50 Years Ago in Hockey: Leafs Snap Habs Unbeaten Streak

The Toronto Maple Leafs won their second game in as many nights as they edged the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 at the Forum in Montreal. The win for Toronto snapped the Canadiens unbeaten streak at eight games

In the other National Hockey League contest, the Detroit Red Wings handed the Boston Bruins yet another loss. The Wings shut out the Bruins 2-0 at home in Detroit.

Mahovlich Nets Game-winner

At Montreal, Frank Mahovlich was the Leafs’ best player for the second consecutive night. Mahovlich scored the game-winning goal in the final minute of the second period and was a force all evening. The Big M also scored the winner in Toronto’s 5-3 win over Detroit on Wednesday evening.

Bob Pulford celebrates his 10th goal of the season last night.
Bob Pulford celebrates his 10th goal of the season last night.

Leafs took a 1-0 lead at the 13-minute mark of the opening frame on a Bob Pulford power play goal, his 10th of the season. The lead was short-lived, as Bobby Rousseau came back for Canadiens less than a minute later with his 15th, and the first ended tied at 1-1.

Toronto dominated the second stanza and scored the only two goals. Punch Imlach’s “Kid Line” clicked at 17:21 with a goal by Brit Selby, set up by line mates Ron Ellis and Wally Boyer. Boyer, playing in his fourth game since being recalled from Rochester, now has two goals and three assists.

Mahovlich then scored Toronto’s third goal with 21 seconds left in the period. The Big M was the finisher on a nice three-way passing play with George Armstrong and Dave Keon.

Canadiens scored the only goal of the final frame with Yvan Cournoyer picking up his ninth of the season. The little Montreal right-winger drove home his own rebound after Leaf netminder Johnny Bower made a great save on his first shot.

Bower, who was solid all night, was especially sharp in the third period when the Habs fired 14 drives his way.

Defense Better But Bruins Still Lose

Roger Crozier
Roger Crozier

The Boston Bruins made a game of it, at least defensively, but in the end, they couldn’t generate enough offence to upset the Detroit Red Wings last night at the Olympia in the Motor City. The Wings rode the brilliant goaltending of Roger Crozier to a 2-0 win over the Beantowners. The Red Wings scored a goal in each of the first two periods, then had to rely on Crozier’s acrobatics to hold Boston off the score sheet.

Detroit came out flying and held a vast edge in play in the first period. They outshot the visitors 16-8 but Bernie Parent, playing his first match in goal after a five-game layoff, was outstanding. Parent gave up Alex Delvecchio’s ninth of the season on a power play with less than two minutes left in the opening session. Boston’s Reg Fleming was off with double minors for elbowing and hooking.

Norm Ullman scored the game’s other goal just nine seconds past the half-way mark of the game. It was a milestone goal for the hard-working centre, the 250th of his NHL career. Ullman beat Parent on a rising shot after being set up by defenseman Warren Godfrey.

After holding a 31-15 edge in shots over the first 40 minutes, the Wings had to scramble to hold the lead as the Bruins mounted a furious comeback in the third. Crozier was at his acrobatic best, and the Bruins were just unable to put the puck past the slightly built Bracebridge, Ontario native.

The win for the Red Wings was their sixth in as many tries against the Bruins this season.

Junior Wings Down Baby Habs

The Hamilton Red Wings defeated the Montreal Junior Canadiens 5-3 last night in a chippy OHA Junior A game in Hamilton that ended in a major brawl.

Gary Marsh
Gary Marsh

The teams battled back and forth all night, with Hamilton twice taking the lead only to have the Baby Habs come back to tie the score. A pair of late second-period goals gave Hamilton the lead for good.

Gary Marsh put the Red Wings up 1-0 at 8:32 of the first, but Lucien Grenier of Montreal tied it up nine minutes later. Marsh scored his second of the game just past the six-minute mark of the middle frame only have Montreal’s Michel Lapalme get that one back just over a minute later. Ron Anderson, up for the game from the Hamilton Junior B’s, made it 3-2 for the Red Wings at 10:33. Defenseman Bart Crashley scored what proved to be the winning goal a minute and a half later and the second period ended with the score 4-2 for Hamilton.

Don Giesebrecht gave the home side a three-goal margin early in the third and the issue seemed no longer in doubt. Chris Bordeleau scored for Montreal just before the 10-minute mark but the Junior Canadiens could get no closer.

As the game ended, Hamilton’s big Peter Mahovlich and Canadiens’ Robin Burns dropped the gloves by the Montreal goal and were joined by the other players on the ice. Both benches emptied and a mass brawl ensued. The main bout featured Carol Vadnais of Montreal and Paul Chiarot of Hamilton.

Coaches Rudy Pilous of Hamilton and Scotty Bowman of Montreal took to the ice to try to restore order. They eventually talked their players into retiring to the dressing rooms.

Petes Beat Black Hawks

Like the game in Hamilton, the Peterborough – St. Catharines OHA Junior A game ended in a 5-3 score, with the Petes on top, and the game was a rough one. While there was no bench-clearing brawl, 21 penalties were called, including three fights (although the participants in one set-to were only assessed minors).

Danny Grant, top sniper in the league, scored two more goals to pace the Peterborough attack. Andre Lacroix, Dan Sharpe and Mickey Redmond added singles. Black Hawks got goals from Ken Laidlaw, Jim Stanfield and Doug Shelton.

Peterborough now is unbeaten in 12 consecutive games.

Bruins Recall Ed Johnston

Ed Johnston
Ed Johnston

The Boston Bruins have recalled veteran goaltender Ed Johnston from the Los Angeles Blades of the Western Hockey League. He will join the club in Montreal for Saturday’s game against the Canadiens.

Johnston had suffered a knee injury earlier this season and was sent to Los Angeles to play himself back into shape.

Reds Blank Aces

Dave Creighton scored twice in the first period and that’s all the offense the Providence Reds needed as they edged the Quebec Aces 2-1 in an American Hockey League game at  Quebec City. The game was quite a turnaround for the Reds, as only 48 hours earlier, the Aces had swamped Providence 11-4.

Gordon Labossiere scored the only goal for Quebec. Goalies Marcel Paille of the Reds and Gary Bauman of Quebec both played strong games.

Saskatchewan Juniors on Strike

Blades' manager-coach George Agar
Blades’ manager-coach George Agar

Sixteen players from the Saskatchewan Blades of the Saskatchewan Junior A Hockey League have gone on strike. The player action leaves only five players in the Blades’ camp. One of those remaining is George (Corky) Agar, son of manager-coach George Agar.

The players were upset when manager Agar posted a new policy whereby players would be subject to fines and pay cuts if the team continues to play losing hockey.  Agar explained:

“This isn’t something new to the players. I had warned the players that I would turn to this method of making them play up to their capabilities following our 10-2 loss to Melville Millionaires 10 days ago. They have taken losing too lightly this year and the majority of players miss too many practices and games. They are being paid to play and learn the game and they just aren’t giving enough in return.”

The players say they aren’t striking just because of the fines, but rather the principle involved. The players believe they are giving their best effort and that other teams in the league are losing more games than they win as well. Those other teams are not subject to fines and pay cuts, according to the players.

The players are trying to arrange for a representative from the Saskatchewan Minor Hockey Association to resume discussions on their behalf with Agar in the near future.

The Blades’ next game is at home on Sunday against Moose Jaw Canucks.