KINGS HOLD OFF CANUCKS L.A. ALMOST GIVES AWAY LATE LEAD KINGS 5, VANCOUVER 4.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

When Craig Conroy scored three minutes, 20 seconds into the third period Thursday to give the Kings a four-goal lead, he didn't imagine it would end up being the game-winning goal.

``It was the furthest thing from my mind,'' Conroy said.

But this is the new NHL, where no lead is safe, and if the Kings needed yet another reminder they got it Thursday when the Vancouver Canucks stormed back with three goals but essentially ran out of time as the Kings held on for a 5-4 victory in front of 18,118 at Staples Center.

``To be honest, I couldn't care less whether it was 11-9 or 11-10,'' Kings coach Andy Murray said. ``We beat a real good team, and that's what matters.''

Conroy's goal, which gave the Kings a 5-1 lead, chased Vancouver goalie Dan Cloutier from the game, which seemed more symbolic than anything given how well the Kings were controlling the game.

But Canucks coach Marc Crawford didn't have retreat on his mind. Todd Bertuzzi scored 4:10 after Conroy. Then, 3:48 later, Markus Naslund scored to make it 5-3. Then, 3:55 later, Naslund scored again, as the Canucks crept ever closer to an amazing comeback, but couldn't complete it.

``We had that Dallas game,'' Conroy said, referring to a game the Kings led 4-0 but lost 5-4. ``We've got to keep those things in our minds. That's how quickly things can turn around.''

Afterward, Murray worked the dressing room, patting backs and offering words of encouragement, reminding his team that the Canucks are a first-place team in a tough Northwest Division.

``If someone had said before the game that that's what the score would be, we would have taken it,'' Murray said. ``I just want our guys to enjoy this. It's tough to win in this league.''

The Kings wouldn't have won without their best power-play effort of the season. The Kings scored three power-play goals, two from Lubomir Visnovsky, as they built a 3-0 lead in the second period.

The Kings entered the game ranked 22nd out of 30 teams with the man advantage, having converted just 19 of 121 opportunities (15.7 percent).

It all seemed like a distant memory Thursday, as the Kings converted on three of their first five power-play chances and scored three power-play goals in a game for the first time this season.

``Special teams have always been an integral part of the game, but even more so now,'' said Michael Cammalleri, who scored the Kings' third power-play goal. ``You've got to keep working hard on the power play and not ease off just because you have an advantage. You have to keep that 5-on-5 mentality.''

The catalyst, not surprisingly, was Visnovsky, the main point man on the power play. Visnovsky entered the game leading the Kings with 11 power-play points, and he added to that with a first-period boost.

Vancouver's Mattias Ohlund took an interference penalty to give the Kings a two-man advantage for one minute, 16 seconds, and with 21 seconds left in that advantage, Visnovsky pulled up in the slot and fired a close-range slap shot past Cloutier for a 1-0 Kings' lead. Then, 53 seconds later, Visnovsky scored his second goal. Pavol Demitra and Alexander Frolov both had three assists.

The Kings did suffer two losses. George Parros suffered a sprained right ankle early in the first period and didn't return and Mattias Norstrom left the game with a possible charley horse.

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Lubomir Visnovsky, left, is congratulated by Jeremy Roenick after scoring a first-period goal. Visnovsky had two goals Thursday.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press