WINNIPEG (CP) – Winnipeg Jets survived their worst period of hockey in four games and went on to defeat New England Whalers 5-3 last night to win their second World Hockey Association championship in three years.
The victory, before a jubilant capacity crowd of 10,348, many of them drinking wine or champagne in the final minute to celebrate the win, gave Winnipeg a four-game sweep of the Avco Cup final. The last time the Jets won, in 1976, they swept Houston Aeros in four games.
Winnipeg trailed 2-0 after the first period that saw them obviously nervous and unable to settle themselves down.
“I think it was a case of human nature taking over,” said veteran Bobby Hull in the noisy Jets' dressing room. “After the first three games I think the guys thought we just had to go out and we'd win. But we found out that we'd have to work hard as we did all season … it was the only way to do it.”
The Whalers scored early and late in the first-period. Mike Antonovich scored with a quick wrist shot at 1:37 and Rick Ley pushed a puck behind Winnipeg goalie Joe Daley with one second remaining.
EVERYONE WAS WAITING
“I think everyone was looking to see who was going to do the job,” said centre Ulf Nilsson who ended his four-year WHA career with Winnipeg with assists on the final three Winnipeg goals. “The guys were upset at one another after the period and I think we told ourselves we would have to go out and try to win it in the last 40 minutes.”
And they did just that. Dave Kryskow scored at 3:26 with a screened wrist shot seconds after Hull missed the net on an excellent chance from about 15 feet, Lyle Moffat tied the score at 3:38 when he reached back to corral the puck and whip it over Al Smith's shoulder.
Anders Hedberg put the Jets ahead to stay at 17:59 when he deflected Lars-Erik Sjoberg's shot between Smith's legs.
Bobby Hull increased the count to 4-2 at 3:36 of the third by finishing off a Nilssondeflection but George Lyle narrowed it to 4-3 at 11:25 when he beat Daley on a breakaway.
The Whalers exerted some pressure in the final nine minutes before Hedberg settled the issue with an empty-net goal at 19:28.
“What a way to go. Is there any other way? Look at the guys in this room . . .they're all so happy, and I'm so happy for them,” said a joyous Hedberg who, along with Nilsson, will join New York Rangers of the National Hockey League next season.
The loss was a disappointing one for the Whalers who battled the Jets for first place through much of the regular season and then eliminated defending champion Quebec Nordiques in five games in the semi-final.
“We just couldn't get ready for them,” said Whalers' coach Harry Neale. “But I don't know if we could have beat them anyway. They're a great team and they got great effort from everyone.
“But I'll look back on this season as a successful one. We played well tonight and I know one thing for sure, we're definitely the second-best team in this league.”
Prior to the start of the second period Hull was presented with a gold-plated hockey stick from the league in recognition of having scored his 1,000th major league career goal earlier this year.