Game 122
Maple Leafs 2, Canadiens 1 (OT)
Saturday, November 10, 1934
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
The Montréal Canadiens were within ten seconds of a victory over the Maple Leafs at the Gardens on Saturday evening, but that great little opportunist, Ken Doraty, scored the tying counter and forced the game into overtime.
The Leafs went on to win by 2 to 1 in the extra ten minutes, when Harvey Jackson, making one of his noted solo dashes from end to end, beat Wilfrid Cude in the Canadiens’ net with a corner shot. It was the Leafs’ second straight victory in the present National Hockey League campaign, and Doraty has been a prominent figure in both of them. It is pretty near time to pack up the City Hall and present it to him.
The smallest crowd that has greeted the Canadiens here in some seasons attended the game, the official figures being 9,315. Howie Morenz must have been the magnet that drew the big crowds in the past. However, it must be admitted that the Canadiens have a smart enough team without the once mighty Morenz.
For 59 minutes and 50 seconds, they more than held their own against the Leafs. In the second period, Paul Raymond, recalled from the Québec Beavers, together with Armand Mondou, owing to the absence of Wildor Larochelle, who is out with an injured knee, beat Toronto’s George Hainsworth for the lone Canadiens’ tally.
That goal stood out like a sore thumb, and try as they would the Leafs seemed unable to get the equalizer, until “Cagey” Doraty, who is always buzzing around the net, so much that opposing goalkeepers are thinking they ought to make a fly swatter part of their equipment, happened to be in the right spot to deflect Hec KIlrea’s passout from the corner into the place where it would do the most good.
It was a heartbreaking tally to the Flying Frenchmen, who missed a number of good scoring opportunities in the third period, when the Leafs, intent on storming the enemy citadel often neglected to give Hainsworth protection, and left the way open for many promising breakaways by the visitors. However, Hainsworth rose to the occasion neatly, and time and time again made sensational saves when he rushed out to meet the incoming snipers. Hainsworth shared the honours of the night with Doraty and Cude.
The Leafs were somewhat changed from their opening night array. Art Jackson was missing, having been taken to hospital on Saturday with an attack of pleurisy. “Pep” Kelly and “Red” Metz, other members of the “kiddie” line were on hand, although Kelly was nursing a gashed leg. However, it did not affect his play, and he made a much stronger impression than on the opening night. He teamed with Conacher and Harvey Jackson, Charlie being the centre man on that trio and a pretty good pivot man at that.
Bill Thoms was in the game and so was Harold Cotton, both players contributing a good measure to the Leafs’ success. Cotton should have had the tying goal some time before Doraty got it, as he missed the net by an inch when Kelly fed him a perfect pass across the goalmouth as Harold was charging in.
Both teams maintained a fast pace, and through the checking was hard and close, there was plenty of excitement for the spectators. The Canadiens have picked up a good player in Nelson Crutchfield, the former McGill star. Crutchfield, a tall, powerfully built youth, is going to make a name for himself in the NHL when he gets a little more experience. He is a willing mixer, and can give and take plenty of punishment.
Just when it was being remarked that Andy Blair was likely to be the Leafs’ bad man this season, “Red” Horner, almost in the blink of an eye, overtook Andy for that distinction. Blair drew his third penalty of the season in the first period when he tripped Jenkins, but Horner got three in the second period, all in the space of about six minutes. Horner had just come back on the ice after serving the first one when he was chased again. Then he returned before his time was up, and was sent back again to serve an extra two minutes.
The Leafs served six of the nine penalties inflicted by the officials, Clancy and Thoms drawing rests in addition to Horner and Blair. Thoms tripped Georges Mantha in the third period when the younger of the Mantha boys had broken away, and was all set for an open sally on Hainsworth. The Canadiens were awarded a penalty shot on the offence, and after some argument, Mondou was selected to take it. The fans were quite interested, but Mondou’s shot was a dud. It never left the ice, and Hainsworth stopped it with his usual nonchalance.
The Leafs outshot the Canadiens by 45 to 32, but the visitors had a wide edge in the shooting of the second period, when Horner was taking so much time out in the “cooler.” The game was also notable for the number of stops in play, 107 – almost a record here – being recorded. The boys were too keen on going over the blue line ahead of the puck, and there were plenty of tangles in the corners.
Cude gave a great display of his ability, as he always does, and this young man, who beat the Leafs in the playoffs last spring when with Detroit, is the backbone of a strong defence, Sylvio Mantha and Jack Portland being a formidable pair in front of him, as are also Roger Jenkins and Gerald Carson. The Canadiens have weight and size this season, and even Aurèle Joliat looked bigger. Joliat didn’t figure in the scoring, but he is the same tricky little wing man, and gave Hainsworth considerable work at times.
Raymond, Crutchfield and McGill teamed together and were impressive. Raymond gave Hainsworth little chance on his shot. He picked up a rebound from Carson’s drive about fifteen feet in front of the net and slammed it home smartly. The Leafs were a little lax in not covering up, and the puck rebounded too far in front for Hainsworth to clear in time.
The Leafs haven’t started to click on their passing plays as yet, but they have been hampered by illness and injuries. Conacher and Jackson were working well together, and should have had a couple of goals each. Horner and Clancy were doing considerable attacking also, the former playing much better than he did on opening night. There was more bodychecking, too, than in the Boston game.
Story originally published in The Globe, November 12, 1934
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR PEN – 01:00 – Blair
MTL PEN – 02:00 – Lamb
2nd Period
TOR PENS – 01:00 – Horner (3)
MTL PEN – 02:00 – G. Mantha
MTL GOAL – 08:19 – Raymond (Carson)
3rd Period
TOR PEN – 01:00 – Clancy
MTL PEN – 02:00 – Portland
TOR PEN – 03:00 – Thoms
MTL PEN SHOT – Mondou stopped
TOR GOAL – 19:50 – Doraty (Thoms, Kilrea)
Overtime
TOR GOAL – 05:37 – Jackson
GOALTENDERS
TOR – Hainsworth (W, 31-32)
MTL – Cude (L, 43-45)
SHOTS ON GOAL
TOR – 10+5+21+9 = 45
MTL – 6+12+11+3 = 32
ROSTERS
TOR – Goaltenders: George Hainsworth. Defence: King Clancy, Hap Day (C), Flash Hollett, Red Horner. Forwards: Andy Blair, Buzz Boll, Charlie Conacher, Baldy Cotton, Ken Doraty, Busher Jackson, Pep Kelly, Hec Kilrea, Nick Metz, Bill Thoms.
MTL – Goaltenders: Wilf Cude. Defence: Gerry Carson, Georges Mantha, Sylvio Mantha (C), Jack Portland. Forwards: Nels Crutchfield, Roger Jenkins, Aurèle Joliat, Joe Lamb, Wildor Larochelle, Pit Lépine, Jack McGill, Armand Mondou, Paul Raymond, Jack Riley.
TEAM RECORDS
TOR – 2-0-0 (1.000)
MTL – 0-1-0 (.000)
ATTENDANCE
9,315
Two Solitudes 