High Scores Haunt Coach of Red Wings

Harry Neale sat with moist eyes and dry lips, staring at the sweaty locker-room floor. He picked absently at the label on an empty beer bottle resting between his knees.

“We made some horrendous plays out there,” the Detroit Red Wing coach said, pointing toward the Forum rink. “We gift-wrapped four goals in the first period. Our team is fragile. When you get down Saturday night in the Forum against the Montreal Canadiens, you know damn well you’re in for a long night.”

There have been many long nights and lonely days for the Red Wing coach this season. The 10-1 drubbing at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 1 was the worst in a long list of lopsided losses.

It came the day after the Red Wings had eked out a victory over their Norris Division-leading rivals, the St. Louis Blues.

Just hours before the game against the Canadiens, an ebullient Neale had told an interviewer his team was showing signs of “heading out of the woods.”

Detroit, with the third worst won-lost record in the National Hockey League after the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Los Angeles Kings, looked as if they had wandered from the woods into the forest a few hours later.

The Canadiens scored from every direction and angle--long wrist shots, breakaways and backhanders, including two short-handed goals.

Matters reached a low when Detroit forward Claude Loiselle scored the eighth Canadiens’ goal by batting a rebound past Detroit goalie Ed Mio.

“We’re getting shellacked, but the Canadiens sure are fun to watch,” muttered a Red Wing official sitting in the press box.

Neale, nattily attired in a maroon blazer and blue pullover, loosened his tie as he glanced up at the Forum clock to see when the carnage would end.

Known as one of the most congenial coaches in the NHL, the former Vancouver Canucks’ coach and general manager declined to single out players for blame after the game.

Earlier in the day, riding the crest of his win over St. Louis, Neale had been more forthcoming about the vicissitudes of his first year as coach of the Red Wings.

Amid much ballyhoo, the club signed a plethora of free agents and untried rookies to big contracts during the off-season. They ended up with fizzle instead of sizzle.

Czech defector Peter Klima has been the only one to live up to expectations. He had 11 goals and 11 assists heading into the game against St. Louis Saturday, Dec. 7.

The Wings signed United States collegians Adam Oates to a four-year contract for $1.1 million and Ray Staszak for $1.4 million over five years. Both have been sent to the minors.

They signed Warren Young to a four-year, $900,000 contract. A 40-goal scorer with the Pittsburgh Penguins last year, he has been a disappointment so far with only five goals.

Defensemen Mike McEwan and Harold Snepsts came over from the Washington Capitals and the Minnesota North Stars, respectively, for more megabucks. Snepsts has been out most of the season with an injured left knee, while McEwen has been shaky.

“Everyone, including me and the general manager (Jim Devellano) got carried away, thinking the new kids would help us,” Neale said. “They didn’t help our team, but the signings sold tickets.”

It took them almost one month to win their first game of the season.

“The start was a real bummer,” Neale, 48, said. “The expectations had gotten out of hand a little bit, so it was a long October.”

It got so bad that Neale had a hard time going out without people reminding him that his club was a dud.

“I have three little kids who had no idea we were in a slump,” Neale said. “So when I came home, it was a delight. They didn’t know that daddy’s team was right in the tank.”

Ironically, the Wings will likely make the fourth and last playoff spot in the weak Norris Division even though they have one of the worst won-lost records in the NHL.

Luckily for them, the Maple Leafs were mired in fifth place heading into weekend play.