He’s a Gulls’ Hero One Day And Gone the Next

A fine gesture of appreciation.

The player partially responsible for the Gulls’ back-to-back victories was thanked by being put on the next plane to Binghamton, N.Y.

It’s true.

Wednesday night, Mike Hurlbut scored the winning goal with 1:05 remaining to lift the Gulls to a 3-2 International Hockey League victory over the Milwaukee Admirals in front of a paid crowd of 3,638--with an estimated 1,000 no-shows.

But Hurlbut, a defenseman, was only on loan to the Gulls, acquired Monday to beef up an ailing defense. His scenic tour of San Diego was set to last just three days.

The repercussions of his goal, set in motion on a pass that began with Hurlbut, went to Dennis Holland and was sent back to Hurlbut outside the left circle, will last a good deal longer.

“It was a strange feeling playing with a bunch of guys I didn’t know, but I was glad I was able to contribute,” Hurlbut said.

Said Coach Mike O’Connell: “This was a big win for us. Both teams had other things on their minds, I know I did, but you have to give both ends credit.”

Last-minute heroics helped, but had it not been for the heads-up play of goalie Scott Brower throughout the night, the Gulls would have found themselves still searching for back-to-back victories, something that had eluded them since a three-game romp in late November.

The victory kept the Gulls (20-20-4) in third place in the West with 44 points, one ahead of Phoenix.

Brower, whose road record (0-5-2) pales compared to his 6-2-1 home mark and 3.15 goals-against average, stopped 29 of 31 Milwaukee shots.

Brower strung together a series of breathtaking saves early.

“This gives us a lot of confidence,” Brower said. “To finally put two together, we really needed it to get going.”

For only the fifth time all season but the second time in as many nights, the Gulls were tied after two periods.

Larry Floyd replaced Holland as the Gulls scoring leader with two assists Tuesday, then furthered his production Wednesday with a go-ahead goal, his 10th, set in motion by Ron Duguay.

At 1:43 in the second, the Gulls went ahead 2-1 after Duguay backhanded a pass from the boards to Floyd, who took it and lifted the puck over Steve McKichan’s shoulder and into the top of the net.

Milwaukee (18-21-3) bounded back with the tying goal at 8:52. Dave Mackey, waiting outside the left crease, deflected a shot by a teammate into the net.

At the right time (17:22 in the first), Gull center Darcy Norton was in the right place to score his first goal in 13 games. McKichan stopped a shot from the left circle by Darren Lowe, the puck rebounded off McKichan’s stick and into Norton’s path.

It was only the 14th time in 44 games the Gulls have scored first. Milwaukee answered almost immediately on Peter DeBoer’s goal.

Gulls Notes

The Gulls are only five-for-45 over the last seven games on power plays. . . . When Rob MacInnis and Byron Lomow join the Gulls this weekend, it will bring to 54 the number of players who have come and gone since training camp began. . . . Tuesday’s game can be seen on San Diego Cable Network at 5 p.m. today. . . . Steve Martinson, who missed six weeks earlier in the season because of a wrist injury, was slapped with two five-minute penalties Tuesday. After the second, in a ruckus with Shawn Antoski, he required 27 stitches to the back of his right hand. He sat out Wednesday’s game. . . . Larry Floyd was fifth in the IHL in assists (32) before Wednesday’s game.