Gulls Drill Salt Lake in Last 2 Minutes

Winning what Coach Don Waddell called their most important game of the year, the Gulls refused to be coerced into fighting. Instead, they scored two goals in the final 1:55 to beat the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, 4-3, in front of 6,444 at the Delta Center.

Larry Floyd scored on a flip shot over the shoulder of goalie Scott Sharples at the 18:05 mark to tie the game, 3-3, then Len Hachborn sneaked behind Sharples and stuffed in the game-winner with eight seconds left.

Both goals were scored on the power play after Eagle Kevin Wortman was given a double minor for highsticking Gulls winger Denny Lambert, who lost three teeth and required seven stitches in his mouth. Afterward, Waddell credited Lambert and his teammates for not retaliating to Salt Lake’s dirty tactics.

“This was a huge, huge win,” he said. “This is the biggest win of the season to date. They kept coming after us (physically); we took everything they dished out and didn’t retaliate. In the long run, that’s what won the game for us.

“I’ve been preaching discipline on the ice all year long, and tonight discipline won a game for us.”

Dmitri Kvartalnov, who assisted on the game-tying and game-winning goals, scored for a 1-0 lead 2:45 into the game. Hachborn scored his first of two goals (he also had an assist) in the second period to make it 2-1, Gulls.

The Gulls, second in the International Hockey League West Division at 30-18-5 (65 points), matched their 1990-91 season total for victories.