February 8th 1978 - Cincinnati Stingers vs Edmonton Oilers

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

Wednesday, February 8th 1978

By Terry Flynn

Stingers Open Tour Against Edmonton

The Cincinnati Stingers left the ice and snow of the Queen City Tuesday for the ice and snow and real winter of western Canada road trip. They take on the Edmonton Oilers tonight and the Jets in Winnipeg Friday. The weather is the least of the Stingers' problems in Edmonton. They are still trying for their first win at Edmonton Coliseum this season and have only managed one home victory against the powerful Oilers. The problem in the past has been the Stingers' inability to control the puck against the Oilers. Edmonton has a big, hard-checking squad with experience at most positions and the difference has usually been a third-period letdown for Cincinnati and a close victory for the Oilers.

The Stingers changed that scenario in the last meeting at Riverfront Coliseum and finally beat the Oilers at their own game. Bill Flett, who had scored most of Edmonton's game-winning goals against Cincinnati, was stopped cold by the defensive work of Butch Deadmarsh. Coach Jacques Demers has insisted the Stingers are ready to break out of their doldrums, end their inconsistency and move up in the standings for a playoff berth. "We're much more of a team now," said Demers. "We're working together, and no one is thinking about personal goals. The only thing on our minds now is making the playoffs. Everything is positive."

Wehn the World Hockey Association season started, the Stingers were picked to finish no worse than fourth in the eight-team league. The Stingers are now concerned with just reaching sixth place and the ensuing playoffs. Edmonton is no pushover, and things hardly get any better Friday when the Stingers take on the Jets in Winnipeg.

The last two meetings between the Stingers and Jets took place at the Coliseum, with Winnipeg returning home with 8-4 and 7-5 victories. In each case the line of Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson ran wild. It was suggested that perhaps Cincinnati should use a checking line exclusively against Hull and the Swedes, but Demers pointed out that "when that line is going, it doesn't make much difference what line you put out against them. They're just that good." The Stingers will return home for a pair of weekend games, hosting the New England Whalers on Saturday and the Quebec Nordiques Sunday.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

Wednesday, February 8th 1978

By Associated Press

WHA Leaders Seek To Aid Weak Franchises

EDMONTON - World Hockey Association trustees agreed at a meeting in Chicago Monday to as one spokesman put it "regroup....find a way to strengthen some of the weak franchises. All people involved agreed to work at solidifying their own product," said Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington in a telephone interview Tuesday. "We don't want to cater to the whims of the NHL like we did last year. They're going to lose $20 million, a lot more than us. People have said we'll lose at least 8 million, but that's high," Pocklington added. "I think it'll be closer to $5 million."

The most critical franchise at the moment is Indianapolis Racers, owned by Vancouver businessman Nelson Skalbania has estimated he will lose at least $500,000. The Houston Aeros and Cincinnati Stingers both anticipate 1977-78 losses in the vicinity of $ 1 million. Skalbania has been making threats that he might pull out of the league. His fellow owners are expected to pacify him by offering some player help - one or two marginal players from each of the seven franchises.

In addition to discussions on regrouping, Pocklington said the trustees also "unanimously agreed" to let Swedish forwards Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg of Winnipeg accept a reported 1.6 million offer from the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. "We're not going to bankrupt our league for two players," Pocklington said. "The Jets will just have to go out and sign some top juniors." Pocklington indicated there were four franchises advocating a strong WHA and another four waffling at the Chicago meeting.

Wednesday, February 8th

Standings

Tied Edmonton Oilers

Northland Coliseum

7th

In the opening period the Stingers had the same old problems against the Oilers as they have in the past. The club simply couldn't clear their zone and let Edmonton control the puck. Paul Schmyr carried the puck from his own end to the Stingers where he dropped it for his teammate Widing and then screened Cincinnati goalie Paul Hoganson. Widing shot the puck which found the goal post and dropped into the Stinger net for the score.

After the failed Stinger power play the Oilers maintained the pressure and scored a follow up goal at 14:35. The goal came when Schmyr and Bill Flett passed back and forth in front of the Stinger net. Schmyr finally took a shot when Hogaons was pulled out of the crease. Cincinnati finally answered as Bryon Baltimire fired the puck toward the Oiler net and Peter Marsh deflected it past Oiler goalie Smoeky McLeod for the score.

In the second period the Stingers tied the game up at 1:30 when Peter Marsh walked in to trigger a shot from the near slot after he got the puck from Hugh Harris. The Oilers however answered with two straight goals. The first coming from Flett when he took a hard shot from the left circle and into the net.

Shortly after the goal Bruce Grieg and Jim Troy traded some heavy blows and after they were separted Willie Trognitz and Dave Semenko went at it in front of the Stinger bench. After eeverything was said and doen, the Oilers had the power play and Flett struck again when he deflected a Joe Micheletti shot. The Stingers then picked up a power play goal of their own at 12:16 when Peter Marsh took a pass from Ftorek and shot from the left side. The puck bounced off McLeaod's glove and into the net. It would be Marsh's third goal of the game.

In the third period the Oilers scored two more goals to take a three goal lead. The goals came from Blair MacDonald and Jim Troy. But Cincinnati kept fighting and managed to score three straight goals to tie the game up again. All three goals came after Oiler Dave Semenko was out for a five minute penalty. Leduc, Larose and Plumb all got their scores in less then two minutes. The game eventually went into overtime but both clubs had to settle for a tie in the standings.

Cincinnati	-	1	2	3	0	-	6
Edmonton	-	2	2	2	0	-	6

FIRST PERIOD

GOALS - EDM: Widing (Schmyr, Callighen) 4:33. EDM: Schmyr (Flett, Micheletti) 14:35. CIN: Marsh (Baltimore, Harris) 17:16.

PENALTIES - EDM: Hamilton (tripping) 7:03. EDM: Busniuk (high sticking) 16:32. CIN: Dudley (high sticking) 16:32.

SECOND PERIOD

GOALS - CIN: Marsh (Harris, Plumb) 1:30. EDM: Flett (Hipperfield, Micheletti) 6:31. EDM: Flett (Micbeletti, Hamilton) 10:49. CIN: Marsh (Ftorek, Stapleton) 12:16.

PENALTIES - CIN: Stewart (fighting & high sticking) :40. EDM: Langevin (fighting & high sticking) :40. CIN: Grieg (fighting major & minor) 9:41. CIN: Trognitz (fighting major & minor game misconduct) 9:41. CIN: Melrose (misconduct) 9:41. CIN: Stewart (game misconduct) 9:41. EDM: troy (fighting) 9:41. EDM: Semenko (fighting) 9:41. EDM: Busiuk (double minor & game misconduc) 9:41.

THIRD PERIOD

GOALS - EDM: MacDonald (Langevin, Zuke) :52. EDM: Troy (Campbell, Semenko) 9:30. CIN: Leduc (Harris, Legge) 12:36. CIN: Larose (Ftorek, Plumb) 13:25. CIN: Plumb (Leduc, Stapleton) 14:10.

PENALTIES - EDM: Semenko (intent to injure) 9:30.

OVERTIME

GOALS - None

PENALTIES - None

SHOTS ON GOAL

Cincinnati	-	?	?	?	?		?
Edmonton	-	?	?	?	?		?

GOALTENDERS - CIN: Hoganson. EDM: McLeod.

ATTENDANCE - ?

REFEREE - Peter Moffat