KINGS FIND NEW DIRECTION WITH WIN\KINGS 4, TORONTO 3.

Byline: Tim Trepany Daily News Staff Writer

Apparently the Kings don't like skating hard in practice. How else can you explain their turnaround Thursday?

The Kings finally showed some spark, something that had been missing for the past month, and beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 before an announced 12,159 at the Forum.

In winning for only the second time in their last 14 games (2-9-3), the Kings got goals from some unlikely sources. Defenseman Marty McSorley and Rob Cowie both scored while center Steve Larouche, who was called up from Phoenix on Wednesday, also got a goal.

Kevin Todd scored the winning goal with 4 minutes, 13 seconds remaining when he took a pass from Eric Lacroix, who was doing his best Wayne Gretzky impersonation behind the net, and beat Toronto goalie Felix Potvin during a scramble in front.

The Kings had to kill a Toronto power play with less than four minutes remaining to preserve the win.

Toronto trailed by two in the second period, but tied it in the third on Sergio Momesso's goal at 1:24. Momesso scored from point-blank range.

It probably wasn't a coincidence that the Kings' revival came one day after coach Larry Robinson put the players through a grueling practice and told them more would be forthcoming if they refused to play hard during games, like they did Tuesday in a 5-2 loss to Chicago.

Robinson also threatened a big "shake-up" against the Maple Leafs, but that never materialized as role players Robert Lang, Pat Conacher and Gary Shuchuk were the healthy scratches. It was the second straight game Lang and Conacher were held out; Shuchuk began the season at IHL-affiliate Phoenix.

It also probably helped that they were facing the Maple Leafs, who entered with one win in their past 10 games (1-7-2) and scored just 20 goals during that span.

Larouche was recalled from Phoenix, along with Dan Bylsma, in an attempt to inject some enthusiasm into the team. Larouche started out on a line with Eric Lacroix and centered by Yanic Perreualt and got his first goal as a King on a power play at 12:56 of the second.

The 24-year-old poked a rebound past Potvin after a shot by Phillipe Boucher. Larouche has shown a knack for scoring. In 18 games for Ottawa last season he had 15 points.

Left wing Dave Andreychuk scored off a rebound on a powerplay to give Toronto a 1-0 lead at 13:39 of the first period. The Maple Leafs went on the power play when Jari Kurri tripped Tie Domi near the right post to stop a 2 on 1.

Toronto went on a second power play minutes later when Kurri was called for high sticking. After the Kings killed the power play, Kurri came out of the penalty box and set up McSorley with a drop pass at the top of the slot.

McSorley lined it up before beating Potvin on the stick side at 18:23 in the first for a 1-1 tie.

Cowie's fourth goal of the season, on a power play, put the Kings ahead 2-1 in the second.

The Kings, who were 0 for 3 on the power play against Chicago, converted two of four man advantages.

Goalie Kelly Hrudey started for the first time in three games and stopped 30 shots.

Notes: Robinson tinkered with his lines, breaking up the Wayne Gretzky and recently acquired Kevin Stevens combination after three games. Stevens was on line centered by Kevin Todd while Gretzky started out centering Dimitri Khristich and Jari Kurri. . . . Khristich and Kurri each had two assists.