Derek Armstrong scored a goal and added two assists to help the Salt Lake Golden Eagles get back on the winning track Saturday night as they outskated San Diego 5-2 at the Delta Center.
Armstrong helped open the scoring in the game by earning an assist on a goal by Dave Chyzowski at the 3:37 mark of the second period. After a scoreless opening period, Chyzowski found the net on a wrist shot that just missed the post and gave the Eagles the early lead.Sandy Smith gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead 56 seconds later, blasting a slap shot past San Diego goalie Mikhail Shtalenkov. Two more second-period goals by Zigmund Palffy and Chris Luongo gave the Eagles the 4-0 advantage entering the final period.
Salt Lake coach Dave Farrish says he hopes to see his team continue its winning ways throughout the rest of the league, as the Eagles are now 2-0 against the Gulls, one of the top IHL teams. "(A game like this) is unusual for us, but we're trying to get used to it," he said.
Jamie McLennan played a stellar game in goal for the Eagles, carrying a shutout into the third period. On the night, McLennan stopped 44 of 46 shots, including a penalty shot by Lonnie Loach in the closing seconds.
Farrish praised the netminder's effort. "I thought he was really strong tonight, it was one of his best games this year," said the coach. "He was real focused and made a lot of key saves early in the game."
San Diego came out in the final period and nearly made a game of it. Goals by Clark Donatelli and Dale DeGray in the first six minutes of the period enabled the Gulls to narrow the gap to two. But 24 seconds after DeGray's goal, Armstrong was able to juke Shtalenkov to the ice and poke the puck past him on his left side and slam the door for the Eagles.
"That was the big thing, when you come back and score like that it kind of restores the confidence and the faith," said Farrish. "If we hadn't have scored there it might have been different but (the goal) definitely helped the guys' confidence.
"That was one of our better team efforts of the whole season," Farrish said.