| It's easy
to understand why Cincinnati Stingers coach Jacques Demers is down in the dumps these
days. Just take a look at the Stingers' performance to date. The team that started this
season with high hopes of battling for one of the top spots in the World Hockey
Association has been incredibly inconsistent. It can beat the defending league champion
Quebec Nordiques five straight times but can't get the handle on teams like Edmonton and
Birmingham. Wednesday night the Stingers dropped a 3-0
decision to the Bulls in Birmingham. The Cincinnatians were in the game for the first 20
minutes and then seemed to fall apart, running around for the next two periods in a
disorganized fashion while failing to score on six power plays. "I think they
(Stinger players) tried too hard," said a frustrated Demers. "We wanted to beat
this team so bad that everyone was working too hard. We were disorganized but not because
we weren't trying." As to the power play problem, Demers is perplexed. "We
practiced the power play the day before and still couldn't do anything," he said. 'We
just don't have anyone going in front (of the goal)."
The Stingers played the Bulls without center Robbie Ftorek and
defenseman Pat Stapleton. Ftorek had a nasty wound after being hit in the mouth by a puck
during the WHA All-Star game Tuesday night. Ironically the puck was fired by teammate
Stapleton. Stapleton, the NHL veteran who had been playing so well since coming to
Cincinnati, is experiencing more internal problems. He spent several days in Christ
Hospital two weeks ago after passing blood, and the condition occurred again in
Birmingham. Doctors apparently have been unable to make a definite diagnosis of
Stapleton's illness. The defenseman's availability is questionable right now.
The Stingers weren't intimidated by the Bulls Wednesday night, due
primarily to the addition of Willie Trognitz and Bruce Grieg to the lineup. But Trognitz
and Grieg are out of shape and, although they can take care of any fisticuffs that come
along, they aren't much help in any other department. The disclosure that Demers had put
his job on the line with team owners didn't make the coach feel any better. Demers had met
with some of the owners during the trip to Quebec last week and offered to resign if they
felt he was responsible for the Stingers' failure.
Demers was given a strong vote of confidence, but somehow the
private discussion suddenly became public knowledge, first with players and later to the
media. Demers couldn't determine how the word leaked out and it upset him. The Stingers
have been taking a bath at the game and the team stands to lose something close to a
million dollars this season as things stand right now. And unless the Stingers play better
than .500 hockey the remainder of the season they probably won't make the playoffs. Two
teams in the eight-team league won't participate in post-season competition. With the
second half of the season a reality there's no time for experimenting when you're in
seventh place. "I still think we'll be a better team when our big players (Trognitz
and Grieg, presumably) are in shape and are playing more," Demers said. "You
can't expect things to turn around instantly."
The question now is whether the Stingers can get any better. They
may be playing as well as they can wityh the existing roster and of the first half of the
season is any indication, they'll need a lot of luck just to finish sixth. Following the
loss in Birmingham, Demers said the Stingers desperately need a sweep of the three games
this weekend. They host the Nordiques at Riverfront Coliseum tonight (7:35 p.m.), play the
Aeros in Houston Saturday and come back home against Edmonton Sunday. If wonder of
wonders, Cincinnati should win three in a row, there's still hope for the season. But
Demers, and everyone else knows time is running out. |
