The Quebec Nordiques entered Riverfront Coliseum
one point behind the Winnipeg Jets in the Canadian Division. And entered with six of the
top ten scorers in the WHA. Saturday before the game, Terry Slater decided to try a line
that he had only used once previously. Rick Dudley, Bryan Campbell and Murray Myers. Myers
was recently called back up from the Hampton Gulls and in order for Slater to get Myers on
the line, he had to shift Dudley from right wing to left wing. Dudley hadn't played left
wing for two years. But Terry Slater need to try something to take on the Nordiques high
scoring offense. The idea was a hit!!!!
The first period saw little action from the Stingers.
The Nordiques put two on the board in the first ten minutes of the period. One goal coming
from Chris Bordeleau at 6:53 and the second coming from Michel Parizeau at 9:10. After
former Cincinnati
Wings player Jim Watson was called for tripping at 11:34, the Stingers finally netted
one by Pierre Guite at 13:05 on the power play. But the Nordiques scored another goal
shortly before the end of the period.
Cincinnati trailed 3-1 heading into the second period.
Bryan Campbell came out and took a shot at the Nordiques net and was credited with a goal
despite the puck actually being deflected into the net by Quebec's defenseman Tom Watson.
Ron Plumb tied the game up with another Stingers goal at 3:31. Pierre Guite and Murray
Myers added two more Stingers goals shortly after Plumb tied the game up. Four goals by
the Stingers and with still two thirds of the period left to play. But the Nordiques
stellar offense came to life and scored three quick goals between 8:46 and 12:43. As a
result of the three goals produced by the Nordiques, Terry Slater pulled Stingers goal
tender Serge Aubry and replaced him with young John Kiely. Aubry hadn't played in a game
since November 26th due to injuries.
The Stingers answered the Nordiques quick goals with
three more of there own. Claude Larose, Rick Dudley and Bryan Campbell were all the
perpetrators. All together the Stingers took a season high 23 shots on goal in the period
and between both teams they scored an amazing 10 goals in just one period. That number
became a league record.
In the third period, Murray Myers scored his second
goal of the game at 1:01 and Jacques Locas followed fourteen minutes later to give the
Stingers a commanding lead. The WHA's top scorer Mark Tardif netted a goal at 16:49 for
the Nordiques, but Murray Myers struck again at 18:50 to complete the first Stingers
hat-trick. Cincinnati and Quebec finished the game with a final score of 11-7. An
extremely high scoring affair indeed.
Terry Slater was quoted after the game saying " I
am going to keep that line together".
Also on this day:
- The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the San Diego
Chargers 47-17. Click here for
game summary. |
