Paul Henderson scored four goals last night to lead the Detroit Red Wings to their first win of this National Hockey League season. Red Wings downed the New York Rangers 5-3 at the Olympia in Detroit. It was the only game on the NHL schedule.
Rangers Led Early
Early in the contest, it appeared that the Wings would drop their fifth consecutive game. Rangers grabbed a 2-0 lead on a first period goal by Boom Boom Geoffrion and an early middle frame marker by Don Marshall. The goal for Geoffrion was his first as a Ranger and came on a power play while Detroit’s Gary Bergman was off on a minor penalty.
Norm Ullman got Detroit on the board only a minute after Marshall’s goal thanks to a nice set up from Henderson. Henderson then began his scoring spree only 31 seconds after that.
Henderson scored two more before the end of the period to complete the second stanza hat trick. Marshall pulled New York to within one with his second of the game with one second left in the period.
Four Points for Ullman
Henderson scored the only goal of the third period to complete his four-goal, one assist night and make the final score 5-3. The swift-skating Detroit winger now leads the NHL with eight goals on the season.
Ullman had four points, assisting on three of Henderson’s goals. The Red Wings thoroughly dominated play, outshooting the visitors 49-28.
Henderson is a rarity in the NHL – he is a right-hand shot playing left wing. In fact, he is the only righty playing that side in the big league. Playing the off-wing is something NHL coaches don’t seem to like. Only three players play the right side while shooting left – Eddie Shack of Toronto, Billy Hicke of the Rangers and Canadiens young Yvan Cournoyer.
Francis Impressed
Rangers coach-general manager Emile Francis was impressed with the line of Ullman, Henderson and Floyd Smith. He had high praise for Henderson:
We couldn’t do anything with that line. We couldn’t have stopped them if we’d thrown a blanket over them.
I’ve always liked Henderson from his junior days. He’s going to be a great player. When he gets away, no one can catch him…no one. He makes it harder for the opposition coming from his wrong side, too. Nobody is used to it, especially the goalkeepers.
Francis also added some credibility to the trade rumours suggesting his club is trying to make a deal for Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Terry Sawchuk:
I don’t deny I’d like to have Terry Sawchuk. I’ve been after one of those Toronto goalkeepers since the night Jacques Plante came to me and said he was retiring. I didn’t sleep at all that night.
(Historical note – Francis’ comments today would certainly earn him a stiff fine from the league for tampering. In those days, it was fairly common for general mangers to profess their interest in rival players.)
Aces Remain Unbeaten
The Quebec Aces upped their unbeaten record to seven straight wins to start the American Hockey League season last night. The Aces skated to a 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Hornets at home in Quebec City.
Five players shared in the Quebec scoring. Jim Morrison, Wayne Hicks, Bobby Rivard, Jean Guy Gendron and Billy Sutherland lit the lamp for the Aces. Jimmy Peters, Billy Harris and Gary Jarrett were the Hornets marksmen.
Don Caley started in goal for the Wasps, and was relieved by Joe Daley. Between them they faced 40 Quebec drives. Caley left the game at the 12:00 mark of the first period after taking a shot from Hicks squarely on the jaw. The rookie goalie needed eight stitches to close a wound on his cheek and he also lost a couple of teeth.
Aces goalie Gary Bauman was tested just 18 times by the visitors.
WHL Seals Move Into 2nd Place
The California Seals moved into second place in the Western Hockey League standings last night with a 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Blades in Los Angeles.
Veteran Charlie Burns was the star of the night for California. He set up five of the six Seals goals. Goal-getters for the winners were Wayne Maxner and George Swarbrick with two each, and singles by Ron Harris and Stan Gilbertson.
Former NHL veteran Jerry Toppazzini scored twice for the Blades. Mel Pearson and Willie O’Ree had the others. The Blades had led the game 3-0 after 8:14 of the first period.
Seals outshot the Blades 33-31. Veteran California goalie Jack McCartan bested young Dave Kelly who was between the pipes for the Blades.
OHA Red Wings Unbeaten in Five
The Hamilton Red Wings extended their Ontario Hockey Association Junior A unbeaten string to five games last night with an 8-2 thumping of the Montreal Junior Canadiens. In the only other OHA game, Peterborough Petes bested the St. Catharines Black Hawks 3-1.
At Hamilton, Freddie Speck, Jim Adair and Don Giesebrecht scored two goals each for the Wings, Ron Climie, and Rick Morris had singles. Norm Descoteaux and Larry Pleau counted for the losers.
Referee Brian Lewis handed out 52 minutes in penalties in the roughly-played contest. Hamilton is now in first place.
At St. Catharines, Alex Campbell scored the winning goal for Peterborough early in the third period. John Vanderburgh and Mickey Redmond also scored for the Petes. Ron Anderson connected for the Black Hawks.
Notes:
- Toronto defenceman Marcel Pronovost has been ordered off skates for at least 10 days to rest his injured left knee.
- New York Rangers have sent LW Doug Robinson to Baltimore of the AHL. Robinson played two games for Rangers this season.
- Leafs say John Brenneman, picked up in the summer draft from the New York Rangers, has earned the left wing spot on a line with Bob Pulford and Eddie Shack.
- Pulford is ready to return to the Toronto lineup after missing the entire exhibition slate and the three games of this season with a bad knee.
- Terry Sawchuk has left the Leafs to attend the funeral of his mother-in-law. Bruce Gamble will start in goal for Toronto against Boston on Saturday.
- Norm Johnson has been appointed captain of the Los Angeles Blades, succeeding Marc Boileau, who retired.
- Toronto goalie prospect Al Smith is off to a fine start for Victoria of the WHL. He has allowed just four goals while winning three games and tying one.