| The
Stingers could have beaten Denver Tuesday night, says Rick Dudley, but they got too
greedy. "We had them," moans the surging right winger. "We had 2-0 lead and
all we had to do in the third period was play the defensive game and hold them. And that's
what we talked about between periods, but we didn't do it." Instead the Spurs came
back to score two goals in the third period to tie and then another goal in the overtime
period to win it, 3-2. The loss left the Stingers 1-2-1 on their westward road trip with
just tonight's game at San Diego to go before returning home. "We've
got a lot of guys who are trying too hard to score goals," Dudley complains.
"They see the little guy (rookie Claude Larose) getting 18 goals so they all want 18.
Well Claude's going to get his but some others aren't. Not everyone can score like that.
You've got to play defense, too. We have forwards who are going into the other zone and
committing themselves on the (offense) play when the other team's defenseman already has
the puck and is moving it back out. You can't do that. You have to use your judgement. You
have to come out of the zone and play defense. We're using our judgement alright, but
we've been making the wrong judgements. It's all part of being inexperienced," Dudley
sighs. "We're making a lot of mistakes out inexperience, but we're getting better. By
the end of the year, we'll be winning all those games like that. I'm sure. It just takes a
little maturity."
Dudley scored the Stingers' second and last goal of the game,
batting in a rebound from an earlier shot by center Brain Campbell. It was his second goal
in two games and his 12th of the season following an earlier slump. As for his earlier
scoring slump, Dudley says, "I was becoming frustrated and I was trying to do more
than my job. That gets to be a real problem. You have to not worry about everyone else and
just settle in and do your job. That's what I've been trying to do and it helps. It's been
a funny year. I came to Cincinnati feeling there was so much pressure on me. People were
expecting more from me that has ever been expected of me before. When I was in Buffalo,
they had their scores, but with this team I felt I was supposed to be one of the top
scores. I was pressing pretty hard and I was getting pretty down. But you can only do your
own job. I feel better about it now and it's easier for me. It's just a matter of time -
for the whole team-. We're adjusting now but we've got some unbelievable talent and I know
we're going to be a great team."
Tuesday's loss just made everyone mad, Dudley points out. "Now
I'm sure we're going to beat San Diego. We're ready for them. The boys are all a little
put off about that last game. The coach is unhappy and everyone knows it. We should beat
them good." Dudley is right. The coach is unhappy. "We just died in the third
period" Terry Slater snarls. "We played a pretty good game until then, but we
died. We made some mistakes and they cost us the game. Like Rick says, we had some guys
who didn't come back and backcheck for us and they let in the goals. The goaltending was
good, but we weren't backchecking."
Rick Morris scored the first third period goal for Denver but
veteran Ralph Morris was the real hero. He engineered a breakaway with six minutes left in
the game and beat goalie John Kiely to tie it. "We had five rookies or second year
guys on the ice and Backstrom is 38 years old," Slater explained. "It was just a
case of a smart old pro slipping behind our young defenseman and making the big
play."
Barry Legge scored the game winner for Denver in overtime period,
but Backstrom contributed decisively. "He gets the puck in his end and starts flying
at us again so our defenseman, Dave Inkpen, puts the big arm on him about the center
line." Slater chuckles. "Inkpen was going to make sure he didn't score again.
But they called the penalty (holding) on him and we go a man short." |
