SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) – Add Cincinnati Stingers to the list of World Hockey Association dinosaurs.

The Stingers played their final game Tuesday night, losing to New England Whalers 2-1 in the deciding match of their best-of-three quarter-final playoff.

Cincinnati, which joined the WHA in 1975, has passed away — along with Birmingham Bulls — as the National Hockey League expands to include the other four WHA franchises for next season.

However, the Stingers went out fighting Tuesday and only a superlative effort by Whalers' goaltender Al Smith — who stopped 33 of 34 shots, including several difficult ones in the last minute — enabled New England to post the victory.

“I can't fault our guys,” said Stingers coach Floyd Smith. “We held them to two goals and that's a good effort.”

But the effort wasn't good enough to keep the Stingers alive in the WHA playoffs. Blaine Stoughton‘s goal with 17 seconds left in the second period snapped a 1-1 stalemate and proved to be the winner.

The two teams traded power-play goals in the opening period with Jamie Hislop scoring first for Cincinnati. John McKenzie replied for the Whalers four minutes later.

“We had our chances and all the opportunities in the world,” the Stinger coach added. “We got a little tired at the end. It was a very good hockey game.”

Whalers' coach Don Blackburn praised his goalie and the rest of the team.

“We seem to play better when we have ourselves in a back-to-the-wall situation (Al) Smith played a super game and, in fact, both he and John Garrett, our other goalies, played well in the series. They got us here.”

For Al Smith, the win had added significance.

“I really like beating Cincinnati — it was a sweet win,” said Smith, who played for Buffalo of the NHL in 1970 when Floyd Smith coached the Sabres.

The goaltender walked out on the Sabres when Buffalo general manager Punch Imlach ordered Floyd Smith to play Don Edwards, then a rookie, in place of Smith, who then quit hockey but resurfaced with the Whalers for the 1977 78 season.

The Whalers now advance to semifinal action against Edmonton Oilers. New England managed just four wins in 14 games against the Oilers, who finished in first place, during the regular season.