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| CINCINNATI
ENQUIRER |
Tuesday, November 29th 1977 |
By Terry Flynn |
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Stingers At Quebec Tonight |
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| QUEBEC CITY
- The Cincinnati Stingers' take on the Nordiques at the Colisee tonight (8 p.m.). But the
Stinger front office should be thinking well beyond this contest. Although the Stingers
finished their recent three-game road trip with an impressive win in Indianapolis, it is
obvious the team still needs the big, strong players coach Jacques Demers called for
nearly a month ago. When the Stingers best the Racers last Saturday night, they weren't
pushed around on the ice because Indy doesn't have a physical team. That is not the case
with teams like Birmingham, Quebec, New England and Edmonton. Those teams are able to out
muscle Cincinnati and the difference usually becomes apparent in the third period when the
Stingers run out of gas. The Stingers are just too small, man
for man. They are probably the smallest team in the World Hockey Association this year, a
year when the league has just eight teams and everyone is stronger. The team has a good
nucleus to work with, but some players don't seem able to withstand the hard checking and
other physical aspects of the game as handed out by other squads. Claude Larose, a top
draft choice, is a good skater and shooter but doesn't have the beef to go into the
corners with a big winger and expect to come out with the puck.
The same is true of Del Hall, Jacques Locas and Dennis Abgrall. It
isn't so much a matter of not trying as just not having the physical equipment to knock
heads with bigger people for three periods. The Stingers defense also is small. Second
year player Barry Melrose is the only defenseman big enough to really pound anyone. Ron
Plumb makes up for his lack of size with ability and determination, and veteran Pat
Stapleton can play with anyone. Barry Legge is a hard worker but of average size, Craig
Norwich is a small rookie and Gilles Marotte has the bulk but his mobility is limited.
The Stingers can get by with this blueline corps, although some
added muscle would be a big plus. But there have to be some changes at the forward
positions or the team is going to be pushed around all season. It is obvious the Stingers
must make room on the roster for some bug wingers who can do their jobs and also take care
of trouble. It may eventually come down to trading away one of the big names on the team
just to achieve the kind of brilliance necessary to win. Player personnel director Jerry
Rafter didn't make the trip to Quebec. It is just possible he and Stinger vice president
Bill DeWitt Jr. are trying to cook up a deal. One is needed....one more.
NOTES - Demers and Rick Dudley have been told to report to league
headquarters in Hartford, Conn., Thursday for a hearing on last week's stormy game in
Birmingham....The Stingers Monday dropped Winnie Trognitz, given a 10-day trial, after the
International Hockey League banned him for life. Trognitz declined a second 10-game trial.
Also dropped was Jeff Allen, after two games of a 10-game trial, and rookie winger Bill
Gilligan was brought up from Hampton. |
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| CINCINNATI
ENQUIRER |
Tuesday, November 29th 1977 |
Associated Press |
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Birmingham 'Concerns' WHA |
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| HARTFORD,
Conn. - Edmonton Oilers left wing Dave Semenko was suspend for three games and fined, New
England Whalers left wing George Lyle was suspened for two games and fined while six other
players were fined Monday for their participation in a bench clearing brawl here Saturday
night. The disciplinary measures were administered by WHA executive director Larry Gordon,
who scheduled a hearing today on a weekend brawl between Birmingham and Winnipeg and for
Thursday a hearing on a Thanksgiving Day brawl between Birmingham and Cincinnati. "We will not prejudge anyone," said Gordon, "but I am
concerned that Birmingham has been involved in unusual and undesirable incidents in two of
their last three games."Semenko and Lyle were the main antagonists in the
Edmonton-New England battle. Semenko was fined $2,600. Gordon found Semenko and the
Whalers' Jack Carlson guilty of hair pulling and $500 was added to Semenko's penalty for
the player's making a gesture to the crowd. Edmonton's Butch Deadmarsh was fined $100 and
Gary MacGregor $50. The Whalers had five players fined: Carlson was fined $500 and Lyle
$350, with Mike Rogers, Rick Ley and Gordy Roberts being assessed $50 each. |
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| Tuesday, November 29th |
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Standings |
| Defeated
Quebec Nordiques |
Quebec Coliseum |
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8th |
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The game opened up with a near goal by the Nordiques Bob Fitchner on a
breakaway about 15 seconds into the game. Had it not been for a great save by Stinger
goalie Mike Liut, the Nordiques would have scored. The Stingers couldn't make good on a
power play opportunity which began 41 seconds into the game. Bill Gilligan, who was just
brought up from the Hampton Gulls, got into a fight with Nordiques Peter Driscoll at 4:53.
Rick Dudley jumped into the ruckus which resulted in a game misconduct. All three were
sent to the penalty box which gave the Nordiques four minutes of power play.
Facing four minutes of Quebec power
play, Cincinnati's Dennis Sobchuk quickly scored a shorthanded goal. His teammate Jamie
Hislop flipped the puck to Sobby and Dennis beat Nordiques goalie Richard Brodeur for the
score.
The Stingers added another goal at 7:14
in the second period when Claude Larose worked the puck in the Nordiques zone. Larose
wheeled around the left circle and flipped a wobbly shot into the net. The puck bounced
past Nordiques goalie Brodeur for the score. The Nordiques finally scored a goal at 14:38
when Curt Brackenbury knocked home a rebound off of a missed shot by teammate Fitchner.
The Stingers however came right back shortly after with another goal as Bill Gilligan took
the puck from behind the Quebec net and fed Larose in the slot where he knocked it in.
The Nordiques refused to go away in the
third period and managed to score a goal at 14:58 by Marc Tardiff. Tardiff took a pass
from teammate Norm Dube and beat Liut right in front as the Stingers were unable to clear
their own zone. But it would be the final goal of the game as Stinger goalie Mike Liut
held his ground. Leading his club to a 3-2 win.
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vs |
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Cincinnati |
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1 |
2 |
0 |
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3 |
Quebec |
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0 |
1 |
1 |
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2 |
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FIRST PERIOD |
GOALS
- CIN: Sobchuk (Hislop) 5:15. |
PENALTIES
- QUE: Brackbury (interference) :41. CIN: Gillagan (fighting) 4:53. QUE: Driscoll
(fighting) 4:53. CIN: Dudley (double minor, game misconduct) 4:53. QUE: Inkpen
(misconduct) 4:53. QUE: Boudries (misconduct) 4:53. QUE: Fitchner (slashing) 11:40. |
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SECOND
PERIOD |
GOALS - CIN: Larose (Gillgan, Abgrall) 7:14. QUE: Brackenbury
(Fithcner, J. Beraier) 14:38. CIN: Larose (Gilligan) 16:19. |
PENALTIES
- None |
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THIRD
PERIOD |
GOALS
- QUE: Tardiff (Dube, Cloutier) 14:58. |
PENALTIES
- CIN: Legge (roughing) 15:19. QUE: Beraier (roughing) 15:19. |
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SHOTS ON GOAL |
Cincinnati |
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9 |
11 |
09 |
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29 |
Quebec |
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14 |
07 |
15 |
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36 |
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GOALTENDERS - CIN: Liut. QUE: Brodner. |
ATTENDANCE - 8,284 |
REFEREE - Alan Glaspell |
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1977-78 WHA Standings |
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W |
L |
T |
Pts |
GF |
GA |
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| New England Whalers |
15 |
4 |
2 |
32 |
90 |
62 |
| Quebec Nordiques |
12 |
9 |
1 |
25 |
99 |
89 |
| Winnipeg Jets |
12 |
8 |
1 |
25 |
94 |
66 |
| Edmonton Oilers |
9 |
10 |
1 |
19 |
72 |
79 |
| Houston Aeros |
8 |
9 |
0 |
16 |
66 |
73 |
| Indianapolis Racers |
6 |
10 |
3 |
15 |
66 |
82 |
| Birmingham Bulls |
6 |
12 |
2 |
14 |
64 |
78 |
| Cincinnati Stingers |
7 |
13 |
0 |
14 |
65 |
87 |
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