The last time the Salt Lake Golden Eagles visited Las Vegas - a week ago tonight - they accomplished what no one in the past month or so has been able to do - beat the Thunder. The league's best team - one that got richer last weekend when it signed ex-Eagle hotshot Shawn Heaphy - has just one loss (in a shootout with the Eagles last Friday) in its last 12 games.
The 14-28-4 Eagles hope to repeat their success in Thomas & Mack tonight against the 31-8-4 Thunder as the IHL resumes play following its all-star game Wednesday in Fort Wayne. The two teams then play each other for the second straight Saturday night in the Delta Center, where the Eagles have lost six straight.Heaphy, who had been playing in Italy, joined the Thunder Sunday for a 6-1 Las Vegas victory over second-place San Diego (26-15-6), which is the Eagles' next opponent for three straight games Feb. 2, 4 and 5. Heaphy scored a powerplay goal in his first game for Vegas. He had 70 goals in two seasons with the Eagles, 29 last year and 41 in 1991-92.