| WINNIPEG -
Like a wounded animal, Terry Slater paced aimlessly, growing and glaring. "I hate to
lose" he groaned. "I just die inside. I hate it more than anything. Winning is
my whole life". The last time he lost, he paced all night and that was only a for-fun
game. This time it was worse. In Edmonton on a lovely autumn
day, cool, dry and dazzling, the Cincinnati Stingers suffered their first ever World
Hockey Association defeat, bowing 4-2 to the Oilers Sunday. It came on the heels of two
ego building on the road victories at Cleveland and Calgary and it came against a team
with one of the most talented and veteran lineups in the league.
"But a loss is a loss". Slater huffs "Nothing making
it better. I can't tell you how many times in my career I've lost, but you never get used
to it Never. I suppose you've got to lose sometimes. It's part of the game, but gosh I
hate it. I hate it."
The Stingers completely dominated the early part of the game, firing
14 shots at Edmonton goalie Dave Dryden, who was everywhere at once. Unable to score, the
Cincinnatians gradually lost the edge as the game progressed. Stingers Gary Veneruzzo
managed the first goal of the game on an assist by Rick Dudley in the second period, but
the Oilers came right back with two. The first was by left wing Ken Baird on a brilliant
pass from Norm Ullman, a 40 year old center who has spent 21 years in major league hockey
and is still among the most feared players. The second was scored by 22 year old Blair
MacDonald.
The same combination of Baird and Ullman worked for another goal in
the third period. Cincy's Bernie MacNeil cut the Oilers lead to 3-2 with a subsequent
breakaway goal but a final unassisted score by Oilers defenseman Barry Long with two
minutes left doomed the Stingers. "They couldn't even get the puck out of their end
in the first period. We should have killed them". Slater observes. "But we
didn't know what to do. We had the puck all the time and couldn't put it in. Dryden had a
good game. He made some great saves but he was also pretty lucky".
Edmonton is the team the Stingers face again in their home opener
Thursday and that is the only ting that makes Slater happy. "I know now we can beat
them." he says. "If we just don't panic. That's what happened. We panicked in
the second and third period. "When we get them in Cincinnati, we're going to knock
them crazy. We didn't get physical against them and we should have. (Dale) Smedsmo was
hitting everything that moved for us but he was the only one. We've got to get everyone
doing that. The next time we play, it's going to be a different game. It's going to be a
war. I'm mad now. It makes me mad to lose. I hate it."
* * *
Tonight the Stingers play Bobby Hull and the Winnipeg
Jets, in that order. "It's a great team but the main thing is Bobby". says
Slater. You've got to stop him. Give him the puck just once and he'll score. I'm going to
put one player on him all night. That's going to be his job-take care of Bobby. That's all
I want him to do. I don't want Bobby getting the puck at all. Not even once."
Also on the team are what Slater calls "The two
big Swedes.". Ul Nilson and Anders Hedberg finished fourth and seventh among the
WHA's top scorers last year behind Hull who was second. The formula for winning, Slater
says, "is to hit them and hit them and hit them. We haven't had a real tough physical
game since training camp and maybe they won't be expecting it from us. If we can catch
them off guard..." |
