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St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 27
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 27

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spds SECTION, Apr. 23, 1984 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH Kevin Horrigan Sports Comment By Ron Cobb the third period. But they were sent home for the season because of a 75-foot goal by right winger Willi Plett that forced the game Into overtime, and then Payne's goal. In overtime, Llut had cleared the puck to defenseman Tim Bothwell behind the net, and Bothwell's shot around the boards was held In by Payne.

Skating in from the left circle, Payne flipped a 12-foot backhanded shot Into the net between Llut's pads. Llut had been outstanding through the first six games of the series, but he was even better Sunday night. He had made a handful of spectacular saves, but his only flaw was a tragic one. Only 15 seconds after a short-handed goal by right winger Mark Reeds had given the Blues their 3-2 lead, Liut gave up the long goal to Plett The goal was Plett's second of the game. Defenseman Gordle Roberts also scored for the North Stars.

Left wingers Brian Sutter and Jorgen Pettersson added goals for the Blues. Pettersson's goal at 8:52 of the third period had tied the score at 2-2, and Reeds put the Blues ahead with his short-handed goal at 14:06. to the near side. Only seconds earlier, Llut had robbed winger Brian Bellows at the side of the net Llut, however, was phenomenal In preventing the North Stars from taking a bigger lead. At 3:48 of the third period, after he had stopped a shot by Plett, he made an outstanding leg save on winger Brent Ashton on the rebound.

After the Blues killed off a penalty to defenseman Dave Pichette, Pettersson tied the score at 2-2 at 8:52. Center Doug Gilmour had skated See BLUES, Page 7 But Plett carried the puck from Inside his blue line, across center Ice and beat Llut with a 75-foot shot to the glove side, tying the score, 3-3, at 14:21. Early In the third period, the Blues had Just killed off Minnesota's third power play chance of the game when Roberts scored 34 seconds Into a penalty to Payne, giving Mlnnesta a 2-1 lead at 1 minute 34 seconds of the pelod. Center Keith Acton had picked up the loose puck along the boards and then passed through the slot to Roberts, whose 15-foot shot beat Llut Otthe Post-Dispatch Staff BLOOMINGTON, Minn. An unassisted goal by left winger Steve Payne at 6 minutes of overtime gave the Minnesota North Stars a 4-3 victory and ended a gallant bid by the Blues in the seventh game of the Norris Division final.

The North Stars advanced to the National Hockey League semifinals to play the Edmonton Oilers, beginning Tuesday night in Edmonton, Alberta. The Blues and goaltender Mike Llut had played an exceptional game and were leading, 3-2, with 5:94 left in NHL Playoffs -x Demers Helped Create Miracle On Oakland Ave. The door to the coach's office in the Blues' clubhouse at The Arena features two of those metal gizmos into V- hlch nameplates are supposed to be inserted. The top one reads "Coach." The bottom one is empty. But it's not a sign of the times the office is very definitely occupied.

Jacques Demers works here now, and despite last night's heartbreaking end to this year's Miracle on Oakland Avenue, he's liable to be in residence for some time to come. Demers' motley collection of veterans, castoffs, new guys and guys he wasn't even sure he wanted went down fighting. The word is character. They took the Minnesota North Stars, a far better team, into overtime of the seventh game of the Norris Division playoffs. The Blues lost, 4-3, but Jacques Demers can go ahead and order a nameplate for the door.

FUNKY PSYCHOLOGISTS and the interior decorating industry would have you believe that the way a person decorates his office reflects his personality. What do we make of Jacques Demers' office? Nothing on the wall except a Blues' calendar and last year's American Hockey League Defeat ames 1- J. coach of the year plaque. Nothing on the bookshelves but NHL guides. The same ratty sofa that his predecessors used.

A big-screen television with a video recorder hooked into It. It all looks very temporary, and given the tenure enjoyed by most occupants of this office, perhaps that's wise. Demers is the 13th coach In the Blues' 17 seasons, a fact made more astounding with the knowledge that six of his 17 predecessors coached the team on more than one occasion. This is a hockey club that eats coaches. Demers knew that back when Ron Caron, the newly hired director of player personnel, called him last summer and offered him the hot seat He knew the franchise was, to put it mildly, in a state of flux.

He knew the players were confused, the fans were confused and that an air of uncertainty surrounded the whole Karen Elshout WhlteleyPost-Dispatch Inning Sunday at Busch Stadium. Expos pitcher Bryn Smith and Cardinals third-base coach Hal Lanier watch the action. Ozzie Smith of the Cardinals is about to be tagged by Montreal Expos third baseman Tim Wallach after a rundown In the fifth EDMONTON, Alberta (UPI) Jart Kurri rekindled Edmonton's lost firepower with two goals In a four-goal second period Sunday night and led the Oilers Into the Stanley Cup semifinals with a 7-4 victory over the stubborn Calgary Flames. The Oilers' victory In the seventh game of the Smythe Division final moved them Into the National Hockey League semifinals against the Minnesota North Stars, beginning Tuesday night at Edmonton. The Flames, who finished 37 points behind Edmonton in the standings and had not beaten them In eight regular season games, pushed back to tie the game twice and at one point led, 4-3, until the swift Oilers finally broke through against goaltender ReJean Lemeltn.

Kurrl, the leading playoff goal scorer with eight, started the second-period scoring with a power-play goal that gave Edmonton a 3-2 edge. But the Flames replied with quick goals by Steve Konroyd and rookie Allan Maclnnls and took the lead for the first time at 10 minutes 15 seconds of the period. The Oilers then rattled off three goals in a span of 4:10 and moved ahead, 6-4. Glenn Anderson and Ken Llnseman scored 58 seconds apart, and Kurrl connected at 18:00, taking a breakaway pass from Llnseman at the Calgary blue line and firing the puck past Lemelin Into the top corner of the net. Andy Moog, whose only playoff action this year was the last 31 minutes In Game 5 of the Calgary series, was a surprise starter in this game but was replaced by Grant Fuhr halfway through the second period after allowing three goals on eight Calgary shots.

Edmonton led, 6-4, after the wild second period, and a goal by the Oilers' Pat Hughes was the only scoring In the third period. yffffei? IS 58h ifirag nothing has seemed to work so far and second baseman Tom Herr, among those struggling at bat Is becoming concerned. Herr is not prone to rash judgements. "I've never been one to panic," he said, "but I'm about as close as I've ever been. We went from World Series champions to a dismal fourth-place club last year and now this.

There are games when we look like a good ballclub, and other games, it looks like we have no direction. "I'm frustrated. You look at the club and It's the same pattern every game. We fall behind by two or three runs and we have to get four or five See CARDS, Page I The Cardinals had 10 hits off Smith, who beat them for the fourth straight time, and Jeff Reardon on Sunday. "That's 10 more than we had last night," said Herzog, referring to Palmer's five-Inning perfect game.

But the Cardinals left nine runners on base, giving them 119 for the season or about 30 more than their opposition. "We haven't hit In the clutch since last Sunday," said Herzog. "We haven't hit in the clutch all year. "I know we can hit. I know we're better than that.

But we sure as hell aren't doing It" The Cardinals used yet another lineup Sunday, with Andy Van Slyke hitting third and playing first base. But Expos' 16 seasons In the National League that Montreal had swept a three-game series at Busch Stadium, Their president John McHale, who has been with several other major league teams, said he couldn't remember one of his teams earning a sweep In St Louis since the Detroit Tigers beat the Browns. As you know, the Browns have not been with us for more than 30 years. But back to the issue at hand In their last seven games, two of which, remarkably, they have won, the Cardinals have scored 13 runs. In eight of their 16 games, they have scored two runs or fewer.

"That," said Herzog, "is not conducive to winning." By Rick Hummel Of the Post-Dispatch Staff What's wrong with the Cardinals? Whitey Herzog had this rather significant statistic: "We've played 16 games, and Ozzie Smith leads us In RBIs with seven." That is not the way the currently somnambulant Cardinals offense was supposed to function. But on Sunday, Bryn Smith of the Montreal Expos looked like Scott Sanderson, Steve Trout, Steve Rogers and David Palmer before htm this week as the Expos scored a 4-2 victory over the Cardinals, earning a three-game series sweep. The Cardinals' loss was their fifth straight and it was the first time In the deal. But he took the Job anyway. You'd have to see Fredericton, New Brunswick, to understand why.

"Yes, I knew the thing was up In the air," Demers said Saturday as he waited for the plane to Minneapolis. "But I wanted the opportunity to get back to NHL. I'd Just signed a new three-year contract with Quebec, and there was the understanding that maybe one day I'd get another chance to the Nordlques." DEMERS HAS BEEN the Quebec coach when the team was part of the World Hockey Association, and coached them in their first year in the NHL After that, it was the minor leagues. Fredericton may be a nice town, but big league, it's not. Demers was greeted skeptically In St.

Louis. "Sure, I came in a stranger," he said. "Everybody wanted to see what the new guy was made of. They heard me say that I would get the maximum out of the players, that we'd play, hard and determined every night, but they were waiting." What they saw was a stocky man with the face of Inspector Clousseau and the nervous fidgets of Rodney Dangerfield. But this was no bumbling inspector.

This was someone who got plenty of respect. Respect, along with work, discipline and maximum effort. Every night. American League National League How They Stand American league Eastern Division Metier-Lei MS'-El NATIONAL LEAGUE ooCue Twins it 1-M Show; Hfl op Pet. OB 8T Detroit 12 1 .923 W3 Toronto 9 7 .663 AVt L3 Cleveland 6 6 .600 6V W1 New York 6 8 .429 6'i L2 Milwaukee 5 9 .367 7Vt W1 Baltimore 6 10 .333 8 L1 Boston 4 11 .267 9 W1 Wostorn Division Pet.

OB 8T Seattle 9 6 .600 L1 Oakland 10 7 .688 LI California 10 8 .656 Vi W5 Minnesota 8 8 .600 1W W1 Texas 8 8 .600 1Vi W2 Kansas City 7 7 .600 1Vi LI Chicago 6 8 .388 3 L3 lets tioles, S-1 Eastern Division Pet. OB ST Philadelphia 9 .643 W2 New York 9 6 .600 12 Chicago 6 6 .671 1 L1 Montreal 9 7 .683 1 W3 CARDINALS 7 9 .438 3 LS Pittsburgh 6 9 .357 4 W1 Wssf rn Division Pel. OB 8T 8an Diego 11 6 .688 LI Loi Angeles 10 7 .688 1V W1 San Francisco 7 6 .467 W1 Houston 7 9 .438 4 W2 Atlanta 6 10 .333 6V L2 Cincinnati 6 11 .313 6 L1 Compiled From News Services PHILADELPHIA Manager Paul Owens gave Juan Samuel the Philadelphia Phillies' second-base job last winter to allow the rookie time to concentrate on opening the season In prime form. Owens has not been disappointed. Samuel had two hits, Including his first home run, batted in two, scored three and stole two bases Sunday as the Phillies beat the New York Mets, 12-5.

Unbeaten Charles Hudson pitched 6 Innings for his third victory. He got relief help from Bill Campbell and Al Holland. Ron Darling, who worked five Innings despite giving up six runs and six hits in the first two, lost his second in three starts for the Mets. ST: WinLoss streak ST: WinLoss streak "The fans in St. Louis are just as knowledgeable as they are in Canada, but baseball is everyone's first love.

You have to sell hockey a lot harder. In Canada, it's a religion. But In the states, you've got to get the maximum effort every night or people won't support the team." Early in the season, Demers chanted work, discipline and maximum effort at his players, but somehow the message didn't get through. Then one night in November, after a disastrous effort against Detroit, he blew up. "I came right out and blasted the whole team," he said.

"Not individual players, because I don't believe In that. But I told them the people wanted work, discipline and maximum effort, and they were cheating the fans. And let's face It, SUNDAY'S RESULTS SUNDAY'S RESULTS Montreal 4, Cardinals 2 Philadelphia 12, New York 5 Houston 3, Atlanta 1 Los Angeles 16. San Diego 7 8an Francisco 9, Cincinnati 6 Pittsburgh at Chicago, ppd, rain Detroit 9, Chicago 1 California 9, Toronto 6 Texas 4. New York 0 Minnesota 6.

Baltimore 1 Boston 12, Oakland 8 Kansas City at Cleveland, rain Seattle at Milwaukee, rain SATURDAY'S RESULTS Cleveland 3, Kansas City 2 California 8, Toronto 4 Texas 1, New York 0 Baltimore 5, Minnesota 3 Oakland 5, Boston 2 Detroit 4, Chicago 1 Milwaukee 6, Seattle 2 SATURDAY'S RESULTS Montreal 8-4, Cardinals 3-0 (second game, five Innings, rain) Pittsburgh 8, Chicago 6 Philadelphia 12, New York 2 San Diego 9, Los Angeles 8 Cincinnati San Francisco 4 Houston 4, Atlanta 2 Compiled From Newt Services BALTIMORE John Butcher lost his shutout on a two-out, ninth-Inning homer by Cal Ripken but the Minnesota pitcher continued his dominnce of the Baltimore Orioles. Butcher checked the struggling Orioles on six hits, four of them coming In the final two Innings, as the Twins scored a 6-1 victory Sunday and snapped a losing streak at four games. While Baltimore pitchers were surrendering etght walks In the brisk, 48-degree weather, Butcher walked none and had faced only one batter over the minimum going into the eighth. "I'm a slnkerball pitcher," he said. "I'm not overpowering.

I Just throw strikes. I've got seven guys behind me." The defeat gave Baltimore's defending world champions a 4-11 record, tying Baltimore's 1955 and 1982 teams for the worst start In the team's history. Tigers 9, White Sox 1 DETROIT Kirk Gibson belted a two-run homer and Chet Lemon went four for four as Detroit completed a three-game sweep of Chicago. The Tigers hammered out 18 hits against five Chicago pitchers, Including lnfielder Mike Squires. Juan Berenguer, seeing his first action of 1984, allowed just two hits In seven Innings and got the victory.

He struck out seven and walked Reliever Aurello Lopez gave up one hit In the eighth and Willie Hernandez gave up two more hits In the ninth as the Tigers Improved their record to 12-1, best in the majors. Squires, a lefthander, started the game at first base and moved to third base to start the eighth. The Tigers pounded reliever Britt Burns for five runs In the eighth, and Squires relieved Burns with two outs and runners on first and second. Tom Brookens filed out to left on Squires' second pitch, ending the inning. Rangers 4, Yankees 0 NEW YORK Mickey Rivers' run-scoring single broke a scoreless deadlock in the eighth inning and Danny Darwin and Mike Mason blanked New York on seven hits as Texas blanked New York.

Darwin (2-0) struck out two and walked two, scattering TODAY'S GAMES (St. Louis Tims) TODAY'S GAMES (St. Louis Times) without the fans, we don have a team. I told them that this is the way it's going to be, and If they didn't like it, we'd get rid of them. It took a while, but the message got through." THIS YEAR'S BLUES were a better bargain that previous editions of the team even in the playoffs, when ticket prices and parking fees were jacked up precisely because fans could expect full value for the dollar every night Under the regime of new owner Harry Ornest, the Blues were a no-frills operation, and the philosophy extended to the ice.

In his no-name office on Friday night, after the Blues' had shut out Minnesota to push the series to seven games, Demers neatly summed up his first season, and his philosophy as well. "I wanted him relaxed," Owens said of Samuel. "I knew there was no way he couldn't do the Job. "I had to let him know that there was no gun at his head." Samuel Is hitting .280 and has stolen 10 of the 20 bases credited to the Phillies this season. "He's the ideal leadoff man," Owens said.

"He gets on base." Samuel opened the Phillies first with his first homer of the season for a 1-0 lead. The Phillies sent 10 men to the plate in a five-run bat-around in the second. Von Hayes opened the second with a single and took second on a balk. After Ozzie Virgil walked, Ivan DeJesus doubled home Hayes, Virgil advancing to third. Hudson then doubled, scoring Virgil and DeJesus.

The final two runs came home on a single by Samuel and a double by Mike Schmidt Hudson held the Mets scoreless until the fifth, when Ron Gardenhire and George Foster singled and scored ahead of Darryl Strawberry's fourth homer of the year. Dodgers 15, Padres 7 LOS ANGELES Mike Marshall had five hits and drove in six runs, and Steve Yeager drove in four runs, leading Los Angeles past San Diego. Marshall's output Included two home runs that helped the Dodgers to their third victory over the Western Division leaders. Yeager had two hits, Including a bases-loaded double that sparked what turned out to be the winning rally in the first inning. The Dodgers put together an 18-hlt attack, which See NATIONAL Pge5 Chicago (Sanderson 1-1) at St.

Louis (LaPoint 1-2), 7:36 p.m. New York (Terrell 2-0) at Montreal (Lea 2-1), 12:06 p.m. San Francisco (Robinson 2-1) at San Diego (Hawkins 1-0), 9:06 p.m. Houston (Knepper 2-1) at Los Angeles (Welch 1-2), 9:35 p.m. Texas (Hough 1-1) at Cleveland (Sutcliffe 2-0), 12:36 p.m.

Seattle (Langston 1-0) at Toronto (Stieb 2-0), 12:36 p.m. Oakland (Sorensen 1-2) at Milwaukee (Porter 0-0), 6 p.m. Minnesota (Williams 1-2) at Detroit (Morris 3-0), 6:35 p.m. California (Zahn 2-0) at Boston (Ojeda 0- 2). 6:35 p.m.

Kansaa City (Black 3-0) at New York (Niekro 3-0), 7 p.m. Baltimore (Palmer 0-2) at Chicago (Seaver 0-2), 7:30 p.m, TUESDAY'S GAMES Kansas City at New York, noon Texas at Cleveland, 1 2:35 p.m. Oakland at Milwaukee, 6 p.m. Seattle at Toronto, 6:35 p.m. Minneaota at Detroit, 6:36 p.m.

TUESDAY'S GAMES Chicago at St. Louia, 7:35 p.m. New York at Montreal, 1 2:05 p.m. Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 6:36 p.m. Cincinnati at Atlanta, 8:40 p.m.

"We've come a long way," he said. "A very long way. I said when I was named coach that I wanted work, discipline and maximum effort And I pp.t go, Houston at Los Angeles, 9.35 p.m. Baltimore at Chicago, 7:30 p.m, AMERICAN, Page I.

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