[0] KINGS WIN WITH ENERGY; 1ST WIN IN 7 GAMES : KINGS 5 TORONTO 2.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer

It was a first step, an encouraging step.

The Kings gave coach Larry Robinson what he's been pleading for: an honest effort. And it showed on the scoreboard: Kings 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 2 before an announced crowd of 9,803 Thursday night at the Forum.

It was L.A.'s first victory since they beat New Jersey on Nov. 29 at the Forum and, in light of the fact it came against a hot team, a huge confidence boost.

The Kings (13-14-6) had been 0-5-1 in their previous six games.

``After the (previous) week we had, we knew what we had to do,'' said Stephane Fiset, who made 30 saves. ``. . . We want to go to playoffs so bad. And if we're going to get there, we're going to have to play like this.''

It wasn't a perfect performance. Most significant, the Kings were hit with 13 penalties (Toronto 15).

However, it was nirvana compared to recent efforts because the Kings came out of the locker room with the kind of passion that had been missing, the kind of passion that results in crushing checks, fights, goals and ultimately victories.

Consider what the Kings accomplished:

They had two power-play goals after entering the game having scored only once in the last 37 opportunities. They were 2 for 8 on Thursday.

They killed all nine of Toronto's power plays to complete their domination in special-team play, a rarity for L.A. this season.

They had 38 shots, their third highest total this seaon, a product of their relentless aggressiveness on this night. Toronto, which also played hard, had 32.

And, once again, Fiset was outstanding. He made a number of remarkable saves, including an inspiring one in which he knocked the puck out of air with his stick while falling.

All in all, Robinson, so frustrated the past few weeks, couldn't ask for much more.

``We gotta walk before we run,'' he said. ``We still gotta get back to good, basic, fundamental hockey.

``Ninety percent of it is to get back to basics, to work hard. That's what we did tonight.''

The Kings scored first for only the 11th time in 33 games, Sandy Moger knocking in a rebound off a shot by Mattias Norstrom at 8:49. The Leafs' Sergei Berezin tied it 1-1 only 19 seconds later.

However, the Kings struck right back with their first power-play goal, Rob Blake wristing in a long shot from outside the right circle at 9:52.

Russ Courtnall gave the Kings a two-goal lead at 12:22, when Toronto goaltender Felix Potvin failed to cover a shot by Nathan LaFayette and Courtnall was there to back-hand the puck into the net.

Igor Korolev took advantage of the Kings' biggest mistake, scoring a short-handed goal to make it 3-2 at 10:26 of the second period.

However, LaFayette, recalled from Fredericton of the American Hockey League on Dec. 11, then scored his first goal of the season at just the right time.

LaFayette, a checking forward whose principle duty was to shut down the Leafs' Mats Sundin, beat defenseman Yannick Tremblay on the left side and then pushed the puck past Potvin from only a few feet away at 6:30 to make it 4-2.

Jozef Stumpel scored his ninth goal on a power play at 15:50 to complete the scoring.

``We ask ourselves that question, why we can't play like that every night,'' Fiset said. ``This team needs 20 players to play good during the game. If one, two, three guys have an off night, we're in trouble.

``We have to keep this going.''

Notes: The Kings play Calgary on Saturday in the first game of a three-game trip. They face Chicago on Monday and Colorado on Tuesday. Then, after a three-day Christmas break, they come home for two games, against Phoenix on Dec. 27 and Vancouver on Dec. 29. . . .

Robitaille is tied for No. 4 on the Kings' games-played list with Toronto coach Mike Murphy at 673. . . .

Left wing Craig Johnson missed Thursday's game with the flu. He is listed day-to-day. Donald MacLean and Philippe Boucher were healthy scratches. . . . Goaltender Jamie Storr, recalled from the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the International Hockey League, spent his first NHL game of the season on the bench. . . .

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Photo

Photo: (Color) Kings' Luc Robitaille runs into the Maple Leafs' Felix Potvin.

Joe Binoya / Special to the Daily News