Game 125
Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 3
Thursday, January 17, 1935
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
In a high speed encounter, the Montréal Canadiens nosed out the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 to 3 at the Forum here tonight, before a crowd of approximately 7,500 wildly excited spectators in a regular National Hockey League game.
Clicking on all cylinders, the Canadiens displayed all their old time fire and “pep” in downing the high flying Leafs. Right from the first five minutes, the red machine was in top speed and maintained their pace with hardly a letdown.
Despite one of their famed garrison finishes, the Torontonians were unable to overcome the two goal margin chalked up by the Frenchmen in the last period. Wilf Cude did yeoman service in stopping the Blue Shirts in their final drive and all in all, kicked out 30 shots to 22 for Hainsworth.
The Canadiens took the lead five minutes from the opening whistle on a smart play by Georges Mantha, with Gerald Carson handing out the assist. Then three quarters of the way through the first period, Busher Hollett tied up the count on a smart play with Charlie Conacher and Joe Primeau. Aurèle Joliat and Pit Lépine engaged in a passing play that resulted in Wildor Larochelle putting the Frenchmen ahead a minute later. Toronto, however, evened matters up two and a half minutes after the start of the second frame, when Andy Blair rallied while the Canadiens were a man short. Three assists were given in the gang play.
Leroy Goldsworthy put the Canadiens ahead again while Primeau was serving a penalty six minutes after the start of the last period. It was a neat play by Sylvio Mantha. While the Leafs were all up the ice in an effort to even the count, Lépine tallied with three minutes to go, Roger Jenkins and Joliat assisting. Toronto, however, came back a minute later, with Blair notching the final counter and his second amid a mixup.
Clancy opened the proceedings with a hard shot at Cude. Joliat and Carson combined for a rush which carried them right down on Hainsworth, who cleared smartly. The Canadiens continued boring in with three men attacks, but their work went for nought. Georges Mantha was in alone, only to have Conacher scoop up the rolling puck.
Five minutes from the start of the game, Georges Mantha put the Canadiens one up when he combined smartly with Carson. Carson picked up the puck near the blue line and sped goalward, flanked by Mantha. When fifteen feet out Carson slipped the puck across to Geroges, who neatly flicked it past Hainsworth.
Gagnon received an ovation from the crowd when he took the ice in his first appearance in a Canadien sweater since he was purchased from the Boston Bruins. The Leafs put on the pressure, but Cude kept them out.
Clancy was sent to the penalty box for checking Georges Mantha into the boards. Day immediately led a rush toward the Canadiens’ goal area. Goldsworthy pulled a solo rush that failed to register.
Clancy came back, and Hollett scored after a neat pass from Primeau, who in return had received the puck from Conacher.
A minute later the Canadiens went to the front again. Lépine slammed a long pass to Joliat. The left winger, with a deft backhand, sent the puck over to Larochelle, who smacked it past Hainsworth. The Leafs finished up the period with a series of torrid attacks in an effort to even up the count.
Crutchfield was sent to the penalty bench for tripping Horner shortly after the second period began. The Leafs immediately stormed in on Cude and, amid a melee of players and sticks, evened the count at 2 to 2. Cotton whipped over a pass to Blair, who poked it into the net. Crutchfield returned, and the Leafs continued the pressure. Aurèle Joliat was practically on top of Hainsworth, but the ex-Canadien goaler blocked neatly.
Lépine piled up on the Leafs’ defence after a rush. Kelly was in close on Cude, who cleared with ease. Riley and Goldsworthy combined on a long range passing attack that nearly worked. With five men up the ice, the Canadiens peppered Hainsworth in the Toronto net with shots, but failed to penetrate. The Leafs relieved the pressure with a rush that forced Cude to step around.
Clancy and Conacher broke in on Cude, but the Canadien netminder kicked the puck out. Joliat and Lépine combined for a neat sally. Thoms led a Leaf rush that was immediately followed by a dash by Hollett. The Canadiens took to shooting the puck up the ice. Georges Mantha and Goldsworthy gave Hainsworth an anxious moment, which was the first of a series of hard shots by the red-shirted snipers from close range.
As the period ended the Canadiens continued their attack. Clancy drove a hard shot as Cude, who had to jump to save.
Joliat, Lépine and Larochelle combined for a neat effort, which was blocked by Hainsworth, starting the third period. Thoms let go with a hard shot from the blue line. Conacher burned a shot at Cude, who was forced to step around to stop. Primeau was given two minutes for tripping Goldsworthy. Immediately the Canadiens pressed with a five man attack.
Hainsworth smothered a Canadien drive by falling on the puck amid a mixup. Goldsworthy shoved the Canadiens to the front when he beat Hainsworth neatly on a smart pass from helmeted Sylvio Mantha. Primeau returned, and the pressure was lessened.
Conacher bore down on the Canadien net as the Leafs went out to even matters. Cude, however, made a splendid sliding save to stop Conacher’s shot.
The game was held up while Cude and Thoms were extracted from the twine of the Canadiens’ net, where they had landed during a mixup. Toronto utilized five men up the ice in an effort to score. Clancy and Goldsworthy tangled, and both were waived to the penalty bench, but not before fisticuffs threatened. Just as the culprits returned, Armand Mondou was in alone, but his shot whizzed over the net.
The Leafs pressed as time grew short, and the Canadiens shot the puck up the ice. With three minutes to go, Lépine put the game away when the Canadiens caught the Leafs with all men up the ice. Joliat passed to Jnekins, who slipped the puck to Lépine, and the smart Canadien centre made no mistake.
Hardly had the crowd settled back when the Leafs tallied during a mixup. Blair got the goal, with Primeau and Jackson assisting. The game ended with the Leafs still pressing for the tying goal.
Story originally published in The Globe, January 18, 1935
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR PEN – 01:00 – Clancy
MTL GOAL – 05:06 – G. Mantha (Carson)
TOR GOAL – 14:39 – Hollett (Primeau, Conacher)
MTL GOAL – 15:57 – Larochelle (Lépine, Joliat)
2nd Period
MTL PEN – 02:00 – Crutchfield
TOR PP GOAL – 02:53 – Blair (Primeau, Cotton)
3rd Period
TOR PEN – 01:00 – Primeau
MTL PEN – 02:00 – Goldsworthy
TOR PEN – 03:00 – Clancy
MTL GOAL – 05:59 – Goldsworthy (S. Mantha)
MTL GOAL – 17:38 – Lépine (Jenkins, Joliat)
TOR GOAL – 18:40 – Blair (Primeau, Jackson)
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Cude (W, 30-33)
TOR – Hainsworth (L, 22-26)
SHOTS ON GOAL
MTL – 10+6+10 = 26
TOR – 11+11+11 = 33
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Wilf Cude. Defence: Gerry Carson, Georges Mantha, Sylvio Mantha (C), Tony Savage. Forwards: Nels Crutchfield, Johnny Gagnon, Leroy Goldsworthy, Roger Jenkins, Aurèle Joliat, Wildor Larochelle, Pit Lépine, Jack McGill, Armand Mondou, Jack Riley.
TOR – Goaltenders: George Hainsworth. Defence: King Clancy, Hap Day (C), Flash Hollett, Red Horner. Forwards: Andy Blair, Buzz Boll, Charlie Conacher, Baldy Cotton, Busher Jackson, Pep Kelly, Hec Kilrea, Joe Primeau, Bill Thoms.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 7-12-3 (.386)
TOR – 19-6-2 (.741)
Two Solitudes 