Gulls Put Wings Out Quickly

SAN DIEGO — Bring on the Ottawa Senators. Or even the San Jose Sharks or Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Gulls, whose average age is over 29 and whose roster consists of 16 players with NHL experience, need a challenge. This IHL gig just isn’t working out.

The Gulls victimized the Kalamazoo Wings, 6-1, Friday night in front of a season-high 8,769 at the Sports Arena. Their only loss came in a shootout, and the first-place Gulls (11-0-1) have a 10-point lead over Pacific Division rival Salt Lake City (6-5-1, 13 points).

Much of Friday’s output was designed by Gord Dineen, the first Gull to assist on five goals in one game.

But it wasn’t a one-man show. Good teamwork allowed the Gulls to pull away from a 1-1 tie with two goals in the second period despite playing short-handed for nine minutes, 27 seconds. They limited Kalamazoo to four shots in the period and took four themselves.

Hubie McDonough further embarrassed Kalamazoo by scoring short-handed with two minutes remaining in the period.

Bring on the NHL’s expansion runts?

“People keep saying that,” laughed Don Waddell, Gull general manager. “But I don’t think the NHL would like that.”

Coach Rick Dudley, though, would have no problems with such an arrangement.

“It’s hard to say (how we would do),” he said. “But we’re very good defensively, so I don’t think we would be embarrassed--against any team . . . though Pittsburgh might give us some problems.”

Dudley finished his comments with a broad smile.

As has been the case much of the season, the player most responsible for the victory was the only starter with no NHL experience, goalie Rick Knickle. Knickle, the 32-year-old career minor-leaguer, made 21 stops. Several saves came on point-blank shots. Several others came as he sprawled across the goal. And others came as he lay flat on his back after giving up a rebound that would only tease Kalamazoo.

Knickle, who improved to 9-0 and lowered his goals-against average to 1.70 even got involved in the scoring, setting up the Gulls’ second goal five minutes into the second period as he sent a pass to Dale DeGray at the red line while Kalamazoo made a line change. DeGray quickly slid the puck to Peter Hankinson, who skated in alone on goalie Mike Torchia for the score.

Dan Shank, Hubie McDonough, Scott Arniel, Mitch Lamoureux and Larry Floyd provided the Gulls’ other goals.