Blades’ Run Means 4th Straight Loss for Gulls

The Kansas City Blades scored five unanswered goals Friday, including three in a 1 1/2-minute span of the second and third periods, to beat the Gulls, 6-2, in front of 5,203 at the Kemper Arena.

It was the Gulls’ fourth consecutive loss after winning their International Hockey League-season opener and their third consecutive defeat on the current six-game trip. The Blades (4-0) kept pace with the defending-champion Peoria Rivermen, whom the Gulls play at 5:30 tonight.

The Gulls got two goals from Soviet left wing Dmitri Kvartalnov to lead, 2-1, at 9:41 of the second period. Len Hachborn assisted on both goals, giving him a goal and six assists this season and making him the only Gull to have scored in each game.

But the Blades took control behind Duane Joyce.

His power-play goal at 13:17 of the second period tied the score and started Kansas City’s run. Dale Craigwell, who had the Blades’ first goal, made it 3-2 just over a minute later, and Peter Lappin added a power-play goal in the final minute of the second period for a 4-2 lead.

“If we played it five on five, we would have won the hockey game,” Gulls Coach Don Waddell said. “But we took some very bad penalties. Special teams will decide the game every time.”

Kansas City was three for 11 on the power play, and the Gulls were shut out in eight man-advantage situations. The Gulls are only five for 44 on the power play this season.

The Blades clinched it with two goals in the first 31 seconds of the final period, one by Joyce on a power play and one by former Gull Mike Sullivan.

The Gulls’ Keith Gretzky scored his first goal of the season at 3:12 of the third period.

Gulls goalkeeper Rod Houk, a 23-year-old rookie, stopped 28 shots in his first start.