Rangers'
Phil
Esposito
is
stopped
on
the
doorstep
by
Soviet
netminder
FROM
RED
ARMY
Rangers
take
whipping
NEW
YORK
(CP)
-
The
Central
Army
Sports
Club
has
one
tremendous
forward
line,
rated
the
best
in
the
Soviet
Union,
and
Sunday
night
it
almost
blew
New
York
Rangers
off
the
ice.
Valeri
Kharlamov,
Boris
Mikhailov
and
Vladimir
Pet-rov
scored
four
goals
and
added
seven
assists
as
the
Russian
national,
champions
roughed
up
the
Rangers
to
win
7-3.
At
one
point,,
the
Central
Army
team
led
7-1,
causing
fans
to
start
throwing
rotten
eggs
on
the
ice,
halting
play
for
several
minutes
whffe
attendants
cleaned
up.
Winning
coach
Konstantin
Loktev
would
not
downgrade
the
Rangers
although
he
conceded
they
could
use
a
little
'more
conditioning
to
get
their
weight
down
and
improve
their
skating.
Loktev
said
in
true
diplomatic
style:
"Everyone
understands
that
the
coach
of
the
WITH
EASY
WIN
Soviet
NEW
YORK
(CP)
Veterans
Rod
Gilbert
and
Phil
Esposito
of
New
York
Rangers
say
their
team
didn't
take
seriously
enough
Sunday
night's
game
with
the
Central
Army
Sports
Club
of
the
Soviet
Union.
Vernon
and
still
The.
Canadian
Press
Vernon
Vikings
scored
15
goals'
during
two
weekend
games
with
Merritt
Centennials
to
strengthen
their
hold
on
first
place
in
the
British
Columbia
Junior
Hockey
League.
Playing
Saturday
before
a
hometown
crowd
of
1,000,
the
Vikings
scored
five
goals
in
the
second
period
to
down
the
Centennials
8-3.
In
other
play
during
the
weekend,
Kelowna
Buckaroos
thumped
the
Centennials
8-2
Friday
evening.
On
Saturday
Nanaimo
Clippers
and.Chll-liwack
Bruins
battled
to
a
6-3
tie,
Kelowna
took
Penticton
Vees
83
and
Maple
Ridge
Blazers
defeated
Langley
Lords
7-5.
On
Sunday,
Kelowna
dumped
Penticton
6-1
and
Maple
Ridge
nipped
Nanaimo
Clippers
8-7,
Vernon
now
has
49
points,
six
more
than
Nanaimo.
Langley
winning
team
would
never
say
the
game
was
bad."
Loktev
said
Central
Army
had
come
prepared
to
play
against
a
very
strong
brand
of
hockey
in
the
first
encounter
with
a
National
Hockey
League
club.
Obviously,
the
Russians
didn't
find
it.
"We
anticipated
that
we
could
lose
at
the
very
beginning,"
he
said.
"That's
why
when
the
first
goal
was
scored,
we
were
not
actually
surprised.
It
was
Steve
Vickers
who
put
the
Rangers
ahead
with
the.
!
first
goal
after
only
21
seconds
of
play.
The
1-0
lead
lasted
less
than
four
minutes.
When
the
Russian
scoring
machine
began
clicking,
seven
successive'
goals
went
in
before
the
Rangers
finally
got
back
one
with
less
than
five
minutes
left
in
the
game.
Phil
Esposito
was
trying
to
rally
the
Rangers
all
night.
He
got
a
goal
and
two
assists
out
of
10
shots,
but
he
was
a
tired
player
at
the
end.
coach
embarrassed
too
Gilbert
and
Esposito,
the
only
Rangers
who
played
with
the
National
Hockey
League
team
against
the
Russians
in
the
Team
Canada
series
of
1972,
said
their
team
treated
Sunday's
game,
won
7-3
by
the
flying
tops
is
in
third
with
41
points
and
Penticton
in
fourth
with
34,
one
point
ahead
of
Kelowna.
Maple
Ridge
is
in
sixth
with
30
and
Merritt
in
seventh
with
29.
Chilliwack
is
holding
down
the
basement
with
19.
The
next
regular
league
game
will
be
played
Thursday
when
Penticton
and
Kelowna
meet
in
Pentictcn.
Playing
before
325
fans
in
Maple
Ridge,
Len
Daley
scored
the
winning
goal
for
the
Blazers,
behind
3-2
after
the
first
period
and
5-4
after
the
second.
Kelowna
netminder
John
McKerrow
blocked
30
shots
and
Penticton
goalies
Mike
Corcoran
and
Dennis
E
wan-chuck
kicked
away
33.
Kelowna
took
six
of
nine
minor
penalties
and
Penticton
the
only
major.
Maple
Ridge
goalie
Larry
Lozinski
kicked
away
39
shots
and
Nanaimo
netminder
Steve
Amiss
blocked
28
shots.
.
;
v
May
cd
luck,
health
and
happiness
be
with
you
in
1976.
w.ra.
tire
service
ltd.
-2nd.
Se
dominion
Esposito,
who
played
against
the
Russians
in
the
Team
Canada
series
in
1972,
said
that
while
he
knew
how
tough
the
Russians
were
going
to
be,
some
of
his
team-mates
didn't
take
them
seriously.
"The
Russians
do
a
lot
of
rough
things,"
said
Esposito,
who
was
speared
late
in
the
third
period.
While
the
Rangers
won
most
of
the
faceof
fs,
56
of
73,
and
out-shot
the
Russians
41-29,
Central
Army
didn't
waste
shots,
scoring
three
goals
on
ithe
power
play.
Ranger
coach
Ron
Stewart
said
the
Russians
simply
"outplayed
us."
Rod
Gilbert,
who
scored
the
second
Ranger
goal,
said
it
was
one
of
the
club's
poorer
performances.
"We
have
been
having
a
lot
of
them
lately,"
he
said.
"We
don't
seem
to
have
any
defence.
Loktev
said
one
of
the
Russian
weaknesses
is
on
faceof
fs.
Russians,
as
just
another
exhibition:
Esposito,
the
star
of
the
1972
series,
said
he
tried
to
get
the
younger
players
up
for
the
game
without
much
luck.
"They
just
couldn't
understand
what
the
Russians
can
really
do,"
he
said.
"Then
during
the
game,
some
of
the
players
would
come
up
to
me
and
say
'Those
Russians;
they
can
really
shoot.'
"
Gilbert
said
penalties
hurt
the
Rangers,
"but
we
played
poorly."
The
7-3
win
by
the
Russians
was
so
easy
it
even
embarrassed
Army
coach
Konstantin
Loktev.
"Ithinkyoumustbe
Russian
to
win,"
Loktev
said
good-naturedly
when
he
was
asked
about
the
main
ingredients
NHL
teams
will
need
to
win
an
unprecedented
club
series
with
two
top-notch
Russian
teams.
Loktev's
biggest
asset,
of
course,
was
the
superb
line
of
centre
Vladimir
Petrov,
left
winger
Valeri
Kharmalov
and
right
winger
Boris
Mikhailov.
That
threesome
produced
four
goals
and
se
ven
ass
is
ts
f
or
the
Army
team.
Petrov
set
up
two
key
goals
that
broke
open
the
game
in
the
first
period
But
the
frontal
attacks
of
their
speedy
forwards
more
than
made
up
for
it.
Rarely
do
the
Russians
shoot
off
the
boards
or
waste
their
passes
around
the
net.
They
are
not
afraid
to
wheel
it
in.
Loktev
called
Esposito
"a
real
superstar"
but
noticed
that
the
veteran
centre
was
tired.
Petrov,
who
scored
two
goals,
agreed.
He
felt
the
entire
Ranger
team
was
tired
after
the
first
period,
when
the
Russians
took
a
3-1
lead.
Petrov
said
that
he
understands
the
Rangers
were
having
their
problems
in
league
play.
President
Clarence
Campbell
of
the
NHL
said
he
was
not
surprised
at
the
Russian
win.
Campbell
said
he
didn't,
think
the
loss
would
hurt,
the
NHL's
prestige
at
this
stage.
There
are
other
strong
teams
such
as
Montreal,
Buffalo
and
Philadelphia
which
will
be
facing
Russian
teams,
and
"r
think
they
can
beat
them."
while
New
York
defenceman
Ron
Greschner
was
serving
i
two
of
his
three
consecutive
minor
penalties.
Central
Army
plays
three
more;
games
against
NHL
clubs
while
the
other
Russian
team
in
the
series,
the
Wings
of
the
Soviets;
begins
its
four-game
series
tonight
against
Pittsburgh
Penguins.
Esposito,
who
figured
in
all
of
their
Ranger
goals,
vowed
to
eat
all
the
Russian
uniforms
in
front
of
the
Montreal
Forum
if
the
Russians
wind
up
sweeping
the
eight-game
series.
NHL
president
Clarence
Campbell
said
he
is
confident
that
won't
happen,
Central
Army
plays
Montreal
Canadiens
on
Wednesday
night,
Boston
Bruins
on
Jan.
8
and
Philadelphia
Flyers
on
Jan.
11,
Campbell
said
the
Russians
win
over
the
Rangers
was
not
surprising
because
the
New
York
team
is
about
the
seventh
or
eighth-best
in
the
league
anyway.
The
Russians
played
a
brand
of
hockey
rarely
seen
in
the
NHL
these
days
lightning
thrusts
from
the
enemy
zone
and
players
passing
all
the
time
when
on
the
fly;
not
whacking
the
puck
off
the
board
or
wasting
passes
around
the
nets.
Person
George
is
required
for
a
new
for
appointment
Industrial
Automotive
Sales
Prince
Local
company
is
expanding
its
present
busi
ness
and
a
sales
person
territory.
Phone
563-0461
Vladislav
Tretiak.
Mr.
A.
Haglund
to
five
strai
by
STEVE
PYLE
Citizen
sports
reporter
Two
weeks
ago,
the
Spruce
Kings
had
yet
to
win
a
game
on
the
road
in
the
Peace
Cariboo
Junior
Hockey
League.
Today,
well
today,
the
Kings
are
the
hottest
team
in
the
league
and
took
two
more
road
games
during
the
weekend.
.The
Spruce
Kings
defeated
the
fifth
place
Dawson
Creek
Kodiacs
10-2
Saturday
and
5-4
Sunday.:
"The
way,
the
team
is
right
now.'I
just
can't
see
anybody
beating
us,"
said
coach
Darcy
Rahier,
after
arriving
back
Sunday.
"Things
are
starting
to
fit
lnj
the
guys
played
super
in
both
games."
The
Spruce
Kings
stretched
their
impressive
road
record
to
four
with
the
Dawson
Creek
victories.
Last
weekend
the
Kings
took
a
pair
of
wins
on
Fort
St.
John
ice;
The
Spruce
Kings
have
now
,
won
five
straight
and
six
of
their
last
seven
and
are
undoubtedly
the
hottest
club
in
the
PCJHL.
The
Citizen
Sports
Home
ice
meant
little
advantage
By
Canadian
Press
The
so-called
home-ice
advantage
did
not
mean
much
in
the
four
National
Hockey
League
games
played
Sunday
night
as
visiting
teams
took
seven
out
of
a
possible
eight
points.
The
only
home
team
to
gain
a
point
was
Chicago
Black
Hawks
as
they
battled
from
behind
to
tie
Buffalo
Sabres
2-2.
In
other
games,
Boston
Bruins
surprised
Philadelphia
Flyers
4-2,
Vancouver
Canucks
topped
Detroit
Red
Wings
3-2
and
Kansas
City
Scouts
downed
California
Golden
Seals
3-1.
Saturday
night,
Los
Angeles
Kings
crushed
the
Scouts
9-4,
Chicago
defeated
Toronto
Maple
Leafs
4-1,
St.
Louis
Blues
defeated
the
Canucks
4-2,
Montreal
Canadiens
edged
Minnesota
North
Stars
2-1
and
Pittsburgh
Penguins
nipped
Atlanta
Flames
3-2.
In
Chicago,
team
captain
Stan
Mikita
beat
Buffalo
goal-tender
Gerry
Desjardins
with
a
35-foot
shot
at
18:12
of
the
third
period
to
give
the
Black
Hawks
the
tie
with
the
Sabres.
It
was
the
fourth
goal
of
the
:year
for.
Mikita,
who
was
out
of
action
from
the
second
week
of
the
season
until
Saturday
night,
when
he
scored
a
goal
and
one
assist
against
the
Leafs.
Rick
Martin
shot
the
Sabres
into
a
1-0
lead
with
his
25th
goal
of
the
year
in
the
first
period
but
John
Marks
tied
the
game
on
a
Chicago
power-play,
Danny
Gare's
power-play
goal
late
in
the
second
period
put
the
Sabres
in
front
2-1
and
they
held
the
lead
until
Mikita
scored
with
28
seconds
remaining
in
Craig
Ramsay's
third
penalty
of
the
night.
In
Philadelphia,
the
Bruins
handed
the
Flyers
their
second
home-ice
defeat
of
the
season
This
is
a
far
cry
from
one
month
ago,
when
the
Spruce
Kings
were
mired
in
the
basement
and
some
were
wondering
whether
they
would
pick
up
another
win.
Rick
Forrest
led
the
Spruce
Kings'
attack
Saturday
scoring
three
goals.'
Larry
Prevost,
Dan
Andersen
and
Rick
Adams
had
two
each,
while
Dave
Wasnik
got
a
single.
Captain
Wasnik
had
a
super
weekend
and
notched
three
assists
Saturday.
Sunday
he
also
got
a
pair
of
assists
.
"Wassy
has
been
playing
real
well;
our
defense
is
the
best
in
the
league,"
said
Rahier.
Sunday
Frank
Skerlak
scored
twice
Jo
lead
the
way.
Prevost,
Ken"
Larsen,
Adams
and
Andersen
each
got
one.
Saturday's
game
was
2-1
for
Prince
George
after
the
first
period,
but
the
Kings
broke
it
open
in
the
second
and
led
7-2.
Sunday
the
Spruce
Kings
led
3-1
after,
the
first
period,
but
Dawson
Creek
came
out
flying
in
the
early
part
of
the
second.
"Dawson
Creek
tied
it
3-3,"
said
Rahier,
''but
our
guys
RON
ALLERTON
SPORTS
EDITOR
562-2441
against
16
wins
and
two
ties.
Gregg
Sheppard
scored
the
game-winning
goal
with
1
:
08
to
play
as
he
wrested
a
faceof
f
from
Philadelphia
captain
Bobby
Clarke
and
hit
the
net
just
inside
the
right
post.
The
puck
quickly
came
out
but
referee
Wally
Harris
signalled
the
goal
was
good.:
!
Bobby
Schmautz
scored
two,
goals
for
the
Bruins,
his
second'
into
an
empty
net
with
47
seconds
remaining
after
Wayne
Stephenson
had
been
lifted
for
an
extra
attacker.
Brad
Park
scored
for.
the
Bruins
at
4:44
of
the
first;
period
after
Tom
Bladon
gave
the
Flyers
a
1-0
lead
at
2
:
19
and
before
Gary!
Dornhoefer,
restored
Philadelphia's
one-goal
lead
at
8:15.
Gary
Monahan,
Don
Lever
and
Bobby
Lalonde
scored
for
the
Canucks
in
the
second
period
after
a
scoreless
opening
session.
Nick
Libett
and
Dan
Maloney
were
the
Detroit
marksmen.
The
Canucks,
who
joined
the
league
in
1970-71,
now
have
three
wins,
10
losses
and
a
tie
in
games
against
the
Red
Wings
in
Detroit.
Kansas
City
goal
tender
Dennis
Herron
turned
back
42
California
shots
as
the
Scouts
topped
the
Golden
Seals.
Guy
Charron
scored
his
16th
goal
of
the
season
in
the
second
period
to
tie
the
score
at
1-1
and
assisted
on
Wilf
Paiement's
game-winner
later
in
the
period
as
well
as
,
Craig
Patrick's
insurance
goal
early
in
the
third.
Dave
Gardner's
seventh
goal
of
the
season
and
third
in
as
many
games
gave
the
Seals,
a
10
lead
in
the
first
period.
Tonight,
Washington
Capitals
play
host
to
the
Canadiens,
Los
Angeles
travels
to
Minnesota
and
the
Flames
visit
the
Maple
Leafs.
Where
can
you
get
your
car
Serviced
Until
12
Midnight?
at
NORTHWAY
ESSO
SERVICE
1st
&
George
thafs
where!
Brakes
Major
Tuno-Ups
Shocks
Mufflers
Wheel
Balancing
THE
CITIZEN;
Prince
George
Monday
December
29,
1975
13
Kings'
streak
stretched
ght
games
refused
to
quit
and
scored
two
quick
ones.
They
deserve
a
lot
of
credit."
Rahier
used
i
Darcy
Koch
both
games
in
the
nets.
Both
Koch
and
Claude
Bertoli
made
the
road
trip.
"Darcy
played
great
in
both
games,"
said-Rahier.
"He
stopped
two
breakaways
Sunday
and
Saturday
made
several
key
saves
early."
Rahier
said
he
still
plans
on
alternating
his
goaltenders
and
Bertoli
will
play
Friday;
,
against
Quesnel
and
Koch
will
go
Saturday.
,
Defenceman
Ken
Beurckert
didn't
play
in
either
game
due
to
a
suspension
he
picked
up
in
Fort
St.
John
last
week.
Beuckert
grabbed
an
opposing
player
by
the
chin
strap
during
a
fight.
The
Spruce
Kings
next
games
are
in
Quesnel
this
weekend,
then
they
play
host
G
Grande
Prairie
23
Fort
St.
John
24
Quesnel
22
Prince
George
22
Dawson
Creek
20
to
the
first
place
Grande
Prairie
North
Stars
here
in
early
January.
"The
way
things
are
going
right
now,"
said
Rahier,
"we
are
really
looking
forward
to
Grande.
Prairie;
We
know
we
gave
a
poor
showing
against
them
the
last
time
and
it
will
be
different
this
time."
After
holding
last
most
of
the
season,
the
Spruce
Kings
are
now
easily
the
hottest
club
in
the
league.
The
four
point
weekend
pushes
them
just
two
points
behind
third
place
Quesnel
and
makes
this
.weekend's
games
against
the
Millionaires
doubly
important;
The
Spruce
Kings
have
19
points
just
two
behind
Quesnel
and
each
has
played
22
games;
"We've
got
a
better
club
than
Quesnel,"
said
Rahier.
"In
fact,
we've
got
the
best
club
in
the
league
bar
none."
W
L
F
A
P
18
S
132
82
36
12
11
131
126
29
10!
11
124
109
21
9
12
97
116
19
5
14
81
130
11
iques
deal
looks
like
steal
By
Canadian
Press
When
hockey
men
sit
down
to
talk
about
lop-sided
trades,
the
deals
that
brought
Marc
Tardif
and
Christian
Bor-deleau
to
Quebec
Nordiques
las
t
season
must
come
up
early
in
the
conversation.
The
Nordiques
gave
up
nothing
but
fringe
players
to
get
this
year's
two
top
scorers
in
the
World
Hockey
Association.
Tardif
scored
his
33rd
and
34th
goals
of
the
season
and
Bordeleau
picked
up
his
20th
Sunday
night
to
lead
Quebec
Nordiques
to
an
easy
6-1
win
over
Toronto
Toros
before
8,172
Toronto
fans.
The
win
lifted
the
Nordiques
into
first
place
in
the
Canadian
Division
and
over-all
standings,
one
point
ahead
of
Winnipeg
Jets,
who
lost
6-4
to
Calgary
Cowboys.
The
Nordiques
gave
up
three
fringe
players
to
acquire
Tardif
and
Steve
Sutherland
from
the
financially-troubled
Michigan
Stags
in
1974,
just
before
the
league
took
over
the
Stags.
Bordeleau
became
available
from
the
Jets
after
a
series
of
tiffs
with
Winnipeg
management:
To
get
him,
Nordiques
had
to
give
up
Alain
Beaule,
a
defenceman
no
longer
in
the
league.
-
Tardif
's
goals
and
an
assist
gave
him
71
points
and
a
12point
bulge
over
Bordeleau,
who
had
a
goal
and
an
assist
against
the
floundering
Toros.
In
Sunday's
other
WHA
games,
San
Diego
Mariners
edged
Minnesota
Fighting
Saints
2-1,
Phoenix
Roadrun-ners
edged
Denver
Spurs
3-2,
Cincinnati
Stingers
dropped
Indianapolis
4-1
and
New
England
Whalers
blanked
Cleveland
Crusaders
4-0.
On
Saturday,
Houston
Aeros
stopped
Minnesota
5-0,
Indianapolis
edged
Cincinnati
2-1,
Cleveland
blanked
Toronto
5-0,
Quebec
dropped
Edmonton
6-3
and
Phoenix
humbled
Denver
10-0.
Toronto
goalie
Dave
Tata-ryn,
who
faced
34
shots
in
the
first
two
periods
and
was
one
of
his
team's
few
bright
spots,
was
philosophical
about
the
.lack
of
support
he
got
from
his
teammates..
'Did
you
hear
our
strategy?"
he
joked.
"Wewere
trying
to
hem
them
in
our
end
for
two
periods
and
wear
them
out."
Serge
Bernier,
Rich
Jordan
and
Real
Cloutier,
who
picked
up
three
assists,
were
the
other
Quebec
scorers.
IF
YOU
CAN
RAISE
IT...
WE
CAN
FEED
IT!
YELLOWHEAD
Xs
Corner
of
1st
&
Queensway
562-7268