[0] KINGS SWEPT AWAY; NULLIFIED GOAL SENDS BLUES TO NEXT ROUND : ST. LOUIS 2, KINGS 1.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer

This series could've ended only one way for the Kings: in utter frustration.

With their season on the line, they had an apparent game-tying goal wiped out after the St. Louis Blues scored a fluky goal that turned out to be the game-winner. Only at the Forum.

Just like that, the Blues beat the Kings 2-1 to sweep their best-of-seven series and leave L.A. wondering what might've been before a sellout crowd of 16,005 Wednesday night.

It was the Kings' third straight one-goal defeat, which indicates the series was closer than it might seem. The Blues' Craig Conroy, who scored the winning goal, admitted as much saying, ``It easily could be 3-1 them right now.''

At the same time, the Kings weren't about to try to fool anyone: The Blues are a better team and everyone knew it.

``We've come a long way,'' said Kings coach Larry Robinson, whose team reached the playoffs for the first time since it advanced to the finals in 1992-93.

``This just proves we have a long way to go. We got beat by a better club.''

The Kings played Game 4 much as they played Games 2 and 3 (after losing Game 1 8-3): They played with the kind of heart that lifted them 20 points higher than they finished the previous season. However, their effort couldn't compensate for the Blues huge edge in skill and experience.

Factor in some bad breaks - including the Blues' third-period game-winning goal in a tight Game 2 and the five-minute penalty that precipitated St. Louis' four-goal comeback in Game 3 - and it's no wonder the Kings are finished.

``We certainly didn't get very good puck bounces,'' said the Kings' Ray Ferraro. ``But when you're a team that wins, you find a way to get breaks to go your way.

``Losers say we didn't get this break, we didn't get that break.

``Did we deserve a better fate? Maybe. Hopefully, we'll just learn from our mistakes and be better for it next year.''

Leading 1-0, the Blues seemed to put the game away on a very unusual goal in the third period, one that fit the Kings' pattern of bad luck in the series. Conroy, skating in on Fiset, unloaded a shot that the goaltender appeared to save. However, the puck rolled off his arm, hit the knob on his stick and went in.

``It was just a lucky bounce for them. What can I do?'' said Fiset, who stopped 32 shots in an outstanding performance.

The Kings came on in the third period, collecting 16 shots (compared to 14 in the first two periods).

They finally got to Blues goalie Grant Fuhr at 8 minutes, when Aki Berg unloaded a slap shot from near the blue line and Jozef Stumpel was there to poke in the rebound. Then came what appeared to be the tying goal.

As a group of players from both teams battled for position in front of the net and with the puck loose, Glen Murray pushed it through Fuhr's pads and it squirted into the goal, which ignited the crowd and the Kings' bench.

However, referee Stephen Walkom, who had lost sight of the puck, said he had already blown his whistle and the goal was disallowed.

It was a painful way to end a painful series.

``I really believe that goal was in. It could be 2-2. We could still be playing now,'' Luc Robitaille said not long after the game ended.

For the Kings, the playoffs turned out to be more of a learning experience than anything else. The coaching staff got to see how its players perform under pressure. The players got to experience that pressure and reflect upon on they handled it.

If anything, the Kings tried too hard. Specifically, their zealousness resulted in too many penalties. The Blues were a crushing eight of 36 on the power play in the series.

To beat St. Louis they had to play nearly mistake free. They certainly didn't.

Still, Robinson was upbeat. After all, sweep or no sweep, this team accomplished more than anyone thought it could.

``We are very encouraged by what we saw all year,'' he said.

``I still think we overachieved considering what we thought we'd do this year.

``We would have liked to come into the series and have something to show for it, though, something for all our hard work all year.''

GAME 4: A CLOSER LOOK

RATING THE KINGS

GOALTENDING: Good

When he stopped an early Blues power-play flurry, Stephane Fiset must have regained whatever confidence he lost along with his starting job in the 8-3 drubbing in St. Louis. Playing because of Jamie Storr's concussion, Fiset stopped 32 of 34 shots and the second goal took an unlucky bounce off his upraised stick.

OFFENSE: Poor

The Kings hadn't scored in nearly 77 minutes - since taking that secure 3-0 lead in Game 3 - before Josef Stumpel knocked in his own rebound in the third period. Grant Fuhr was rarely tested and it had appeared the Kings would suffer the fourth shutout in their past 14 regular-season and playoff games.

DEFENSE: Fair

The bright side: They held the NHL's most potent team to three even-strength goals in the last three games of the series. Reality: They gave up 29 shots on goal in the first two periods Wednesday and would have trailed worse than 1-0 except for the. . .

HERO

Geoff Courtnall, St. Louis

The veteran left wing set up the vital first goal by collecting a rebound and somehow, while flat on his stomach at the left post, passing to Pavol Demitra. That capped a great series for Courtnall, who had five assists in Game 1 and turned around Game 2 by laying the hit on goalie Jamie Storr that rattled all of the Kings.

GOAT

Kings finesse

Los Angeles pressed its size advantage, landing almost all of the body blows, to the delight of the frustrated Forum crowd, but couldn't do the little things that would create scoring chances against the quicker Blues. The Kings power play was 1 for 29 in the series.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

PHOTO (1--Color) Kings' Glen Murray is knocked off his skates by St. Louis' Chris Pronger during the Blues' 2-1 series-ending victory.

(2) Yanic Perreault of the Kings eyes the puck Wednesday during the Blues' win at the Forum.

Tom Mendoza/Daily News

BOX: GAME 4: A CLOSER LOOK (see text)