Game 115
Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 3
Thursday, March 2, 1933
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
The Canadiens downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 here tonight, in a wild and woolly National Hockey League battle, with 10,000 fans looking on. The Red Shirts’ victory tonight was their third in three starts against the Stanley Cup holders, giving them another two points in their race for a playoff berth, and a tie with the New York Americans for the vital third place position.
It was one of the most exciting struggles fans have seen in the Forum all winter. Five major penalties were handed out in the second and third periods, as heavy checking developed into open warfare. The Leafs at one time had a lead of 2-0, and then faced a 4-2 count in favour of the Canucks, only to regain one goal in the last minutes of play.
Léo Bourgault of the Canadiens and King Clancy and “Chuck” Conacher of the Leafs all drew majors for a wild fist fight in the second period, which started from a Bourgault-Clancy checking duel. Sylvio Mantha got off with a minor for the same fight. In the last period, “Pit” Lépine and “Busher” Jackson were sent off with a major each for rough work with high sticks.
Jackson and Joliat led the scoring with two goals and an assist each. Morenz got a goal and an assist, and Larochelle got the other Canadiens’ goal. Young Bob Gracie banged in Jackson’s pass in the third period for the third Toronto goal.
Robust body checks stopped two Canadiens’ attacks just after the faceoff. Day went down on a great rush, and Jackson got a free shot on a wild clearance by Carson. Hainsworth stopped the shot. Gagnon got in close on a team play with Joliat, and Chabot made two smart stops. Cotton and Levinsky combined on a swift raid, but Lépine’s back check broke it up. Hainsworth made a sensational save as Day and Thoms came in close.
Lines were shifted every minute or so, as a burning pace was maintained. Blair banged a hard backhander at Hainsworth, and then the Leafs nearly scored on a rousing four man thrust. Chabot did the splits to stave off Lépine’s blazing shot. Clancy went to the penalty box for holding as the Canadiens skirmished right in front of CHabot.
The Toronto goalkeeper was in a tough spot with Morenz, Gagnon, Joliat and Bourgault sniping at him from just inside the Leafs’ blue line. Clancy was just back when the Leafs entered the scoring column. Jackson found a clear lane down left wing, and raced down for a hard shot. The puck glanced off Howie Morenz’s stick into the cage. Conacher went off with a tripping penalty, and the Leafs were short again.
Chabot stopped another rapid barrage as the Red Shirts skirmished desperately inside the Leafs’ blue line. Conacher came back, and the Leafs’ first line swept down in a powerful attack that brought them another goal. Conacher raced down right wing, and a double pass to Primeau and to Jackson gave Busher an open shot with Hainsworth on the wrong side of the cage. Morenz, Gagnon and Joliat went down on a mad rush, and Morenz scooped up a rebound and rushed it into the cage over Chabot’s prostrate body. Gagnon and Joliat each got an assist. Gracie went off for tripping, and Cotton joined him for cross checking Lépine on the faceoff.
The Leafs started the second period two men short, but smart work by Chabot left them still a goal ahead when Cotton and Gracie came back. Bailey got through for a shot to Hainsworth’s chest. George knocked down a nice shot from Primeau. Larochelle and Georges Mantha went in close and Chabot fell on the puck. Conacher went off for cutting down Georges Mantha, and Lalonde sent on Gagnon, Morenz and Joliat. There was some hot skirmishes in front of Chabot. Cotton got away alone on a fast rush, but his shot missed the Canadiens’ cage.
Carson was chased for cross checking, the first Canadiens penalty. The Leafs sprang in with a five man attack. Bourgault and Clancy began swapping blows at the Canadiens’ defence. Conacher mixed in and Sylvio Mantha joined the fray. Bourgault, Conacher and Clancy each drew a major. Sylvio Mantha got a minor for his part in the duel. Day drew a minor for tripping Morenz. It was a delayed penalty. Gagnon and Horner were chased for cross checking.
Conacher came back on the ice too soon, and went off with another minor. Bailey was chased for tripping. The Leafs were two men shy when Morenz fed Joliat a pass, and the midget blazed a waist high shot past Chabot and tied the score. It was exciting hockey despite the frequent interruptions. The penalty timekeepers were as busy as chartered accountants. Finally the penalty parade appeared halted for the moment, with the Leafs only one man short. Chabot got a little breathing spell. Lépine was chased for tripping, and the sides were even as the period closed.
The Canadiens started one man short, and the Leafs had everybody but Chabot up the ice. Hainsworth held out, and Lépine was back on the job again. Cotton got through to Hainsworth and collided with the goalkeeper. Carson cleared the loose puck. Georges Mantha overtook the sliding puck, whirled down the wing, and passed across to Larochelle, who rammed home his own rebound and put the Red Shirts into the lead.
Charlie Conacher whirled a crashing drive against Hainsworth’s chest, and Bourgault cleared smartly as the Leafs bored in. Georges Mantha headed two Canadiens’ raids that failed. Jackson and Lépine started cross checking, and their scuffling brought them both majors. Clancy went down and left the Leafs’ defence open. Joliat broke away clear, evaded Downie inside the Toronto blue line, drew Chabot and jabbed the puck home.
With only a few minutes to go, the Leafs threw all they had into a fierce offensive. Joliat’s tricky stick handling gummed up their work, and Hainsworth was right in form. It seemed the anxious Leafs must score any moment as they bombarded the goalkeeper. Lépine and Larochelle teamed on a fast run that made Chabot dive to save.
WIth little more than a minute left, the Leafs scored. Bob Gracie found the cage with a quick shot from close in on a pass from Jackson. Irvin took Chabot out of the cage and put six men on the attack, but it was too late, and the Canadiens held their citadel till the bell ended the game.
Story originally published in The Globe, March 3, 1933
BOXSCORE
1st Period
MTL GOAL – 02:07 – Morenz (Gagnon, Joliat)
TOR PEN – 03:00 – Clancy
TOR PP GOAL – 04:43 – Jackson (Conacher, Primeau)
TOR PEN – 06:00 – Conacher
TOR PEN – 10:00 – Gracie
TOR GOAL – 12:10 – Jackson
TOR PEN – 16:00 – Cotton
2nd Period
MTL PEN – 03:00 – Gagnon
TOR PEN – 03:00 – Jackson
MTL PEN – 06:00 – S. Mantha
TOR PEN – 06:00 – Day
MTL PEN – 10:00 – Gagnon
TOR PEN – 10:00 – Horner
MTL PEN – 13:00 – Lépine
TOR PEN – 13:00 – Bailey
MTL GOAL – 14:21 – Joliat (Morenz)
MTL PEN – 17:15 – Bourgault, major
TOR PEN – 17:15 – Clancy, major
TOR PEN – 19:15 – Conacher, major
TOR PEN – 19:15 – Horner, major
3rd Period
MTL GOAL – 02:32 – Larochelle (G. Mantha)
TOR GOAL – 07:06 – Gracie (Jackson)
MTL GOAL – 08:46 – Joliat
MTL PEN – 11:00 – Lépine, major
TOR PEN – 11:00 – Jackson, major
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Hainsworth (W, 31-34)
TOR – Chabot (L, 29-33)
SHOTS ON GOAL
MTL – 10+15+8 = 33
TOR – 13+7+14 = 34
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: George Hainsworth (C). Defence: Léo Bourgault, Gerry Carson, Albert Leduc, Georges Mantha, Sylvio Mantha, Harold Starr. Forwards: Johnny Gagnon, Art Giroux, Hago Harrington, Gizzy Hart, Aurèle Joliat, Wildor Larochelle, Pit Lépine, Howie Morenz.
TOR – Goaltenders: Lorne Chabot. Defence: King Clancy, Hap Day (C), Red Horner, Alex Levinsky. Forwards: Ace Bailey, Andy Blair, Charlie Conacher, Baldy Cotton, Dave Downie, Bob Gracie, Busher Jackson, Joe Primeau, Bill Thoms.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 15-21-4 (.425)
TOR – 21-14-5 (.588)
Two Solitudes 