With their 3-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings last night, the Chicago Black Hawks moved into a first-place tie with the idle Montreal Canadiens. In the other National Hockey League game, the Boston Bruins thumped the New York Rangers 6-2
Hall Saves Hawks
At Chicago, the Black Hawks and Red Wings battled through a tense first two periods with neither team managing a goal. Chicago’s Glenn Hall was especially sharp and played as if his life depended on never giving up another goal.
The first 20 minutes was dominated by Detroit. They outshot the home side 15-5, but Hall was more than equal to the occasion. The Hawks evened the play a bit in the middle frame, but were still on the short side of a 10-9 shot ledger. The third period saw all the scoring, and even though the Wings held a 14-8 shot advantage, Hall out-goaled Bassen as the Hawks fired three goals to Detroit’s one.
Stan Mikita opened the scoring just past the four-minute mark, ramming home a Ken Wharram rebound past Bassen. Eric Nesterenko made it 2-0 about six minutes later on one of the best goals of the season.
Nesterenko, not known as offensively gifted, skated through the entire Detroit team before beating Bassen with a quick snap shot.
The Red Wings got that one back a couple of minutes later when two former Maple Leafs combined. Don McKenney made a nice pass to Andy Bathgate who cashed in on Hall, who had no chance on the play.
The Red Wings pulled Bassen in favour of an extra attacker in the final minute but Mikita ruined the comeback bid with 14 seconds to play to make the final 3-1.
The win was the fourth straight by Chicago over the Red Wings.
Bruins Win on a Bad Day for Rangers
The Boston Bruins went into their game last night against the New York Rangers with just two healthy defensemen in Don Awrey and Bob Woytowich. Both players scored goals as the Bruins manhandled the visiting Rangers by a 6-2 score. The loss added insult to injury for the Rangers, who earlier in the day were notified that the NHL had levied $1,800 in fines against Emile Francis and members of the team for their parts in the Sunday night brawl in the stands at Madison Square Garden.
The Bruins went into the game with regular defenders Ted Green and Al Langlois out of the lineup. Green was in hospital with some sort of stomach virus and Langlois was still bothered by a groin injury suffered in the previous night’s game. Leo Boivin was dressed for Boston, but he did not play after the first period, hampered by a bruised knee.
A wide-open first period ended tied at 2-2, with both teams having scoring chances seemingly at will. Reg Fleming and Tom Williams gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead, but Bob Nevin and Garry Peters evened it up. Nevin’s goal came only 12 seconds after Williams’.
Woytowich and Awrey scored the only two markers of the second period to put the Bruins ahead for good. Fleming added another goal in the third, as did with Parker MacDonald.
The Rangers held a wide edge in play over the first 40 minutes, out shooting the Bruins 30-23. However Boston took full control of the game in the final frame, pouring 16 drives at Ranger goalie Eddie Giacomin.
Bruins rookie goalie Bernie Parent had another standout performance despite being felled by a wicked shot from Ranger captain Nevin early in the second period. Nevin’s shot struck Parent full in the face, but the young netminder was saved from a probable serious injury by his face mask. Parent shook off the effects of the blow and went on to make 18 saves in that second period.
$1800 in Fines for Rangers
Clarence Campbell, president of the National Hockey League, levied $1,800 in fines against New York Rangers general manager Emile Francis and 12 of his players yesterday. The fines were punishment for their parts in a wild brawl in New York on Sunday evening. The Ranger players wandered into the crowd, ostensibly to rescue Francis, who had gone to the area of the goal judge to protest a goal against his team.
This is the biggest mass fine against a team since the Maple Leafs and Black Hawks staged a huge bench-clearing brawl in Toronto two years ago. The teams had a total $4475 taken from their wallets on that occasion.
Francis was fined $250, as Campbell says he triggered the entire melee. He fined five of the six players on the ice $100 each. Only goalie Ed Giacomin escaped since he didn’t participate in the festivities.
Seven more players were fined $150, $100 of that was for entering the seating area, while the other $50 was for leaving the bench to engage in a brawl.
Tagged for $150 were backup goalie Don Simmons and skaters Mike McMahon, Wayne Hillman, Larry Mickey, Rod Seiling, Garry Peters and Lou Angotti.
Lighter by $100 are Harry Howell, Arnie Brown, Vic Hadfield, Earl Ingarfield and Johnny McKenzie.
Don Marshall and Rod Gilbert remained on the bench during the incident. Bob Nevin, Phil Goyette, Jim Neilson and Jean Ratelle were on the ice but didn’t venture into the stands.
Campbell said that in his investigation, he found that the basic facts were not in dispute.
The principle problem has been to identify the individual players who took part in the melee and the degree of their participation in the episode.
Campbell placed the onus for the incident completely on Francis, “who improperly proceeded through the crowd for the purpose of molesting the goal judge.”
Pappin Red-Hot in AHL
Jim Pappin scored three goals to lead the Rochester Americans to a 5-2 victory over the Quebec Aces in an American Hockey League in Rochester last night.
Pappin has now scored 11 goals in just seven games since being sent to the Americans from the parent Toronto Maple Leafs. Red Armstrong and newly demoted Eddie Joyal also scored for the Amerks.
Quebec goal-getters were Ed Hoekstra and Bob Blackburn.
Other AHL games saw Buffalo blank Providence 4-0 while Cleveland outscored Baltimore 6-4.
Hamilton Upsets Flyers
The seventh-place Hamilton Red Wings handed league-leading Niagara Falls Flyers their second loss of the season last night. The Red Wings edged the Flyers 6-5 in one of two OHA Junior A games scheduled last night. Peterborough got by the London Nationals 4-3 in the other contest.
Sandy Snow and Peter Mahovlich each scored twice for Hamilton. Don Giesebrecht and Bart Crashley added singles.
Flyers marksmen were Don Marcotte with two, Jim Lorentz, John Arbour and Derek Sanderson.
Danny Grant led the Petes to their win over London with a pair of goals. Andre Lacroix and Mickey Redmond had the others. Lacroix added three assists for a four-point evening.
Len Bazay had two goals for the Nats. Darryl Edestrand added a single.
Notes:
- Toronto sent F Eddie Joyal to Rochester of the AHL.
- Toronto also promoted Doug Dunville and Barry Watson from the Jr. A Marlboros to Rochester for one game.
- Bud Poile, GM of the San Francisco Seals of the WHL, is reported to be interested in obtaining Howie Young from the Los Angeles Blades. Young is presently sitting out due to a salary dispute.