| The
Stingers, playing in new combinations that opened the lock on their offense, made a
successful debut at Riverfront Coliseum last night, beating the Edmonton Oilers, 6-4. Rick
Dudley, who got a rousing welcome back from the crowd of 8,776, delighted them with two
goals eight seconds apart in the second period. Goals by Gene Sobchuk and Bryan Campbell
after the teams began the final period tied at 4 provided the margin of victory. Before last night, the Stingers had not been getting much scoring from their
big guns, most notably, Dudley, Campbell and Dennis Sobchuk. Miffed, coach Terry Slater
shuffled his lines to meet the Oilers. The dividends were almost immediate, the Stingers
were sluggish in the first period and trailed 1-0 entering the second. Then, fireworks. In
the first one minute, 18 seconds of the second period there were four goals, three by the
Stingers, two by Dudley. Steve Andrascik scored at 1:18 and Claude Larose got another goal
in the period for the Stingers at 10:43.
The Oilers fell back on their heels in the final period, getting
only five shots on goaltender Serge Aubry. The Stingers, on the other hand, their new
lines in high gear, took 20 shots and scored the winning goals. Many fans weren't in their
seats yet when, 54 seconds into the game, Edmonton's Dan Spring hit a weak 40-foot slap
shot past Aubry. Aubry had a clear view of the shot. He just missed it. "I was a
little bit tight," he said. "Instead of standing up straight and waiting for it.
I backed up and it got behind me."
Dennis Sobchuk put the puck into the Oilers net at 8:51, but the
goal was disallowed when officials ruled he directed it into the goal with his foot.
Sobchuk, standing at the edge of the crease, obviously kicked it, but if he'd have gotten
his stick on it the goal would have stood. "It was a good call," Slater said.
Two late first-period penalties put Edmonton shorthanded two men at
the start of the second period, and it took Dudley just 12 seconds to score. His first
goal was by no means picturesque. About 15 feet in front of the net he lost control of the
puck, then took a wild slap at it. It slid weakly between goalie Chris Worthy's legs.
Eight seconds later, though, Dudley skated past defenseman Barry
Long, took a fine pass from Campbell and drove the puck over Worthy's left shoulder.
Dudley had scored just one goal in four games, "He's been struggling," Slater
said. "I've had a sore back since training camp," Dudley said. "It felt
brutal the first four games. This is the first night I've felt like playing." Dudley,
the favorite of Swords fans three years ago, got a warm greeting before the game.
"It's nice to be back," he said.
After Edmonton scored a power play goal at 1:00, Slater's new lines
started producing. Gary Veneruzzo, who had been playing with Dudley and Campbell, skated
behind and around the Oilers goal, then slipped the puck to Steve Andrascik, who scored
from five feet away. Following another Oilers power-play goal, Claude Larose, on the
Stingers' "French Connection" line with Jacques Locas and Pierre Guite, stole
the puck near the Cincinnati blue line, then scored on a breakaway.
Edmonton got a third power-play goal before the end of the period.
The line of Dudley, Campbell and gene Sobchuk, back at left wing, his natural position,
accounted for the last two Stingers' goals. gene Sobchuk, at the corner of the net, jammed
the puck past Worthy. Then Campbell hit a 40 foot shot low to Worthy's right. Worthy got
his stick on it, but couldn't deflect it from the net. After the game, Slater said he was
pleased with his new combinations. "They were clicking," he said. I've got three
lines now that I can stay with for awhile. Up till now it's been a helluva struggle. |
