Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 49

I i if If it' I EI 7" Th rj i it 1 By TOM HENDERSON Free Preis Sports Writer The Red Wings lost the battle but they won the war Thursday night, clinching a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs despite their humbling, 4-0 wipeout at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings. Except for stepping onto the ice to start the game, the Wings never gave their all-time, record-setting crowd of 16,654 a chance to cheer as the Kings recaptured second place in the Norris Division. But the loss became almost secondary when the Wings wrapped up their first post-season berth since 1969-70 when the stumbling Pittsburgh Penguins were beaten by the Bruins, 6-3. THE RED WINGS were supposed to nail the lid on the coffin of the Kings' hopes for second place Thursday night. But they found themselves short of nails, without a hammer, and with nary a body or coffin in sight.

The Kings, far from dead, played with all the life of a herd of frisky colts, jumping out to a 3-0 lead before the second period was 2' minutes old, then cruised home to the win, which would have been far more lopsided if not for two saves by the Detroit goal pests in the first period and a handful of sensational saves by Jimmy Rutherford in the second. And it had looked so easy on paper, too. The Wings were going to win big and go three points ahead of LA with two games in hand, right? After all, the Kings had been stumbling lately, had gotten blown out in Chicago Wednesday night, and were just 1-3-1 against the Wings this WHAT'S MORE, the Wings were coming off a 7-0 annihilation of the Buffalo Sabres Tuesday, had been unbeaten in their last six at home and had just one loss in their last 12. But the Kings didn't follow the script, or maybe they never read it. Whatever.

They handled the Wings with ease throughtout, humiliating them with a 17-6 edge in shots on net in the second period and a 26-13 edge for the game en route to Rogie Vachon's fourth shutout of the year. The Wings' loss, which dropped them back under .500 for the season, set up a situation that would have Wings have two games in hand on LA, but Detroit must finish the season with two games against Montreal, while the Kings finish with a pair against Vancouver. "We're going to finish second, I guarantee it," said LA coach Ron Stewart. "No one would have beaten us tonight." THE LOSS was also costly in that it about killed the Wings' hopes for the home-ice advantage in the three-game, opening round of the playoffs. The Wings must beat out Atlanta, but trail the Flames by seven points with just one game in hand and time running out.

Detroit got on the board first In the opening period, but Vachon and the Kings got a reprieve when the linesman ruled that he'd blown the play dead on an offside. "I was three yards from the play, and the puck never got over the line," said defenseman Terry Harper. "It never even got to the line. But he was Please turn to Page 8D been unthinkable at the beginning of the year: Bobby Kromm upset on the night he clinched the playoffs. 'It's quite obvious we wouldn't be happy.

That's the understatement of the year," said Kromm. "We came up flat against a team we had to beat. "We played the pantywaists like they play," he added, putting the knock on the Kings' light-hitting style. "And when you play them like that, you lose." DENNIS HEXTALL saw it the same way. "We didn't hit them and that's what you have to do to beat them.

I guess you could say we just didn't do our job. "They got six guys, you say boo to 'em and they leave the building," he added, tightlipped. "But we didn't bump 'em. We came up complacent from that last game. Maybe that's a lesson for us: If we don't hit, we're not going to win." Clinching the playoff spot meant little to Rutherford, either, though it's been six years since he's been there.

"We were right there for second and now we're making it tough for ourselves. If we'd have won tonight, we'd have locked it up." If. As it is, the Kings go back up by a point. The John Killer It's been a long, long wail for Bruce Norris, loo The love letters of a sports writer: "Al Kaline said that baseball is a mental game, so where docs that leave the Tigers, who have some real dingbats on the team?" JOHNNY CHISEL, Detroit Do not confuse book smarts with athletic smarts, John. Some authentic dummies in the one area have absolute genius ia the other.

Healthy Hillcr is break for Tigers By JIM HAWKINS Free Press Sports Writer LAKELAND John Hiller is scared. The veteran Tiger's aging left arm feels so good this spring that it actually frightens him. "I've never thrown this hard or felt this good in spring training before," Hiller marveled Thursday. "I feel great. I feel almost as good as I did in '73 when I came back from my heart attack.

"Usually, I get some soreness in the back of my shoulder. I've had that for the last three springs. But it hasn't bothered me at all this year. I'm loose as soon as I come out on the field." HILLER ISN'T the only one who has been impressed with his performance this spring. Ralph Houk has noticed the difference, too.

"He's having the best spring I've ever seen him have," said the Tigers' manager before Thursday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. "Ordinarily, it takes him a little while to get ready, but he hasn't had any trouble at all this year." The rejuvenation of Hiller's arm could not have occurred at a better time. After all that he went through last sum-Please turn to Page 5D Dionne isn't one to gloat By JOE FALLS Free Press Sports Writer Marcel Dionne stood there grinning. "How would you like to be In by boots now?" he said. "You'd be feeling pretty good." The little guy tried to play It calm but couldn't quite hide his elation over the way things went In Olympia Stadium Thursday night.

He came in as a marked man and left as a happy man. It was clear the local citizens were out for his blood. They hung up their signs taunting the former Red Winger and current Los Angeles King and they shouted at him every time he took a turn on the ice. Some boob even threw a program at him near the end of the game and hit him on the helmet. "They almost hit Dennis Hextall and he didn't have a helmet on," said Dionne.

"But these are good fans. I mean that. Detroit is a great hockey town. Things just got turned around when I was here. "Some things were blown out of proportion and I blew my cool.

But it is all turning out well. I'm happy In L.A. Please turn to Page SD "With the possible exception of the Tigers, nobody turns on the crowds like the Red Wings, who are entitled to be called the 'Comeback Team of the 1970s. "Ted Lindsay and Bobby Kromm deserve all the kudos we can manage for the terrific job they've done reviving the team. "On to the playoffs!" JIM STEPHENSON, Madison Heights No doubt club owner Bruce Norris, who was feeling the strain and drain a year ago, would lead your parade.

In the previous four years, Norris had dropped $6 million with the Red Wings, but now he can reline his pockets. The loudest cheer should be his. "I wonder where those stupid oddsmakers like Jimmy the Greek came up with statistics that make the Tigers a 100-1 shot to win the pennant." JOE LAMB, Wayne If you can get those odds from anybody, Joe, by all means take 10 bucks worth. Actually, the Tigers are about 15-1 to beat out the Yankees and Red Sox. Don't expect racing bombshell "So how much progress have they made Investigating Debbie Hicks' charges of tampering with horses at Hazel Park Race Track? I'll bet nothing comes of what she said." FRANK WOSNIAK, Livonia That might be the surest bet you make all year, pal, for aside from tightening security in the barn area, little likely will result from Ms.

Kicks' claim. Alas, you cannot be sure about any kind of horse competition. Did you hear the winner of the UPI Prioto Dy juE POlIMEM It could have been worse for the Wings and goafSe Jimmy Rutherford, but the Kings' Danny Grant (15) hits the goal post (puck circled) as Erroil Thompson (12) looks on. My voice on wireta North American jumping classic at the Detroit Horse Show last summer has been disqualified and ordered to return the $5,000 first prize? The needle, gain. larney says TOattii'Mtl'i'W ltiiitnniiTinri" "I think it's a shame the way Leon Splnks is being criticized by you sports writers.

It seems like you are blaming him for winning. He won the fight fair and square and he beat 'The Greatest'." BEVERLY PITTS, Detroit Nobody disputes the latter, not even Muhammad All. But as a matter of comparison with other ranking heavy weights, Leon comes up plenty short. That's the only judgment being made on him at the moment. London Fogs 2-way Protection Plan One's for golf: a zip-front jacket OV--.

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Sr 11 4 Mm 1 I- i Hr'r fvi An attorney for Lem Barney said Wednesday the Lions" veteran defensive back has admitted taking part in a phone conversation which has been linked to a drug-smuggling investigation in Buffalo, N.Y. Attorney Edward Bell said Barney told him he "didn't know them (the callers) that well." In the conversation, Barney allegedly discussed cocaine and amphetamines. Barney was unavailable for comment. Earlier Wednesday, the player and Bell met with Lions' general manager Russ Thomas and coach Monte Clark to discuss reports linking Barney to the investigation. IN A copyrighted story, the Buffalo Courier-Express had reported that Barney's voice was monitored by investigators operating a wiretap on a suspected cocaine-smuggling ring's headquarters in Buffalo.

The newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying Barney Is not among 10 persons expected to be indicted in the probe in international drug trafficking. "Based on my conversations with the Investigators," said Bell, "they have no intention of indicting him. "Lem Barney has given them whatever information he had on the matter." Bell said the phone conversation took place "either last May or June." THE PHONE call was described in an affidavit filed by state police investigator Richard J. Flis, the Courier reported. The legal statement was filed in support of a motion asking for an extension of court permission to tap a telephone in a suburban Buffalo apartment.

According to the Courier, the affidavit said: "Lemuel Jackson Barney of St. Mary's Detroit, Michigan, is telephoned at' (number deleted) and is monitored by officers in a conversation with (names deleted) and that a portion of the conversation pertains to cocaine and speed." Contacted earlier in Detroit by the Courier, Barney said: "I've been told about it." "In reply to your column (FP, March 27) regarding the zebra officials in basketball, today's athletes in almost all sports are tied up by so many rules a referee must have a computer brain to remember and call them when he sees fit. When I played roundball, I can remember only two basic rules traveling and holding. Let's go after the rules committees and put action back into sports." W.V. CLIMIE, Woodhaven You're on target, sir.

The rulesmakers basically coaches have nltpicked the rules so that It's possible to inflict penalty on almost any play in the modern game. The result is the zebras can control the flow and outcome of almost any contest. Pistons, no more turmoil "Even when Bob Lanier was healthy, the Pistons didn't have enough to win and make the playoffs. So now that he is gone, why bother and worry over them? I don't and I won't until they come up with a team that has a real chance to do something." DAVE HENDRICKSON, Hazel Park Well, it has been a season of turmoil with the firing of the coach, the trading away of stars and injuries to key players. Maybe next year.

General manager Bob Kauffman, who has been interim coach, is anxious to get back to his real job, has continued Interviewing candidates for the coaching job and expects to name the man "within a few weeks after our season ends." That should be soon while others are involved in the playoffs. "ii He then insisted: "I'm serious, I know nothing about it. I've had no dealings in this whatsoever," the newspaper reported. "University of Michigan has lost two Kettering High stars to mean, bad Woody Hayes. But Michigan still recruited successfully with three big linemen from Ohio Chuck Rowland, Ed Muransky and March Worth.

I think Bo will survive." JOHN DANIELS, Detroit No doubt he will. A few weeks ago, Schembechler said he was Interested only in football players who are 6-6 and more. He didn't seem to be fooling about that, so you see what hell he means to raise. LESTER HUDSON, a law partner of Bell, flew to Buffalo two weeks ago in an attempt to clarify the matter, he said. "It was my understanding no names would be revealed due to Lcm's status as a professional football player," Hudson said.

Erie County District Attorney Edward S. Cosgrove declined comment. The Courier-Express said Please turn to Page 8D (Dandies, eh? Those smart, dashing LL lapel pins are tffts to all whose sparkling thoughts appear here. Send your sports beefs or bouquets to Love Letters, Detroit free Press, Detroit, Mich. 482SL) MOST HUGHES HATCHER STORES OPEN EVENINGS.

MOST HUGHES HATCHER STORES OPEN SUNDAYS Lem Barney.