HRUDEY LIFTS KINGS TO TIE KINGS 2, DETROIT 2.

Byline: Associated Press 

Kelly Hrudey made 46 saves against the NHL's best team and teammate Ian Laperriere scored on a faceoff in the second period to help the struggling Kings tie the Detroit Red Wings 2-2 Wednesday night at the Forum.

Detroit leads the league with 58 victories and 122 points - nearly double the Kings' 62 points - and is closing in on the record of 60 victories by Montreal in the 1976-77 season. Having lost two straight, the Red Wings need three victories in their final five games to make history.

Hrudey played brilliantly in being denied his 250th career victory, going up against Mike Vernon, who brought a seven-game winning streak into goal for Detroit.

The Kings were outshot 48-24, keeping Hrudey busy fending off repeated rushes by the Red Wings. Hrudey's season has mirrored that of the lowly Kings, with his last victory coming on Feb. 8 against Toronto. He is 5-15-10 for the Kings, who are assured of missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

The Red Wings nearly won the game on a wild shot by Bob Errey with 1:05 remaining in regulation. With Detroit on a rush, Errey's shot hit the right post and deflected in the air as Hrudey sprawled backward.

The final 51 seconds of regulation were played 4 on 4 after Detroit's Kirk Maltby and Kings teammates Ray Ferraro and Kevin Stevens engaged in a shoving match behind the Los Angeles net. Maltby and Ferraro were penalized for roughing, while Stevens received a 10-minute misconduct.

Laperriere, acquired in the March 14 trade that sent Marty McSorley, Jari Kurri and Shane Churla to the New York Rangers, tied the game 2-2 at 11:48 of the second period.

Playing 4 on 4, Paul Coffey lost a face-off in the Detroit zone as Laperriere knocked the puck off Coffey's stick and sent it rolling under Vernon for his sixth goal of the season.

Coffey, the former King who became the first NHL defenseman with 1,400 career points on Sunday, scored on a rush down the right wing to give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead at 9:40 of the second period.

Coffey took a pass from Sergei Fedorov and chipped the puck down low between the legs of Hrudey, who dropped to his knees trying to make the stop.

The Kings opened the second period with one minute remaining on the power play and took advantage 26 seconds into play with a goal by Craig Johnson that tied the game 1-1.

Johnson, acquired from St. Louis on Feb. 27 in the Wayne Gretzky trade, picked up the loose puck on a rebound of Stevens' missed shot and dumped it in the right corner of the net for his 11th goal. Johnson was playing his first game since missing seven straight with a sprained left shoulder.

Doug Brown one-timed a tipped pass from Steve Yzerman for his 11th goal and a 1-0 Detroit lead at 11:55 of the first period.