Friday, April 7th 1978

By Terry Flynn

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Stingers Plan: Take Bulls By Horn And Win 'Em All

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When Demers says "in" he means the sixth and final playoff berth in the World Hockey Association. Sixth place is presently occupied by the Birmingham Bulls, but the Bulls are just two points ahead of Cincinnati after losing to the Stingers 5-4, at Riverfront Coliseum Wednesday night. The Stingers entered the Birmingham game with the knowledge that a loss would just about end their playoff hopes. They gave up two first period goals but rallied to contain the Bulls and come away with two points.

What Demers wants to do is win tonight in Indianapolis and then nail down the other three regular-season games, making the outcome of Birmingham's two remaining games moot. If the Stingers win all four games (eight points) and the Bulls win both of theirs, Cincinnati finishes the season in sixth place and makes the playoffs. The Stingers came away from the Birmingham game with some bumps and bruises, most notably Rick Dudley's twisted knee which kept him off the ice during Thursday's practice. But there was good news as well. Defenseman Barry Melrose gave every impression that he was fully recovered from a shoulder separation.

Demers said he planned to real changes in strategy for tonight's game at Market Square Arena. "We're going with the speed, with the people who can play the game and help us," he said. Alf Handrahan, like Demers, is suspended for the Indy game. Willie Trognitz and Bruce Grieg won't dress, but Paul Stewart is scheduled for duty so the Stingers won't lack for muscle. Brian Coates, who didn't play against Birmingham, will dress for the Racers game.

The Racers, of course will be loose. They were eliminated from the playoffs three weeks ago and have nothing to lose, so they'll be playing it wide open in front of the home town crowd. The race for that final playoff spot breaks down to a combination of Cincinnati victories and Birmingham losses which leaves the Stingers one point ahead of the Bulls. Should the Bulls lose their game at home tonight (against Houston) and the Stingers win, the teams would be tied.

If the Bulls lose their last game, at Indianapolis, the Stingers would need just one victory out of three. Should the Bulls win one game, the Stingers would need at least a win and a tie, and if the Bulls win both Cincinnati would have to win three or take a tie in one on of the three. After tonight's contest, the Stingers fly to Houston to play the Aeros on Saturday, then return home to host the Quebec Nordiques in the final regular season game at Riverfront Coliseum. The last game of the season is Monday night in Springfield, Mass, against the New England Whalers.

Standings

Market Square Arena

7th

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Opening the game the Stingers squandered a power play with Rust Patenaude out for hooking. The Racers had no such trouble when Pat Stapleton was sent to the penalty box for tripping at 5:39. Former Stinger Claude Larose scored on the power play to put the Racers ahead. The goal came when Rich Leduc, another former Stinger, tried two shot from six feet out and was rejected by Michel Dion both times. Larose, however, was right there to knock in the rebound at 6:07. Cincinnati would eventually tie the game at 13:21 when Peter Marsh held the puck in the Racers zone and passed it to Hugh Harris. Harris then fed it to Greg Carrols who took a whack at the Racer net only to have his shot blocked by goalie Gary Inness.  Carroll went on to bat in his own rebound for the score.

In the second period the Racers took a 2-1 lead at 8:13 when they bunched up in front of the Stinger net. Ken Block took a shot from the point and Michel Parizeau deflected the puck past Dion for the score. The Stingers tied the game back up when with a goal by Robbie Ftorek at 9:28. Ftorek scored on his own rebound from right in front of the Racers net. The Racers took the lead again at 16:11 as a result of the Stingers failing to hold onto the puck in their own zone. This allowed Claude St. Sauveur to score when he was in the middle of a group of Cincinnati players. He found himself with the puck which he immediately batted it into the the net from about 10 feet out. The Stingers tied the game up with another Robbie Ftorek goal at 17:58. The goal was his 56th goal of the season and came about when Craig Norwich took a slapper from the point and Ftorek was in the crease to deflect it into the net.

In the third period the Racers went ahead yet again with a goal by St. Sauvuer. St Sauveur took his shot from the blue line only to have Dion cough up the puck. St Sauveur skated in and knocked in his own rebound when he flipped the puck into the net. But Peter Marsh tied the game up again in less then one minute. He went to the corner and fed the puck in the slot where he blasted it past Inness and into the net. Cincinnati took the led at 7:52 with a goal buy Rick Dudley. The goal came when Ftorek carried the puck from center ice over the blue line, held it until Dudley had skated into position and then flipped the puck in front, where Dudley deflected it in the goal. The Stingers padded their lead with a goal by Hugh Harris at 9:45. Harris ripped a shot from the circle for the score.

Jerry Rafter, who coached the game because Demers was out serving his suspension, praised his team. "We didn't have a good start but nobody gave up. We just kept going after them. That made the difference," Rafter said.

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FIRST PERIOD

GOALS - IND: Larose (Leduc, Patenaude) 6:07. CIN: Carroll (Harris, Marsh) 13:21.

PENALTIES - IND: Patenaude (hooking) :37. CIN: Stapleton (tripping) 5:39. CIN: Deadmarsh (slashing) 9:53. CIN: Melrose (fighting) 11:25. IND: Driscoll (fighting) 11:25.

SECOND PERIOD

GOALS - IND: Parizeau (Block, Marotte) 8:13. CIN: Ftorek (Dudley, Hislop) 9:28. IND: St. Sauveur (Driscoll, Morrison) 16:11. CIN: Ftorek (Norwich, Stapleton) 17:58.

PENALTIES - IND: Leclerc (hooking) 1:55. CIN: Stapleton (holding) 11:46.

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THIRD PERIOD

GOALS - IND: St. Sauveur (Driscoll, Leclrec) 2:16. CIN: Marsh (Harris, Carrol) 3:01. CIN: Dudley (Ftorek, Norwich) 7:52. CIN: Harris (Carroll) 9:45.

PENALTIES - IND: St. Sauveur (misconduct) 6:13. CIN: Norwich (tripping) 11:26.

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SHOTS ON GOAL

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GOALTENDERS - CIN: Dion. IND: Inness

ATTENDANCE - 7,437

REFEREE - Peter Moffet