Game 072
Canadiens 2, St. Pats 0
Thursday, December 2, 1926
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
Charlie Querrie and his St. Pats landed home from Montréal this morning sans victory, but plus the satisfaction of having given the enemy a peppery game fight right in their own territory. The “Irish” were beaten 2-0 by the “Flaming Frenchmen,” but they came out of the fray unscathed, and in good shape to meet the Newsy Lalonde-led New York Americans in the game here tomorrow night.
“We were more outlucked than outplayed,” said manager Charlie Querrie, commenting on the game. “It was a smart fast game all the way, and what delighted me the most was the fact that the boys played one of the best games they have ever played in Montréal. They were in there and going all the while. Three times Denneny was right inside and on top of goalkeeper Hainsworth all alone, but “Hainey” beat him and Bailey, the Peterborough boy, had the goalkeeper at his mercy twice, but he could not beat him. We should have had at least one goal, and any sort of luck would have had us even closer than that. It was a good, clean, fast game, and my players came through without injury. For some reason or other, two referees were on the job before the game, Dr O’Leary and Billy O’Hara, of Ottawa, but only one was used.”
A Canadian Press dispatch form Montréal commenting on the game says:
The spirited dash of the Toronto St. Patricks was halted here last night, when the Canadiens defeated them 2 to 0. The Canadien forwards played their usual lightning game in front of a tightened defence. The likewise fast Irish couldn’t get by Leduc and Gardiner, or Moran.
Pit Lépine, playing the regular centre berth while Howie Morenz was going easy on his bad knee, opened the scoring column after three minutes of the opening period on a pass from Gardiner in front of the nets, after the latter had cleared a rush on his own goal and went up centre ice. Joliat showed his old elusiveness in getting around Corbeau for the second and final score near the close of the second period.
The St. Pats made a supreme effort to grasp victory in the final session, but the Habitant defence and fast moving forwards were too much. However, the St. Pats’ forwards were a menace throughout, and Hainsworth was called upon to make some brilliant saves.
Story originally published in The Toronto Daily Star, December 3, 1926
BOXSCORE
1st Period
MTL GOAL – 03:01 – Lépine (Gardiner)
MTL PEN – Mantha
2nd Period
MTL GOAL – 17:11 – Joliat
MTL PENS – Leduc, Lépine
TOR PEN – Corbeau
3rd Period
MTL PEN – Lépine
TOR PENS – Bellefeuille, Bourgault, McCaffrey
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Hainsworth (W + SO)
TOR – Roach (L)
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: George Hainsworth. Defence: Herb Gardiner, Albert Leduc, Sylvio Mantha (C), Amby Moran. Forwards: Billy Boucher, Art Gagné, Aurèle Joliat, Wildor Larochelle, Pit Lépine, Howie Morenz.
TOR – Goaltenders: John Ross Roach. Defence: Léo Bourgault, Bill Brydge, Bert Corbeau (C), Hap Day. Forwards: Ace Bailey, Pete Bellefeuille, Bill Carson, Danny Cox, Corb Denneny, Bert McCaffrey.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 2-4-0 (.333)
TOR – 1-3-1 (.300)
Two Solitudes 