Gulls Turn Up the Defensive Pressure to Sweep the Wings : Hockey: San Diego holds Kalamazoo without a shot for the final 11:54 to earn a 3-1 victory.

For most of this season the Gulls have played with a flourish, averaging more than four goals a game and treating crowds to a 20-3-3 record in their past 26 games at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Before Saturday’s game against the Kalamazoo Wings, Coach Don Waddell told them to turn down the neon and start playing playoff hockey. Read: Score less and play better defense.

The Gulls did that, beating the Wings, 3-1, in front of 8,838 and showing a new dimension in the process. The Gulls held the Wings to three shots in the third period, denying them completely in final 11:54.

“We’ve got to play that style of hockey from now through the playoffs,” said Waddell, who saw his second-place Gulls (89 points) maintain a two-point lead over the Peoria Rivermen in the West Division of the International Hockey League. “They definitely responded.”

Len Hachborn, sidelined much of the past three weeks because of injuries and a suspension, scored two third-period goals to break a 1-1 tie, and the Gulls (42-24-7) did something they rarely have done this season: score fewer than four goals and win. Their record is 5-17-1 in that situation. But Waddell feels more comfortable winning 3-1 than 7-4, as his team did the previous night.

“If that was a playoff game,” he said, “we would not have won.”

But the Gulls had plenty of opportunities to load up again Saturday. They outshot Kalamazoo, 18-7, in the second period (32-18 for the game) but scored only once. The more thrifty Wings also scored to make it 1-1.

The Gulls, who helped goalie Sean Burke improve to 2-0, had little luck against Wing goalie Larry Dyck (20-20-5), whom they chased out of the game early Friday with five goals.

Dmitri Kvartalnov scored his IHL-leading 57th goal 1:57 into the second quarter, redirecting a shot by Larry Floyd. Forty-eight seconds later, Kalamazoo’s Steve Gotaas scored on a two-on-one break to make it 1-1.

Finally Hachborn, who has had trouble seeing the puck through a protective shield on his helmet, poked in a rebound of Derek Mayer’s shot at the 12:41 mark of the third period for his 30th goal. With 21 seconds left, he scored No. 31, firing from the right circle into an empty net.

“Last night I struggled; tonight I struggled,” said Hachborn. “It’s been tough. This should give me some confidence.”

Gulls Notes

The Gulls could be back on the air--both on radio and television--perhaps as early as Friday’s game at Muskegon. Club owner Fred Comrie and General Manager/Coach Don Waddell confirmed the club is close to a contract agreement with KUSI Channel 51 to televise all road games, including playoffs, for the remainder of the season. The only concern is possible time conflicts with Padres games. Should NHL players strike, Waddell said, the Gulls would be aired on Prime Ticket. Waddell said the Gulls have had discussions with two radio stations, one of which is KSDO. Said Comrie, “No comment on the television. We’re talking to a couple radio stations right now. People want us now. We’re real close.” Gulls radio broadcasts ceased on Feb. 4 when XEK 950 AM was cited for an FCC violation. It has been even longer since a home-game TV package with the San Diego Cable Sports Network was scrapped.

Gull defenseman Dave Korol’s knee surgery Monday was declared a success, and the prognosis was that he would be back on the ice in two weeks. But after his knee swelled up and blood was drained from it Wednesday, Gull Coach Don Waddell feared his defensive MVP from last year won’t return this season. Waddell must decide whether to include Korol and assistant coach Charlie Simmer on the final roster, due March 17. . . . More roster changes are forthcoming for the Gulls. Simmer continues to scout games in the East Coast Hockey League. Waddell wouldn’t rule out the possibility that some Gulls players might be cut to make room for a number of new players by the Tuesday deadline. Waddell said he is pursuing steady defenseman Darin Banister, who played 81 games with the Gulls last year. But Banister, property of the Detroit Red Wings, plays for first-place Toledo, which could be tied up in the playoffs until mid-April. “I’m still trying to find a key defenseman,” Waddell said. “There’s got to be somebody there.”

The Gulls have dismantled their celebrated “Hot Line,” splitting apart Len Hachborn, Dmitri Kvartalnov and Robbie Nichols, who have produced 262 of the Gulls 781 points. Waddell put Kvartalnov together with center Ray Whitney and wing Steve Martinson on his No. 1 line and all of them scored goals Friday. But the opposition also scored three goals with that line on the ice to give them an even plus-minus rating for the game. Not very good defense. Darcy Norton has been teamed with Hachborn and Nichols. . . . The Gulls’ average attendance before the weekend was 5,403 per game, seventh highest among the 10 IHL teams. But attendance for March thus far has been 38,149, an average of 7,630 per game.