[0] KINGS FIGHT BACK TWICE TO TIE : KINGS 4 TORONTO 4.

Byline: Tim Trepany Daily News Staff Writer

The Kings avoided falling into the Western Conference cellar by rallying from two deficits and tying the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-4 Thursday at the Forum.

The tie broke a losing streak at three games for the Kings, who remained one point ahead of last-place Toronto.

The Kings fell behind 2-0 and 4-3 but rallied each time.

After scoring three straight goals to wipe out the first deficit, the Kings gave up two goals in 25 seconds to fall behind.

But defenseman Jan Vopat tied it again for the Kings, scoring his second goal of the season, at 11:54 of the third period.

Defenseman Sean O'Donnell assisted on the play, giving him his third point of the game. He also assisted on Eddie Olczyk's third-period power-play goal that gave the Kings a 3-2 lead, and scored a goal of his own just before the second period ended.

The Kings went on the man advantage for Olczyk's goal when Toronto's Tie Domi was called for a five-minute major for boarding Ian Laperriere at 1:45 of the third period.

A woozy Laperriere, who's been playing with an injured rotator cuff in his right shoulder, had to be helped off the ice, but he returned 10 minutes later after receiving stitches over his left eye.

It was the Kings' sixth power play of the game and the first one they scored on.

Right wing Vitali Yachmenev, returning to the lineup after missing the previous game because of the flu, scored the Kings' first goal at 7:09.

Kings goalie Byron Dafoe has had the Maple Leafs' number this season. In three previous games, all victories, his goals-against average was a stingy 1.67 and his save percentage .950.

But he struggled Thursday. Toronto's fourth goal, scored on a slap shot by Dave Ellett, came from just inside the blue line and Dafoe had a clear view of it, but couldn't stop it.

The Maple Leafs jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Wendel Clark and Sergei Berezin.

Clark's goal came at 6:36 of the first period. The puck came to him in the slot after Dafoe stopped Mats Sundin's wraparound, and he one-timed it for his 17th goal of the season.

The Maple Leafs went ahead by two goals when Berezin beat Dafoe from the slot at 6:05 of the second period.

But it didn't take the Kings long to rally. Just over a minute later, Yachmenev brought the Kings to within one when his slap shot found the upper right corner of the net.

With 6.3 seconds left in the second period, O'Donnell tied it when he sent a backhanded shot through traffic in front and into the net.

Olczyk's power-play goal came next, giving the Kings three straight goals.

Kings notes: In a sign the Kings are closer to reaching an agreement to build an arena that would house the hockey team and the Lakers, team president Tim Leiweke said a luncheon will be held Thursday, when it will be announced the team's ``emphasis, priority and focus'' will be the Convention Center site downtown. ``You'll see a video of what our vision is,'' he said. ``It's been made for a while, we just never felt comfortable unveiling it. We were never committed one way or another. Between now and Thursday, Phil (Anschutz, a Kings co-owner) might come back and change everything, but at this point they're aware of this presentation, they're aware of what we're going to do and they have encouraged us to proceed.'' . . . Trainer Pete Demers, who has been with the organization for 28 years, will work his 2,000th consecutive game Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.