Hrudey, Kings Regain Strength : Pro hockey: Goalie passes test in recovery from virus. Robitaille scores three goals in 8-2 victory over Penguins.

Goalie Kelly Hrudey was running on empty. His legs felt like cement blocks, his arms like anvils.

A trip across the crease seemed like a journey of a thousand miles. Getting to the puck seemed impossible. He felt like he was stuck in slow motion.

And it was only the second period.

No matter.

Hrudey left the Forum ice Saturday afternoon after 40 minutes with a smile.

Why not? The Kings were on their way to breaking a four-game losing streak with an 8-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. His teammate, Luc Robitaille, had a hat trick and five points.

And Hrudey had survived two periods in the latest test in his recovery from the virus that has plagued him since November.

Several times, Hrudey thought he was over the ailment, an adult form of mononucleosis, only to discover he had returned too soon.

“Every time I go past the point of exhaustion, I just hurt myself,” Hrudey said. “I’ve never had anything like this.

“I’ve still got to take it slow, because I don’t want to take any more steps backward. There are days when I’m really encouraged and there are days when I don’t feel so well.”

Saturday was a little of both. Hrudey faced 22 shots, saving 21. But with eight minutes to play in the second period, he didn’t know if he could make it to the break.

“I got real shaky out there,” he said.

With Coach Tom Webster watching his every move, Hrudey lasted until the third period, when Ron Scott came in to finish up.

“We’re going to have to build on this slowly,” Webster said. “It may happen again.”

Hrudey, normally the starting goalie, has missed 11 of the past 15 games because of his illness. In his last start, Feb. 24th against the Vancouver Canucks, he allowed six goals on 23 shots.

The frustration mounted. He found himself sleeping the day away, his energy gone.

Stuck home when the team went on the road, Hrudey would watch the games on television.

That proved even more frustrating as loss mounted upon loss.

So he lowered the sound.

That didn’t help.

So he started lowering his concentration level.

“It got to the point where I would watch games,” he said, “but I wouldn’t watch games. I would keep it on, but I would read the paper or a magazine.”

Had he been home Saturday, he would have had no trouble watching. The sellout crowd of 16,005 certainly seemed to enjoy the club’s biggest offensive outburst in nearly two months.

The Kings led, 6-0, before Pittsburgh scored.

Robitaille got his hat trick in the first period to give him a team-high 45 goals.

It was the his seventh career hat trick--his second this year--and it was one short of his career high for points.

“Lately, I’ve been going to the net,” Robitaille said, “but the puck never comes. Today, it did.

“I didn’t think Pittsburgh came ready to play. We did. We were hungry and we couldn’t get enough.”

The Kings, in improving to 29-34-6, also got a pair of goals from John Tonelli (27th and 28th) and single goals from Wayne Gretzky (38th along with two assists), Mike Krushelnyski (13th) and Todd Elik (sixth).

Pittsburgh, in falling to 31-34-5, got two goals from Richard Zemlak and Gord Dineen, the first of the year for each.

Alain Chevrier, obtained earlier in the week in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, played 46 minutes in goal, the rest of the time going to Frank Pietrangelo.

It didn’t seem to matter. A King club that had been outscored, 24-7, over the four-game losing streak, could do no wrong Saturday. They took 43 shots on goal, scored on three of four power plays, added a short-handed goal and killed four of five Penguin penalties.

Webster said he would probably start Scott in the Kings’ next game on Monday as part of a continuing plan to bring Hrudey along slowly.

But Hrudey isn’t willing to concede a minute of playing time.

“I never want to get it in my head that I’m only going to play 40 minutes and have a mental block about going further,” he said. “I’d rather think 60 minutes and then cut back.”

As he headed out the door, Hrudey admitted he was tired. Forty minutes on ice can be a long time when you’re standing in cement.

King Notes

Pittsburgh center Mario Lemieux was in the crowd. He has missed 12 games while undergoing treatment here for a herniated disk in his back. . . . The Penguins are 4-7-1 in his absence. . . . Pittsburgh, 0-3 on this road trip, finishes it tonight in Vancouver. . . . King Coach Tom Webster was due to test his ear Saturday night. He underwent surgery several weeks ago to repair an ear injury similar to one that forced him to resign the head coaching job with the New York Rangers in 1987. Webster had to quit when he found the ear problem wouldn’t permit him to fly. With the Kings facing an 11-day trip, Webster was going to first go to Detroit to watch a weekend collegiate tournament. “I’m a little concerned about flying,” he said.