| Defeat is
never easy to accept, especially in the world of professional athletics where winning is
directly linked to earning a living. Cincinnati Stingers coach Jacques Demers found Sunday
night's home loss to New England especially frustrating. The Stingers played a good hockey
game. They came back as they have done several times recently, tying and then taking the
lead in the opening minutes of the third period. They held the league leading Whalers
scoreless until just 16 seconds remained on the clock. But when the tiny crowd of 4,386
filed from Riverfront Coliseum, the score said 4-3 New England and that's all that counts.
Another home loss for the Stingers and another missed opportunity to move up in the
standings. "It seems like somebody up there is going
against us," Demers said, looking up at the ceiling of his Coliseum office.
"There just doesn't seem to be any justice. We played well enough to win. We wanted
the game and we worked hard for it. Then they (Whalers) get a break, tie the game and we
lose it in overtime." The game tying goal came, with predictable irony, from a former
Stinger who was traded during the off season. Defenseman Bryan Maxwell took a hard shot
from the top of the circle and beat goalie Michel Dion to send the contest into sudden
death overtime.
The Whalers had six attackers on the ice at the time, pulling goalie
Al Smith with 1:07 remaining. Rick Dudley had the puck and carried it over the Stinger
blue line where he was met by a host of New England players. Needless to say he lost the
puck and Maxwell scored moments later. "Duds did the right thing," Demers
explained. "He was trying to get the puck over the red line and put it in the New
England zone. He didn't want an icing call because they would get a faceoff in our
end." For some reason Dudley received no help in getting the puck up ice although
there were four other yellow jerseys on the ice. The Stingers captain found little solace
in explanations however.
"We should have won the game and we didn't," he said.
"I'm not very happy personally since I gave up the up the puck for the tying goal.
It's tough to play that well and lose." But Dudley also mentioned that he would
prefer to lose a close tough game to the best team in the league. "It's better to
lose like that," he said, "than be ripped 7-0 or something and be
embarrassed."
Robbie Ftorek, who scored two of Cincinnati's three goals (his 25th
and 26th of the season), was anything but happy about losing but took a positive view.
"We just can't seem to get a break," he lamented. "Here we are, playing the
top team in the league. We need the two points, they don't. They're way out in front. But
we just can't get a break." A victory would have lifted the Stingers into a sixth
place tie with Birmingham. It also would have given the team some much needed confidence
on home ice.
Goalie Dion, who played well in losing, was perhaps the most upset
Stingers. He could only shake his head and mutter about the goals which tied and won the
game. "You work so hard all game and then you get beat by two screen shots," he
said, referring to Maxwell's boomer and the winning goal by Gordie Howe; a screened drive
from the faceoff circle at 5:16 of overtime. Demers had been concerned recently that his
team played better on the road then at the Coliseum, and for the New England contest he
elected to play the same tight defensive game the Stingers ice on the road.
His tactics appeared sound as the Stingers controlled the puck most
of the game, especially in the third period where the Whalers were limited to five shots
on goal. One of these shots, however, was Maxwell's. The Stinger coach plans to stay with
his battle plan at home, trying to make things as simple and basic as possible. The
Stingers won't take any chances, will try to control the puck and force the opponent to
open up in frustration and make errors. Demers will get plenty of opportunity to develop
his strategy in the next two weeks as the Stingers have five home games and only one road
game (at Hartford, Conn., against the Whalers) through January 14. Included in that
schedule is an exhibition January 8 against the powerful Russian National team. |
