| Terry
Slater, the world champion worrier, isn't worried at all although his Cincinnati Stingers
have lost four straight games. The Cleveland Crusaders have now slipped ahead into second
place, but Slater has no faith in them. He is suddenly feeling pretty good about
everything, and the reason for this is, he says, "I think we've been playing pretty
good hockey when you look at our schedule and injuries." Edmonton
defeated the traveling Cincinnatians Sunday, 5-2, but had to rally to do it. The Stingers
earlier had a 2-1 lead, and Slater says, "We played one and a half periods of good
hockey, then just died. We were so tired. It's surprising we played as well as we did. We
were on an airplane all day and we got into Edmonton just in time to throw our things in
the hotel rooms and go right to the rink. One little delay and we would have had to dress
in the airplane, that's how close it was."
On top of that, Slater's banged and bruised lineup looks like the
aftermath of Wounded Knee. "When you get down to it, we really only had two regular
defensemen," he observes. Mike Pelyk has messed up his knee again and so he's out.
And you know how much we were using him - killing penalties and everything. And John
Hughes is about half speed with his bad ankle and bad knee and bruised ribs and everything
else he's got. I don't know how he keeps going. Then Terry Ball has been off the ice for
about five days and the new guys. Dan Justin, really doesn't even have any minor league
experience. So really, Ron Plumb and Dave Inkpen are our only two healthy regulars. And
then we lost Rick Dudley with his suspension thing and that messes up two of our lines. So
we're doing all right considering, and we're playing tough games on the road. All the
other teams are gearing up now. Everyone is going for a playoff spot, but some of them
still don't impress me.This Edmonton team played about as bad as we did and we were dead.
If they were all tuned up and ready for us, and that's the way they play, then when we get
them in our place Friday and get Dudley back, we're going to have a hell of a game."
And regarding Cleveland's surge into second place ahead of the
Stingers in the WHA's East Division, Slater is equally unimpressed. "They've got a
good team, but I think we can beat them," sniffs the newly optimistic coach.
"We've got five more games against them this year and I'm pretty sure we'll win the
majority of them. You know we've played five against them already, and we're 4-1."
Looking at his schedule against the other two divisional teams Slater finds still more to
encourage him. "Indianapolis has only been in our building once this year," he
points out. "We've got them home almost every game now. And New England is playing an
extra game in our place to make up for Ottawa, so that's another break for us. It's just a
matter of getting two lines going for us consistently, and I think we may have the right
combinations now. It looks like the Jaques Locas-Dudley-Pierre Guite line is going to be a
good one. Then we can put Claude Larose with (Bryan) Campbell and (Murray) Myers, and you
know they'll get the puck to Claude to shoot. The Sobchuk brothers are really hot, it
looks like. I've been using them to kill penalties and they've done well, but I'm going to
have to stop that. I want them to play a regular shift. I think they're going to score
some goals."
So Slater isn't worrying much now, or flying off the handle at his
players as one might expect. He believes there's hope, and so is suddenly very hopeful.
* * *
Tonight the Stingers play at Calgary, in the Stampede
Rodeo Corral, which smells and looks like it sounds. But the Cowboys have been remarkably
successful in those cluttered and cramped quarters, and are running a strong third place
in the Canadian Division, a tribute to former Cincinnati Swords coach Joe Crozier.
"They're tough to beat at home all right," coach Slater nods. "They play
the close checking game - don't give up a lot of goals - wall for their opportunities.
They're playing very well. But he, they're no surprise to me. They traded away all their
big contract players and people thought they had nothing left, but they kept a good
nucleus of players and then picked up a couple good NHLers. And they've got Doug McLeod,
who I think is one of the top five or six goal tenders in hockey." |
