Game 087
Canadiens 1, Maple Leafs 1
Thursday, January 24, 1929
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
In one of the fastest and most open games of the local National Hockey League season, the Canadiens and the Toronto Leafs played to a one goal draw before a packed house tonight.
Action predominated the seventy minutes of play, during which the two goalies, Chabot and Hainsworth, played star roles. Hainsworth was injured in the preliminary workout indulged in by the Canadiens, and played throughout with a broken nose and left eye practically closed.
Joliat scored first for the Canadiens in the initial period, when he put a hard shot past Chabot while the Canucks were playing five men to the Leafs’ three, the penalty bench being rather full at the time. Pettinger tied it up for the visitors in the third session on a pass from Horne.
The action on the ice angered the fans in the third period, when they took objection to a ruling of referee Bell which sent Burke to the penalty box, and showered the ice with paper and coins. Fourteen penalties, including one major, were meted out during the peppery contest.
The initial session was half an hour late in getting under way, owing to an eye injury sustained by George Hainsworth, the Canuck goalkeeper, in the pregame practice. A fast shot from Joliat’s stick caught Hainsworth on the left side of the nose, causing the eye on that side to practically close. He underwent extensive repairs, and took his place between the posts for the start of the game.
Lépine was first to threaten for the locals, but the Leaf defence stole the puck from him, just as he was about to make a shot at Chabot from close range. The visitors returned play to the other end, and Hainsworth made a perfect save to rob Cox of a goal.
Gagné and Mantha were penalized in turn, and the Leafs rushed to the attack in an effort to take advantage of their superior manpower. Gagné returned, but was sent right back to the cooler for spilling Pettinger. The Leafs continued to press, but heroic defence work by Burke and Leduc kept the Torontonians at bay until the locals returned to strength.
The players were liberal with their bumps. Pettinger, Burke, Day and Bailey were penalized in turn, leaving the Canadiens with five men to three for the Leafs. The handicap proved too much for the weakened Leafs, and Joliat skated in to whip a waist high shot past Chabot for the first goal of the game. The period ended a few minutes later with both teams back at strength.
Fast hockey predominated the opening minutes of the second period. The Leafs opened a bombardment on the Canuck net in an effort to get back into contention, while the Canadiens kept up a steady fire at Chabot as they tried to increase their advantage. Lowrey grabbed a loose puck at the Canuck defence, but Hainsworth blocked his hurried drive. Horne then crashed right in on top of Hainsworth, but the latter dashed out to smother the puck and make a wonderful save.
It was wide open hockey at this stage, with both teams going at full speed. Mondou got right through on Chabot, but shot right into the Toronto goalkeepers pads. Gerry Lowrey then came from behind the Canuck net and pounded two successive shots off Hainsworth’s pads. The three Toronto forwards then crashed through, but once again Hainsworth pulled the spectacular and saved his net.
Mantha relieved with a spectacular individual dash, and it was Chabot’s turn to make a good save. The Leafs increased the pressure toward the end of the session. They forced two scrambles in front of Hainsworth, but could not score. Just before the bell, Mondou and Day were penalized for bumping one another.
Lépine got in the first dangerous rush of the third period, and only a marvellous save by Chabot kept the Canucks from taking a two goal lead. Gagné then got in, but once again Chabot was on the job. The Leafs then took a turn at offensive play, but they could not crack a tight Canuck defence. They finally got a break, however, and Pettinger slapped a pass from Horne past Hainsworth to tie the score. Horne was lying on the ice when he batted the puck out to Pettinger, who was standing in front of the Canuck net in company with Lowrey.
Lépine and Blair were then penalized for roughing one another, Lépine drawing a major as the aggressor. Just after Blair returned, and before Lépine came back on, referee Bell penalized Burke for bumping Horne. The crowd showered the ice with paper and coins. The game was held up for ten minutes while the ice was cleared.
Pit Lépine returned soon after play was resumed, while Burke came back before the Leafs could get going. The bell rang a few minutes later, the game going into overtime.
Mantha went through alone soon after the faceoff, but Chabot saved. Art Smith was then penalized from the Toronto defence for roughing Lépine. The Canucks forced and kept play well in Leaf territory. Chabot was a busy man, but with the aid of his remaining teammates, managed to keep his net clear until Smith returned. Leduc got away, and when Chabot was slow in clearing his long lift, he almost batted in the rebound. Cox was penalized for charging. The Leafs then went on the defensive until they returned to strength, just before the final bell.
Story originally published in The Globe, January 25, 1929
BOXSCORE
1st Period
MTL PP2 GOAL – 16:03 – Joliat
2nd Period
TOR GOAL – 08:46 – Pettinger (Lowrey, Horne)
3rd Period
none
Overtime
none
Penalties
MTL – Lépine (major), Burke (2), Gagné (2), S. Mantha, Mondou
TOR – Day (2), Bailey, Blair, Cox, Lowrey, Pettinger, Smith
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Hainsworth (T)
TOR – Chabot (T)
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: George Hainsworth. Defence: Marty Burke, Gerry Carson, Albert Leduc, Georges Mantha, Sylvio Mantha (C). Forwards: Art Gagné, Aurèle Joliat, Pit Lépine, Armand Mondou, Howie Morenz, George Patterson.
TOR – Goaltenders: Lorne Chabot. Defence: Hap Day (C), Art Duncan, Red Horner, Art Smith. Forwards: Ace Bailey, Andy Blair, Bill Carson, Danny Cox, George Horne, Gerry Lowrey, Eric Pettinger.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 9-6-10 (.560)
TOR – 11-13-2 (.462)
Two Solitudes 