HOUSTON (CP)— Gordie Howe, playing in a style helving his 46 years, was at his best Sunday night as Houston Aeros beat Chicago Cougars 6-2 to win the World Hockey Association championship.
”1 said before we went out there that a winner can take a lot of crap and be a winner by taking advantage,” Howe said after the victory.
That's what the Aeros did, scoring five power-play goals in the final game to sweep the best-of-seven World Trophy finals in straight games.
“Chicago came out running and hitting,” Howe, four-time Stanley Cup winner, said of the rugged contest played before a capacity crowd of 9,874.
“They took a lot of penalties and we took advantage of them.”
If the Aeros needed any incentive, Howe provided it. He was playing with the exuberance of his two young sons— Marty, 20, and Mark, 18. He threw himself in front of shots, backchecked, played defence when asked and directed the power play that proved to be the killing factor.
“I don't think anyone will ever be able to say too much about the man” joyous coach Bill Dineen said of Howe, who set up four goals.
SCORED QUICKLY
Houston scored three goals in less than 2i/2 minutes in the first period—two on power plays—and rapped in three more—all on power plays in a span of just over three minutes midway through the second period and coasted to the win.
“Our power play was working to perfection tonight,” said Mu~rav Hall who score ‘ the first two power-play goals a minute and eight seconds apart in the first period.
“We were throwing the puck around, moving well and just had everything going right.”
But before everything got going correctly for Houston, it took a number of big saves by goaltender Don McLeod to keep the Cougars under wraps.
“McLeod made four or five spectacular saves early,” Chicago playing coach Pat Stapleton said. “But he got some good bounces and they cleared well. That's what makes a good team.”
For the first time in four games, Chicago tested McLeod severely every period and the Houston goaltender had to make big stops off Jim Watson, Darryl Maggs, Stapleton and Ralph Backstrom in the first five minutes of the game.
After that, the Aeros got their skating legs and slowly took command. Once they withstood Chicago's opening rush, Houston swung the game around to their style and used strong positional hockey, excellent passing, tight defence and good goaltending to win.
“The attitude was as high as it could be for the game,” Howe said. “Ted Taylor said that if anyone had to be talked into being high that there was something wrong.”
The Aeros were all high, spreading their goals among all three lines and wasting little time on the power plays.
Larry Lund, centring for Frank Hughes and Andre Hinse, picked up two of the Houston goals to emerge the playoff scoring champion with nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in 14 games.
Hinse and Gord Labossiere got the other Houston goals. Jan Popiel, late in the second period, and Rick Morris in the third, scored for Chicago after Houston had taken a 6-0 lead.
Referee Brent Casselman handed out 27 penalties, 15 to Chicago, but more than half of them were coincidental minors.
The series victory was worth a total of $80,000 to the Aeros, raising their playoff money winnings to $200,000. The Cougars will receive $60,000 and they will split $180,000 in total playoff winnings.