorov scored a short-handed goal with less than three minutes left in the first period. Martin Lapointe was off for high sticking when Fedorov stole the puck at center ice and beat Kings goaltender Stephane Fiset.

Palffy tied the game just 1:45 into the second period with his 18th goal of the season and his 48th point in 47 games. Palffy now has 379 career points in 377 games.

But less than three minutes later, it was Fedorov again. Larry Murphy began the play from behind the Detroit net with a long pass down ice. Fedorov and Fiset raced for the puck and collided.

Fiset hooked his left leg and went down. Fedorov tapped the puck into the empty net for his 15th goal of the season.

But from there is was all Kings, who slowly took the game away from the Red Wings. Detroit lost Tuesday night in Phoenix after winning four straight.

The Kings tied it at 12:57 when Stumpel stole a Chris Chelios pass and beat Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood with a wrist shot to the stick side.

The prettiest and grittiest goal of the night came next. Rookie Jason Blake, who has played the last three games on the second line, dug the puck out of the corner and passed to Glen Murray behind the Red Wings net.

Murray quickly fired a pass to the slot when Smolinski ripped a slap shot through the legs of Osgood at 13:37.

Robitaille made it 4-2 when Palffy dropped him the puck in front of the net at 14:17. Robitaille, who grew up in Montreal, now trails his idol and Canadien legend Maurice Richard (544) by two goals for 18th all-time.

Three goals in 90 seconds did not set a club record.

On March 2, 1989, Steve Duchesne, Wayne Gretzky and Duchesne again scored three goals in 41 seconds of the first period against St. Louis.

Duchesne was on the ice for the Red Wings Thursday. He was booed repeatedly by the crowd after he failed to stick with the team after signing a long and expensive contract in 1998.

After signing Duchesne to a three-year $12 million contract that included an extra $3 million incentives, the Kings were forced to eat the contract before trading him to the Philadelphia Flyers last February.

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Photo: (color) Kings defenseman Mattias Norstrom stretches to block the shot of Red Wings' Steve Yzerman during the first period.

John Hayes/Associated Press