Game 130
Maple Leafs 2, Canadiens 0
Thursday, December 26, 1935
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
A brilliant exhibition by George Hainsworth in goal carried the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 2-0 shutout victory over the Canadiens tonight in a turbulent National Hockey League game that saw an uproarious demonstration by the rush-end crowd, which held up play for more than twenty minutes in the third period, as the ice was littered with coppers, half a dozen empty bottles, and papers.
The trouble started shortly after the third period opened, when Walter Buswell was ruled off for tripping Bill Thoms by referee A.G. Smith. Papers and coppers were showered on the ice, and it was only after the police at the rush end were strengthened by the addition of five men in blue that play restarted.
The game was fast, marked by close checking, but Hainsworth earned his shutout in holding the Canadiens out when they poured twenty shots at him in the first two periods. He robbed Leroy Goldsworthy, Paul Drouin and Aurèle Joliat when they were right in on him, but most of the other shots were from well out.
Charlie Conacher started the Leafs to their third victory of the season over the Canadiens when he took Joe Primeau’s pass just inside the blue line, streaked in fast, and pulled Wilf Cude for a neatly taken goal late in the first period.
Buzz Boll made it two for Toronto in the second period on a smooth combination play with Bill Thoms. The curly headed centre returned a quick pass at the defence, and Boll swooped in, holding his shot until Cude moved. Cude turned back many more dnagerous-looking raids as the Leafs held their shots for close-in efforts.
The Canadiens used four and five man attacks in the final period after the long delay, but despite the fact they had a one man advantage twice, they could not penetrate a rugged Leafs defence or beat the mighty Hainsworth.
The defeat pushed the Canadiens further into the cellar of the league’s Canadian section, and Toronto held their first place advantage over the Maroons by winning.
Clancy was in from the faceoff, but was crowded behind the nets without getting a shot away. Gagnon got in for the Canadiens, only to have Day hook his stick before he could shoot. McGill had a try, and after beating Day, Clancy stopped him. Conacher took a short pass from Primeau and lashed a wide shot against the back boards.
The first real save of the game came after the lines changed. Buswell went through and gave Goldsworthy a forward at the goalmouth. Hainsworth made a brilliant save as Goldsworthy tried to draw him out.
Blair got a penalty for tripping Joliat, and the Canadiens gauged up. Horner saved a goal with Hainsworth out of the net when he kicked out Joliat’s backhander. Blair came back before any damage was done.
Neither goalkeeper was much troubled, as a result of close checking by the rookie lines. Then Toronto took the lead as the starting lines came on again. Primeau gave Conacher a short pass at the blue line, and Conacher streaked in fast and drew Cude before slipping the puck behind him.
Haynes and McGill came within an ace of tying it up as they got in on Hainsworth, who stopped Haynes’ shot, and then made a spectacular stop of McGill’s try at the rebound.
Conrad Bourcier had the Leafs inside their blue line. The younger of the Bourcier brothers got away one shot that bothered Hainsworth, but the period ended with a listless spell.
Most of the action in the first minute was in the Toronto end, as Haynes and McGill did some hefty forechecking. Hainsworth stopped a hot one from McGill before Conacher and Primeau got away. Cude made a nice stop of Conacher’s pad burning shot. Haynes and Gagnon went up in a dangerous rush, but Haynes elected to shoot, and Clancy, the lone defender, stopped it.
“Polly” Drouin brought a roar from the crowd as he crashed into Clancy and knocked him down. Clancy then downed Buswell and got the gate. The Canadiens piled in, and Hainsworth made a beautiful diving save of Buswell’s hard shot to the corner. Buswell was penalized for tripping Boll when the Toronto flash appeared in the clear.
There was little action while both teams were shorthanded. Back at full strength, Joliat and Goldsworthy missed great chances to score for the Canadiens, as they pasted short shots at the goalkeeper. Hainsworth fell, saving from Joliat, and Goldsworthy missed the puck with the goaler helpless.
Horner was sent off just before Clancy came back, and the Canadiens did everything but score.
One wild scramble found Hainsworth lying on the ice just inside the crease with the puck behind him. Buzz Boll saved the situation when he flopped on Hainsworth and hauled the puck underneath.
Horner and Clancy came back, and Cude was brilliant saving one of Conacher’s hardest shots.
Goldsworthy got in a hard drive before the lines changed. Boll made it two for Toronto on a nice play with Bill Thoms. He took Thoms’ return pass just inside the blue line, and faked Cude into making a move before shooting into the corner. Play was held mostly between the blue lines until the bell ended the period.
The first faceoff in the third period was called off when it was found there was no goal judge behind the Canadien net. He finally came into the cage, and McGill raced in for a quick shot that found Hainsworth ready. Conacher got in for a fast Leaf shot that staggered Cude, but the little goaler kicked it out. Joliat had a good shot as the lines changed, then Buswell drew a tripping penalty as he sent Thoms down, and there was a wild demonstration from the rush end. Coppers, papers and other missiles were thrown on the ice, and the game was held up while the ice was cleared.
While the scrapers were at work, a bottle came down the ice and was shattered – it was empty. The players went to their dressing rooms as the uproar continued, while attendants were kept busy with their scrapers, and had to dip up pennies out of the ice. Another bottle landed near mid-ice with a shattering crash.
As soon as the officials showed up again, the uproar started all over again, and the ice was littered with two more bottles crashing down from high up in the rush end. All the demonstration was aimed at A.G. Smith.
After twenty minutes’ delay, the game was resumed as extra police were stationed at the rush end. The Canadiens held out safely until Buswell came back. Hainsworth saved from Goldsworthy and McGill in turn, before Finnigan got away for a dribbler at Cude. Blair took a hooking penalty against Drouin, and Mantha threw five forwards on. Drouin made a spectacular try for a goal, but Hainsworth robbed him with a brilliant save.
Another Canadien attack found Hainsworth flat on his face with every Toronto man on the ice on top of him. Blair came back to ease the strain on the Toronto defence.
Conrad Bourcier got away a nice shot that Hainsworth tipped over the cage, as the Canadiens kept up a concentrated attack, until H. Jackson and Conacher broke away. Busher’s pass went wide, and the Canadiens were right back in again. Blair broke away and was in the clear when brought down by Conrad Bourcier. Metz and Art Jackson gave Cude a bad second or two, as they fought for the puck and got their shots away.
Davidson drew a penalty with less than three minutes to go, and the Canadiens played every man up. Boll broke away and pasted two shots at Cude, as he kept the puck in the Canadien zone with his checking.
Story originally published in The Globe, December 27, 1935
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR GOAL – 10:48 – Conacher (Primeau)
TOR PEN – Blair
2nd Period
TOR GOAL – 17:12 – Boll (Thoms)
TOR PENS – Clancy, Horner
MTL PEN – Buswell
3rd Period
TOR PENS – Blair, Davidson
MTL PEN – Buswell
GOALTENDERS
TOR – Hainsworth (W + SO, 28-28)
MTL – Cude (L, 17-19)
SHOTS ON GOAL
TOR – 3+5+11 = 19
MTL – 9+11+8 = 28
ROSTERS
TOR – Goaltenders: George Hainsworth. Defence: King Clancy, Hap Day (C), Reg Hamilton, Red Horner. Forwards: Andy Blair, Buzz Boll, Charlie Conacher, Bob Davidson, Frank Finnigan, Art Jackson, Busher Jackson, Nick Metz, Joe Primeau, Bill Thoms.
MTL – Goaltenders: Wilf Cude. Defence: Walter Buswell, Art Lesieur, Sylvio Mantha (C), Jean Pusie. Forwards: Conrad Bourcier, Jean Bourcier, Joffre Desilets, Polly Drouin, Johnny Gagnon, Leroy Goldsworthy, Paul Haynes, Aurèle Joliat, Pit Lépine, Jack McGill.
TEAM RECORDS
TOR – 9-5-2 (.625)
MTL – 3-9-4 (.313)
Two Solitudes 