January 25th 1978 - Cincinnati Stingers vs New England Whalers

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

Wednesday, January 25th 1978

By Terry Flynn

Angry Stingers Coach Orders Double Practice, Rips Attitude

Jacques Demers didn't like what he saw during a Cincinnati Stingers practice session Tuesday morning at Riverfront Coliseum so he turned off the lights and told the players to be back at five o'clock. Demers hasn't liked a lot of things he's seen on the ice recently while the Stingers have planted their roots firmly in the World Hockey Association's seventh place. The practice antics were too much. "Some guys came out to practice, and other didn't," said Demers, who noted that everyone showed up. "Some guys just weren't putting out, so I told the team to leave the ice and be back at five."

Demers said he was upset because some of the Stingers "aren't professional" in their approach to the game although they are making major league salaries. That same lack of professionalism is obviously one of the big reasons the Stingers have been so inconsistent this season. Demers was in a different mood after the second practice, which lasted for over an hour. "You saw the practice," he said. "Everyone was going out there. That's the way it should always be." Demers prepared his team for tonight's (7:35 p.m.) meeting at the Coliseum with the league-leading New England Whalers, insisted that the double practice session wasn't merely a chastisement. "It wasn't so much a punishment as just to let the guys know what I expect in practice," the Stingers coach said. "I shouldn't have to tell these guys what to do. They're all supposed to be pros but some of them don't know how to act."

Demers said he had never had to call two practices sessions in one day during his 12 years as a hockey coach. "It's discouraging," he said. "It makes me wonder why I'm in the pros. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it. I've been sick over the way things are going. I worry all the time because I know this team is better. "It's inconceivable that this team is in seventh place, but they were practicing like a seventh-place team and I've got to change that attitude." Demers says he knows players who are giving the full effort and the players who aren't. "These guys have to be willing to pay the price," he said. "Look at a guy like Robbie Ftorek. He takes 70 stitches and goes out that night and gets two and two (two goals, two assists). He wants to win and so do some of the others.

"But the guys who aren't putting out are going to start hearing from the guys who are. When somebody goes to practice and works hard and has to come back the same day because some others aren't putting out, somebody's going to hear about it." Demers said he had never dealt with a situation like the one confronting him now, and admitted, "If it weren't for Bill DeWitt I don't think I'd be here now." He said the support given him by Stinger executive vice president Bill DeWitt Jr. was one of the reasons he keeps working to improve the Stingers records. There's also a personal reason. "I'm just not a quitter," said Demers. "When I played junior hockey (In Quebec) I wasn't that talented but I gave it everything I had. I'd fight and do whatever I had to do. I want my hockey team to be the same way."

Despite the attitude problems and some internal conflicts among some players. Demers is convinced the Stingers are potentially a good hockey team. 'We may not be a first-place team, but we are certainly capable of third or fourth place in this league," he said. "We have to start working as a team." The Stingers coach has made one change for tonight's game. He put together a new forward line with Robbie Ftorek centering for Rick Dudley and Jamie Hislop. That line certainly has potential, combining three of the hardest-working players on the squad.

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Wednesday, January 25th

Standings

Defeated New England Whalers

Riverfront Coliseum

7th

The Stingers extra practice the day before seemed to have paid of as Cincinnati came out skating and put some serious pressure on the New England Whalers. Robbie Ftorel scored the first goal at 1:29 on a rebound. Pat Stapleton took the first shot from the far left point and Ftorek who was standing in front of the Whalers net deflected the puck past New England goalkeeper Louis Levasseur. The Whalers were unable to get their offense moving and out of necessity had to downshift into defense in their own end.

� Courtesy of Cincinnati Library

The Stingers try to blast one by New England goalie Louis Levasseur.

The Stingers continued to press and scored a follow up goal at 8:24. The Stingers newbie Bruce Grieg forced Bill Butters to give up the puck near the Whalers net. The slid into the slot and Hugh Harris nabbed it and blasted a wrist shot into the net. Shortly after the follow up Stingers goal Grieg was called for slashing and the Whalers scored on the power play. Marty Howe sent the puck in from the slot and Gordie deflected the puck past Stinger goalie Norm LaPointe.

In the second period, Ftorek worked his magic yet again and scored at 3:25. The goal would be his 33rd of the season. The Stingers continued to pad their lead with another goal at 7:33 by Butch Deadmarsh. Deadmarsh came up with the puck by chance when Marty Howe brought the puck from behind the Whaler net. Deadmarsh then slapped the puck off Howe's stick and it slipped into the goal. Cincinnati began to loss some steam and Mark Howe skated into the Stinger zone at 7:51 and fired a shot from the top of the circle. LaPointe was fooled and the puck went into the net. The Whalers scored again when Dave Keon carried the puck around behind the Cincinnati net. He then came back in front and scored with a backhanded shot. The Whalers tied the game up before the close of the second period when Gordie Howe parked in front of the Stingers net knocked in a rebound from about four feet.

In the third period, each club matched each other goal for goal. For the Whalers Keon, Mark Howe and Lyle scored goals. While the Stingers Dudley, Baltimore and Abrall scored goals to send the game into overtime. However, Dudley's goal came with a bit of controversy from a pileup at the Whalers net. Referee Ron Harris whistled the play dead but the puck was already over the goal line.

It overtime the Stingers would end the game with a goal by Barry Legge at 6:11. "It was a heck of an exciting game for the home fans," said Jacques Demers. "The most important thing is winning at home and getting that two points. This was a big victory for the Stingers." The delighted coach continued, "the new line is terrific. If they continue to play together like they did tonight it could be one of the best lines in the league. They could be a biggest-scoring line."

Cincinnati	-	2	2	3	1	-	8
New England	-	1	3	3	0	-	7

FIRST PERIOD

GOALS - CIN: Ftorek (Stapleton, Dudley) 1:29. CIN: Harris (unassisted) 8:24. NE: G. Howe (Marty Howe, Rogers) 10:29.

PENALTIES - CIN: Grieg (slashing) 9:06. CIN: Dudley (fighting) 18:12. NE: Marty Howe (fighting & instigating) 18:12.

SECOND PERIOD

GOALS - CIN: Ftorek (Plumb, Hislop) 3:25. CIN: Deadmarsh (unassisted) 7:33. NE: Mark Howe (G. Howe) 7:51. NE: Keon (Butters) 8:21. NE: G. Howe (Lyle, Mark Howe) 12:16.

PENALTIES - NE: Mayer (tripping) 2:48. CIN: Deadmarsh (hooking) 11:57. CIN: Dudley (hooking) 12:42. NE: Roberts (hooking) 18:18.

THIRD PERIOD

GOALS - NE: Keon (Hangsleben, Mayer) 1:01. CIN: Dudley (Ftorek, Plumb) 5:34. CIN: Baltimore ( unassisted) 8:20. CIN: Abgrall (Leduc) 10:37. NE: Mark Howe (Marty Howe) 14:55. NE: Lyle (Mark Howe, Marty How) 15:04.

PENALTIES - CIN: Deadmarsh (slashing) 1:56. NE: Lyle (hooking) 3:21.

OVERTIME

GOALS - CIN: Legge (Hislop, Ftorek) 6:11.

PENALTIES - None

SHOTS ON GOAL

Cincinnati	-	20	9	13	3	-	45
New England	-	05	8	11	4	-	28

GOALTENDERS - CIN: LaPointe. NE: Levasseur.

ATTENDANCE - 5,231

REFEREE - Ron Harris